🎲 Skills & Resolution

“In the Dark Future, knowing how to do something—really knowing—can be the difference between a fat payday and a shallow grave.”

This chapter covers the core mechanic of Cyberpunk RED: how to resolve actions, use skills, and determine success or failure.

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⚡ Quick Reference

Skill Checks At A Glance

The Formula: STAT + Skill + 1d10 vs. DV

Difficulty	DV	Example
Simple	9	Basic driving
Everyday	13	Find item in store
Difficult	15	Pick a standard lock
Professional	17	Fix an engine
Heroic	21	Hack a corp server
Incredible	24	Shoot a target in pitch darkness
Legendary	29	Impossible feats

Critical 10: Roll again, add to total
Critical 1: Roll again, subtract from total
Ties: Defender/obstacle wins

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Core Mechanic

All skill checks use STAT + Skill + 1d10 vs DV. See How to Play for the full explanation — critical success/failure, opposed checks, and LUCK rules.

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📝 Modifiers

When conditions make a task harder, the GM applies Modifiers that subtract from your roll.

Skill Check Modifiers

Condition	Modifier
Night or low lighting	-1
Never done this before	-1
Complex task	-1
Don’t have right tools/parts	-1
Slept uncomfortable	-1
Under extreme stress	-2
Exhausted	-2
Extremely drunk/sedated	-2
Trying to perform secretly	-2
Obscured by smoke/darkness	-2
Trying Again	-4

Modifiers are cumulative!

Positive Modifiers

Condition	Modifier
Taking Extra Time (4× longer)	+1
Complementary Skill used	+1

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🔄 Special Situations

Trying Again

If you fail a Skill Check, you cannot try again unless:

• You took longer to attempt it
• You used a better tool
• Someone made a successful Complementary Skill Check

Even then, you take a -4 penalty on the retry.

Complementary Skills

When one Skill directly helps with another, a successful roll grants +1 to the subsequent Check.

Example: Using Library Search to find blueprints before using Electronics/Security to bypass an alarm.

• Bonus only applies once
• Does not stack with other Complementary bonuses

Taking Extra Time

Taking 4× longer than necessary grants +1 to your Check.

No Skill?

If you don’t have the required Skill, you can still try using only the linked STAT + 1d10. You’re relying purely on natural ability.

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📖 Complete Skill List

Skills are organized by category. Each Skill is linked to a STAT. Skills marked (×2) cost double to purchase and improve.

Awareness Skills

Skill	STAT	Description
Concentration	WILL	Focus, memory, mental control, resisting suppression
Conceal/Reveal Object	INT	Hiding items and finding hidden items
Lip Reading	INT	Understanding speech by watching lips
Perception	INT	Spotting hidden things, people, clues, traps
Tracking	INT	Following trails and observing clues

Skill Descriptions — Awareness

Concentration (WILL)

Skill of focus and mental control, encompassing feats of memory, recall, and physiological control.

• Base 10: You’ve got a pretty solid memory and can keep your head in a firefight against the local boosters.
• Base 14: You’ve trained your mind to retain knowledge, and probably meditate regularly. It takes a fair amount to shake you.
• Base 18: Your mind is like a steel trap with a 24/7 lock down. You can walk through gunfire and never flinch.

Conceal/Reveal Object (INT)

Skill for hiding objects and finding hidden objects. This is the Skill used for concealing weapons under clothing and detecting concealed weapons.

• Base 10: You’ve got some experience with street magic and maybe you know a few common hiding places.
• Base 14: You’ve learned the most common hiding places and can slip small items past customs. Maybe you work as a smuggler or an investigator part-time.
• Base 18: You are seasoned in the art of concealment. It’s rare that anything goes unnoticed, and you could smuggle a handgun into President Kress’ office.

Lip Reading (INT)

Skill of reading someone’s lips to tell what they’re saying.

• Base 10: You’ve spent enough time snooping on conversations to pick up a few words here and there.
• Base 14: You can read all sorts of people including those with heavy accents and partially obscured mouths.
• Base 18: You could dictate a conversation from 10m/yds away through a snowstorm, with one eye closed.

Perception (INT)

Skill of spotting hidden things, like clues, traps, and people using the Stealth Skill, but not objects hidden with the Conceal/Reveal Object Skill.

• Base 10: You know how to keep an eye out and your spatial awareness is better than the average person.
• Base 14: You always know roughly what’s going on around you and only trained professionals can sneak up on you.
• Base 18: You are trained to scan rooms for traps, you can spot tiny clues like scratches on door knobs, and you can predict who is entering a room by how they turn that knob.

Tracking (INT)

Skill of following a trail by observing tracks and other clues left behind.

• Base 10: You’ve done some hunting (whether that’s animals or people is up to you).
• Base 14: You could be a professional bounty hunter, with enough knowledge to track people who are actively covering their tracks.
• Base 18: You are almost impossible to shake. Once you get a trail, you can follow it to the ends of the earth.

Body Skills

Skill	STAT	Description
Athletics	DEX	Jumping, climbing, throwing, swimming, lifting
Contortionist	DEX	Escaping bonds, fitting into tight spaces
Dance	DEX	Professional-level dancing
Endurance	WILL	Withstanding harsh conditions, pain, deprivation
Resist Torture/Drugs	WILL	Resisting interrogation, torture, drug effects
Stealth	DEX	Moving quietly, hiding, evading detection

Skill Descriptions — Body

Athletics (DEX)

Skill of jumping, climbing, throwing, swimming, lifting weights, etc. It combines the basic elements of any high school-level sports program. This Skill also covers thrown weapons.

• Base 10: You are the equivalent of a real high school “jock,” able to run long distances and lift a respectable amount.
• Base 14: You can perform in college-level competitions and hold your own in all sorts of athletic challenges.
• Base 18: You are of Olympic or professional caliber and it’s rare you meet someone who matches your skill.

Contortionist (DEX)

Skill of manipulating your body to get out of handcuffs or other bindings and to fit yourself into otherwise inaccessible places or spaces.

• Base 10: You can slip out of handcuffs sometimes and fit yourself into slightly tight spaces.
• Base 14: You have practiced your contortion and yoga is probably part of your daily ritual. You can slip out of handcuffs and bindings with relative ease and fit yourself into small cupboards.
• Base 18: You could be traveling with a circus. You can touch your toes to your head, slip out of complex rope bindings, and squeeze your body into spaces that would make an octopus sweat.

Dance (DEX)

Skill of dancing at a professional level.

• Base 10: You’ve practiced some moves and could dance at a wedding and impress the bride and groom.
• Base 14: You could compete in one of Ziggurat’s sponsored dance competitions and probably make it to the semi-finals.
• Base 18: You are probably well known for your dance moves and may even get requests from Corps for you to perform at their social functions.

Endurance (WILL)

Skill of withstanding harsh environmental conditions and hardship. Endurance Skill Checks are made whenever a Character must continue to be active after a long period without food, sleep, or water or after prolonged activity.

• Base 10: You are generally a tough customer. Maybe you grew up in the outskirts or traveling with a Nomad pack.
• Base 14: You are trained in surviving harsh conditions and capable of living on the streets with no home or shelter, though not comfortably.
• Base 18: You are well accustomed to dangerous terrain and long-term hardship. You can live for long periods of time with minimal nourishment, live entirely alone in the Badlands and stay alert while on the run with no problem.

Resist Torture/Drugs (WILL)

Skill of resisting painful effects, including interrogation, torture, and drugs.

• Base 10: You’ve probably had some experiences with interrogation or hard drugs, and it’s given you some knowledge of how to handle them.
• Base 14: You’ve trained yourself to withstand the garden-variety interrogation of the NCPD and several different poisons and drugs.
• Base 18: You’re extremely hard to crack and you can shake off the effects of most poisons and drugs. You can withstand even the torture of psychos like the Iron Sights gang.

Stealth (DEX)

Skill of moving quietly, hiding, doing an action discreetly, or otherwise evading detection. Other Characters can try to find you with their Perception Skill.

• Base 10: You can get past most guards, or your parents if you’ve been grounded.
• Base 14: You are good enough to slip smoothly from shadow to shadow and not make any noise. You can avoid guards and lose pursuers easily.
• Base 18: You are the equal of the corporate ninja employed by Arasaka. If you want to go unnoticed, there are few people who can spot you.

Control Skills

Skill	STAT	Description
Drive Land Vehicle	REF	Driving cars, bikes, tanks
Pilot Air Vehicle (×2)	REF	Flying AVs, helicopters, jets
Pilot Sea Vehicle	REF	Steering boats, submarines
Riding	REF	Riding horses or other mounts

Skill Descriptions — Control

Drive Land Vehicle (REF)

Skill of driving and maneuvering land vehicles.

• Base 10: You are the equal of a very good non-professional driver. You know how to handle yourself on the road and deal with road rage.
• Base 14: You are the equal of a moderately skilled race car driver. You can make bootlegger turns, jump small gaps, and drive in dangerous terrain.
• Base 18: You have the skill to be nationally known as a racer and probably can score a sponsorship deal with some of the biggest vehicle manufacturers out there.

Pilot Air Vehicle (REF)

Costs ×2 IP. Skill of piloting and maneuvering air vehicles.

• Base 10: You are a trained pilot, able to engage in most combat situations or pilot an AV through bad weather.
• Base 14: You are a veteran pilot with a lot of time in the cockpit. You can handle yourself in almost any situation, including making complicated aerobatic maneuvers.
• Base 18: You have the skills to be widely known among the piloting community for having the “right stuff.” You can fly through storms and thread the needle between buildings in an AV-4.

Pilot Sea Vehicle (REF)

Skill of piloting and maneuvering sea vehicles.

• Base 10: You have piloted sea vehicles before, and you know the ins and outs of naval travel and combat. You can handle choppy water and hold your own in a skirmish.
• Base 14: You have spent a great deal of time on the water and probably been in a few naval encounters. You know how to come out on top in an even engagement.
• Base 18: You are a veteran of the seas, able to sail a cargo freighter through a hurricane and maneuver a speedboat through a slalom of debris and enemy ships.

Riding (REF)

Skill of riding a living creature trained for the purpose.

• Base 10: You’ve had the rare luxury of seeing and riding a horse. You know the basics of how to keep it from haring off.
• Base 14: You’ve had a great deal of experience riding and you are a very competent rider, able to make quick maneuvers and adjustments.
• Base 18: You can really connect with the creature you’re riding. You could and probably have at some point competed in Corporate dressage competitions. Horses are extremely rare and talented riders are even rarer.

Education Skills

Skill	STAT	Description
Accounting	INT	Balancing books, spotting embezzlement
Animal Handling	INT	Training and calming animals
Bureaucracy	INT	Navigating red tape, dealing with corps/govt
Business	INT	Economics, trade, supply chains
Composition	INT	Writing songs, articles, books
Criminology	INT	Forensics, fingerprints, ballistics
Cryptography	INT	Encrypting and decoding data
Deduction	INT	Logic puzzles, connecting clues
Education	INT	General knowledge and trivia
Gamble	INT	Knowing odds, playing games of chance
Language	INT	Speaking a specific language (choose one)
Library Search	INT	Finding info on Data Pool or archives
Local Expert	INT	Knowledge of a specific area (choose one)
Science	INT	Academic knowledge — choose field (Physics, Bio, Chem, etc.)
Tactics	INT	Managing large-scale battles
Wilderness Survival	INT	Hunting, camping, badlands navigation

Skill Descriptions — Education

Accounting (INT)

Skill of balancing books, creating false books, and identifying them, juggling numbers, creating budgets and handling day-to-day business operations.

• Base 10: You can manage the books for a small company by yourself and rarely make any clerical errors.
• Base 14: You can manage the books for a medium-sized Corp and hide your embezzlement at the same time.
• Base 18: You’re a master at double entry and offshore accounting that would make the best white collar criminals proud.

Animal Handling (INT)

Skill of handling, training, and caring for animals.

• Base 10: You know how to approach a wild animal without scaring it off, and you’ve kept a pet before.
• Base 14: You have the skill to train animals for other people, and you’ve encountered a few different animals in your life.
• Base 18: You may have worked with Biotechnica at some point. You can calm down just about any animal, and can train animals professionally for groups like the NCPD.

Bureaucracy (INT)

Skill for dealing with bureaucrats, cutting red tape, knowing who to talk to in a bureaucracy, how to reach them, and how to extract information from bureaucracies.

• Base 10: You’ve been around the block a few times and know how to deal with bureaucrats to avoid getting trapped in red tape.
• Base 14: You’ve worked with bureaucracies long enough to really start unraveling an organization’s secrets. You know how to expedite orders and block other people’s requests.
• Base 18: You are masterful at working the system. You can tie up opposition in red tape for ages and even manipulate the bureaucracy to create false claims and paperwork.

Business (INT)

Skill regarding knowledge of basic business practices, laws of supply and demand, employee management, procurement, sales, and marketing.

• Base 10: You have the equivalent of a few business classes’ worth of knowledge and you could run your own company.
• Base 14: You know the ins and outs of running a successful business. You can get resources, hire skilled workers, and avoid hostile takeovers.
• Base 18: You know all about the wheeling and dealing of the corporate life. You can extrapolate the future machinations of the Corps.

Composition (INT)

The required Skill for writing songs, articles, or stories.

• Base 10: You can produce salable work and some people will even commission you for work.
• Base 14: You can create works of art that gain you a small but passionate following and some critical acclaim.
• Base 18: You have the skill to be a nationally recognized composer creating works of art that rival the great artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Criminology (INT)

Skill of discovering clues by dusting for fingerprints, doing ballistic tests, examining evidence, and searching through police records and files.

• Base 10: You’ve learned enough to ruin precinct procedural dramas forever. You know the basics of using police records.
• Base 14: You can navigate police precincts and records with ease and carry out murder investigations unaided.
• Base 18: You have the skill to be the next great detective. Within moments of stepping on the scene of a crime you can get a clear view of exactly what happened.

Cryptography (INT)

Skill of encrypting and decoding messages.

• Base 10: You’ve learned how to code your messages well enough to keep the average person from figuring out what you’re saying and crack basic codes.
• Base 14: You have a lot of practice cracking codes and communicating in code. You could work for the CIA or any other secret service and get along fine.
• Base 18: You are a master of cryptography. There’s no code or encryption out there that you can’t crack given some time.

Deduction (INT)

Skill of taking several clues and leaping to a non-obvious conclusion or medical diagnosis.

• Base 10: You can put two and two together and figure out most logical leaps, no problem.
• Base 14: You have trained your mind to collect clues and organize them to make better deductions.
• Base 18: Your skills rival that of Sherlock Holmes. You are at the level of a world-class detective. Some people may even think you’re psychic.

Education (INT)

Skill of general knowledge, equivalent to a basic school education, allowing you to know how to read, write, use basic math, and know enough history to get by.

• Base 10: You have the equivalent of a basic college education. You have much more education than the average person in Night City.
• Base 14: You have a great deal of education, equal to having a Masters or a Doctorate.
• Base 18: You are an extremely well-educated person; one of those people who “knows a lot about everything.”

Gamble (INT)

Skill of knowing how to figure odds and play games of chance successfully.

• Base 10: You know how to play cards and you’ve been to a few casinos. You win more than you lose.
• Base 14: You have the skill to be a professional gambler. You can usually double your money when you play.
• Base 18: You’re a master gambler. You’ve probably been banned from a casino or two.

Language (INT)

Skill of speaking a particular language. You must choose a specific language whenever you increase this Skill.

• Base 10: You can speak the language well enough to get by on the street but you don’t understand a lot of the slang.
• Base 14: You are a fluent speaker and most people assume you grew up speaking the language.
• Base 18: You know all the ins and outs including slang, complicated situational rules, and all dialects.

Library Search (INT)

Skill of using databases, the Data Pool, libraries, and other compiled information sources to find facts.

• Base 10: You can use all databases and even search libraries and physical manifests of information.
• Base 14: You could easily access the Library of Congress (if it was still there) and find rare facts.
• Base 18: You can comprehend any public database and most private databases. You can find extremely obscure facts.

Local Expert (INT)

Skill of knowing a specific area well. You must choose a specific location whenever you increase this Skill, which cannot be any larger than a single neighborhood or community.

• Base 10: You know the area pretty well; where to go to get whatever you need, where to avoid, what the local factions are like.
• Base 14: You are well acquainted with the area and aware of the underlying problems, factions, and rules that the average tourist isn’t.
• Base 18: You could act as a tour guide. You’ve poked your nose in everywhere and are almost never at a loss for info.

Science (INT)

Skill for knowing how to design experiments, write scientific papers, and test hypotheses. An area of study must be specified: Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Zoology, Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, or History.

• Base 10: You have studied a science at the level of a high school class. You know the basics.
• Base 14: You are well trained and at the level of having a Masters. You’re rarely stumped by problems in your field.
• Base 18: You are a master of your discipline with the knowledge to break new ground and make new discoveries.

Tactics (INT)

Skill of managing a large-scale battle effectively and efficiently. A Character with this Skill usually knows what must be done to direct a battle, and how an enemy force may react.

• Base 10: You have a basic knowledge of how large-scale battles go and could lead a battalion in a low stakes conflict.
• Base 14: You can easily out-think gangers and rent-a-cops and predict your opposition’s moves.
• Base 18: You are a tactical mastermind, able to play speed chess against even the most skilled tacticians.

Wilderness Survival (INT)

Skill for surviving comfortably in the wilderness. This includes setting traps, foraging for wood, tracking game, building shelters, and making fires.

• Base 10: You have the survival skills of the average Boy Scout. You can survive in the wilderness with proper gear.
• Base 14: You are a skilled survivalist at about the level of a Special Forces Green Beret.
• Base 18: You no longer need tools to survive. You could be dropped in the middle of the Rocky Mountains with nothing but the clothes on your back and still make it look easy.

Fighting Skills

Skill	STAT	Description
Brawling	DEX	Unarmed combat, grappling, choking
Evasion	DEX	The Defense Skill — dodging melee attacks (anyone) and ranged attacks (REF 8+ only)
Martial Arts (×2)	DEX	Specialized fighting forms — see Martial Arts for all forms and special moves
Melee Weapon	DEX	Using swords, knives, bats, hammers

Skill Descriptions — Fighting

Brawling (DEX)

Skill at fighting and grappling with brute strength.

• Base 10: You’re a pretty good bar brawler and you can hold your own in a fist fight. You know how to throw a punch and some of the intricacies of wrestling.
• Base 14: You could be a professional fighter in any number of pit-fighting arenas or official venues around the City. You know how to use your strength to your advantage.
• Base 18: You are a seasoned fighter with an iron grip and a mean right hook. All it takes is one good punch for most people to think twice about fighting you.

Evasion (DEX)

Skill for getting out of the way of someone attacking you in melee. A Character with REF 8 or higher can also use this Skill to dodge Ranged Attacks and Explosions.

• Base 10: You’re fast on your feet and when in need you can usually get out of the way.
• Base 14: You’re quick enough to dodge most gangers and you can even hold your own against skilled combatants armed with monokatanas and monofilament whips.
• Base 18: You’ve trained your body to start moving before your brain even responds to what’s happening around you.

Martial Arts (DEX)

Costs ×2 IP. Skill for fighting with a Martial Arts Form. Each time you increase this Skill you must choose in which form you are training. You can learn multiple forms, but must do so separately. Options: Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Aikido.

• Base 10: You are trained in a martial art and can perform the basic movements. You’ve got more going for you than the average brawler.
• Base 14: You can reliably pull off special moves like disarming foes, reversing throws, and landing combos.
• Base 18: You are a master martial artist on par with legendary greats such as Ip Man, Bruce Lee, and Mas Oyama.

Melee Weapon (DEX)

Skill for fighting with melee weapons.

• Base 10: You are trained with melee weapons. You can hold your own in a sword fight or a knife fight.
• Base 14: You are well-versed in the ins and outs of melee combat. You probably carry a melee weapon with you just in case.
• Base 18: You have the skill to fight just about anyone in the City in a melee bout. You might even be able to duel the legendary Kenichi Zaburo and come out alive.

Performance Skills

Skill	STAT	Description
Acting	COOL	Disguise, faking emotion, bluffing
Play Instrument	TECH	Playing musical instruments (choose one)

Skill Descriptions — Performance

Acting (COOL)

Skill of assuming a role, disguising yourself as someone else, whether real or fictitious, and faking emotions and moods.

• Base 10: You have some skill in disguise and acting. You can make solid disguises and convince most people you are who you say you are.
• Base 14: You are a skilled impersonator. You can mimic voices and create disguises that include changes in race or age.
• Base 18: You could probably pick a person on the street and completely steal their life. Even their own friends and family wouldn’t know the difference.

Play Instrument (TECH)

Skill of professionally playing a musical instrument. You can choose which instrument when you increase this Skill: singing, guitar, drums, violin, piano, etc.

• Base 10: You are skilled enough to play professional gigs and get paid for your performances.
• Base 14: You have the skill to really start getting some recognition for your talent.
• Base 18: You could be a widely acclaimed superstar like the late, great Johnny Silverhand.

Ranged Weapon Skills

Skill	STAT	Description
Archery	REF	Bows and crossbows
Autofire (×2)	REF	Using autofire mode on SMGs/Rifles
Handgun	REF	Pistols and SMGs (single shot)
Heavy Weapons (×2)	REF	Grenade/rocket launchers, cannons
Shoulder Arms	REF	Rifles and shotguns

Skill Descriptions — Ranged Weapon

Archery (REF)

Skill for accurately firing bolt- or arrow-launching projectile weapons.

• Base 10: You are a fairly skilled archer who can hit a target easily in the range of your weapon.
• Base 14: You are skilled enough to hit shots that the average archer would struggle to land.
• Base 18: You are an archer to rival Robin Hood with enough skill to hit targets hundreds of m/yds away and shoot things out of people’s hands.

Autofire (REF)

Costs ×2 IP. Skill for keeping a weapon’s Autofire firing mode on target through recoil.

• Base 10: You can fire an assault rifle in full auto and keep the climb down but you’d better be in the sweet spot of your range to hit.
• Base 14: You’re more used to controlling an Autofire weapon and you can keep your groupings fairly tight.
• Base 18: You can accurately hit targets out to 100m/yds. You are a terror on the battlefield who can riddle an opponent with bullets with the accuracy of a finely tuned machine.

Handgun (REF)

Skill for accurately firing handheld projectile weapons.

• Base 10: You know how to maintain and accurately fire handguns, SMGs in single-shot mode, and other small firearms.
• Base 14: You are a skilled gunslinger with a quick hand and a good eye. You can make longer range shots more accurately.
• Base 18: You are a deadeye gunslinger. You can shoot coins from 12m/yds away and shoot guns out of people’s hands. You have the skill to be known as one of the best pistoleros in the City.

Heavy Weapons (REF)

Costs ×2 IP. Skill for accurately firing extremely large projectile weapons.

• Base 10: You know how to maintain and accurately fire rocket launchers, grenade launchers, railguns, and other heavy weaponry.
• Base 14: You’ve had the training to really excel at firing heavy weaponry. You could easily serve as a mounted-turret gunner in the next Corporate War.
• Base 18: You know this machinery so well you can make trick shots with railguns and drop grenades down chimneys at 100m/yds.

Shoulder Arms (REF)

Skill for firing shoulder-braced projectile weapons.

• Base 10: You know how to maintain and accurately fire assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and other shoulder-braced firearms.
• Base 14: You are skilled enough to hit complicated shots like firing through windows to hit targets in buildings.
• Base 18: You are the equal of rifle sharpshooters like Annie Oakley and famous snipers such as Vasily Zaytsev. If you can see a target you can hit it.

Social Skills

Skill	STAT	Description
Bribery	COOL	Knowing who to pay and how much
Conversation	EMP	Extracting info via casual chat
Human Perception	EMP	Reading emotions, detecting lies
Interrogation	COOL	Forcing information from someone
Persuasion	COOL	Convincing, debating, fast-talking
Personal Grooming	COOL	Looking good, presentation
Streetwise	COOL	Finding illegal goods, navigating the street
Trading	COOL	Haggling prices, striking deals
Wardrobe & Style	COOL	Knowing what to wear to fit in

Skill Descriptions — Social

Bribery (COOL)

Skill of knowing when to bribe someone, how to approach them, and how much to offer.

• Base 10: You know how to bribe a guard to look the other way or keep a witness from spilling simple secrets.
• Base 14: You have a knack for reading people. You can bribe witnesses not to stand trial, coerce the NCPD into leaving your operations alone for a night, and maybe convince a corporate hit squad that you’re more valuable alive.
• Base 18: You are a master of greasing palms. Everyone wants something and you have a gift for knowing exactly what to offer.

Conversation (EMP)

Skill of extracting information from people without alerting them through careful conversation.

• Base 10: You are a smooth talker who can coerce their subject into telling them simple information.
• Base 14: You would make an excellent interviewer, convincing subjects to tell you anecdotes about the past, pontificate about favorite interests and philosophies.
• Base 18: You have the skill to gently maneuver a person into telling you everything, including extremely personal information.

Human Perception (EMP)

Skill of reading a person’s facial expressions and body language to discern their emotional state and detect lies or deception.

• Base 10: You can usually tell when you’re not getting the whole truth and you’re adept at reading people’s emotions.
• Base 14: You can detect subtle evasions and mood swings with ease, and you’ve learned the tells of most of your companions.
• Base 18: If a person is hiding something, you can usually tell what they’re hiding in a general sense.

Interrogation (COOL)

Skill of forcibly extracting information from people.

• Base 10: You have the skill to infallibly find out if your mainline is lying to you and you’ve got a basic knowledge of “advanced interrogation techniques.”
• Base 14: You are a professionally proficient interrogator, equivalent to a skilled detective grilling a suspect.
• Base 18: You are on par with the famous Media, Lyle Thompson, allowing you to make even the most powerful people sweat with just a few words.

Persuasion (COOL)

Skill of convincing, persuading, or influencing individuals. This may be used individually or on large groups.

• Base 10: You can win most debates or convince your mainline that the blonde you were with was your sister.
• Base 14: You are a smooth talker of professional caliber. If you want to start a career in politics this is where that dream can start becoming a reality.
• Base 18: You are truly gifted with a silver tongue and you have the skill to convince almost anyone of just about anything.

Personal Grooming (COOL)

Skill of knowing proper grooming, hair styling, etc., to maximize your physical attractiveness. Use of this Skill allows Characters to increase their chances of successful seduction or persuasion.

• Base 10: You know how to keep yourself looking good. You know a few beauty routines and you can style your own hair and do your own makeup.
• Base 14: You are a professional with the knowledge to pull off specific makeup styles and complex hairdos to take your look to the next level.
• Base 18: You have the skill to be a world class artist, inventing new styles and setting trends in the City. You are always “together.” And you know it.

Streetwise (COOL)

Skill of knowing where to get illegal and contraband things, talking to the criminal element, and avoiding bad situations in bad neighborhoods.

• Base 10: You can get some “hot” items, score street drugs, and figure out who’s the best Fixer in the neighborhood.
• Base 14: You know how to get in contact with a Solo to arrange a murder contract, you might know a few mobsters, and you know which neighborhoods to steer clear of.
• Base 18: You have the skill to become a major crime lord yourself and skip the middlemen.

Trading (COOL)

Skill of striking a good bargain with a merchant or customer.

• Base 10: You are a solid trader who can haggle deals, and get a good deal on ammunition at the local market.
• Base 14: You have the skill to make deals with Nomad caravans to get new goods at reasonable prices.
• Base 18: You are a master of economic maneuvering and can buy and sell goods for astonishing value.

Wardrobe & Style (COOL)

Skill of knowing the right clothes to wear, when to wear them, and how to look cool even in a spacesuit.

• Base 10: You are good at choosing clothes off the rack. You can put together a stylish looking outfit and coordinate everything you’re wearing.
• Base 14: Your friends ask you for wardrobe tips, and you have the skill to design professional outfits for them on commission.
• Base 18: You are one of those rare people whose personal style influences major fashion trends.

Technique Skills

Skill	STAT	Description
Air Vehicle Tech	TECH	Repairing flying vehicles
Basic Tech	TECH	General repair, simple machines
Cybertech	TECH	Repairing and installing cyberware
Demolitions (×2)	TECH	Explosives, defusing bombs
Electronics/Security (×2)	TECH	Locks, bugs, alarms, computers
First Aid	TECH	Stabilizing wounds, treating minor injuries
Forgery	TECH	Faking documents or art
Land Vehicle Tech	TECH	Repairing cars, bikes, tanks
Paint/Draw/Sculpt	TECH	Visual arts
Paramedic (×2)	TECH	Treating major critical injuries
Photography/Film	TECH	Using cameras, editing video
Pick Lock	TECH	Opening mechanical locks
Pick Pocket	TECH	Stealing from pockets, sleight of hand
Sea Vehicle Tech	TECH	Repairing boats
Weaponstech	TECH	Repairing and maintaining weapons

Skill Descriptions — Technique

Air Vehicle Tech (TECH)

Skill of repairing and maintaining air vehicles. Repair DV and time are based on damage sustained.

• Base 10: You have gotten good at maintaining and repairing AVs, Gyrocopters, Helicopters, and other flying vehicles.
• Base 14: You are a skilled mechanic who can easily repair almost any damage to an air vehicle given enough time.
• Base 18: You can rebuild an AV-4 from a smoking pile of rubble in just a week and can fix up a broken rotor with your eyes closed.

Basic Tech (TECH)

Skill of identifying, understanding, and repairing simple electronic devices and all other items not covered by another TECH Skill. Repair DV and time are based on the item’s Price Category.

• Base 10: You are pretty handy with technology. You can fix a printer jam, rebuild a microwave, and do basic repairs on factory machinery.
• Base 14: You are the local handyman for your neighborhood. You have an unerring sense for what to do when machinery starts acting up.
• Base 18: You are a technical wizard. You can repair heavy machinery with ease and spot problems before they become an issue.

Cybertech (TECH)

Skill of identifying, understanding, and repairing cybernetics. Repair DV and time are based on the item’s Price Category.

• Base 10: You are well-versed in the ins and outs of cybertech. You probably have some cybertech installed and can maintain it with no problems.
• Base 14: You can rewire a Cyberarm, and even do some mechanical work with improvised tools if need be.
• Base 18: You have the skill to keep all cybertech in perfect shape. You almost never have to worry about the effects of Microwavers and EMP devices in the field.

Demolitions (TECH)

Costs ×2 IP. Skill of setting, defusing, and knowing how much explosive will accomplish a desired result.

• Base 10: You can handle most pre-made explosives and you have a basic concept of what explosives are good for what jobs.
• Base 14: You have an intimate knowledge of demolitions. You can set bombs with timers and confidently defuse bombs set by others.
• Base 18: You are an expert with knowledge of every explosive under the sun. You can defuse most bombs with your eyes shut and set explosives for controlled results.

Electronics/Security Tech (TECH)

Costs ×2 IP. Skill of identifying, understanding, repairing, countering, and installing complex electronic devices like computers, cyberdecks, security systems, bugs and tracers, pressure plates, laser tripwires, etc.

• Base 10: You are skilled enough to fix your Agent when it starts acting up and rewire a stock security system.
• Base 14: You can crack simple security systems with ease and rebuild a computer given enough time.
• Base 18: You have the skill to rival high-level Netrunners with your security cracking and repair even the most complex tech.

First Aid (TECH)

Skill of applying medical treatments to a wounded person to keep them from dying, and treating the most common Critical Injuries.

• Base 10: You have basic first-aid training and know how to handle injuries in the field.
• Base 14: You can take care of all simple wounds and keep people from dying. You probably carry a Medtech bag with you just in case.
• Base 18: You are a miracle worker with a medkit. As long as you’re on your feet, death is going to have to wait.

Forgery (TECH)

Skill of creating and detecting false documents, works of art, and identification. Forgery is most often opposed by Forgery.

• Base 10: You can fake simple IDs and be fairly sure of whether any document handed to you is false.
• Base 14: You can pass forgeries off to all but the most sophisticated examination.
• Base 18: You could display your fakes in the best museums.

Land Vehicle Tech (TECH)

Skill of repairing and maintaining land vehicles. Repair DV and time are based on damage sustained.

• Base 10: You have gotten good at maintaining and repairing roadbikes, groundcars, and other land vehicles.
• Base 14: You are a skilled mechanic who can easily repair almost any damage to a land vehicle given enough time.
• Base 18: You can salvage and rebuild old military transports from the badlands and fix a flat in your sleep.

Paint/Draw/Sculpt (TECH)

Skill of producing professional paintings, drawings, or sculpture.

• Base 10: You are skilled enough to create works of art that actually make you significant money on the market.
• Base 14: Your art is maybe featured in some screamsheets or Data Pool articles.
• Base 18: You could be nationally known, have exhibits in galleries, and have other artists studying your style.

Paramedic (TECH)

Costs ×2 IP. Skill of applying medical treatments to keep people from dying, and treating all Critical Injuries not requiring Surgery. (Surgery is only available to Medtechs through their Role Ability, Medicine.)

• Base 10: You could fill in for Trauma Team as long as the situation hasn’t gotten too dire. You can splint limbs and stabilize patients.
• Base 14: You are more than skilled enough to work as a Trauma Team Medical Assistant.
• Base 18: You are a seasoned first-responder who can arrive on the scene of a firefight or natural disaster and immediately start saving lives.

Photography/Film (TECH)

Skill for producing professional photographs, motion pictures, or braindances.

• Base 10: You are skilled enough to make decent home movies with some special effects.
• Base 14: You are a skilled artist, creating work at the level of the average magazine cover or rock music video.
• Base 18: You could be a widely acclaimed producer. All you need is a shot.

Pick Lock (TECH)

Skill for picking non-electronic locks and countering non-electronic security measures.

• Base 10: You can jimmy most simple locks and you never get locked out of your apartment for long.
• Base 14: You could be a competent cat burglar. You can crack most safes if you have the right tools and enough time.
• Base 18: You could build a rep as a master cracksman. You can crack stock safes like they were nothing.

Pick Pocket (TECH)

Skill for picking pockets and shoplifting small items without being noticed.

• Base 10: You’ve got quick fingers and deep pockets. You can make good money pick pocketing people on the street.
• Base 14: You have the skill needed to start operating in a Corporate Zone where the real money is.
• Base 18: You could lift a Solo’s wallet, stop them to apologize for bumping into them, and lift their pistol while you’re at it.

Sea Vehicle Tech (TECH)

Skill of repairing and maintaining sea vehicles. Repair DV and time are based on damage sustained.

• Base 10: You have gotten good at maintaining and repairing jet skis, cabin cruisers, yachts, and other sea vehicles.
• Base 14: You are a skilled mechanic who can easily repair almost any damage to a sea vehicle given enough time.
• Base 18: You can dredge up old Arasaka ships from off the coast and get them up and working in no time.

Weaponstech (TECH)

Skill for repairing and maintaining weapons of all types. Repair DV and time are based on the item’s Price Category.

• Base 10: You have learned to fix your guns when they break and sharpen your knives when the edges wear out.
• Base 14: You are a skilled Weaponstech who can rebuild most pistols after catastrophic mishaps.
• Base 18: You have learned the ins and outs of weaponry, allowing you to fix up just about anything.

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📈 Skill Proficiency Levels

What different Skill Bases mean in practice:

Skill Base	Proficiency Level
10	Competent amateur, some experience
14	Professional level, makes a living at it
18	Expert level, among the best in the city
22+	World-class, legendary ability

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🎓 Basic Skills

These Skills are essential for every character. In Edgerunner and Complete Package creation, they must be at Level 2 minimum.

• Athletics
• Brawling
• Concentration
• Conversation
• Education
• Evasion
• First Aid
• Human Perception
• Language (Native)
• Local Expert (Your Home)
• Perception
• Persuasion
• Stealth

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💰 Skill Costs (IP)

When spending IP (Improvement Points) to raise Skills:

Level	×1 Skill Cost	×2 Skill Cost
1	20 IP	40 IP
2	40 IP	80 IP
3	60 IP	120 IP
4	80 IP	160 IP
5	100 IP	200 IP
6	120 IP	240 IP
7	140 IP	280 IP
8	160 IP	320 IP
9	180 IP	360 IP
10	200 IP	400 IP

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🔗 Next Steps

• → Combat — Put your skills to the test in combat
• → Character Creation — Building your character and assigning skill points
• Humanity — Cyberware and its impact on your character
• Improvement — Spending IP to level up your skills

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(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pp. 128-165)