Character Generator
for Cyberpunk RED
Role, rolls, skills, Lifepath — and a finished sheet by the corebook's rules.
Character Wizard
Step 1. Who is your character
Ten Roles. Choose by the description — the mechanics can be looked up later in Role Abilities (CRB 144–166).
Playing for the first time? Take one marked “Easy for a beginner”: its ability works right away and needs nothing but the chapter on Roles. “+ a separate chapter” means the Role is no weaker, but before the first game you will have to read one more chapter of rules. This is the generator's advice, not a rule of the book — any Role can be played.
Step 2. STATs
Roll 1d10 on your Role's table — the row is taken whole. The tables are built to give a character fit for the Role; the rules do not let you change the numbers. CRB 73
The same Role table, but 1d10 for each STAT separately: the value is taken from the column of the STAT you rolled for, not from one row. The rolls go left to right, as in the book. CRB 77
The GM hands out a pool of points for all ten STATs at once — 62 by default (“Standard”); the book advises GMs to stay at this rank, but allows others. Each STAT is from 2 to 8. CRB 78
A sensible starting point is about 6 per STAT and a couple of spare points — fine-tuning these numbers is the whole point of the method.
Show the whole Role table
Step 3. Skills
A Streetrat gets the whole set for their Role: 13 Basic Skills that every person has, plus 7 professional ones. The only thing to fill in is the “pick 1” fields. CRB 86
Complete Package buys from all 66 skills, not just the Role's set: 86 points, no skill above 6, and the thirteen Basic ones must be at least 2. Skills marked ×2 cost two points per level. The culture's language is given on top of this for free. CRB 90
The Edgerunner's skill list is the same as the Streetrat's — you choose the levels. There are four rules: 86 points across all twenty skills, none below 2 or above 6, skills marked ×2 cost two points per level, and the culture's language is given on top of this for free. CRB 88
The starting spread is the Streetrat's set: it costs exactly 86 points, so it is a ready legal spread you can move points around in to where you need them. The book advises a different start — 4 in every skill (86 ÷ 20 ≈ 4) — and it is one button away.
Step 4. Lifepath
Where the character is from, what they are like, who their family, friend and enemy are and what they want. Seventeen rolls on thirteen tables — for three tables the book says to roll once per column, not once per row. CRB 45
Below the common path comes the Role's own path: what the character does in the trade, who they work for and who holds a grudge against them. Every Role has its own, and seven of the ten have a fork — a choice, not a roll, behind which some of the steps simply do not exist. CRB 53
The book allows both: “roll 1d10 or choose”. A result that does not fit the character can be replaced — the book allows it CRB 44. Empty rows break nothing: filling in everything is optional. For the GM, Enemy, Friend and Goal matter more than the rest — scenes grow from them; the rest is character and colour. What the enemy does when you meet again is the “Sweet Revenge” table in the chapter Lifepath (CRB 51).
Gear
Complete Package does not take its gear from a ready table — it buys it. Two separate budgets, and neither spills into the other: 2,550eb for weapons, armor, gear and cyberware, and another 800eb for Style only. The full list of what costs what is in Night Markets (CRB 334) and Cyberware (CRB 111), and here you can find items by name — the price fills itself in. CRB 104 CRB 105
An implant from the book also gets its Humanity Loss (HL) filled in, and it goes into the Humanity count on the Sheet. If you enter an implant by hand, tick Cyberware on the row and give its HL. CRB 117
The budgets below can be changed — the book gives exactly these numbers, but the GM has the last word.
At the GM's discretion — and only if everyone at the table agrees — you can sell out to one of the employers for an extra 1,500eb, which can be spent on cyberware only, plus a free Neural Link thrown in (enter it by hand: Cyberware, price 0, HL 5 — CRB 112). In return your employer gets a way to keep you on a hook.
Gear
Style
Whatever is not spent here burns — unlike Gear, it does not become starting cash.
On top of the starting kit a Streetrat gets 500eb, which you can spend on something else right now or keep for later — your call. The full list of what costs what is in Night Markets (CRB 334) and Cyberware (CRB 111). CRB 98
On top of the starting kit an Edgerunner gets 500eb, which you can spend on something else right now or keep for later — your call. The full list of what costs what is in Night Markets (CRB 334) and Cyberware (CRB 111). CRB 98
Team Member
At rank 3 of Teamwork the corporation assigns the Exec a first Team Member. You choose what he does; who exactly HR sends is decided by a roll. CRB 154
This is a separate character, and it is run by the GM, not you: how willingly depends on Loyalty. His skills cannot be raised, and the only armor he wears is a Light Armorjack. For the details, the Loyalty tables and what happens when it goes negative, see Role Abilities (CRB 153).
Character sheet
What to read next
The sheet is ready — now you only need four things, and all of them are in the corebook:
| At the table | Where to look |
|---|---|
| How anything gets done | Checks and Skills (CRB 125–143) — STAT + Skill + 1d10 against a Difficulty. |
| The shooting started | Friday Night Firefight (CRB 167–194) — initiative, cover, wounds. |
| You got hit | Trauma Team (CRB 219–232) — stabilisation, healing, death. |
| What your Role can do | Role Abilities (CRB 144–166) — your ability at rank 4. |
The generator walks you through all three methods — #1 “Streetrat”, #2 “Edgerunner” and #3 “Complete Package”; the switch is above the tabs. The details of each are in the chapter Fitted for the Future (CRB 73). #3 is more flexible than both, but the book expressly does not recommend it for a first character.