🌃 Street Life
“Night City’s not a place you live in. It’s a place that lives on you.” — Rogue Amendiares
Between the gigs and the gunfights, there’s the city itself — corrosive rain eating your jacket, smog that’ll burn your lungs, gang turf that determines who talks to you, and substances that keep you running (until they don’t). This section covers the world around you and the social systems that shape your Edgerunner’s life.
⚡ Quick Reference
Street Life At A Glance
Topic What It Covers Key Mechanic Weather and Environment Acid rain, ash storms, radiation, cold snaps Saves, armor degradation, shelter rules Reputation Street cred levels, Facedowns, recognition REP score 0-10, Facedown = COOL + Rep + 1d10 Drugs & Addiction Street drugs, effects, addiction saves DV 17 resist or become addicted Salvaging Scrounge gear from ruins, salvage tables Basic Tech check + 1 week downtime
🌦️ Weather & Environment
Night City’s climate is broken. The 4th Corporate War poisoned the atmosphere, and “strange weather” — acid rain, blood rain, radioactive windstorms — is a regular hazard. Step outside without protection and you’ll lose SP, take damage, or worse.
Gear Matters
Acid rain eats 1 SP/hour from exposed armor. A simple Disposable Raincoat (5eb) or Acid-Proof Poncho (20eb) saves your gear. Invest or pay the repair bills later.
⭐ Reputation
Your Reputation (Rep) score determines how Night City sees you. It’s earned through gigs, public actions, and word of mouth — not bought.
| Rep | Level | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 | Nobody | Invisible. No one knows your face or name |
| 2-4 | Local | Known in your neighborhood. Fixers might call |
| 5-7 | City-wide | Recognized across Night City. Enemies take notice |
| 8-9 | Legendary | People whisper your name. Corps want you dead or hired |
| 10 | Icon | You’re a myth. Night City will never forget you |
Higher Rep means better Fixers, exclusive Night Markets, and enemies who think twice — but it also means you get recognized, and not always by people you want to meet.
💊 Drugs & Addiction
From Boost for combat stims to Black Lace for pain suppression, street drugs offer short-term power at long-term cost. Every dose after the first in a 24-hour period triggers a DV 17 Resist Torture/Drugs check — fail and you’re addicted, with withdrawal penalties that stack until you get clean (or die trying).
♻️ Salvaging
Night City is built on ruins. The Hot Zone, Combat Zones, scrapyards, and Badlands ghost towns are full of broken tech waiting to be salvaged. Spend a week digging through wreckage, make a Basic Tech check, and walk away with damaged gear ready for repair and resale — or get attacked by whatever’s living in the ruins.
🔗 Related Topics
- Damage and Wounds — Environmental hazards (fire, falling, drowning, exposure, radiation)
- Healing — Recovery between gigs
- Humanity — Mental health and cyberpsychosis
- Progression — Money, improvement, and downtime activities
- Combat — When the street turns hostile
- Night City — Districts, factions, and lore