Cyberpunk (role-playing game)
The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future | ||
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Designers Mike Pondsmith | | |
Publishers | R. Talsorian Games | |
Publication |
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Genres | Science fiction role-playing game, cyberpunk | |
Systems | Interlock | |
Website | rtalsoriangames.com |
Cyberpunk is a tabletop role-playing game in the dystopian science fiction genre, written by Mike Pondsmith and first published by R. Talsorian Games in 1988. It is typically referred to by its second or fourth edition names, Cyberpunk 2020 and Cyberpunk Red, in order to distinguish it from the cyberpunk genre after which it is named.
Setting
Cyberpunk exists within its own fictional timeline, which splits from the real world in the 1980s. The timeline has been extended with each major edition of the game, from the first edition set in 2013 to Cyberpunk Red set in 2045.[1]
The backstory for Cyberpunk begins with the United States becoming embroiled in a major conflict in Central America in the 1980s. This conflict ends in a military coup and causes a significant economic collapse. As a result, the Soviet Union is itself preserved from collapse, and the European Common Market and Japan emerge as global superpowers. In tandem with economic collapse, other disasters have wreaked havoc across the globe, including food blights and devastating famines, as well as the destruction of entire regions of land as a consequence of war. By the late 1990s, the Middle East has become a radioactive desert in the fallout of nuclear conflict.[2]
With the lack of government and police enforcement due to the Central American wars and subsequent economic collapse, casual violence has become endemic in many parts of the world. At the same time,
The main location for Cyberpunk is the fictional Night City, situated on the West Coast of the United States between Los Angeles and San Francisco. With a population of five million, it presents a stratified society of gang warfare, corporate rivalries, and political machinations in which the players must survive.[3]
System
The rules of Cyberpunk are built on R. Talsorian's Interlock system.
A core
Character creation
As cyberpunks, the players embrace body modification, cybertech and bioengineering. They live by four tenets:
- Style over substance.
- Attitude is everything.
- Always take it to the Edge.
- (Break) the rules.[4]
There are ten key roles, each with their own special abilities. These include charismatic musicians ('rockerboys'), bodyguards and assassins ('solos'), computer hackers ('netrunners'), road warriors ('nomads'), street experts ('fixers'), investigative journalists and reporters ('medias'), mechanics ('techs' or 'techies'), doctors ('medtechs'), corporate executives ('corpos'), and police officers.[5]
A choice of rules are provided for character creation, either by assigning points to purchase skills or by rolling d10s for a more random outcome. A system called Lifepath is provided to develop each character further, by generating goals, motivations, and events from their past. Finally, they gain money, cyberware, weapons and other equipment, including fashion and lifestyle goods.[5][2]
Further character development is skill-based rather than
Combat
The combat system is called Friday Night Firefight (FNFF), and emphasizes lethality. Unlike role-playing systems where characters amass hit points as they progress, allowing them to survive higher amounts of combat damage, the amount of damage a character can sustain in Cyberpunk does not generally increase as the character develops.
Each round, characters are permitted to take one move action and one other action. There are rules governing the use of autofire, armor, and cover, including specific instructions for using people as shields. Alternative ammunition types for weapons are available, for example a shotgun can be fired with buckshot instead of slugs. Character skills can be used to improve both ranged and melee combat.[6]
Additionally, there are rules covering other forms of damage such as drowning and asphyxiation, electrocution, and being set on fire.
Netrunning
There are also rules for cybernetic hacking, called Netrunning. When characters "jack in", they can interpret the NET in several different ways, including as a classic Dungeons & Dragons maze, or perhaps as a star-filled galaxy.
Netrunners engage in the virtual world with interface plugs, cyberdecks, and the Interface special ability. Cyberdecks include slots to contain Programs, selected ahead of time by Netrunners to assist in tasks such as evasion, decryption and detection. Combat and other actions in the NET are fast, taking place second-by-second, as opposed to three second combat rounds in the physical world.[7]
The destruction of the global NET in later editions of Cyberpunk turns the attention of Netrunners to local private networks. The effect on gameplay is that Netrunning is no longer a remote activity; Netrunners are embedded within their team and, with equipment such as virtuality goggles, can alternate their actions between both physical and virtual space. Closer integration with other activities was a game design choice to ensure all characters have a part to play during a hacking scene.[8]
Empathy and cyberpsychosis
The acquisition of cyberware—cyberweapons, cyberoptics and other implants—carries a Humanity Cost. Every ten points of Humanity Cost causes the loss of an Empathy point, the character attribute that measures how well they relate to other people. An Empathy level of zero represents a complete loss of humanity, a state known as cyberpsychosis; in the case of players, their character becomes a non-player character controlled by the gamemaster.[4]
History
Cyberpunk was designed by Mike Pondsmith as an attempt to replicate the gritty realism of 1980s cyberpunk science fiction. In particular, Walter Jon Williams' novel Hardwired was an inspiration, and Williams helped playtest the game. Another key influence was the film Blade Runner. Many also assume William Gibson's Neuromancer was an influence; however, Pondsmith did not read the novel until a later date.[9] Other sources included the film Streets of Fire and the anime Bubblegum Crisis.
First edition
The original version of Cyberpunk was published in 1988 by R. Talsorian Games. The game components of the boxed set consist of a 44-page Handbook, a 38-page Sourcebook, a 20-page Combat Book, four pages of game aids and two ten-sided dice.[2]
A number of rules supplements were subsequently published in 1989:
- Rockerboy (sourcebook for the Rockerboy character class)
- Solo of Fortune (sourcebook for the Solo character class)
- Hardwired (based on the Walter Jon Williams novel)
- Near Orbit: Space Supplement (with rules for space travel)
This edition of the game retrospectively became known as Cyberpunk 2013.
Second edition: Cyberpunk 2020
In 1990, R. Talsorian Games released the second edition of the game, titled Cyberpunk 2020, which featured updated rules for combat, Netrunning, and character generation. The game's timeline was also
R. Talsorian Games released two revised versions: Cyberpunk 2020 version 2.00 (1992), and Cyberpunk 2020 version 2.01 (1993).
A total of 28 rules supplements and sourcebooks, and 6 adventures were also published by R. Talsorian Games between 1993 and 1996. In addition, Atlas Games published twelve adventures under license between 1991 and 1994.[11]
Dream Pod 9 released Night's Edge in 1992, taking the Cyberpunk 2020 setting and adding a horror theme, including vampires and werewolves. Dream Pod 9 published ten other supplements and adventures in this setting between 1992 and 1995.
An
Two Cyberpunk 2020 novels were published, in 1995 and 1996.[12]
Third edition: Cyberpunk V3.0
Cyberpunk V3.0 is set in the 2030s, and was published in 2005. It takes Cyberpunk into a
The third edition uses the
From 2007 to 2008, two sourcebooks were published to accompany this edition.
Fourth edition: Cyberpunk Red
The fourth edition of Cyberpunk, titled Cyberpunk Red, is set in 2045, following the events of Cyberpunk 2020 and serving as a prequel to the video game Cyberpunk 2077.[16][1] The game is set after a fourth Corporate War; however, the events differ from Cyberpunk V3.0, which is considered to be a separate timeline.[17]
The Cyberpunk Red core rulebook was released in November 2020.[18] It was preceded by the release of a simplified boxed set, known as the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit, at Gen Con in August 2019. The core rulebook was delayed from a planned release alongside the Jumpstart Kit, initially to allow Cyberpunk Red game lore to be better aligned with Cyberpunk 2077, and later due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]
R. Talsorian began developing a new Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit based on the successful
Other media
Anime
Collectible card games
Two different, independent
Miniature game
Cyberpunk Red: Combat Zone is a
Video games
- In 2007, Mayhem Studio released the 2D platformer Cyberpunk: The Arasaka's Plot for the
- In 2020, CD Projekt RED, the developer of The Witcher series, released the open world action role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077.[30]
Novels
In October 2022,
Comics
- ISBN 978-15-0671-601-5.
- Cyberpunk 2077: Where's Johnny. Dark Horse Comics. 2021. ISBN 978-15-0672-625-0.
- Cyberpunk 2077: Your Voice. Dark Horse Comics. 2021. ISBN 978-15-0672-623-6.
- Cyberpunk 2077: You Have My Word. Dark Horse Comics. 2021–2022. ISBN 978-15-0672-566-6.
- Cyberpunk 2077: Big City Dreams. Dark Horse Comics. 2022. ISBN 978-15-0672-686-1.
- Cyberpunk 2077: Blackout. Dark Horse Comics. 2022. ISBN 978-15-0672-627-4.
- Cyberpunk 2077: XOXO. Dark Horse Comics. 2023.
- Cyberpunk 2077: Ten of Swords. Dark Horse Comics. 2023.
Reception
In Issue 37 of Challenge, Julia Martin commented, "the game has style. While it is a game with some ragged edges, Cyberpunk recreates the atmosphere of the literature and movies from which it draws admirably." Martin had issues with the combat system, especially the organization of the rules, some ambiguous rules, and the lack of super-advanced weaponry. She also grumbled about typos, noting, "Quite frankly, I don't think I've seen this many apparently careless, minor errors since Judges Guild went defunct some years ago." She also found the netrunning system far too general. Despite all these problems, she confessed, "I really like this game. It has lots of problems, [...] but it has a great many redeeming points also. [...] The characters and the world view are the heart of Cyberpunk, and they are the best of it." She concluded, "It is a marvelous creature which can be molded into a tremendous campaign by a referee with experience. It is definitely worth the money (and you might even like the combat system). Go check it out."[32]
Stewart Wieck reviewed Cyberpunk for White Wolf #14, rating it 3 overall, and stated that "Cyberpunk is a fine game set in an environment which is very conducive to role-playing."[33]
In the May 1989 edition of
In the September 1989 edition of Dragon (Issue 149), Jim Bambra liked the production values of the original edition, but found many typos in the various books as well as a missing encounter table. Bambra found the setting "does a superb job of capturing the flavor and atmosphere of a disturbingly plausible and realistic future. The development and presentation of the Net is stunning and can be used as a basis for countless numbers of adventures. No other game has succeeded in portraying computer hacking in such a vibrant and absorbing way." He concluded that this was not for everyone: "Gamers brought up on heroic-fantasy or shiny science-fiction games may find the gritty realism of the Cyberpunk game not to their liking... To decide if this is the game for you, read a few of the Cyberpunk style novels. If you like them, don’t waste any time — rush out and buy the Cyberpunk game. Welcome to life on the edge."[2]
In his 1990 book The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games, game critic Rick Swan commented that this game "remains the purist's choice, the RPG most successfully capturing the genre's grim atmosphere." He found that "Combat is chart-heavy but playable, and extremely dangerous for player characters; one well-placed shot is all that it takes to wipe out a careless Nomad." Swan concluded by giving the game a rating of 3 out of 4, saying, "Cyberpunk's gritty realism may not be everyone's idea of a good time; characters tends to lead short, intense lives, flashy heroics are in short supply, and cynicism abounds. A terrific game for pessimists."[35]
In the September 1992 edition of Dragon (Issue 185), Allen Varney found Cyberpunk 2020 just as stylish as its first-edition predecessor, but he found even more typos in this edition than in the first edition. Varney liked the new streamlined combat system, but criticized the duality of modern combat, where "unarmored characters become pools of blood in 10 seconds of combat, but those in flak armor can shrug off submachine-gun fire." Varney also felt that the Netrunning system was much improved, calling the rules system "elegant and original." Varney thought the second edition's biggest flaw was lack of an index, but he also criticized the dichotomy of a system where "you can break into Eurobank and embezzle five million bucks, but you better pay your phone bill on time or you’re in big trouble." He accused the game of being "in the curious position of advocating rebellion, but only in socially acceptable ways." Nonetheless, Varney concluded that "The Cyberpunk game’s second edition surpasses its first edition on every count. With its smooth action, 'pure' cyberpunk atmosphere, easily accessible setting, and medium-low complexity, this game tops my list as the field's best route to dark near-future adventure."[36]
In a 1996 reader poll undertaken by Arcane magazine to determine the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time, Cyberpunk was ranked 10th. Editor Paul Pettengale commented: "Cyberpunk was the first of the 'straight' cyberpunk RPGs, and is still the best. The difference between cyberpunk and other sci-fi is a matter of style and attitude. Everything about the Cyberpunk game, from the background to the rules system, is designed to create this vital atmosphere. Cyberpunk is set in an unforgiving world where betrayal and double-crosses are common, trust is hard to find and paranoia is a useful survival trait."[37]
In November 2020,
See also
References
- ^ a b Hall, Charlie (August 7, 2019). "Cyberpunk Red review: This pen-and-paper game is the key to understanding Cyberpunk 2077". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
The year is 2045, and CD Projekt's next game doesn't kick off for another 32 years. It's an awful lot of space to fill, and I'm looking forward to getting on with it.
- ^ TSR, Inc.: 85–86.
- ^ Peter (May 18, 2012). "A Thorough and Objective Review [Night City]". RPGGeek. RPGGeek. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c Gibson, Than (March 28, 2018). "Welcome to the first article of Retro RPG Reviews!". Meeple Mountain. Meeple Mountain. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Elsam, Sara (March 5, 2020). "Here's an exclusive first look at character creation, abilities, Lifepaths and the new Medtech role in the Cyberpunk Red tabletop RPG". Dicebreaker. Dicebreaker. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ Kanouse, Patrick (December 14, 2020). "Cyberpunk Red: Style and Substance". Black Gate. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Lafayette, Lev (December 31, 2010). "Review of Cyberpunk 2020". RPGnet. RPGnet. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ Girdwood, Andrew (July 23, 2019). "So, you wanna be a cyberpunk? A review of the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit". Geek Native. Geek Native. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ Allison, Peter Ray (February 26, 2020). "'Making Cyberpunk Red almost killed us': Mike Pondsmith on the return of the tabletop RPG, catching up with 2020's future and Cyberpunk 2077". Dicebreaker. Dicebreaker. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
Although many assume William Gibson's Neuromancer was a source of inspiration for Cyberpunk, it was only much later that Pondsmith read Gibson's groundbreaking novel. Instead, the designer cites his own key reference points for the game as the film Blade Runner and the novel Hardwired by Walter John Williams, who also helped playtest the RPG.
- ^ Wayne’s Books (June 16, 2019). "Cyberpunk 2020 box set (1990)". Wayne’s Books. Wayne’s Books. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ Deric Bernier (July 22, 2016). "The Master Books List for Cyberpunk 2020 and All Things Related". Datafortress 2020. Datafortress 2020. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
- ^ "Stephen Billias's Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0. books in order". Fantastic Fiction. Fantastic Fiction. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ Cowen, Richard (February 1, 2010). "Review of Cyberpunk v3". RPGnet. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
See, Cyberpunk v3.0 isn't actually a cyberpunk setting, in the same sense that the previous editions where. It's more or less a post-human setting these days. And that's where the setting falls apart. You see, v3.0 can't decide what it wants to be, and exemplifies its inability to decide by splitting society into six 'alt-cults', each latching onto a particular ideology...
- ^ "A Thorough and Objective Review [Cyberpunk v3.0] | Cyberpunk V3.0". BoardGameGeek. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
Most of the images are pictures of 80s and 90s toy action figurines with modifications trying to make them look futuristic.
- ^ Peter (June 16, 2011). "A Thorough and Objective Review [Cyberpunk v3.0]". BoardGameGeek. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
On a personal level, Cyberpunk v3.0 was a let down on every level. The art, rules, setting, even the system wasn't used to its full potential in my opinion...
- ^ Hall, Charlie (June 24, 2019). "Cyberpunk 2077 prequel, a tabletop RPG starter kit, will be out this August". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- ^ Garrett, Eric (May 12, 2019). "Cyberpunk 2077 Shares Same Timeline With the Tabletop Game, Says Mike Pondsmith". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
... Pondsmith himself cleared the air surrounding the subject, noting how there has been an interview going around the Internet that is not correct. "There's still an incorrect interview floating around the interwebs that states that Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk 2020 are separate timelines," he said. "To clear this up, I am posting RIGHT HERE AND NOW that the timeline is unified, with the path moving from Cyberpunk 2013 thru Cyberpunk 2020, then through Cyberpunk RED and up to Cyberpunk 2077."
- ^ "Cyberpunk Red RPG has a release date and price, launching alongside Cyberpunk 2077". Dicebreaker. October 12, 2020. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
- ^ Purslow, Matt (May 19, 2020). "Cyberpunk Red Tabletop Game Delayed". IGN. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
- ^ Dempsey, Liam (November 7, 2022). "R. Talsorian Games Announces Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Tabletop RPG Kit". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ Macgregor, Jody (November 10, 2022). "The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime was so popular it's invading the tabletop RPG next". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Wes Fenlon (September 23, 2022). "The Cyberpunk Netflix show is taking over the 2077 mod scene". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Jody Macgregor (November 10, 2022). "The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime was so popular it's invading the tabletop RPG next". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Hall, Charlie (November 7, 2022). "Cyberpunk 2077's Edgerunners setting coming to Cyberpunk tabletop game". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ "Netflix's Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Anime Finally Has A Teaser Trailer And Clip". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Skrebels, Joe (June 25, 2020). "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, a Cyberpunk 2077 Anime Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Meitzler, Ryan (December 15, 2020). "Cyberpunk Red Miniatures Game is Coming from R. Talsorian Games in 2021". DualShockers. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- ^ Poole, Craig (May 4, 2007). "CyberPunk Arasaka's Plot". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media Ltd. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ "Cyberpunk: The Arasaka's Plot for J2ME (2007)". MobyGames. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
- ^ Keane, Sean (October 27, 2020). "Cyberpunk 2077 delayed to Dec. 10". cnet. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ @CyberpunkGame (October 12, 2022). "The new novel, "Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence", is coming to bookstores in August 2023" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Martin, Julia (1989). "Reviews". Challenge. No. 37. pp. 76–77. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- White Wolf Magazine. No. 14. p. 58.
- Games International. No. 5. pp. 44–46.
- ^ Swan, Rick (1990). The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games. New York: St. Martin’s Press. pp. 56–57.
- TSR, Inc.: 83–84.
- ^ Pettengale, Paul (Christmas 1996). "Arcane Presents the Top 50 Roleplaying Games 1996". Arcane (14). Future Publishing: 25–35.
- ^ Wieland, Rob (November 13, 2020). "Cyberpunk Red Looks Back To The Dark Future". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
Sources
- Michael Pondsmith (1993). Cyberpunk: The Roleplaying Game of the Dark Future. Talsorian Games, Incorporated. ISBN 0-937279-13-7.
- Will Moss; Mike Pondsmith; Lisa Pondsmith. Cyberpunk v3.0. R. Talsorian. ISBN 1-891933-03-5.
External links
- Cyberpunk 2020 at R. Talsorian Games
- Cyberpunk 2020 review at RPG.net
- Cyberpunk RED review at RPG.net
- Darryn King (November 14, 2020). "The Role-Playing Game That Predicted the Future". The Atlantic.