Cyberpunk

[night crag]

CYBERPUNK AWOO AWOO

[worthy snow]

GM of the campaign I'm in has sent the party on a major job to post-4th Corporate War Fresno
Literal road trip arc

[night crag]

awesome

[toxic lake]

#1021954427147517952 message I was looking in the pins and I wanted to answer! I think like... permanently it has to be Nomad, right?

[night crag]

I haven't played enough roles to answer this

plus with the way pickup skills work you can do whatever the hell you want as any role

e.g. the only rocker I've ever played is the dps of the group.......

akthough nomads are awesome

[valid hedge]

I think Medias are cool as hell

[grand prairie]

Oh damn there's a cyberpunk thread. Cool.
Nice to have an outlet to gush about the campaign im gonna run for some friends

[tidal oracle]

Please do, there's not too much cyberpunk tabletop in the cyberpunk tabletop forum

[grand prairie]

Crazy

[worthy snow]

average road trip out of NC

[grand prairie]

Oh god Difficult Pete

[worthy snow]

also pop-up shotgun to the face of an enemy rushdown ganger is uh, comedy

[grand prairie]

Owie Zowie

[hallow prawn]

Inspiring wrt playing the game again.

[hallow prawn]

What are y'all's favourite actual plays of RED?

[halcyon violet]

https://youtu.be/sNfBTRyK5xA?si=0qBKXJboeYCDyduS

[toxic lake]

This whips

The thumbnail reminds me of the one scene in Akira

Giphy is unhelpful but uh, the mugshot scene

https://tenor.com/view/akira-pandresari-gif-23073239

I have no idea why it's captioned this but

[unborn knot]

Yoo, Akira is fucking awesome

[unborn knot]

Point blank annihilation

[whole prairie]

https://vxtwitter.com/RTalsorianGames/status/1752425471394889885 Full Body Conversions!

[dim pond]

They have some art in the thread

Adam Smasher detected

[crystal urchin]

i dont think thats smasher specifically but its definitely a reference to his famous hard rock cafe t-shirt

[whole prairie]

Also 3 of the 4 pictures are references to the different clothing styles it seems like from 2020.

[crystal urchin]

also most of the original FBCs are represented in the second and fourth image

2, clockwise from left; Samson, Eclipse (maybe), Enforcer, Eclipse (maybe)
4, left to right: unknown, Brimstone, Copernicus, Wingman

and the woman with the damaged face is likely a Gemini

[whole prairie]

Was the netrunner one Spider?

[crystal urchin]

spider wasn't an FBC

the only FBC in Johnny's crew was Shaitan, who's an Eclipse

(though they completely changed his appearance in the game)

[whole prairie]

Sorry, the frame was called Spyder

[dim pond]

What's the differences?

[crystal urchin]

its a more expensive version of the Eclipse

[dim pond]

No I mean

What's the "classes" of fullborg

[crystal urchin]

in 2020, just different stats and built-in equipment

copernicus is designed for use in space so its feet are also hands and it has maneuver jets and grapple lines, samson is an industrial model so its stupidly strong and durable and has some tools built-in, etc

[whole prairie]

The ones that I'm not seeing immeidately are Wiseman, Sheol, and I think 1 other

[crystal urchin]

also the netrunner one is the "Wiseman" Cyberspace Commando

from the original set (Chromebook 2), no Aquarius or Dragoon

from Chromebook 3, no Sheol, Burroughs, Spyder or Wiseman

the one in the labcoat is the Hildare from Chromebook 3, the only one represented

and the Chrome Rock Cafe guy is probably supposed to be an Alpha

oh actually

[crystal urchin]

i think the one i called a Wingman is actually an Aquarius

its the forehead bumps and the shoulder intakes

https://i.imgur.com/wep1Xq7.png

well, honestly its basically an exact match, besides the glasses

idk why i said wingman

i do wonder how theyll handle FBCs for Red

because in 2020, even ignoring all the equipment, it was a big flat stat boost and tons of free armor and health

every single FBC has the equivalent of the strongest armor, if they dont have more

(SP 25, which was MetalGear™️ in 2020, so SP 18 in RED)

[dusk turret]

I’m hoping it’s something similar to a sleeve you can slot into. I mean, it’ll cost more and augment your stats but maybe it’ll prevent you from gaining more as a penalty? Something like that. These look fantastic, though. Very sick.

[crystal urchin]

how it worked in 2020 was that its an all-or-nothing

youre either an FBC (with no other cybernetics) or you arent

[dusk turret]

Ah, gotcha.

[crystal urchin]

and it replaced your Reflex, Move and Body scores with pre-defined values

[dusk turret]

It is another body, after all, that figures

But everything else except augments you bring with you?

[crystal urchin]

yeah

[dusk turret]

Righto

[crystal urchin]

for RED, they might just swap the whole "physical group" instead

Body, Dex and Move

thats how id do it at first glance

though, having the built-in armor doesnt help as much as it did in 2020

since theres no stacking

i still think theyre gonna nerf it though

[dusk turret]

I’d reckon so

From the scant glance I had over them ages back when I was writing Cyberpunk stuff

They did seem scary

[crystal urchin]

very much the idea

they are extremely expensive

like, the minimum is 200k including the therapy

(alpha for 40k, 16 weeks of ICT for 160k)

thats retirement money in 2020 (which is why you basically never pay it yourself)

i imagine itll be at least two or three times as much in RED

(so 100k+ for an alpha, plus therapy)

[night crag]

starting a red game soon

Im playing the grandniece of my first ever character, who's from a cyberpunk 2020 game

[whole prairie]

https://www.humblebundle.com/books/cyberpunk-red-2024-r-talsorian-games-books

Speaking of, Humble has Interface Red 3 early right now with this bundle

[hallow prawn]

!!!

[dim pond]

Here's the Militech Dragoon from the above interface 3

how does this look, mechanically?

[crystal urchin]

basically a full set of cyber with most of the expected upgrades, though im curious about the new items

"FBC EMP coating" = EMP protection?
"Dragoon Plating" = probably the built-in armor like i guessed theyd have
"Tuned Internal Hydraulics Upgrade" = some kind of movement or strength boost?
Internal Linear Frame Omega = a new stronger linear frame, obv, Body 15+ logically

the lack of anything in the neuralware category besides the link is a little weird though

(ex: chipware, speedware, pain editor, tactile boost)

oh the "FBC EMP coating" is full body conversion (etc), that makes sense as a standard option for them

also interesting that they removed the weapon mounts, those were a pretty notable feature of the original

also surprised they didnt go for the Sensor Array or MultiOptic instead of regular cyberaudio and cybereyes

[vale basin]

EMP coating provides EMP protection. When another piece of cyberware would be disabled, the costing is disabled instead.
Dragoon Plating is Armor. You can get it even without being FBC but you need high BODY.
Hydraulics Upgrade is FBC+ILF only, sets stats to a new baseline.

[versed grotto]

presumably that's low light/infrared/UVx2

but yeah not having the quad mount is interesting

[vale basin]

This is the Revised Dragoon.
And the Weapons Package is Sold Separately. Thanks, Militech!!

[versed grotto]

ah

[vale basin]

The book fiction calls it "Customizable", which is to say: There is no preset weapons package.

[versed grotto]

it's also considerably......I hesitate to say safer

but you don't need the drug injectors

idk I'm actually pretty disappoitned

this is a considerable step down from the IEC version and while not being zombified by the pilot control system is definitely a plus the complete absence of speedware is questionable

[leaden trout]

You want the insanity bot?

Because fair

[versed grotto]

but like, as far as "last word in combat conversions" go this is pretty meh

hell you need to chip in another 15k eddies to get the good armor

"good" armor you get what I mean

[vale basin]

It's a trade for the sake of usability.
Plus, using the Revise as a baseline, porting the OG is considerably easier, if you want to have that in your game.

[versed grotto]

I mean sure yeah I understand why it's the way it is

just kinda disappointed

funnily enough it's not even the most humanity losing conversion in the catalogue

some bunker delvers finding an old model dragoon would be a nasty surprise

given what else is in this publication a dragoon on a bike is a pretty funny image

not a motorbike a pedal bike

pedals pumping away, flying down the streets at 45 mph, metal weeping under the weight

[versed grotto]

I wonder if the seattle area had ferry nomads

Actually it'd be really funny for the last remnant of the pre collapse state government to be washington state ferries

Making sovcit-esque arguments for why they're not part of the actual state government anymore

[vale basin]

The Bicycle DLC is what convinced me to buy RED ngl

[toxic lake]

That's also what ||David's on in the climax of Edgerunners, I believe, right?||

Not the same hardware but the same pharma?

[versed grotto]

I don't believe so

the dragoon's system is a bit more refined and has the advantage of the pilot being just a brain so it's easier to adjust dosage

[hallow prawn]

Strapping just a sedated brain into what's otherwise a perfectly good killer android still seems a little odd to me.

[crystal urchin]

not quite sedated

more... chemically stabilized

no strong emotions either way

and remember that AI is both seriously limited and largely untrusted (circa 2020)

there are actually very few autonomous robots in Cyberpunk, especially in military applications

[hallow prawn]

Oh, right!

[crystal urchin]

not zero, mind you, just fewer than some would expect

the dragoon isnt a killer robot so much as a special purpose combat vehicle

extreme cyborg spec ops

[hallow prawn]

ah

[tame silo]

Damn, that's fucked

[crystal urchin]

oh right, i forgot the dragoon also has stealth systems

the thermal dam is the same as the Eclipse's but that has a better camo plus a sound dampening system and ECM

since the Eclipse is the regular cyborg ninja spec ops

[versed grotto]

it is interesting to see that biopods are standard in RED

[worthy snow]

the gemini is a tempting thing to have as a long-term pursuit for my current RED character, but jeez the costs are... quite high

[crystal urchin]

thats FBC for ya!

theres a reason the primary method for getting them in 2020 was "sign a decade+ contract with a megacorp"

[versed grotto]

Or military service

[crystal urchin]

whats the difference

[carmine anvil]

militaries have rules of engagement?

[brazen sentinel]

I went with “a clan of Russian nomads with a nuclear sub they rent power from to the other clans”

The ferries were militarized by Militech-Boeing (The NUSA)

[leaden trout]

I mean, yeah, that’s kinda a big deal in how you carry out missions

[halcyon violet]

No I think they meant

That is the difference

Megacorps do not have that

[crystal urchin]

i mean, thats actually not true

not in a "the megacorps are good" way, in a "literally everyone has ROE because "kill whoever you want" is still a rule" way

and the US based corps probably do have fairly strict ROEs under most circumstances to avoid unnecessary government attention, they can get away with a lot of shit but not Literally Anything

[dusk turret]

Ah very Snowcrash of you, Raven had the same situation. With the nuke and the sub I mean.

[woeful parcel]

Even corps have ROE, for instance killing you by blowing up your entire tower block is probably not on the table except in dramatic circumstances

'Try not to wing any passersby because it's bad PR' is an ROE

[worthy snow]

yeah corps are likely to have fairly concrete ROEs in most situations in 2020, the time of the RED, or 2077's timeframe

if anything the NUS military might be more prone to open violence with less strict ROEs in any situation where it's in use

in-setting

also, funny story from the game I'm in- our GM has successfully managed to pull the "another settlement needs your help" card our group.
how?
We got stuck in 2080-era (ruined) Fresno, CA and now have to literally help out a scavenger settlement to get our transportation fixed and go back to NC after getting our mission done

(it's been good but we're stuck in FRESNO)

[leaden trout]

At least it’s not Detroit, or god forbid, Ohio

(I’m actually not sure how Detroit is doing in Cyberpunk, but I’m assuming that there’s no saving Ohio)

[crystal urchin]

im pretty sure ohio is just an uninhabitable wasteland now

hmm actually its pretty far east, it might have survived

okay wasteland and awful but still inhabited

the great lakes are also fucked beyond belief

[vale basin]

In 2020
Things may have changed by 2045
probably for the worst?!

[crystal urchin]

and on Ohio specifically

[versed grotto]

I mean, it's not like the great lakes are going to get worse

[dim pond]

isnt this just a modern version of Ohio

Also what happened to the Larping Nomads

[worthy snow]

The game I'm in is a bit weird because the GM is running it in 2077-era (2080) using RED

But even then Fresno and many other places inland of NC in more rural areas are still fucked

[brazen sentinel]

Cyberpunk is an anime setting

[dusk turret]

Very very true

[brazen sentinel]

Part of that is the recent reconquest attempt by the NUSA by the 2077 times

[worthy snow]

Indeed

[toxic lake]

This may be an allusion to how Thomas Midgley Jr. was born here in Ohio. Man invented leaded gasoline and CFCs.

[crystal urchin]

also dont forget that unlike in real life, Cyberpunk never solved the issues that caused acid rain

well actually, i guess the relevant treatires were probably still signed

but progress wasnt made and the various climate disasters and the collapse of the US made everything worse

[brazen sentinel]

Also the 4th Corp War kicking off the blood rains and skies that give the time of the Red its name

[versed grotto]

if anything the emissions probably got worse

[versed grotto]

there is/was a lot of chemical industry in ohio'

[crystal urchin]

i also think that the EPA was one of the US agencies that got gutted and never reformed?

now hilariously, certain factors of Cyberpunk's alt-history would actually result in a better situation for acid rain and climate change, CHOOH2 is cleaner than gasoline/fossil fuels and the special corn farming for it isnt that bad and the beef industry in the US is basically dead

not to mention the massive downturn/plateau in emissions caused by the Collapse

but it then gets balanced out by the previously mentioned climate disasters like the new dustbowl and multiple nuclear detonations and the various major wars

[versed grotto]

there's a bit in 2000 AD where they comment that if they had MC1 recycling tech before the collapse there probably wouldn't have been a collapse

[versed grotto]

also "corn you can turn into gasoline" is a hell of a thing

[crystal urchin]

its not (completely) fiction!

biofuels are a thing, CHOOH2 is just extremely fucking good

and its mass adoption was motivated by the middle east going nuclear, wiping out easy access to oil for most of the world

[versed grotto]

well yeah but real life biofuels are not this good

or volatile

https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Militech_Mk_IV_Assault_Weapon_(Revised)

hold on did mike predict 6.5 grendel ten years before it debuted?

[crystal urchin]

not really?

[versed grotto]

like I suppose theoretically he could have been looking at 264 winmag but that's stupidly niche

[crystal urchin]

no its a completely fictional cartridge

[versed grotto]

well yeah but like

[crystal urchin]

its 6.5mm caseless, also described as a "hybrid" in blackhands

and theres a bunch of in-between cartridges

[versed grotto]

"the US mil adopts a 6.5mm cartridge that tries to offer 7.62 terminal ballistics with 5.56 trajectory" was something people startedn kicking around in 2003, not 1992

is mike a fucking time traveller

[crystal urchin]

i dont think it was a completely unheard of concept, especially not for near-future SF

[worthy snow]

👆

not to mention in reality we skipped right past 6.5mm to 6.8x51mm for the DOD

in the current-era present

[versed grotto]

well yeah but people were kicking 6.5mm cartridges around for decades

[worthy snow]

well, at least two standardized configurations of a 6.5 cartridge

6.5 Grendel (6.5x38mm, c.2003) for assault rifles

[crystal urchin]

the question isnt "did this idea exist"

[worthy snow]

and 6.5 Creedmoor (6.5x48mm, c.2007) for precision shooting

[crystal urchin]

its "when did someone first suggest combining the traits of 7.62 and 5.56"

and i wouldnt be surprised if mike got the idea out of a random gun magazine in the late 80s

[versed grotto]

apparently there are popular 6.5mm hunting cartridges in europe

so that might be it

[crystal urchin]

oh yeah 6.5mm existed before, a bunch of countries used it for their rifles in the early 19th century

[versed grotto]

they're still in use which create a theoretical lineage for how mike heard about them

ok I'm good now

[crystal urchin]

the Arisaka, the Carcano, etc

[versed grotto]

right but from my american perspective I'm used to thinking of those as collection guns that nobody actually shoots

[worthy snow]

well

[crystal urchin]

yeah

[versed grotto]

while apparently in europe there are various 6.5mm cartridges that were in active use during the 80s and 90s

[worthy snow]

post-WW2 a lot of GIs brought back trophy guns like Arisakas to use as hunting rifles

those might've been in 6.5

not to mention commercial stuff

[versed grotto]

they were but a lot of them got chambered and iirc by the 80s supplies of captured ammo were pretty limited

[worthy snow]

(in terms of what Mike might've been inspired by)

[versed grotto]

and I don't think there's a lot of commercial production of 6.5 arisaka in the US

I almost typed arasaka

for a brief moment I thought mike either had a terrifyingly accurate vision of the future or was visited by time travellers

[worthy snow]

remind me to have my GM make that an entry for a sniper in the 'Saka storefront in our game

a 6.5 Arasaka marksman rifle lol

[crystal urchin]

i suspect its a combination of "got the idea from several places which also inspired its real world use" and "a million predictions means a few have to hit"

[versed grotto]

hold on does the M4 exist in cyberpunk

oh my god it doesn't

[worthy snow]

(though tbf one the players I'm playing the game alongside has already flavored their sniper rifle as an Arasaka-Howa precision rifle)

well

it technically can

[crystal urchin]

yes

it was designed before the collapse

[worthy snow]

👆

[crystal urchin]

but it was never adopted

[worthy snow]

yeah

[versed grotto]

oh my god

the M4 is a G11

and the G11 is the M4

because the G11 made it to production

[worthy snow]

tbf a lot of poorer PMCs and corpo-sec groups in Cyberpunk's timeline probably used commercially-marketed M4 equivalents post-divergence

[crystal urchin]

well, not the G11 specifically afaik

but caseless tech did become popular

[versed grotto]

there's a G-6 that's basically the LMG version of the G11 and does reference the G11

so presumably some version of the G11 exists

[crystal urchin]

ah! youre right

its the damned hyphen

[worthy snow]

don't forget Rheinmetall has a railgun in RED iirc

[versed grotto]

but the M4 is a napkin "what if" weapon while the G11 is in active service

there were message boards on the old net pontificating on the potential of the american wonder weapon that was designed but never produced

it's so fucking cursed

[crystal urchin]

the M4 tech probably got folded into the "M-18", which is Colt's new flagship circa 2020

https://i.imgur.com/lhkkN1K.png

[versed grotto]

the M-18 as drawn is very lovely janky

like, I don't want to be too harsh

but like

I have seen better looking guns in that book

[worthy snow]

that's not the worst
I feel like extrapolated a bit and given some fidelity that could be a not-too-bad fictional bullpup

[versed grotto]

for me it's mostly that I'm pretty sure none of the lines that are supposed to be parallel are actually parallel

so it looks vaguely melted or bendy

[crystal urchin]

the corp reports also had pretty janky art in general

[worthy snow]

the rear end makes me think of those Helghast ARs from Killzone, the ones with the helical-magazine 5.56 feed system

that had like

a top-cover cheekrest you slapped down like an MG

uhh

[crystal urchin]

example, the SMG directly above it in the book https://i.imgur.com/anCeHhd.png

[worthy snow]

this thing

[crystal urchin]

or the colt 10 mil to the left https://i.imgur.com/pnvz5TV.png

[versed grotto]

fair

[crystal urchin]

and also

[crystal urchin]

yeah, Rheinmetall makes a line of railguns https://i.imgur.com/T13e5Jd.png

[worthy snow]

yup

also @versed grotto RED has an AR clone exotic weapon

in Black Chrome

it's got a noisemaker attached to it

"Pursuit Security Incorporated Crowd Buster"

[crystal urchin]

the EMG-85 plus the 84 and 83 show up in Maximum Metal as vehicle/ACPA weapons too

(confusingly, its 85 -> 83 -> 84, from smallest to largest)

but they all firing the same 4mm round, the bigger ones just have more ammo and a higher fire rate

[versed grotto]

ngl I kinda forgot about this one

[versed grotto]

mike

mike helium doesn't burn

[carmine anvil]

it's highly volatile cyberhelium

[vale basin]

The helium nanomachines, son

[versed grotto]

I assume he's actually referencing hydrogen though his description of flame color doesn't really match

[crystal urchin]

there was a terrible mixup and it was methane balloons

[leaden trout]

Technically there was stuff like the CAR-15 and other M-16 carbine test models as far back as Vietnam, so it might not be around in the exact configuration but something close definitely existed

[halcyon violet]

please say this isn't AI

I need it to be real

[dim pond]

It's AI

[halcyon violet]

fucking damn it

[night crag]

it looks very much like ai

[hallow prawn]

I'd say that's actually a good use of it.

[worthy snow]

fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck

[ancient nest]

is that a module that does the yakuza encounter text?

[worthy snow]

To be perfectly honest I don't know exactly how my GM has that arranged

[carmine anvil]

there are a couple of generators or you can just download the font

[ancient nest]

Ah I was hoping for a module that would make it hit the screen with the ingame animations know what I mean?

[carmine anvil]

an animated gif overlay seems pretty possible

i think that doing the full effects would be a substantial programming challenge but i don't think it would be super hard to fade in and out and make it look good

there's a generator at https://roselcost.github.io/shinkiwami/ that works but doesn't do an animated version, alas

[halcyon violet]

Can you ask because that's sick

[ancient nest]

OH sorry i didn't see this message this fucks

tyty

[runic glade]

Hmm, how feasible is teaching Cyberpunk in a one-shot? I've not taken a crack at the full rule book and I know there's a quickstart adventure, but for whatever reason I wasn't a fan of it and also I don't know how good it was at teaching

[shut patrol]

a one shot can probably teach the basics but long term play is also one of the things that it tends to be balanced around in terms of rewards/negatives

[vale basin]

Very feasible: the core mechanics are relatively simple, all things considered. Combat can be a bit more complex, but as long as you have / share some cheatsheets (i.e. the distance DVs for guns and stuff), you will do just fine.

Easy Mode is a good player-facing intro to CP RED: it's free and comes with a simple but good adventure.

The corebook and some of the free DLCs at R. Talsorian's website also have Screamsheets that can be used for a quick one-shot.

[brazen sentinel]

also you can just run food fight

source: i ran food fight in cyberpunk

"A bunch of mercs are getting late night snacks at the 7-11. A mother with a crying baby bursts in and tries to hide. Then some goons show up. Go."

its a good way to just get people goin

[runic glade]

I apparently don’t know what food fight is

[vale basin]

It's literally as above.

[halcyon violet]

I thought we were talking about the shitty movie

[runic glade]

yeah the shitty 2012 Food Fight movie is the only piece of media with that title that I know of; I'm not sure if the one being referred to is like a Cyberpunk adventure, a different movie, or what

[brazen sentinel]

its the traditional Shadowrun intro adventure

i just described its opening/basic structure

[runic glade]

huh. I mean I'm into it, I'll have to look up more about it unless part of the point is that there's no notes or something

[brazen sentinel]

There’s actual notes, but you dont really need them

You just kinda let the players RP in a 7-11 and shoot some goons and spin something from there

I went for a neonazi gang

[vale basin]

You can custom tailor the scenario to your PCs backgrounds.
Works wonders if the mother and/or the goons are somehow related to them.

[toxic lake]

My boss recently gave me a copy of the book EXTREME OWNERSHIP by Jocko Willink, who was a SEAL that fought in Iraq in the 00s and now runs a fuckin dumbass Business Podcast called Jocko Podcast (yes, there is no The). If you ever wanted a 200 page version of Adam Smasher's manifesto from Solo of Fortune, maybe take a look. It's fuckin terrible.

[toxic lake]

Just remembered another thing I wanted to add is something I couldn't write without being called a hack: Jocko put a map of the town he retook in Iraq in the front of his book, like a fantasy novel.

[leaden trout]

Not to defend the guy (he’s a shithead) but that’s pretty common for any military book dealing with a specific location

I could go to my shelf and open a lot of my totally normal ones and it has that

[dim pond]

CONTENDER comes to mind

Or whatever it was called

AGGRESSOR

My bad

https://x.com/cali_keftiu/status/1656039214499377152?s=20

friendly local fallen angel 💕🇵🇸 (@cali_keftiu) on X

fell deep down the rabbit hole last night of AGGRESSOR, a truly bizarre alt-history with elaborate worldbuilding used for OPFOR exercises early in the Cold War by the US military

Twitter · May 9, 2023, 8:51 PM

[leaden trout]

Aw fuck yeah, love US military alternate histories

We’re gonna liberate Atropia, just you watch

And end the illegal Donovian invasion of Gorgas

[brazen sentinel]

cannot wait to experience the Militech WarGames SimSperience ™️ featuring the Agressor

[dusk turret]

ooh, you're doing more cyberpunk stuff? How's that going?

[opal latch]

Damn CONTENDER or AGGRESSOR would be great names for a rogue AI accidentally created by Militech/Arasaka war games

[worthy snow]

Group in the game I'm in successfully escaped the ruins of Fresno after being sent to recover lost experimental cyberware from the bombed-out city

took going through a not-Resident Evil section with (abandoned) killer copbots and a raider group with an ACPA, but they survived

[halcyon violet]

https://vxtwitter.com/GREATBLACKOTAKU/status/1761917722340856183

I wanna steal this exact jacket for a Cyberpunk character

[toxic lake]

Officially endorsed by senior dev James Hutt https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hR7YWSRyqes

[night crag]

my very first character's legacy is NOT dying

i had to check which forum this is lol

n e ways

long story short i made a character for my first game named Joshua Rollis, who is now leading a hannah montana-esque life as a pro wrestler and a solo named firepower. my friend who's a player in that campaign started up a RED game, in which i'm playing joshua's grandniece charlie "leeway" rollis. the referee of the ORIGINAL game will at some point run a red game with the 2077 supplement, and i've (unfortunately) come up with the great idea to play charlie's daughter, who i've dubbed amanda rollis

[tame silo]

Are they all pro-wrestlers?

[night crag]

no

leeway will likely never meet joshua

assuming she doesnt get zeroed she's going to retire as sheriff of a small town

amanda has her own story but it doesnt involve that

[worthy snow]

Cyberpunk party started the third act of the campaign we're in, and now have been recruited by an anticorporate rebel conspiracy that's going to level NC Corpo Plaza.
Johnny Silverhand is gonna be a chump next to this

... all it took was faking our deaths in the Badlands and getting rescued to a hideout in a spaceship.

[fleet raptor]

hey,question

what is the closest i could get to a shadowrun rigger in CP red

[carmine anvil]

nomad

really the only option, a car is vastly out of reach for everyone else

execs can have a car and driver but it's pretty mediocre

[fleet raptor]

i see

[versed grotto]

not..really?

car ownership in NC isn't common but it's not impossible either

though you're probably not talking a good car at the low end

[carmine anvil]

i don't think a car and a gun is achievable at character gen is it?

[versed grotto]

oh ffor a character

[leaden trout]

Can always buy a vending machine gun

[versed grotto]

depends on how much you're willing to cheap out on one or both yeah

[carmine anvil]

the cheapest vehicle is a roadbike at 20k

cheapest car is 30k

don't you start with like 5k?

[leaden trout]

Can’t you go into debt? Been a bit since I looked at chargen rules

[carmine anvil]

you cannot, your entire group can sell out to a corp and you get like another four figure sum, it's like two implants or something

yeah you start with 2550 eddies + 800 in clothes

[versed grotto]

I believe that CP RED PCs are unusually poor for NC

but I was also thinking like, average NC resident rather than player characters

[toxic lake]

The Interface RED expansion has drone options intended for Shadowrun players

[fleet raptor]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[vale basin]

Y'all thinking about cars when really the best option is a bicycle

[carmine anvil]

public transport in night city is pretty good to be fair

[leaden trout]

Yesn’t

It was intentionally designed to be only semi-useful

[fleet raptor]

I dunno why the first thing to come to mind was cars tho
I wasnt looking to be a driver,I wanted to control drones and robots

[carmine anvil]

you can't really jack in in the same way as shadowrun, the internet sucks real bad

you could one day have some sort of functional combat drone as a tech

[dim pond]

Are Blackhand and V the only ones who can take on Smasher and potentially win?

[sick python]

I mean

In terms of named Talsorian characters prooooobably?

But like

can Blackhand potentially win?

[dim pond]

I kinda wanna see what a V statblock would.look like

But imagine theyd be a boss at the very least

[versed grotto]

canonically better than smasher so /shrug

V is juiced beyond belief

[halcyon violet]

I could beat Smasher easy

[sick python]

V I think just

[dim pond]

V is built different and has the Power of friendship

[sick python]

smashes any sort of curve

Yeah

[dim pond]

Almost literally, they have a social support net which may be why they haven't gone Psycho

Plus Johnny

[sick python]

They have 'fuck you I can stave off cyberpsychosis and install ware in and on literally every part of my body'

[dim pond]

Makes me wonder what a Songbird statblock would.look like as well

But probably be on the same level as V or Smasher

[sick python]

Songbird feels like a Smasher you'd throw at a hacker heavy party

[dim pond]

She's basically the Netrunner version of Smasher

[sick python]

'Hi.'

[dim pond]

Yeah

[sick python]

all three of the party runners' heads fucking explode

[dim pond]

She fought off a Blackwall AI, albeit mot without cost

Which iirc is a huge deal

[sick python]

God that's terrifying

[versed grotto]

yup

[sick python]

Especially cuz the Blackwall is itself an AI

[versed grotto]

the other perspective is that they have but that manifests as Protagonist Behavior

[sick python]

built to eat the AIs beyond the blackwall

[versed grotto]

V does a lot of violence, it's just directed at specific targets

[dim pond]

The Blackwall was made by a collaboration between Netwarch and more nice AIs right

[sick python]

Aye

I can't remember what side She Who Was Cunningham picked

Wait she was in Mikoshi still nvm

[dim pond]

I think she was one of the ones who helped make it?

Could be wrong

[sick python]

I think she was still stuck in the forever box

[dim pond]

Mhm

Songbird feels like, plot device.level strong honestly

[sick python]

Yes

[dim pond]

Like I dunno how you could stat her

Of course she's still a kid, assuming she was even born, by the time of RED

[sick python]

She was born in 2045

Late 2045 as well

She became a netrunner in 2058

[dim pond]

Mh.

So she's probably not even alive by RED

[sick python]

Nah

[dim pond]

Or a small bab

[sick python]

I mean she could be, if you wanted to specifically set your game as starting on December 30th, 2045

At which point she will be

One day old

[dim pond]

Fair

[sick python]

God now I'm thinking of a hypothetical player whose pc's lead-in for a campaign is him leaning on his car as a doctor is telling him his kid was born the previous day

[dim pond]

Father of Songbird?

[sick python]

Yes that would indeed be the joke

But it'd be literally the only time that's referred to

And the other players would have to know the game started on the 30th as well as Song's bday

Honestly

Even though I think this idea is thoroughly cringe

It's still a vaguely cool roll-in idea for a nomad/runner multirole

[dim pond]

Yeah, I can see it

[sick python]

I wish there was an optional rule for games with characters starting with two roles

probably a primary role still at 4 and then a secondary at 2

[night crag]

chat i need some ideas for random unimportant(?) ncps/groups in my cyberpunk character's backstory. she ran with a nomad mercenary group that rode around the southwest u.s./northwest mexico taking jobs

[runic glade]

cyber Walter White

[night crag]

i guess i can add something like that

[leaden trout]

Just throwing in something wild: cult that worships the Trinity site as the dawn of the modern age/their god/something like that

[runic glade]

If the border situation matters at all, maybe coyotes?

[valid hedge]

wasteland water-runners

[vale basin]

"Los Juangas", a boostergang that biosculpted thenselves to look like mexican singer and songwriter Juan Gabriel.
Originally a Posergang, during the 4CW an official from the cartels joined the original Los Juangas, eventually taking over and blending both organizations in a meteoric rise to power. Said official started calling himself EL DIVO, and by the time of the Red still calls the shots. The gang still deals with all sorts of illegal substances, but during the time of the RED has dabbled in trafficking live animals raised in hidden sanctuaries in Mexico.

[hallow prawn]

How does a gang work if you can't tell their members apart? I can see how that may help in dealing with the law, but internally... ?

[vale basin]

Each biosculpt is from a different stage from the man's life.
Also: Clothes.

[leaden trout]

Honest irl answer, gang signs or knowing who should be there and who shouldn’t

Oh wait you meant like identical posergang types

Probably just voice? Or going “I’m the 10th guy, not the 12th”

Posergang are kinda inherently goofy so it’s okay to be a little silly

[carmine anvil]

i also wouldn't expect a street gang to have absolutely identical biosculpts across the board

[shut patrol]

this is shitty elvis

[leaden trout]

Yeah, some guys would probably have gone to cheaper places and got less good results

[shut patrol]

He got a botched biosculpt

[carmine anvil]

everyone in the elvis con looks like elvis but they are also all individually distinct

[shut patrol]

that's why we call him the prince

(legally distinct from the artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as prince)

[carmine anvil]

there's also probably an unspoken rule that you can't get a better sculpt job than your boss, or especially the boss

[leaden trout]

“Look, Jeff, I don’t know how to say this but we gotta fuck you up. You look too good and it’s cramping the boss’s style. So, we gotta break your nose, it is how it is, I’m sure you understand”

[brazen sentinel]

Well in the Brady’s it’s the mom and dad

In the Trekkies, the Kirk is in charge

When I do the Kurt Locker, Tombstone Kurt Russel is the boss

Solid Snake has infiltrated the Plisskens

And Cobain got the wrong job, but he can play guitar so he’s cool

[halcyon violet]

God the idea of a gang where they just have the one member of another gang who they're all friends with

So it's like

The Clowns but also one Samuel Jackson is there because we're all chill with him

[runic glade]

visions of the world's worst posergang where they're all Christian Bale, no prize money for guessing who gets to be the boss

[leaden trout]

John Conner

[hallow prawn]

I can't guess who gets to be the boss.

[tame silo]

Patrick Bateman?

[dim pond]

Batman

[toxic lake]

Patrick Batman

[blissful dust]

Man

[vale basin]

American Cyberpsycho

[night crag]

impressive. very nice. let's see paul allen's chrome

[leaden trout]

“Oh my god. Oh my god. The subtly off skin tone. The tasteful simplicity of it. Oh my god, it even has a hidden holdout pistol”

[night crag]

lmao

[shut patrol]

You know, my favourite samurai song is chippin in

[steady bluff]

I will never be over the fact Second Conflict is a concept album, it just tickles me pink for some reason.

[icy ingot]

Oh, a group that picks about the same appearance is a cool idea

Do you go cyberpsycho from non-combat mods?

[tidal oracle]

No I think as long as they aren't that crazy. Like if you want anime eyes or elephant ears go ahead but the minute you start adding extra limbs you might need to ground yourself a little. Cyber psychosis isn't even really understood by the writers so take what I said with a grain of salt

[icy ingot]

So, adding ancilliary processors programmed for social situations

[vale basin]

A regular biosculpt (i.e. looking like another person) causes no Humanity loss.
Exotic Biosculpts, as in SuetyHercules's example, causes Humanity loss per usual (CP:R corebook p226-227)

[versed grotto]

define non combat

iirc the rule of thumb is that if it gives you capability beyond baseline human it will inflict humanity loss

[brazen sentinel]

Medical grade stuff don’t ding

Advanced prosthesis? No ding

SRS surgery with normal parts? No ding.

[icy ingot]

Cinemasins in shambles

[analog spear]

Iirc in the book it explains it as cyberpsychosis specifically coming from the act of replacing perfectly good and functional body parts with cybernetic improvements.
Medical stuff like replacement organs? Completely fine. Replacing your heart for a bigger heart that pumps better so you can sprint longer or something? Cyberpsychosis risk.

[valid hedge]

the idea that RED puts forth is that modifying your body past human capacity to be better at your job or killing people or whatever is, first off, not a thing well adjusted people do in the first place, and it can disassociate you from yourself and worsen existing problems

[shut patrol]

it's also not like "minor" biosculpts can't cause issues as well

If you join a posergang all that not gaining cyberpsychosis means is that you won't be any more mentally impacted by committing to impersonating someone forever than you wouldn't already by mentally impacted

if it's a benevolent biosculpt obviously it can also alleviate those sorts of mental issues

but the main point is that it's not fundamentally altering your body to be more than/less than/separate from human and starting to cause disassociation and intensifying of concurrent issues

[dim pond]

Plus theres also the social aspect

Where a lot of these people are generally not very connected people to begin with, and often lack a social safety net

[brazen sentinel]

Plus the way the media environment since 2013 both fetishizes and demonizes cybernetic enhancement, further driving spirals of alienation and thus cyberpsychosis

[jaunty turret]

Hey chooms. Running a short Cyberpunk RED scenario for my friends. It starts out in South Night City with the crew running an incredibly shitty and thankless security gig for a paranoid computer/ware dealer, and I'm a little uncertain on the Combat Zones. The corebook makes it out to be literally Hell on Earth inhabited exclusively by homicidal gang members and desperate scavengers who will literally kill you, tear you apart and eat your non-ware bits...but I don't find this particularly compelling, I'm envisioning something more like Kowloon Walled City, which was dangerous, dirty, without government save for gangs and criminal organizations but still home for loads of basically normal people who have nowhere else to go. How have you all run/depicted the combat zones?

[sick python]

I basically thought of them as very violent shantytowns

I think Dogtown from 2077 could be a good baseline

abandoned decrepit buildings and ruins built on top of with improvised housing like the cargo containers and etc

A higher likelihood of gang violence breaking out near you

Likely a place where the local gangs are the law

So yeah, sorta like the Kowloon Walled City

[versed grotto]

the problem with combat zones being all murder all the time is that unless there's a really big draw you'll just end up with an empty patch of concrete

so yeah a place that's maybe lawless/made their own law and certainly violent but not literally all firefights all the time

[leaden trout]

If you wanna do it more real, yeah there’s gonna be a lot of crime and violence, but if you live there you also probably know the gang members on your block and might even be in their good graces (though that also means you might be known as being close with them to other gangs)

Basically even in places that are pretty violent, there’s still people doing everyday stuff, in this case that stuff just might have a guy on the corner smoking a cigarette and holding a rifle in the background

Though, the idea of the Combat Zones is definitely based around 80s action movies like Death Wish and Escape From New York and fears of urban decay

[jaunty turret]

when the combat zone is the one locked down and ignored district i get the escape from new york comparison and the concept of "crime town, where there's only criminals" but that doesn't work when half of downtown Night City qualifies as a combat zone, and Crime Town feels a little out of step with the tone CPR is going for? They've still got the ridiculous evil clown gang and everything, but logistics and the gritty details of how stuff makes it into your hands in Night City is an enormous preoccupation of the book alongside ecological collapse(right there in the name, sky is red from all of the radiation and chemical defoliants) and stuff that feels a lot more grounded like that. I've never looked at 2020 so maybe it's just always been like this but the combat zone being described consistently as "the zone for randomly spawning bandit NPCs and cyborg goblins" was dissonant enough from the rest of the text to make me think "wait, doesn't anyone in there work for a living?"

[carmine anvil]

i wonder to what extent they would actually exist, and what resources would need to be poured in to make them exist

[jaunty turret]

yeah that was what was making me frown at the book thinking about it. Most shantytowns and slums exist in real life because lots of people wind up in a city without adequate cash, job prospects or stable housing and end up forced to build up informal and dubiously legal working and living arrangements of their own. If you're going to get magdumped walking a single block even the most desperately poor people are going to find a way to make it to the other shantytowns across the bay, and that doesn't leave anyone for the gangs to exploit or recruit from except each other and that obviously isn't sustainable.

[carmine anvil]

if you want a part of town where your suits can gawp at chromed-out punks licking their knives menacingly that seems achievable

[shut patrol]

combat zones are moreso governmental no go areas

they're Kowloon walled city but with a little more active violence

[jaunty turret]

Playland by the Sea's new immersive theater experience

[versed grotto]

The issue with governmental no go zones is that that's like half of night city

[jaunty turret]

the book does say city council has technically appointed city managers to oversee the combat zones

[shut patrol]

well, no

Even the fire department doesn't go to combat zones

The fire department does go to the other shitty zones

[versed grotto]

Sure but even then that's not really a reason to base a gang there

If you're looking for a place to stick a gang base with minimal risk of police intervention you could do so in 2/3 of the city so long as you bribe a couple cops on the regular

[carmine anvil]

maybe gangs with a presence in combat zones sell more merch

[shut patrol]

it's just the backstrets

From ruina

[versed grotto]

I wish the combat zones more explicitly had reasons for people to be there i.e. abandoned militech bunkers full of neat shit because otherwise its kinda "why are you in here"

Or the dogtown thing where its a smuggling hub

[halcyon violet]

low rent

[jaunty turret]

the violence is fine. i like the ultraviolence and i accept it as a conceit of the setting that life is cheap, homicides happen all of the time and no one even clears out the corpses in the combat zone, and i like that there are large sections of the city where the government has no control and authority and it all comes down to criminal organizations making their own law. The text of the CPR corebook just sort of makes it seem like there are literally no people in the Combat Zone with professions other than "violent criminal," even going so far as to state that Old Japantown is "mostly empty save for the gangs" which is just weird to me.

I'm just gonna run it like kowloon walled city as my intiution told me to but I'm enjoying the discussion.

[jaunty turret]

rent's crazy cheap in the combat zone

[shut patrol]

old Japan town iirc is also mostly complete ruins and a little radiation

[jaunty turret]

tbf complete freedom to operate with impunity without even the overhead of a regular police bribe or the constant threat of surveillance and police interference is an attractive proposition. Plus you don't have to pay taxes or invest in a money laundering scheme because virtually nothing you do has a legal footprint of any kind, this would just necessitate that the gangs of Night City have a racket or business model beyond "murder."

[jaunty turret]

aaa alright they get a pass on that one. sometimes i forget another issue with the combat zones is that there are literally still burned out military vehicles and shit from 4CW lying around under toppled skyscrapers.

my apartment is free but there's an undetonated missile in the hallway, we just tell people not to touch it

[vale basin]

As someone who has lived in a city that at some point had the honor of being the place with more murders per day in a non-warzone, I can tell you that, yes, the Combat Zones are described as dangerous not because Murder Happens Non-Stop, but because it happens Often Enough and sometimes Without Apparent Reason.
It's the frequency and apparent stochastic nature that makes it earn that description.

So, the way I describe the Combat Zone is, simply: you know that the rules of the rest of NC don't apply there. It's a place where Violence with Impunity solves problems. So if you're ever there you just need to avoid anything that might remotely lead to violence: it's a powder keg and even a tiny spark will make it blow on your face.

(This also means that if any of the characters has roots in the combat zone, they know how to avoid said violence. You can lean on that and adjust the amount of combat in your game)

[brazen sentinel]

You ever see those movies from the seventies and eighties? The Warriors, Escape From New York, Robocop- stress the Urban Decay. Places abandoned, by everyone but the most desperate or by people who are effectively more modern bandits. It isn’t part of the City. The power of the governments and corporations stops at the Combat Zone.

Earlier Cyberpunk books call the CZs in America an outgrowth of white flight and government abandonment of the inner cities exacerbated by the Collapse

[carmine anvil]

i think the warriors is a good touchstone

because there's clearly this parallel culture that only comes out at night

[brazen sentinel]

Plus, the Baseball Furies

[carmine anvil]

if things are safe enough during the day, provided your gang affiliation extends only to paying your protection money, then it's probably a lot more feasible on the verisimilitude side of things

[opal latch]

Yeah, it's less that violence is the only interaction people have in combat zones and more that violence is always a potential interaction. There's no reason you couldn't talk out an issue except that if the other person doesnt agree with your arguments no one but you can stop them from shooting you

[brazen sentinel]

the enhanced second amendment was a good decision okay

especially when combined with universal martial law

[leaden trout]

The combat zone, where your everyday carry is an AK
Something something “as the warrior poet Ice T once said, any day that does not require an AK, is good.”

Though, the more realistic depiction of the co bat zone is a loss (or rather abdication) of the state/corporate monopoly on violence to the gangs, which would probably act as the government to a degree

Like your protection payments might actually really get you protection and it’s not just a euphemism

There’s gonna be communities that form in the vacuum of the city and corps pulling out, so you might see drug labs but you also might see community greenhouses (guarded by people with guns)

Like, there are kinda places irl that do or have somewhat reflected the idea of the CZs, just with less flash, usually in places where there is that vacuum left by state authority. They’re not nice but there are plenty of people who have lived in a situation where the best way to get a problem dealt with is to talk to the gang member or militiaman on the corner who you may or may not know from growing up on the same block

[jaunty turret]

also, quick rules clarification but you need to exceed the DV to succeed on a check in Cyberpunk Red right? Rolling a 10 against DV10 = failure?

[hallow prawn]

Please explain what the enhanced second amendment is, if you would be so kind.

[leaden trout]

It, combined with the martial law boils down to “hey, use whatever you want to if someone’s trying to go after you, don’t bother us”

Thus, machine-pistols being sold in vending machines

My joke about the AK isn’t a joke other than the AK being outdated by 2045

[hallow prawn]

I will go listen to Ice T now

[leaden trout]

It’s actually a quote from Generation Kill of a guy jokingly mangling the verse

[brazen sentinel]

as part of the corpro-libertarian degeneration of the american state pre-collapse, the second amendment was "enhanced" to allow open and concealed carry for like, whatever you can fucking afford. the government can't stop you. you get whatever gun you can buy and its your right to vaporize the fuckhead in front of you for trying to mug you.

that's what makes it america and not a pansy-ass country like the eurozone or neo-sov

[hallow prawn]

sad European noises

[analog spear]

It's ok, they probably didn't solve knife crime in the UK (it probably got worse)

[steady bluff]

Knife crime evolved into sword crime

[tame silo]

https://tenor.com/view/jojo-ova-dio-brando-knife-ジョジョ-gif-21647638

Average UK gangoon in the Time of Red

[toxic lake]

Did the eurasian expansions actually feature gun control mechanics?

[dim pond]

Sudden idea: Assault on Precinct 13 but in Cyberpunk RED

Hole up in a building while a bunch of gangoons assault it

[jovial stratus]

Gun control mechanics? Yeah we got those. You can control em in auto, semi auto, double auto...

[toxic lake]

gun control mechanic when I threaten them into a free oil change

[worthy snow]

gun control mechanic- aimed shot, held item

[jaunty turret]

is this why there are 100eb rocket launchers on the white market

[brazen sentinel]

yes

[brazen sentinel]

no idea! haven't read the eurozone book in years and mostly typing for effect

[toxic lake]

Dropping the 100eb on a dece rocket lawncher is like splurging on an RPG in RE4

[worthy snow]

Towa Pocket Launcher my beloved

unironically saved the party I've played in in RED many a time

[jaunty turret]

In Black Chrome they've got armor that's labeled with a particular style of fashion alongside armor that isn't. Is the assumption that armor with no associated fashion falls under the "milspec" or less charitably, the "jackbooted thug" style?

[vale basin]

Up to the GM.

I'd rule it as "Neutral" fashion -- meaning either the wearer can customize it, or it doesn't make you look more or less than any particular style.

[shut patrol]

reading as written, it has no impact on fashion
concealed armour just blends into your current fashion
heavier armour i would say you can pay the usual customisation fee for or just play as not benefiting any fashion

[night crag]

alrighty chat

any advice for making a cowboy rocker

[ashen iron]

https://rtalsoriangames.com/2024/05/17/cyberpunk-red-alert-may-2024-dlc-hot-pursuit-chase-rules-for-cyberpunk-red/

[brazen sentinel]

Nomad Rock- like outlaw country but with way more about hating cops

[night crag]

i've already got the character thought up, i'm moreso talking ab stats and abilities

she was born in a small town, joined a band that one of her friends started, left, continued music under a country brand, and has since been getting less and less expressive in her work

in spite of her best efforts

[brazen sentinel]

Hrmnnn

I still say invest some in Drive, make friends with Nomads if you can thru lifepath shenanigans

Definitely invest a little in shotguns or pistols

[night crag]

gotcha

[brazen sentinel]

Shotguns will give you Crowd Control, pistols are just useful to have In Case

[carmine anvil]

shoulder arms is the Serious Business combat skill yeah

if you're on base rules and you want to be a serious fighter you probably want reflexes 8, i usually sack body a bit because you can increase it with implants

you're pretty stuck on your other stats

[brazen sentinel]

You don’t need to go that hard, Rockerboys like Medias- should only be in a fight as a Last Resort

But have some light investment to protect yourself from random boosterthugs

[carmine anvil]

i dunno, you're as capable at shooting people as anyone who isn't a tech or a solo basically

all things remaining equal a starting solo ain't all that much better

[brazen sentinel]

In my experience it’s usually best to let the Solo Handle It and focus the rest of the party on support/survival

[night crag]

what stats are best for rockers? aside from empathy

ik tech is good for playing instruments

[carmine anvil]

cool

[night crag]

is cool and will of any use?

makes sense

[carmine anvil]

they're both very good

[brazen sentinel]

Cool, Will, and EMP are good for rockers yeah

[carmine anvil]

i haven't read the rockerboy abilities recently but i don't think being good at music is actually a requirement

[brazen sentinel]

Gotta walk the walk and talk the talk

[brazen sentinel]

It’s not! The mechanics support basically anyone sufficiently Charismatic

[carmine anvil]

putting the "punk" back in cyberpunk

[brazen sentinel]

Cult Leaders are explicitly called out as a valid use of the rocker role

[night crag]

character sheet done

she has five points in criminology

[jaunty turret]

detective yeehaw

[night crag]

her mom was the town sheriff, and she was planning to get a criminal justice degree before she was picked up by a record label

[worthy snow]

I can vouch for shotguns and pistols for non-super heavy combat-builds

the medtech I play has a lot of points in Handguns and Shoulder Arms and packs a Heavy Pistol and a pop-up Shotgun in her arm

's very effective for self-defense

[sick python]

With a lot of roles you also just don't have a bunch of points to devote to combat

A Fixer can like

kiiiiind of swing more handgun than most non-combat roles?

Mine seemed to anyways

[toxic lake]

I really like that the roles are very flexible tho

[sick python]

They are, ye

[toxic lake]

Cop or whatever the class that has Goons has I've seen a LOT of interpretations on

Like a detective with muscle or a talky guy who sics his redshirts when things get spicy

[sick python]

My Fixer was gonna go into 'Corpo' eventually

Be a made woman in the Valentinos

[toxic lake]

I'm in home construction now and we have an irl Fixer in our team on permits.

Literally calls himself a fixer.

[sick python]

lol nice

[toxic lake]

Corpo/Fixer is a fantastic archetype

[sick python]

inb4 it turns out he has a side gig

corpo/fixer is great

straight up a mafioso

Oh, in RED part of a Fixer's 'starting gear' is their office, from their background

[toxic lake]

Born too late to be in construction during the golden age of the mob😔

[sick python]

Mine's is her cousin's manager's office in the bodega she bankrolled

[toxic lake]

NICE

[sick python]

He is not a Valentino

But he's family

So no protection racket for him

But would he be so kind as to give her the office?

[toxic lake]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRKJ1BWf/

[hallow prawn]

Is this what Cyberpunk ought to be like?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mAQ5Ogzm__w

[worthy snow]

average day in Night City outside of high-sec zones tbh

[toxic lake]

Oh I'm pretty sure there are direct Dirty Pair references in the game

If not in the OGs then certainly in RED

[night crag]

what chrome would be useful for a party girl rocker who incidentally will have a shotgun and the most hp in the party

[toxic lake]

You can get a shield in your arm for 10 more hp

If you want some melee chrome, footclaws are just optimal because they're a weapon you can keep equipped in a non hand spot

[carmine anvil]

the uh +2 body aug is pretty straightforwardly good

opens the door for linear frames later if you're into that kind of thing

[jaunty turret]

They only specifically shout out Appleseed, ghost in the shell & Akira in RED but I am totally sure that Pondsmith has talked about dirty pair and some OVAs of the 80s and 90s as an influence. The Alita OVA for instance is essentially just Alita fighting a series of Maelstrom goons.

[toxic lake]

and City Hunter

there's a pistol called The City Hunter

I know for a fact one of the devs who isn't Mike absolutely loves Dirty Pair.

[jaunty turret]

Yeah! There’s probably more, there were a couple of animes whose names just escaped me that I’m sure are referenced or influential.

One funny thing is that I’ve been rewatching stand alone complex as research for my current campaign and it is kind of crazy how unstylish everyone except the major is lol. The entire cast almost always dresses in pretty conservative, traditional or downright baggy clothing of the late 90s and 2000s but the major is almost always wearing something crazy

[night crag]

true...

hmmmm

fashion implants, Maybe a pop-up weapon or something similar, and then the shield in the arm

i won't go too chrome-heavy but yeah i do plan on getting a frame sometime

so excited ab this character

it'll be my first time playing red and my third campaign under this referee

[worthy snow]

if you want an arm-fitted shotgun black chrome has like, a pop-up shotgun for cyberarms

it's not cheap (1000eb iirc?) but it's very useful

[night crag]

true

i'm thinking given her small-town heritage she's got a mossberg of some kind

just a hunting shotgun that she brought with her for keepsake and self defense purposes

[halcyon violet]

https://www.tumblr.com/voytekio/751107601895391232/balaclava-trismegistus-saturnine-powerbomb?source=share

[jovial stratus]

i mean, you're late to the party on that one

[sick python]

the best part of that guy's part of the game

If you fight him as part of the boxing rings quest, and punch him in the face

It explodes

[hallow prawn]

How does he breathe

[shut patrol]

mouth breather

[calm folio]

he breathes through the grenade actually /j

[jovial stratus]

this happened to me on my 'kinda moral you know as moral as you can be in this shit-hole' run and i just stood there for like a minute.

[carmine anvil]

i think he does say “not the face” but if you’re on controller then it just kinda autotargets

[jovial stratus]

well he could've said it a little louder!!

[tidal oracle]

Wait does he have more quest after that?

I just thought the game was trying to be funny

[versed grotto]

Nope

[sick python]

He has a different unrelated quest

[hallow prawn]

Would you call MaxTac on this cutie?

[brazen sentinel]

that dog will sell me kerenzikov so no, i ain't a snitch

[crystal urchin]

bork (but in a cool robot voice)

[ashen iron]

Bork borg

[vale basin]

Only if it goes full Cyberpsycho
But Good Boys don't go Cyberpsycho, choom, so our furry choomba is safe, for now
(Just don't tell Biotechnica)

[ashen iron]

I mean, could be an extreme biomodder

(Valhalla expansion)

[carmine anvil]

ain't no rule says a dog can't be a solo

[jovial stratus]

Gonna take 'em down to that dive bar with the cute bartender and terrorise the staff

[umbral plume]

A

I love cyberpunk

[jovial stratus]

Rolled a new pilot for lancer and was scraping the barrel for character creators I could use for my punkish character with cybernetics. Then I remembered I owned. Yknow. Cyberpunk????

[halcyon violet]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/8e20a5cc0c7d8f2ebef1d5afa121f961/314261785d7d1cfe-62/s540x810/eb990e9783ab433a35a9b17ff738331cf78434b4.jpg

[tame silo]

I think usually the Crashes are done by AI being too smart and doing it on purpose, in our case it's because the "AI" is like a paperclip maximiser but for pictures of shrimp jesus and babies

Connecting to the old Net and getting sent so many pictures of dogs my neurons burn out

Reading about AI bros promising films and TV shows custom generated by AI made me think of a future where you just stick a pair of goggles on and an AI generates a kaleidoscope of colours and sounds specifically modelled to activate the neurons that gives you a sense of sublime fulfillment when you read a life-changing book or similar

[sick python]

This kinda makes me wanna throw up a little lmao, good job at the vibes

[tame silo]

Glad to hear it's having the intended vibe lmao

[jaunty turret]

You also gotta remember that in cyberpunk the AIs and viruses that destroyed the Old NET can literally kill users by emailing them massive brain-melting seizures.

I would also be hesitant to log onto my work computer if I know the server was being squatted on by a malicious demon that would not hesitate to end my life.

[hallow prawn]

Do you round numbers up or down in CP:R?

[vale basin]

Up

[hallow prawn]

thanks

[versed grotto]

Got this idea in my head and couldn't let go of it:

Washington State Ferries:

One of the last vestiges of the pre-Collapse United States, WSF originated as an agency operating the then-ubiquitous ferry routes crisscrossing Puget Sound. The conversion of the ferry fleet to nuclear power, partially for economic reasons but also to provide training ships for nuclear power at nearby Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, proved serendipitous as it allowed the agency to continue to provide ferry services during the Collapse and even after the Mideast Meltdown. Additionally, the ongoing need for ferry services provided ample opportunity to raise funds in stark contrast to the rapidly shrinking revenues of the rest of the state. Helmed by a visionary Assistant Secretary, the ferry system gradually brought more and more capabilities "in house," even as the rest of the state government and even the Department of Transportation continued to crumble. Despite their growing independence, the agency still claimed allegiance to the state and federal government, and when Washington declared its status as a Free State, WSF refused to recognize the new state government as legitimate and ceased providing ferry services to the region. This turned into a tense standoff between the reorganized WSP and the ferries, as WSF personnel and vessels had become increasingly heavily armed in response to the growing threat of organized crime and attempted seizure of their nuclear fuel. Eventually, a deal was struck. WSF vessels and facilities would be de facto extraterritorial, with explicit permission needed from the Assistant Secretary before WSP officers could board or enter. In addition, WSF would not have to acknowledge the legitimacy of the state government. In exchange, WSF would coordinate with state officials regarding ferry routes and maritime right of way, and provide free transportation to state officials and agents. This deal has worked out well for both parties. (1/2)

(2/2)

Olympia can now move heavy freight out into the islands, allowing them to combat smuggling operations and boostergangs operating out of the sound, as well as opening up economic pathways throughout the Seattle sprawl by providing valuable aquatic heavy transport capability. WSF continues to assert its independence from both Olympia and the NUSA, and only tacitly acknowledges the agreement it has with the state. Additionally, it can leverage its extraterritorial status to move contraband into the state and past border patrols in quantity and without risk of interception, which has netted it extremely valuable contracts with multiple megacorps and criminal enterprises.

[leaden trout]

That’s a very neat concept

[night crag]

wasdhington mentioned

[versed grotto]

this idea mostly originated because I thought it would be extremely funny to have the washington state flag with a gold fringe

and also this random government agency maintaining continuity through a combination of sheer determination and unexpected firepower seemed interesting

they're one part US postal service and one part Office of Secure Transportation

[leaden trout]

Yeah, weird continuity of operations is fun

[harsh nest]

I did not realise we had a cyberpunk thread, I guess here is where I ramble about my ongoing campaign

I brought my Fixer that I ran in Delilah's Food Fight oneshot back for it and he's getting back into the edgerunning game ten or so in-universe years later

middle-aged, slowing down, largely unchromed but in possession of a very nice rifle and more points in Autofire than you'd expect a face character to have, it's been fun

fixer really comes into its own when you can string things over multiple jobs, I've had to make a proper double-entry accounting spreadsheet for all the inventory I'm buying in bulk and flipping at a significant margin several weeks later, and all the money I'm borrowing and lending to do so

[versed grotto]

misc that is extremely you

[harsh nest]

I love that I have a game where an intended class feature is "arbitrage"

for once I don't feel like a powergaming bastard when I start playing the markets because I have to really work for those Deals

the party, with thanks to Sky Crime for the continuous flow of sketches of everyone

Vince is on the right, he wears that fur coat over his armourjack and suit because the bullet holes add to the aesthetic

[harsh nest]

Despite the fact we have only done one job, we're mostly broke and we might all die tomorrow in a fight with a gang leader solo carrying our entire net worth in hardware by himself, the party is fiending over FBCs

Vincent has 76 humanity and is rather attached to looking like a perfectly normal human, our Netrunner has 9 humanity after some really bad rolls on UV cybereyes, might go fully psycho next month from bereavement and poor lifestyle humanity loss and is still trying to figure out if it's possible to tech upgrade enough parts of an Eclipse body to not instantly go to zero from their max of 50 upon installation

the two edgerunner genders

[versed grotto]

somehow I don't think a FBC is a good coping mechanism

also still mad that the dragoon got watered down

[harsh nest]

I kind of like that they're less insane with 20 years of development

they haven't got more juiced, but they have got a lot less brutal on the pilots and regular borgware has caught up a fair bit, since you can implant a beefy linear frame and slap Dragoon Plating on that if you have to

your absurd top-spec future equivalent of the Dragoon is that shit Adam Smasher is using in the new 2077 era rules

[versed grotto]

mostly miss the weapon package though iirc they mention it not being included

[harsh nest]

the Va11-Hall-A crossover rules actually do point out that you can get a tech upgrade to make a linear frame less visible, so if by some utter miracle I ever have 25k burning a hole in my Fixer's pocket and a tech to bribe I might build the world's least obtrusive FBC

miniature linear frame sigma, gemini coating that also looks human to IR/whatever, form-fitting heavy subdermal plates

[versed grotto]

isn't this just an armored gemini

[harsh nest]

either armoured-up gemini or I start with an alpha and add tech upgrades

not sure I can swap out the weave/subdermal that those two start with but I can certainly layer more on top

[shut patrol]

can the hidden FBC pass miliTSA though

[harsh nest]

not if it has a weight sensor

but possibly the scanner if it works well enough

[crystal urchin]

basically any modern scan would immediately reveal it

[harsh nest]

that's the regular gemini coating, yeah

even IR reveals you're cold

would need some tech upgrade magic to get through your basic tier of field optics and scans, and nothing's going to work on proper security checkpoints

[crystal urchin]

i have to imagine that TSA (or equivalent) in cyberpunk uses full x-ray scanners on passengers like they do on luggage

[shut patrol]

what if you add another upgrade to spoof the results

[crystal urchin]

thats not really how that works

[shut patrol]

well, it wouldn't pass X ray scan yeah

But I'm sure you could figure out some kind of hack solution to maybe get through anything else and pass it off as basic cybernetics

[harsh nest]

yeah, that would be the game, at least getting through the IR sensors that most serious chromed-up corpos have

[versed grotto]

iirc you can get heated Realskinn or something to deal with the IR problem

but x-ray would be a problem

[shut patrol]

Maybe you could put lead in your skin

[harsh nest]

I'm looking at tech-upgrading the realskinn, yeah

[versed grotto]

you'd need to hide your actual cyberbody and show a "decoy" set of expected human organs and bones

[shut patrol]

hmm

What about passing it off as cybernetic organs though? As medical replacement grade only

Rather than combat

[harsh nest]

I would need to tech upgrade the Linear Frame Sigma to make it normal-human-sized, which is doable because Dorothy from Va11hall-A has one that fits in her tiny anime girl body

let alone normal man

then the scanproof gemini coating, then sleeker subdermal plates

[shut patrol]

That feels like the easiest bit tbh

[versed grotto]

I think the issue is making it look like medical grade cyberware rather than "why do you have a linear frame"

[shut patrol]

oh definitely

But medical grade would still be easier than flesh

[harsh nest]

yeah, that's the game plan

[shut patrol]

at least imo

[harsh nest]

heat signature and fake X-ray results

possibly the latter would not be possible because, well

[shut patrol]

Although at this point it's getting dangerously close to just recreating t dolls

[harsh nest]

but if I get the plates, the frame and the skin all tech upgraded it might just work

[shut patrol]

practically speaking I do wonder if you could make a t doll equivalent as written with the setting

[versed grotto]

I mean they're just fancy robots aren't they?

put an AI controller in a gemini FBC and you're basically there

[shut patrol]

Nope

Theyre on a physical level androids but the psychological level is the hard thing

Because they're artificially constructed personalities based on real people that simultaneously operate up to 5 bodies with one mind

Their mind is entirely separate from their body

Kind of like an ai but not quite

[versed grotto]

yeah I meant on a physical level the bodies are just androids

[shut patrol]

Oh yeah 100%

I'm more interested in the advanced tech part

[versed grotto]

and I'm pretty sure you can run multiple bodies off of the same AI so long as they're linked together even without summoning some gribbly from beyond the blackwall

[harsh nest]

right now Vince is still basically chromeless so before we get to the point we're even remotely close to FBCs I can put a ton more stuff in

first up is cyberaudio suite, then maybe regular smartgun capability

[shut patrol]

excellent

[harsh nest]

hang on there's a bit about that in the Netrunning section

[shut patrol]

Asking for fully legit purposes, totally not planning to make a character that wants to become a t doll

[harsh nest]

so yes, it would just be a bunkered up net architecture with one control node per body

[shut patrol]

This just sounds like a transgender allegory, but actually, she's just really into FBC and the ability to control multiple bodies with one mind. More transhumanist

[harsh nest]

if you want your netrunner controlling all the drone bodies to be maxxed out FBC, there's a body for that

[shut patrol]

brilliant

I am also totally stealing this for a food fight or one off enemy idea

setting up a house of horrors where the real horror is the woman in the attic controlling all the "ghosts" (drones that will kill you)

[harsh nest]

being an FBC, the Wiseman can still crush someone's skull with 4d6 martial arts attacks if anyone ever tries to run it down

[versed grotto]

also iirc fairly hard to kill

[harsh nest]

Body 12 means they probably have something in the order of 60HP, they're tanky

no innate armour, though, so they do need to grab armourjack or extra chrome for that

[calm folio]

still thinking about that antagonist i thought of who’s a no cyberware engineer who takes jobs to kill net runners and just manually shuts down the local net infrastructure to make them helpless, not sure if that fits with the lore tho

[vale basin]

Well, sure
But it also depends on which Cyberpunk version you're talking about.
But it also depends on what you mean by "the local net".
For the most part, when they cannot Jack In/Out, Netrunners do what most Edgerunners do: solve things the old fashioned way.

[crystal urchin]

also remember that in cyberpunk, getting disconnected, even forcefully, isn't harmful. generally speaking you'd actaully rather they stay connected so theyre distracted while you sneak up on them

its actually a standard tactic of NetWatch and they even have ICE for it

https://i.imgur.com/4QBq0L5.png

[versed grotto]

Also shutting down local net infra is one of those "easier said than done" things since iirc cyberpunk's net is the mesh network to end all mesh networks

[crystal urchin]

yeah its full mesh by the time of RED

like you could probably target the major parts of it but you'd be starting fights with Ziggurat so probably dont do that

[harsh nest]

Getting force disconnected in RED does get you slapped by any black ice you're fighting, which can really hurt

and in Red it's all local net architectures so you can absolutely break them physically, it's just going to be quite difficult because the thing the architecture is probably controlling is very likely to be a bunch of drones, turrets and dramatically visible laser grids

[toxic lake]

How's electricity flow in Cyberpunk? Is power so fuckin tangled that cutting electricity off to a single building is basically impossible?

[carmine anvil]

i think that's a big 'it depends'

[shut patrol]

it's a big it depends, yeah

[carmine anvil]

arasaka tower is gonna have hardened infrastructure, generators, backup batteries, knives, sharp sticks

[shut patrol]

Ironically it's probably easier to isolate a buildings power the more developed and nicer it is in RED on a pure scale of "how tangled is the network' just because it would have an actually consciously maintained and tracked system

[carmine anvil]

out in the stacks it's gonna be 'which one of these two hundred illegal cables do we have to cut'

[shut patrol]

they're very Kowloon walled city

you could gamble or cut off the entire neighbourhood block

[toxic lake]

That's why your netrunners are also often engineers and electricians right?

[leaden trout]

“Sonic electronic ball breakers! “

[versed grotto]

Iirc the pre-nuke tower had a generator on each floor

At least in the basement bunker levels

[worthy snow]

GM of the campaign I'm in ('s been on hiatus for a bit) tested out the new 2077 stuff with a one-shot
apparently netties are juiced; one with Rank 6+quick hacks took out 5 dudes on their own per what said GM mentioned

[vale basin]

Possible, depending on the dudes' security (Did they have Self-ICE? How many?) the amount of time they had to do this, and whether they were playing with the simpler CEMK rules only or with the larger RED Quickhack rules presented later in the CEMK Rulebook.

Either way QHs greatly expand the kind of actions Netrunners can take.
and also the kind of action NPC Netrunners can take hehehehehh

[dim pond]

So, any good modules or whatever for a Beginner Oneshot, where everyone (including the GM) is nmew to the system?

also was unaware there was 2077 stuff for RED

[vale basin]

Either Easy Mode if you want to play in the scrappy 2040's, or the new Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit if you want to play in the 2070's.

Easy Mode has a shorter adventure, but I personally found the mission in CEMK, "The Jacket", to be a wonderful introduction to playing and running Cyberpunk. It's very beginner friendly, more than Easy Mode and other introductory products imo.

[toxic lake]

Especially with how many people are gonna be coming from Edgerunners

[vale basin]

That's part of it
Yet I find that The Jacket was written with a lot of love for the game, as a social activity. It treats the GM with a lot of respect and care, as part of the group of players and not like this all-knowing adversary.

[harsh nest]

the fine points of Fixer arbitrage opportunities now mean I've made about 800eb extra on the profits of two jobs just by trading, and it shows up in the form of a big pile of junk I have to keep inventory of and save up to sell at a night market

best class ever

wondering whether I want to go blow all my cash on a beautiful +2 excellent quality/smartgun link assault rifle or whether pushing Body up from 6 to 10 with bone laces is more likely to actually keep me alive

[versed grotto]

if they're dead they can't shoot you

[harsh nest]

"do I want to have +10HP and way better death saves, or do I want to hit autofire on a 2+ rather than a 4+" is a strangely difficult choice

but yeah, I should probably at least get the Excellent quality AR for a relatively cheap +1

[calm folio]

which would be more fun honestly

like would you like to take more risks or shoot big gun

[harsh nest]

big gun is sexier since it's a sleek modern smartrifle with a drum mag and wooden furniture, whereas meat upgrades are just more meat

but they do massively increase my odds of surviving to the point of maximum Fixer, since the more deals I do the more assets I have to do bigger deals with

very much a beauty/practicality tradeoff

screw it, it's cyberpunk, always style

2000eb gun that looks like someone stuck a drum mag and an optic on the NCR service rifle but outshoots almost anything else in the city

[brazen sentinel]

exactly exactly exactly!!!

[leaden trout]

Counterpoint, it’s very impressive in a business meeting gone wrong to take a 9mm to the chest and just glance at the shooter like they got mustard on your tie

A fixer always needs to be looking towards the exit, the grunts are the ones who need the big guns

[brazen sentinel]

now now, i think its quite reasonable to spend a lot on your accountant

[leaden trout]

Yeah, spend big on armor and subtle stuff

Maybe a few flashy bits of kits for style

(I’m being unnecessarily opinionated on this lol)

[brazen sentinel]

the gun is the accountant, it solves problems of money very cheaply :3

[harsh nest]

If I become rich enough I'm absolutely trying to get this guy a realskin FBC so he can do that properly

He's not actually an Exec yet, I'm getting Fixer 5 and then switching to Exec and working my way up the corporate ladder, hopefully making enough money to pay for therapy as he goes

Edgerunners in their late 40s who are also the only good talkers in their parties need to practice responsible chrome use

[karmic valley]

i wanted to try out Cyberpunk

how good is the system? what's the system like?

[carmine anvil]

don’t be fooled by the character sheet and the laundry list of skills, it’s pretty straightforward

[karmic valley]

beeg sheet

[shut patrol]

The cool thing about the sheet is that most of it doesn't really matter to you at once

[harsh nest]

yeah, you invariably have one area you just don't look at

"my fixer has Tech 3, that whole wall of skills is someone else's problem"

[karmic valley]

the gm's problem?

[dim pond]

What's the best role for a new player: Solo, Rockerboy, or Exec?

[harsh nest]

depends entirely on what you want to do, Exec can't really match the other two in raw power there since your role ability is more of a grab-bag, so maybe Solo

you just have big money and the ability to bring flunkies to cover the party's weaknesses

I am the world's number 1 exec fanboy, though, it works just fine and you'll appreciate not worrying about rent

[dim pond]

Mhm

[harsh nest]

Solo clicks heads and gets chromed up to click heads better, so it's a lot more monotask even if you can build one in many different ways

I would go either Solo or Exec personally, because Rockerboy has abilities that you do need to roll for and take a bit more work to leverage at starting level even if they become incredibly strong later

[brazen sentinel]

I think Nomad is a good start tbh

Ur role skill is simple and everyone kinda groks “play a cowboy”

[harsh nest]

yeah, nomad or maybe Medtech, where you can just be "normal character but when someone goes down you run over and bag 'em"

all the classes besides Netrunner and Fixer are reasonably straightforward, though

[brazen sentinel]

You don’t have to micromanage the role skill the way solos might prefer to and you don’t gotta fuss over minions

You’re a nomad, you have a Cool Bike

[worthy snow]

I started playing with a Medtech; it can be a semi-stressful role at times if your party gets reckless but being the "fix people up" role has its perks

(though forewarning- high nonzero chance a team Medtech becomes 'team therapist' for mitigating cyberware stress)

[karmic valley]

i got cyberpunk red

friend gave it to me

he's basically telling me to gm it for them

[hallow prawn]

Good friend

Smart altruistic egoism

[harsh nest]

"I'm a Fixer, my room in heaven is held on credit" - my fixer, today, in a line that was possibly harder than I intended it to be

the party netrunner is a hole into which I pour eddies, I have had to lend this woman over a grand in under a month

[sick python]

What vibe does your Fixer have?

[harsh nest]

he's a cockney arms dealer who was stranded in Night City when his corpo folded during the 4CW

late 40s, getting back into the game as part of what's basically a midlife crisis, using chrome to compensate for being old and slow

has a fur coat over his armoured formal shirt because I couldn't resist making him slightly Sancerrepilled after twenty years on the street, but he's a lot more Normal

likes to keep his counterparties sweet on him and alive, nice man, gives his party members credit

after his previous netrunner, a fellow veteran, died in front of him on mission one, he's decided to get back on the corpo ladder so he can have higher-powered backup

multiclassing to exec

[karmic valley]

Wanting to gm makes me enjoy reading books for inspiration

Got a copy of Neuromancer i never finished reading

[brazen sentinel]

Helllll yea

[harsh nest]

blew about 800eb on therapy and a hospital stay I ended up not needing, curse my character actually being careful

in all other respects, Fixer is a blast

made 670eb in pure profit this session by selling someone's own cyberware back to him

[karmic valley]

u sound like a fun guy to be around

i mean ur character

[calm folio]

what's the story

[harsh nest]

bought a crate of cybereyes with advanced UV modules off him, bulk discount

6 for the cost of 5

did a couple of sessions' work, killed a few guys to pass the time, relabelled the eyes with the party's biometrics while the ripper installed some of them, sold the spares back to the guy I bought the crate from for over full price

fitted out the entire party with UV into the bargain

nearly drove the netrunner insane because she rolled awfully on humanity loss but hey, cost of doing buisness

[worthy snow]

Fixer and Medtech have some insane gaming that can go on with flipping cyberware

Months ago, my Medtech wound up being convinced to help clean up a... mess that had once been a significant group of hostile gangers
She wound up spending over a week of in-game time doing cyberware recovery from the "donors" and had to take therapy and literally just chill out for a bit after, but netted the crew like ~5k eddies to split among the group from doing some negotiations with the group Tech and Fixer

(she got a slightly larger cut from literally having cut it out)

[leaden trout]

Look, reduce, reuse, recycle

Gotta do your part to help limit climate change

[harsh nest]

Now I need to set up a night market, trade information on a former employer to other fixers in exchange for getting them to trade at my night market and become an exec to get a corp to send me guns to stock my night market

I love doing Deals

Really using the cultural contacts and bulk buying fixer class features more than I'd expect

[leaden trout]

Doing deals just for the love of the game (and £$)

[analog spear]

Playing the Cyberpunk RED Edgerunners supplement thingy

I have made an absolute gremlin of a netrunner

Time to fry some brains

[harsh nest]

The more deals I do the more money I make because Fixer powers enable me to take a 10% cut on almost everything, I want to do some jobs for a corp I work for that pay money and also guns to sell, so I can flip them, give the corp the usual price and take my cut

the main downside there is that I'm either doing business with the Sovs, who make shitty cheap guns, or Arasaka, who make good but distinctive guns that Militech might be a tad pissed off by

[vale basin]

I pray you and your chooms reach the end of the story without meating an untimely end. 🙏

[brazen sentinel]

Go with the sovs. Get em to ship you some meltdown era tanks! Start selling Punknaughts. Good biz.

[harsh nest]

There's a combat zone commune that I'm considering trying to turn into my own private market, so you know, that might not be an awful idea, and it's very stylish

Our Netrunner on 13 humanity is still dreaming of FBC iron godhood and will probably go Tech eventually, for more cobbling together of things

just need to get this mysterious and annoyingly friendly eurosolo out of the way, possibly by cutting a deal with Hornet since he's said solo's other fixer

[harsh nest]

Hang on, cars are so expensive in Night City that even just flipping the CP2020 equivalent of a Ural and taking 5% is a whole job's pay

even without ranking up enough for tanks this might be a real winner

"cockney used car salesman fixer" is also really playing to type, but such is life

[karmic valley]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/129286824714698752/1260205855924818051/vroom.gif

[karmic valley]

the more i look at this, the more im like aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

so much info

but i did find this that should help me with gm stuff

[harsh nest]

skills can't start higher than Stat +6 at character creation

so if this is actually a stock fixer you're a little overboard on the skills

[carmine anvil]

there's no stat growth either, except with implants which is a pretty limited list

[harsh nest]

it's a crunchy system but the basic resolution system is quite simple, you'll grasp it very quickly when you actually play

[karmic valley]

ok

that's just some random npc generator i found

[carmine anvil]

yeah this does not return useful information

[karmic valley]

into the trash can it goes then

[harsh nest]

well, it'd work for just dumping statlines out to hand to people

but not good for PCs

[karmic valley]

what about npcs?

[carmine anvil]

i really wouldn't interact with that generator at all, i have no idea how it's coming up with its output but it's nonsense