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Handgun (Cyberpunk RED)

Skills

Definition

Handgun covers pistols, revolvers, and anything else you can fire with one hand. It is the most commonly taken combat skill in Night City for a plain reason: a pistol fits under a jacket, gets you through most doors, and does not announce your intentions before you have made them. At the table Handgun is the skill that answers the ambush. Fights in Cyberpunk RED start at conversational distance far more often than at rifle range, and the crew member who can put rounds on a target inside a bar, a stairwell, or a parking structure is usually the one who decides how the scene ends. It is also the skill you keep when a job requires you to look unarmed.

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How it works

**Linked Stat**: REF **Category**: Ranged **Resolution**: 1d10 plus REF plus skill level against a DV set by the weapon's range band, not against a roll the target makes. A natural 10 lets you roll again and add, a natural 1 makes you roll again and subtract, which is why a low-skill shooter is genuinely dangerous to themselves. **Range and aimed shots**: Every weapon has range bands with their own DVs, so distance changes the number you need without changing your skill. Called shots at a specific body part or piece of cyberware raise the difficulty sharply.

Tips

**Best for**: Almost everyone. Solos build it high, but Fixers, Medias, and Techs all want enough to survive the first exchange. **Character concepts**: A bodyguard who never draws first, a Lawman with a service pistol, a Fixer with a holdout under the bar, a Nomad who prefers something that fits in a door pocket. **Synergies**: Evasion is the other half of any gunfight. Conceal/Reveal Object gets the weapon into the room, Wardrobe and Style hides the print, and Weapons Tech keeps it from jamming when you need it.

Frequently asked questions

Handgun or Shoulder Arms?

Handgun for anywhere you have to walk in looking normal, Shoulder Arms for reach and stopping power when you can plan the approach. Many characters buy both and pick per job rather than committing to one.

How high should Handgun go?

Skills cap at 6 during character creation and 10 afterwards. A dedicated shooter wants 6 at creation; a support character is usually fine around 3 to 4, which is enough to hit an Easy or Medium DV reliably.

Does cyberware improve my shooting?

Smartgun links and reflex-boosting chrome help, but every implant costs Humanity, which starts at EMP times 10. The tradeoff is the point: better shooting, less of the person doing the shooting.

Further Reading

Shoulder Arms SkillSolo RoleAll Cyberpunk RED Skills
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