Cyberpunk RPG
Compendium
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Lifepath
In the Cyberpunk RED Easy Mode - Free Basic Rules, just the basic rules and lore to get started have been included. For the full Dark Future lore and all the advanced rules, check out the Cyberpunk RED Core Book!
It's like climbing out of a clone vat. (If cloning worked that way, that is.) You got this half-formed person standing there, dripping with slime. Maybe you've got a vague idea of where you're going with the Character, but nothing else. So, how do you take this Blank and make them really Cyberpunk? You start with the Lifepath. Lifepath is a flowchart of "plot complications" designed to help you give your Cyberpunk Character an authentically Dark Future background.
For each table, you'll be rolling either 1d10 or 1d6 to determine a piece of your Characters history, their style, or their outlook on the world. In some cases you'll be called on to make multiple rolls on the same table. If at any point you roll something you don't think fits with your Character you can feel free to choose an option instead.
▶ Cultural Origins ◀
The Cyberpunk world is multicultural and multinational. You either learn to deal with all kinds of people from all over a fractured and chaotic world, or you die the first time you look side-eye at the wrong person.
Roll 1d10 or choose one.
| Roll | Your (General) Cultural Region |
|---|---|
| 1 | North American |
| 2 | South/Central American |
| 3 | Western European |
| 4 | Eastern European |
| 5 | Middle Eastern/North African |
| 6 | Sub-Saharan African |
| 7 | South Asian |
| 8 | South East Asian |
| 9 | East Asian |
| 10 | Oceania/Pacific Islander |
▶ Your Personality ◀
This is what you're like as a person. Are you the kind of Character that stands away from the pack, aloof and calculating? A party animal who loves to get messed up? The stable and competent professional who always has a plan?
Roll 1d10 or choose one.
| Roll | What Are You Like? |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shy and secretive |
| 2 | Rebellious, antisocial, and violent |
| 3 | Arrogant, proud, and aloof |
| 4 | Moody, rash, and headstrong |
| 5 | Picky, fussy, and nervous |
| 6 | Stable and serious |
| 7 | Silly and fluff-headed |
| 8 | Sneaky and deceptive |
| 9 | Intellectual and detached |
| 10 | Friendly and outgoing |
▶ Dress and Personal Style ◀
In Cyberpunk, what you look like is (to The Street) a snapshot of who you are. Your clothes, hairstyles and even personal touches can determine how people will relate to you, for good or for bad.
Roll 1d10 or choose one for each column.
| Roll | Clothing Style | Hairstyle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Generic Chic (Standard, Colorful, Modular) | Mohawk |
| 2 | Leisurewear (Comfort, Agility, Athleticism) | Long and ratty |
| 3 | Urban Flash (Flashy, Technological, Streetwear) | Short and spiked |
| 4 | Businesswear (Leadership, Presence, Authority) | Wild and all over |
| 5 | High Fashion (Exclusive, Designer, Couture) | Bald |
| 6 | Bohemian (Folksy, Retro, Free-spirited) | Striped |
| 7 | Bag Lady Chic (Homeless, Ragged, Vagrant) | Wild colors |
| 8 | Gang Colors (Dangerous, Violent, Rebellious) | Neat and short |
| 9 | Nomad Leathers (Western, Rugged, Tribal) | Short and curly |
| 10 | Asia Pop (Bright, Costume-like, Youthful) | Long and straight |
▶ Your Motivations and Relationships ◀
In Cyberpunk, different motivations and perspectives clash on the streets of Night City. Where do you land?
Roll 1d10 or choose one for each column.
| Roll | What Do You Value Most? | How Do You Feel About Most People? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Money | I stay neutral. |
| 2 | Honor | I stay neutral. |
| 3 | Your word | I like almost everyone. |
| 4 | Honesty | I hate almost everyone. |
| 5 | Knowledge | People are tools. Use them for your own goals then discard them. |
| 6 | Vengeance | Every person is a valuable individual. |
| 7 | Love | People are obstacles to be destroyed if they cross me. |
| 8 | Power | People are untrustworthy. Don't depend on anyone. |
| 9 | Family | Wipe ‘em all out and let the cockroaches take over. |
| 10 | Friendship | People are wonderful! |
▶ Your Original Family Background ◀
Who are you and where did you originally come from? Were you born with a silver spoon in your mouth or a dead rat?
Roll 1d10 or choose one.
| Roll | Original Background | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corporate Execs | Wealthy, powerful, with servants, luxury homes, and the best of everything. Private security made sure you were always safe. You definitely went to a big-name private school. |
| 2 | Corporate Managers | Well to do, with large homes, safe neighborhoods, nice cars, etc. Sometimes your parent(s) would hire servants, although this was rare. You had a mix of private and corporate education. |
| 3 | Corporate Technicians | Middle-middle class, with comfortable conapts or Beaverville suburban homes, minivans and corporate-run technical schools. Kind of like living 1950s America crossed with 1984. |
| 4 | Nomad Pack | You had a mix of rugged trailers, vehicles, and huge road kombis for your home. You learned to drive and fight at an early age, but the family was always there to care for you. Food was actually fresh and abundant. Mostly home schooled. |
| 5 | Ganger "Family" | A savage, violent home in any place the gang could take over. You were usually hungry, cold, and scared. You probably didn't know who your actual parents were. Education? The Gang taught you how to fight, kill, and steal—what else did you need to know? |
| 6 | Combat Zoners | A step up from a gang "family," your home was a decaying building somewhere in the ‘Zone', heavily fortified. You were hungry at times, but regularly could score a bed and a meal. Home schooled. |
| 7 | Urban Homeless | You lived in cars, dumpsters, or abandoned shipping modules. If you were lucky. You were usually hungry, cold, and scared, unless you were tough enough to fight for the scraps. Education? School of Hard Knocks. |
| 8 | Megastructure Warren Rats | You grew up in one of the huge new megastructures that went up after the War. A tiny conapt, kibble and scop for food, a mostly warm bed. Some better educated adult warren dwellers or a local Corporation may have set up a school. |
| 9 | Reclaimers | You started out on the road, but then moved into one of the deserted ghost towns or cities to rebuild it. A pioneer life: dangerous, but with plenty of simple food and a safe place to sleep. You were home schooled if there was anyone who had the time. |
| 10 | Edgerunners | Your home was always changing based on your parents' current "job." Could be a luxury apartment, an urban conapt, or a dumpster if you were on the run. Food and shelter ran the gamut from gourmet to kibble. |
▶Your Environment ◀
How did you grow up? Your childhood environment could turn out drastically different from your original family background.
Roll 1d10 or choose one.
| Roll | Childhood Environment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ran on The Street, with no adult supervision. |
| 2 | Spent in a safe Corp Zone walled off from the rest of the City. |
| 3 | In a Nomad pack moving from place to place. |
| 4 | In a Nomad pack with roots in transport (ships, planes, caravans). |
| 5 | In a decaying, once upscale neighborhood, now holding off the boosters to survive. |
| 6 | In the heart of the Combat Zone, living in a wrecked building or other squat. |
| 7 | In a huge "megastructure" building controlled by a Corp or the City. |
| 8 | In the ruins of a deserted town or city taken over by Reclaimers. |
| 9 | In a Drift Nation (a floating offshore city) that is a meeting place for all kinds of people. |
| 10 | In a Corporate luxury "starscraper," high above the rest of the teeming rabble. |
▶ Your Family Crisis ◀
In the Time of the Red, the world is still recovering from a world war and other disasters. Chances are, something happened to you and your family along the way. What's the story there?
Roll 1d10 or choose one.
| Roll | Background |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your family lost everything through betrayal. |
| 2 | Your family lost everything through bad management. |
| 3 | Your family was exiled or otherwise driven from their original home/nation/Corporation. |
| 4 | Your family is imprisoned, and you alone escaped. |
| 5 | Your family vanished. You are the only remaining member. |
| 6 | Your family was killed, and you were the only survivor. |
| 7 | Your family is involved in a long-term conspiracy, organization, or association, such as a crime family or revolutionary group. |
| 8 | Your family was scattered to the winds due to misfortune. |
| 9 | Your family is cursed with a hereditary feud that has lasted for generations. |
| 10 | You are the inheritor of a family debt; you must honor this debt before moving on with your life. |
▶ Your Friends ◀
It's not all grim. Sometimes you link up with people who have your back.
Roll 1d10 and subtract 7 (minimum 0) to see just how many friends you've made so far in your life. For each friend, roll on the table below.
| Roll | Friend's Relationship to You |
|---|---|
| 1 | Like an older sibling to you. |
| 2 | Like a younger sibling to you. |
| 3 | A teacher or mentor. |
| 4 | A partner or coworker. |
| 5 | A former lover. |
| 6 | An old enemy. |
| 7 | Like a parent to you. |
| 8 | An old childhood friend. |
| 9 | Someone you know from The Street. |
| 10 | Someone with a common interest or goal. |
▶ Your Enemies ◀
Enemies are a big part of life in the Cyberpunk world. You're going in get in someone's face sooner or later, so you might as well find out who they are, why there's a beef, and what they can do to you to even a score.
First, roll 1d10 and subtract 7 (minimum 0) to determine how many enemies you've made. Then, for each enemy, roll on each column to see who they are, what caused the problem, and find out what's gonna happen if you meet?
| Roll | Who? | What Caused It? | What's Gonna Happen? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ex-friend | Caused the other to lose face or status. | Avoid the scum. |
| 2 | Ex-lover | Caused the loss of lover, friend, or relative. | Avoid the scum. |
| 3 | Estranged relative | Caused a major public humiliation. | Go into a murderous rage and try to physically rip their face off. |
| 4 | Childhood enemy | Accused the other of cowardice or some other major personal flaw. | Go into a murderous rage and try to physically rip their face off. |
| 5 | Person working for you | Deserted or betrayed the other. | Backstab them indirectly. |
| 6 | Person you work for | Turned down the other's offer of a job or romantic involvement. | Backstab them indirectly. |
| 7 | Partner or coworker | You just don't like each other. | Verbally attack them. |
| 8 | Corporate exec | One of you was a romantic rival. | Verbally attack them. |
| 9 | Government official | One of you was a business rival. | Set them up for a crime or other transgression they didn't commit. |
| 10 | Boosterganger | One of you set the other up for a crime they didn't commit. | Set out to murder or maim them. |
▶Your Tragic Love Affair(s) ◀
We don't care about the ones that worked, we want to know about the ugly ones that ripped out your heart.
Roll 1d10 and subtract 7 (minimum 0) to see how many tragic love affairs you've had, then use the table below to see how each ended.
| Roll | What Happened? |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your lover died in an accident. |
| 2 | Your lover mysteriously vanished. |
| 3 | It just didn't work out. |
| 4 | A personal goal or vendetta came between you and your lover. |
| 5 | Your lover was kidnapped. |
| 6 | Your lover went insane or cyberpsycho. |
| 7 | Your lover committed suicide. |
| 8 | Your lover was killed in a fight. |
| 9 | A rival cut you out of the action. |
| 10 | Your lover is imprisoned or exiled. |
▶ Your Life Goals ◀
You know your history, your personal style, and your turbulent love life. It's time to wrap all this up by determining what you want out of life.
Roll 1d10 or choose one.
| Roll | Life Goals |
|---|---|
| 1 | Get rid of a bad reputation. |
| 2 | Gain power and control. |
| 3 | Get off The Street no matter what it takes. |
| 4 | Cause pain and suffering to anyone who crosses you. |
| 5 | Live down your past life and try to forget it. |
| 6 | Hunt down those responsible for your miserable life and make them pay. |
| 7 | Get what's rightfully yours. |
| 8 | Save, if possible, anyone else involved in your background, like a lover, or family member. |
| 9 | Gain fame and recognition. |
| 10 | Become feared and respected. |