Demolitions (Cyberpunk RED)
Definition
Demolitions is controlled destruction: setting charges that open a wall without dropping the building, calculating a safe distance, disarming something somebody else set, and building a device from materials that were not sold for that purpose. At the table it is a high-consequence skill in both directions. It is the fastest way through a reinforced door and the fastest way to lose the entire crew, and it comes up in defusing as often as in placing. Cyberpunk RED plots frequently involve people who use explosives casually, which means the crew needs somebody who can look at a device and know whether to work on it or run. Failure here is rarely a simple lack of progress.
How it works
Tips
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I fail a Demolitions roll?
Depends what you were doing. A failed placement wastes the charge or misplaces the blast; a failed disarm on a live device usually detonates it. This is one of the few skills where a bad roll is immediately lethal.
Can I make explosives myself?
Improvised devices are part of the skill, and GMs commonly raise the DV and make the result less predictable. Chemistry under Science helps, and so does having somewhere safe to work.
Is Demolitions worth points?
In a heist or corporate-infiltration campaign, yes, because reinforced doors are a recurring obstacle. In a purely social or investigative game it will rarely see use.