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Advice for Cyberpunk RED? (self.rpg)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by sbv to c/[email protected]

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I'm thinking of running a Cyberpunk RED campaign. My group has played D&D together for about five years now.

Any suggestions or advice on running the game? Are there any game play or mechanics tips that would help people coming from D&D?

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[–] Ziggurat 5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I am not really sure what kind of answer you're looking for. Cyberpunk RED is the successor of 2020, a classic RPG (from the era when D&D was called AD&D 2) which was needing a brush-up.

Actually Cyberpunk 2020 is one of the game I played the most (while I barely played D&D) but I wasn't a GM at it. I played Red once or twice, but my first impression is that the great principle are the same as 2020. So here are my 2-3 cenc on 2020.

It's a semi-closed environment. I mean night city is big, but unlike some D&D games were the PC travel the world at each adventure, the PC stay at night city, with the same corporation struggling to control-it, and they'll see the same contact, friend and foes. IMO at least the 2020 rules were lacking on that, but it was something managed RP wise as the PC were getting known in the place. It changes the way the the campaign runs, expect that your PC will make some corpo angry and need to find allies. It's not a political sandbox per se but can quickly evolve in that direction

Core rules are pretty straightforward, like Skill + D10 > Difficulty (in general 15, but can get lower for easy action and higher for impossible actions) , even combat isn't that complicated (It's coming from a time were you couldn't download tons of battle-map with grid online, and would have at best a sketch done a whiteboard). Don't get me wrong, it's not a rule-light game (whatever it means). But it's not that complicated.

I don't know whether they've made chome books for RED, but in 2020 we spent a lot of time lurking at all the crazy gear we could get. The way the 2020 chromebooks were made was also pretty role-play, more like a catalog than a rulebook making it pretty cool for the players. Try to get a copy of the 2020's chromebook if there is no version for red, and let them on the player side.

If I am not mistaken, the RED version finally turned netrunning into something playable (rather than having a kind of solo dungeon for the netrunner who would spend 2h to open a door while the rest of the party was playing tetris). All the 2020 games I played suppressed netrunning for that reason.

[–] sbv 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It's a semi-closed environment. ... expect that your PC will make some corpo angry and need to find allies. It's not a political sandbox per se but can quickly evolve in that direction

I hadn't thought of that. Needing and looking for allies sounds like a fun arc.

The way the 2020 chromebooks were made was also pretty role-play, more like a catalog than a rulebook making it pretty cool for the players

That sounds like a blast - I love the idea of in-game catalogs and resources. I'll see what I can dig up.

If I am not mistaken, the RED version finally turned netrunning into something playable (rather than having a kind of solo dungeon for the netrunner who would spend 2h to open a door while the rest of the party was playing tetris).

That's good to know. I was thinking of trying 2020, but it sounds like netrunning would that a bummer.

Are there any short adventures/modules you'd recommend?

[–] Ziggurat 2 points 8 months ago

I hadn’t thought of that. Needing and looking for allies sounds like a fun arc.

It's pretty easy to turn the campaign from You're in a bar, and someone comes with a mission into so you're in trouble with Biotechnica after stealing the data, and expect solo paid by theme to come any time to execute you, what do you do ? Were the answer is call back the guy from petrochem, and try to see if we can get a place to hide for some time It also eases a lot the preparation on the GM side, because suddenly, the players are the one coming with the scenario (OK that's may-be an over-statement)

Are there any short adventures/modules you’d recommend?

In English, not sure, but there is tons of amateur scenario for 2020 published on the internet, so it may-be a good starting point.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

I bought the PDFs when they were on sale but have not yet played. This was helpful, thanks!