🎲 How to Play

“Whenever your Character tries to do something, there’s always the question of whether they’ll succeed or fail.” — Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook

This page explains the core mechanic of Cyberpunk RED — the one rule that governs almost everything you do.

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🎯 The Core Formula

When the outcome of an action is uncertain, you roll dice:

STAT + Skill + 1d10   vs.   Difficulty Value (DV)

• STAT — Your natural ability (e.g., REF for reflexes)
• Skill — Your training (e.g., Handgun for shooting)
• 1d10 — Roll a ten-sided die
• DV — The target number you need to beat

In Plain English

Add your STAT + Skill + dice roll. If the total beats the DV, you succeed!

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📊 Difficulty Values (DV)

The GM sets the DV based on how hard the task is:

Difficulty	DV	Example
Simple	9	Walking across a room
Everyday	13	Climbing a fence, basic first aid
Difficult	15	Picking a standard lock
Professional	17	Hacking a secure terminal
Heroic	21	Dodging automatic fire
Incredible	24	Olympic-level athletics
Legendary	29+	The stuff of legends

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🎲 Two Types of Checks

1. Against a Fixed DV

Used when challenging the environment or a situation.

Example: Picking a Lock

Situation: You’re picking a standard electronic lock.

GM: “It’s a Professional-grade lock. DV 17.”

Your roll: TECH (5) + Pick Lock (4) + 1d10 (rolled 9) = 18

Result: 18 beats 17 → Success! The door clicks open.

2. Opposed Check (vs Another Person)

Used when competing against someone else — both sides roll.

Example: Lying to a Guard

Situation: You’re trying to bluff past a security checkpoint.

You roll: COOL (6) + Persuasion (4) + 1d10 (rolled 7) = 17

Guard rolls: INT (5) + Human Perception (3) + 1d10 (rolled 5) = 13

Result: 17 beats 13 → You win! The guard waves you through.

Ties

In an opposed check, ties go to the Defender (the person being acted upon).

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💥 Critical Success (Exploding 10s)

When you roll a natural 10 on your d10:

1. Roll another d10
2. Add it to your total
3. (Rolling another 10 does NOT explode again)

Critical Success Example

Your roll: REF (8) + Handgun (6) + 1d10 (rolled 10!)

Explosion roll: +1d10 (rolled 7)

Total: 8 + 6 + 10 + 7 = 31

That’s a legendary shot!

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💀 Critical Failure (Imploding 1s)

When you roll a natural 1 on your d10:

1. Roll another d10
2. Subtract it from your total
3. (Rolling another 1 does NOT implode again)

Critical Failure Example

Your roll: DEX (6) + Athletics (4) + 1d10 (rolled 1!)

Implosion roll: -1d10 (rolled 8)

Total: 6 + 4 + 1 - 8 = 3

You stumble badly.

Still Possible to Succeed

A highly skilled character can still succeed even after a Critical Failure. The math just works against you.

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🍀 Using LUCK

LUCK is a special resource you can spend to boost rolls:

• Spend 1 LUCK point → Add +1 to your roll
• Spend multiple → Add that many to your roll
• Limit: Can’t spend more LUCK than your current LUCK pool

Example: Burning LUCK

Your roll: COOL (6) + Trading (3) + 1d10 (5) = 14

DV: 15 (you missed by 1!)

You: “I spend 2 LUCK to make it 16.”

Result: Success! But now your LUCK pool is 2 lower until it refreshes.

LUCK Refreshes

Your LUCK pool resets to maximum at the start of each session.

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⚔️ Combat Checks

Combat uses the same formula, but with specific target numbers:

Ranged Attacks

• Your roll: REF + Weapon Skill + 1d10
• Target: Range DV (based on distance and weapon type)

Melee Attacks

• Your roll: DEX + Weapon Skill + 1d10
• Target: Opponent’s Evasion roll (DEX + Evasion + 1d10)

→ See Combat for full details.

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📝 Skill Base

Your Skill Base is your STAT + Skill level combined. This is the number you add to every roll with that skill.

Example: John's Handgun

• REF: 8
• Handgun Skill: 7
• Skill Base: 15

Every time John shoots, he rolls 15 + 1d10 vs the DV.

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✅ Quick Reference

Concept	Formula
Basic Check	STAT + Skill + 1d10 vs DV
Opposed Check	Your roll vs their roll
Critical Success	Roll natural 10 → add another d10
Critical Failure	Roll natural 1 → subtract another d10
Using LUCK	Spend LUCK points to add to roll
Skill Base	STAT + Skill (pre-calculated)

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🔗 Next Steps

• → Create Your Character — Ready to build your Edgerunner?
• Skills — See all available skills
• Combat — Learn combat mechanics

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