🏠 Headquarters
“Every crew needs a place to crash, plan, and stash bodies. In that order.”
A Headquarters (HQ) is a space controlled by a crew — their base of operations, hangout, and shared project. As the crew completes missions together, they earn HQ Improvement Points (HQ IP) that can be spent on upgrades to make the space more functional and comfortable.
If the crew loses access to their HQ (eviction, rent default, hostile takeover), they lose all associated benefits. If the HQ is destroyed, they start over from scratch.
Defend Your HQ
You aren’t ever really safe in Night City. Benefits can be taken away if the HQ isn’t defended.
⚡ Quick Reference
HQ At A Glance
Rule Detail HQ IP source Equal to Group IP earned after each Mission Improvement cost 40 HQ IP each Upgrade cost 40 HQ IP each (one upgrade per Improvement unless noted) Designation Any controlled space — owned, rented, or patron-gifted Housing Living in the HQ still requires paying Housing Costs (CRB p. 378) Loss Lose access → lose benefits. Destroyed → start over.
💰 Earning HQ IP
Whenever the crew receives Improvement Points from the Group column after completing a mission, they also receive an equal amount of HQ IP. These points belong to the crew as a whole — not to any individual Edgerunner.
Example
The Mighty Mighty Trio finishes their first mission. The GM awards 40 IP to every crew member. The crew also earns 40 HQ IP to spend on their Headquarters.
🏗️ Setting Up Your HQ
A crew can designate any space they have some measure of control over as their Headquarters once they have enough HQ IP for at least one Improvement. The space can be:
- Owned — purchased outright
- Rented — monthly cost applies
- Gifted — provided by a patron or faction
If crew members live in the HQ, they still pay Housing Costs equivalent to the space and luxuries provided.
📋 HQ Improvements
Each Improvement costs 40 HQ IP and can only be purchased once. Each can be Upgraded once (for another 40 HQ IP) unless otherwise noted. Spending HQ IP should always be a crew decision.
Evidence Wall
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | Lawmen and Medias gain +2 to Composition, Criminology, Cryptography, Deduction, Education, Forgery, Library Search, and Photograph/Film Checks for ongoing investigations. |
| Upgrade | Bonus increases to +3 for Lawmen. Medias keep +2 but their Credibility Rank temporarily increases by 1 for Believability when publishing a story worked on with the Evidence Wall. |
Garage
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | Comes with a Compact Groundcar owned by the crew. Can be upgraded with Vehicle Upgrades but cannot be sold. Cannot benefit from a Nomad’s Moto Role Ability. If Destroyed Beyond Repair, this Improvement (and Upgrade) is lost — must be repurchased. |
| Upgrade | Nomads gain: if all their vehicles are at full HP, they can spend 1 week downtime to re-spec all Moto Role Ability choices (swap Vehicle Upgrades or entire Vehicles). |
Lockup
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | A soundproof cell. Holds 1 prisoner who cannot escape unless BODY 13+. Others can come looking for them. |
| Upgrade | Holds up to 3 prisoners in separate cells. Lawmen gain +2 to Interrogation Checks on prisoners who spent at least 1 day in the Lockup. |
Lounge
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | During in-person meetings in the Lounge, Fixers gain +2 to Bribery, Bureaucracy, Business, Conversation, Human Perception, Persuasion, and Trading Checks. |
| Upgrade | Fixers and Medias gain +2 to all Checks to set up in-person meetings with anyone under their Contacts & Clients (Fixers) or Access/Sources (Medias). |
Medbay
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | Crew members naturally heal as if BODY was 2 points higher. Medtech crew members gain +2 to First Aid, Paramedic, and Surgery Checks. |
| Upgrade | A Medtech can use Science (Chemistry) to Upgrade, Fabricate, and Invent Street Drugs as if using the Maker Role Ability. Their Expertise equals their Medical Tech Skill Level. |
Morale Boost
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | A recreational/decorative upgrade (arcade games, sauna, home theater, etc.). Reduces monthly Lifestyle Cost by 50eb for all crew members. |
| Upgrade | Can be upgraded up to 10 times, each providing a new benefit. See the [[#morale-boost-upgrade-table |
Rent Reduction
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | Crew living in the HQ pay rent as if one category lower on the Real Estate table. Cube Hotel rent drops to 100eb/month. Cannot apply to a HQ with no rent. |
| Upgrade | Each Upgrade adds another bed (and possibly another room). Can be Upgraded multiple times but not past double the original bed count. (e.g., Cargo Container: max 2 beds / 1 upgrade. Two-Bedroom Apt: max 4 beds / 2 upgrades.) |
Server Room
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | The HQ gains a NET Architecture. Use Home Security 2045 (CRB p. 217) and 20,000eb to build it. Items purchased cannot be resold or removed. Unspent funds are lost. |
| Upgrade | A Netrunner can use Electronics/Security Tech to Upgrade, Fabricate, and Invent Cyberdecks, Hardware, and Programs as if using the Maker Role Ability. Their Expertise equals their Interface Rank. |
Studio
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | Rockerboys in the Studio gain +2 to Acting, Composition, Play Instrument, Paint/Draw/Sculpt, and Photograph/Film Checks. |
| Upgrade | Rockerboys can spend 1 week downtime to refine a project, gaining +2 to relevant Checks. If they fail, they can retry with another week and another stacking +2 — until the project succeeds, is abandoned, or they roll a natural 1 (losing all stacked bonuses). |
Training Area
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | 1 week downtime to Practice one combat Skill: Athletics, Archery, Autofire, Brawling, Evasion, Handgun, Heavy Weapons, Martial Arts, Melee Weapon, or Shoulder Arms. Gain +1 to that Skill’s Checks until the crew next earns Group IP or you Practice again. |
| Upgrade | Solos can select two Skills to Practice simultaneously. |
Workshop
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | When a Tech uses Upgrade/Fabrication/Invention Expertise in the Workshop, they can assign an equal amount of time to a second project for free. |
| Upgrade | Extends to a third project simultaneously. |
Workstation
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Improvement | Improves one Exec Team Member (chosen at purchase). The Improved Team Member becomes a full crew member — earns IP when their Exec does, receives equal job pay (IP/cash spent per GM). They are loyal to their Exec, not the Corp. If Workstation access is lost, the Team Member can no longer gain IP or pay but keeps past benefits. |
| Upgrade | Improved Team Members no longer use the Loyalty System. They remain loyal unless their Exec actively betrays them. If an Upgraded Workstation is destroyed, the crew must restore it before spending HQ IP on anything else, or the Team Member feels betrayed and leaves. |
📈 Morale Boost Upgrade Table
| # | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 1 | Each crew member restores 1d6 ÷ 2 Humanity at the start of every month (up to Max Humanity). |
| 2 | Crew heals naturally as if BODY was 1 point higher (stacks with Medbay). |
| 3 | All crew members (including Exec Improved Team Members) increase LUCK by 1. This is one of the few ways to give an NPC a Luck pool. |
| 4 | Monthly Humanity restoration increases to 1d6 (replaces Upgrade 1). |
| 5 | Fixers gain +2 to Trading Checks when negotiating job pay. Non-Fixers can haggle to increase pay by 20% as if they were a Fixer with Operator Rank 5 (no bonus to the Check). |
| 6 | When Hustling, crew members roll twice on the Hustle table and pick the preferred result. |
| 7 | All crew members increase LUCK by an additional 1. |
| 8 | When Hustling, crew members roll twice and gain income from both results (replaces Upgrade 6). |
| 9 | Monthly Humanity restoration: roll 1d6 twice, take the highest (replaces Upgrade 4). |
| 10 | Choose Your Own: Work with the GM to create a unique benefit tailored to the crew. |
🏢 NPC Faction HQs
Faction Headquarters
Nomad camps, gang hangouts, and corporate offices are all Headquarters owned by NPC factions. A PC who is a member of such a faction can draw on the benefits of that faction’s HQ (with GM permission) — even if they already benefit from a Crew HQ.
PCs cannot spend HQ IP on an NPC faction’s HQ. The exact benefits available are always up to the GM.
❓ Quick Answers
Can we use an existing location (like a bar) as our HQ?
Yes. You can designate any space you control — even one owned by an NPC patron. Spending HQ IP on an Improvement the location already has grants you full (and free) access. Spending on something new adds it exclusively for the crew.
Do we have to live in our HQ?
No. The HQ is your base of operations, not necessarily your home. If you do live there, you must still pay Housing Costs.
What happens if we lose our HQ?
You lose all benefits immediately. If you regain access, the benefits return. If the HQ is destroyed, everything is gone — start from scratch.
Can we move our HQ?
The rules don’t explicitly cover relocation. A reasonable GM ruling: spend 1 week downtime and the crew can designate a new space, retaining Improvements that make narrative sense to transport.
🔗 Related Topics
- Improvement Points Guide — How IP is awarded
- Money — Housing costs and economy
- Expansions — All optional systems
(Source: Tales of the RED: Hope Reborn, pp. 187–191)