🏥 Healing & Recovery
“Meat gets broken. Eddies get it fixed. Unless you’re sleeping on the street — then you just stay broken.”
There are no healing potions in Night City. No medkits that magically close bullet wounds. Medicine in the Time of the Red is stitches, antibiotics, and time — or a Medtech with steady hands and the right drugs. After a fight, you’re dealing with two things: HP damage (heals free with rest) and Critical Injuries (need medical attention).
⚡ Quick Reference
Healing At A Glance
What’s Wrong How to Fix It Cost HP damage Rest at home Free (BODY HP/day) HP damage (faster) Hospital bed 100eb/night (BODY×2/day) HP damage (fastest) Cryotank + Speedheal 1,500eb (full HP in 2 days) Critical Injury (minor) First Aid or Hospital 100eb Critical Injury (serious) Paramedic or Hospital 500eb Critical Injury (severe) Surgery or Hospital 1,000eb
❤️ HP Damage
HP heals naturally with rest — no skill check, no cost. You just need a roof over your head.
| Method | Healing Rate | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Rest at home | BODY HP/day | Free |
| Enhanced Antibodies (cyberware) | BODY × 2 HP/day | Free |
| Hospital bed | BODY × 2 HP/day | 100eb/night |
| Cryotank + Speedheal | Full HP in 2 days | 1,500eb total |
No Home = No Healing
You must have housing (Cube Hotel or better) to heal naturally. Sleeping on the street = 0 HP healed per day. See Housing for pricing.
Example: How Long to Heal?
Rebecca has BODY 5 and 40 max HP. After a fight she’s at 10 HP (30 damage taken).
- At home: 30 ÷ 5 = 6 days (free)
- Hospital bed: 30 ÷ 10 = 3 days (300eb)
- Cryotank: 2 days (1,500eb)
A Medtech with Pharmaceuticals can also synthesize drugs: Speedheal instantly restores BODY + WILL HP (once per day, not for Mortally Wounded), while Antibiotics add +2 HP/day for a week on top of natural healing.
🩹 Critical Injuries
Critical Injuries are specific wounds — broken legs, collapsed lungs, lost eyes — that impose penalties until treated. They don’t heal on their own. You get them when an attacker rolls 2+ sixes on their damage dice, or when you hit 0 HP.
| Severity | Examples | Treatment | Hospital Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor | Broken jaw, damaged eye/ear, foreign object | First Aid (DV 13) or Paramedic (DV 13) | 100eb |
| Serious | Broken arm/leg/ribs, collapsed lung, concussion | Paramedic (DV 15) | 500eb |
| Severe | Spinal injury, brain injury, lost limb | Surgery (DV 15-17) — Medtech only | 1,000eb |
Quick Fix vs Treatment
First Aid (TECH + First Aid + 1d10) is a Quick Fix — it stabilizes you but doesn’t permanently cure the injury. Paramedic and Surgery provide proper Treatment. Anyone can learn Paramedic (it’s a ×2 IP cost skill), but Surgery is Medtech-exclusive.
Hospitals & Ripperdocs
Hospital visits are outpatient (4 hours). You’re charged for the worst injury treated — everything else is included. Hospital beds cost 100eb/night and heal at BODY×2/day. A cloned replacement limb is only 50eb (included in the hospital visit).
Ripperdocs are the street alternative. They’re Medtechs running off-the-books clinics — treating gunshot wounds at 3 AM and installing chrome before dawn. Roughly half the cost of a hospital, but riskier. No refunds, no malpractice suits. See Cyberware for installation rules.
For the full Critical Injury tables and Death Saves: Damage and Wounds.
❓ Quick Answers
HP damage vs Critical Injuries — what's the difference?
HP is just a number — rest at home and it heals free. Critical Injuries are specific wounds (broken arm, lost eye) with penalties until treated. You can take HP damage without a Critical Injury, or get a Critical triggered by a lucky hit (2+ sixes on damage dice).
Do I need to go to a hospital?
Only for Critical Injuries you can’t treat yourself. If your party has a Medtech, they can handle most injuries in the field. HP damage heals at home for free.
What about cyberware armor (Skin Weave, Subdermal Armor)?
Cyberware armor self-repairs 1 SP/day with rest — no shop needed. See Repair & Crafting for regular armor.
🔗 Related Topics
- Progression — Hub for progression and resources
- Money — Housing affects your healing rate
- Damage and Wounds — Full Critical Injury tables, Death Saves, Trauma Team
- Cyberware — Ripperdocs install chrome AND treat injuries
(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pp. 221-227, 376-377)