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Local expert (Cyberpunk RED)

Skills

Definition

Local Expert is deep knowledge of a single area. Not the city in general, one district: which building has a working roof access, who controls the block, which streets flood, where you can leave a car and expect to find it. You buy it per area, and your home turf is normally where it starts. At the table it is the difference between navigating a neighborhood and belonging to it. A crew planning a job in your area gets shortcuts, safe houses, and warnings for free that would otherwise cost days of legwork. It is also a strong character-building skill: choosing where your Local Expert lies says more about who your character is than most of the rest of the sheet.

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How it works

**Linked Stat**: INT **Category**: Education **Resolution**: 1d10 plus INT plus skill level against a DV based on how specific the question is. A natural 10 lets you roll again and add, and a natural 1 makes you roll again and subtract. **One area at a time**: Each area is a separate purchase, so a character can be a Local Expert in Watson and completely lost three districts over. This is narrower than Streetwise, which covers general street knowledge anywhere but goes nowhere near this deep.

Tips

**Best for**: Characters with roots, and crews who work the same part of the city repeatedly. **Character concepts**: A Fixer who has never left their district, a Lawman who walked the same beat for years, a courier who knows every alley in one neighborhood, a gang member who grew up on the block. **Synergies**: Streetwise handles the parts of the city you do not know. Tracking works far better on home ground, and Stealth benefits from knowing which routes have no cameras on them.

Frequently asked questions

How many areas can I take?

As many as you pay for, but each is a separate skill drawing on the same 86 skill points at creation. Most characters take one at a decent rank rather than several at low ranks.

Local Expert or Streetwise?

Local Expert answers hard questions about one place. Streetwise answers general questions anywhere. A crew with both rarely gets lost or surprised, and neither one substitutes for the other.

Can my area be somewhere outside Night City?

Yes, if the campaign goes there. A Nomad might take a Badlands route or a specific settlement. Just check with your GM that the area will appear in play.

Further Reading

Streetwise SkillEducation SkillAll Cyberpunk RED Skills
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