🏆 Reputation
“In Night City, your name is currency. Make yours worth something.”
In a city where contracts are sealed with handshakes and bullets, reputation is everything. There are no LinkedIn profiles, no background checks — just word of mouth. A Solo who cleared out a Maelstrom den walks into the Afterlife and gets a booth. A runner who abandoned their team mid-gig can’t buy a drink in Watson. Reputation is your resume, your credit score, and your threat level rolled into one number.
⚡ Quick Reference
Reputation At A Glance
Recognition: When meeting someone new, they roll
1d10. If the result is under your Rep level, they’ve heard of you.Facedown:
COOL + Reputation + 1d10— loser backs down or fights at -2.Negative Rep: If your rep is for cowardice/betrayal, recognition works against you.
📊 Reputation Levels
Your Reputation is a single number (0-10) assigned by the GM when you do something noteworthy. A new deed’s Reputation only replaces the old one if the new level is higher.
Most starting Characters have Reputation 0.
| Level | Who Knows About You |
|---|---|
| 0 | Nobody. You’re a nobody. |
| 1 | Anyone who was there at the time knows |
| 2 | Stories have gotten around to immediate friends |
| 3 | All your co-workers and casual acquaintances know |
| 4 | Stories are all over the local area |
| 5 | Others beyond your local area recognize your name |
| 6 | Others beyond your local area know you on sight |
| 7 | A news story or two has been written about your exploits |
| 8 | Your exploits regularly make the headlines and screamsheets |
| 9 | Your exploits always make the screamsheets and TV |
| 10 | You’re known worldwide |
🎲 Recognition Rolls
When your Character meets new people, their Reputation may influence the encounter.
The new person rolls 1d10. If the result is less than your Reputation Level → they’ve heard of you.
Example: Being Recognized
You have Reputation 5 (known beyond your local area).
A fixer you’ve never met rolls 1d10 → 3. 3 is less than 5 → They’ve heard of you. This could mean a better deal, free drinks, or being treated with respect.
If they’d rolled 7 → They have no idea who you are.
Recognition Modifiers
Recognition isn’t always a good thing:
- Positive Rep (heroic deeds, preem gigs): People are impressed. Social encounters and hiring tend to go better.
- Negative Rep (cowardice, betrayal, backstabbing): People have heard the wrong things. They won’t trust you, won’t hire you, and might try to prove something.
Negative Rep Replaces Positive
If you do something extremely uncool (desert an ally, show cowardice in a fight, betray a client), the GM can award you a Reputation Level for that action. If it’s higher than your current Rep, your defining deed is now the uncool one. People are more likely to have heard about your failures than your successes.
😤 Facedowns
A lot of combat in Night City comes down to a duel of wills — who’s tougher, meaner, and looks more ready to prove it. The GM calls for a Facedown when two people square off before a fight or confrontation.
The Roll
COOL + Reputation + 1d10
Negative Rep Penalty
If your defining Reputation event is for cowardice or betrayal, your Reputation Level is treated as a negative number in Facedowns.
Resolution
| Result | What Happens |
|---|---|
| You win | Opponent must choose: back down or fight at -2 |
| Tie | Both are unsure — nothing happens, tension remains |
| You lose | You must choose: back down or fight at -2 |
The -2 penalty applies to all Actions against this opponent until you have defeated them once.
Facedown Example
A Maelstrom ganger blocks your path in a narrow corridor. Before weapons are drawn, you lock eyes.
You: COOL 8 + Reputation 4 + 1d10 (rolled 6) = 18 Ganger: COOL 5 + Reputation 2 + 1d10 (rolled 8) = 15
You win. The ganger backs down. No shots fired.
Negative Rep Facedown
A solo with Reputation 6 (for deserting their crew during the Tower job) faces down a Valentino enforcer.
Solo: COOL 7 + Rep -6 + 1d10 (rolled 9) = 10 Valentino: COOL 6 + Rep 3 + 1d10 (rolled 5) = 14
The solo loses badly. Their reputation for cowardice precedes them. They can back down or fight at -2.
🤝 How Reputation Affects Play
| Rep Range | Social Effect | Combat Effect | Gig Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Nobody knows, nobody cares | — | Street-level scraps |
| 1-3 | Friends and locals have heard stories | — | Standard contract work |
| 4-6 | Recognized on sight beyond your turf | Facedowns can end fights with mooks | Serious clients, better pay |
| 7+ | Makes the screamsheets regularly | Intimidate groups into surrendering | Corpo-level jobs (and enemies) |
| Negative | Distrust, refusal, higher prices | Facedown penalty (Rep counts as negative) | Fixers won’t touch you |
📈 Earning Reputation
Reputation is awarded by the GM, not purchased with IP. It increases through memorable actions:
| Action | Likely Rep Level |
|---|---|
| Win a notable fight | 1-3 |
| Pull off a high-profile gig | 3-5 |
| Take down a gang leader | 4-6 |
| Survive something “impossible” | 5-7 |
| Make the news | 6-8 |
| Change the balance of power in a district | 8-9 |
| Change Night City forever | 10 |
❓ Quick Answers
Does Reputation affect skill checks?
Not directly. Rep doesn’t add to Persuasion or Intimidation rolls (those use COOL + Skill). But the GM may adjust DV or NPC reactions based on your Rep.
Can Rep go down?
Only if replaced. A negative deed of higher Rep Level replaces your current one. Otherwise, your Rep stays.
Is Facedown voluntary?
No. The GM calls for Facedowns when the narrative calls for it. You can’t demand one.
🔗 Related Topics
- Combat — Facedowns in combat context
- Skills — Social skills (Persuasion, Interrogation, etc.)
- Money — How Rep affects earning potential
- Improvement — Spending IP (Rep is NOT bought with IP)
(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pp. 193-194)