🔧 Repair & Crafting
“In Night City, everything breaks. The question is: can you fix it, or do you pay someone who can?”
With pre-War manufacturing capacity still wrecked, keeping gear functional matters. A Kevlar vest with 0 SP is just a jacket. Any character can repair items — you don’t need the Tech Role — but the really impressive stuff (upgrading, fabricating from scratch) is Tech-exclusive.
🔩 DIY Repair
You roll: TECH + Skill + 1d10 vs the target number. One successful roll restores the item to perfect condition. No materials needed — just time and know-how. On failure, the item is unharmed — you just wasted the time.
| Item Example | Price Category | Target | Time | NPC Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap clothes, glow sticks | Cheap / Everyday | 9 | 1 hour | ~50eb |
| Kevlar vest, Medium Pistol | Costly | 13 | 6 hours | ~100eb |
| Light Armorjack, Agent phone | Premium | 17 | 1 day | ~200eb |
| Heavy Armorjack, Cyberarm | Expensive | 21 | 1 week | ~500eb |
| Assault Rifle, Cyberleg | Very Expensive | 24 | 2 weeks | ~1,000eb |
| Metalgear, Exotic weapons | Luxury+ | 29 | 1 month | — |
What can I realistically fix?
Your roll is TECH + Skill + 1d10.
- TECH 5 + Basic Tech 3 = base 8. Average d10 (5-6) gives 13-14 — you can reliably fix Costly items (Kevlar, pistols). Premium (Armorjack) needs a lucky roll.
- TECH 8 + Weaponstech 6 = base 14. You can handle almost anything up to Very Expensive.
Can’t hit the number? Pay an NPC — they always succeed (it’s abstracted).
Which Skill?
| Item Type | Repair Skill |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Weaponstech |
| Cyberware | Cybertech |
| Electronics, cyberdecks, security | Electronics/Security Tech (×2) |
| Vehicles (Land/Air/Sea) | Vehicle Tech (Land/Air/Sea) |
| Armor, everything else | Basic Tech |
Good to Know
- Ablated armor? One repair job restores full SP.
- Cyberware armor (Skin Weave, Subdermal Armor) self-repairs 1 SP/day with rest — no shop needed.
- Destroyed items (0 HP) can’t be repaired — you need a replacement or a Tech with Fabrication.
🚗 Vehicle Repairs
Vehicles scale difficulty by damage taken, not price category.
Roll: TECH + Vehicle Tech + 1d10 vs target.
| Damage Taken | Target | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 13 | 6 hours |
| 11-20 | 15 | 1 day |
| 21-30 | 17 | 2 days |
| 31-40 | 21 | 3 days |
| 41+ | 24 | 1 week |
| Destroyed | 17 | 2 weeks |
🔫 Weapon Attachments
Attachments (scopes, mags, suppressors) are bolt-on upgrades that anyone can buy and install — no skill check required, just eddies and an available attachment slot. Most weapons have 1-2 slots.
For the full list of attachments, ammo types, and how they work: see Weapons and Gear.
Attachments vs Upgrades
Attachments are store items anyone can slot in. Upgrades (below) are permanent modifications that only a Tech can perform. A weapon can have both.
⬆️ Upgrading & Fabrication (Tech Only)
Requires Tech Role
Both Upgrading and Fabrication require the Maker Role Ability with the appropriate Expertise. Non-Techs can’t do this.
Upgrading improves an existing item. Roll: TECH + Skill + Upgrade Rank + 1d10 vs the same repair DV table. Requires materials of the same price category. Each item gets one upgrade only. Options include: lower cyberware HL by 1d6, add an option slot, halve repair time, make a weapon concealable, raise quality to Excellent, or add +1 SP.
Fabrication builds items from raw materials. Roll: TECH + Skill + Fabrication Rank + 1d10 vs the same table. Materials cost one price category lower than the finished item. On failure, start over — materials and items are unharmed.
❓ Quick Answers
Can I repair my own gear without being a Tech?
Yes! Anyone with the right TECH skill can repair. Only Upgrade, Fabrication, and Invention are Tech-exclusive.
My TECH is terrible. How do I fix my gear?
Pay an NPC. Weapon shops, street mechanics, and ripperdocs all do repairs. Expect roughly the item’s price category in cost. A party Tech can also handle it for free.
🔗 Related Topics
- Progression — Hub for progression and resources
- Gear Durability — Damaged condition, maintenance system, malfunction tables (optional rules)
- Salvaging — Finding Destroyed gear to repair
- Money — Buying new vs. repairing old
- Healing — Fixing your body, not your gear
- Cyberware — Cyberware repair uses Cybertech
(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pp. 139-148)