Cyberpunk RED skill
Evasion
Evasion is a skill in Cyberpunk RED: Ducking, weaving, and getting clear before an attack arrives; your defense in a fight.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Stat
- DEX
- Category
- fighting
Overview
Evasion is the skill that decides whether things hit you. It is not a passive statistic, it is an active roll: reading the shooter, breaking the line, moving before the trigger comes back, getting out of a blast radius while everyone else is still processing what happened. At the table it is the single most frequently rolled combat skill for most characters, because you spend far more of a firefight being shot at than shooting. A crew's survival tends to track Evasion more closely than it tracks weapon skills. A Solo with an excellent Handgun rank and no Evasion wins the first exchange and then dies in the second, which is why experienced players buy defense before they buy damage.
How it works
Linked Stat: DEX Category: Fighting Resolution: 1d10 plus DEX plus Evasion is your defense roll, the number an attacker has to beat. A natural 10 adds another roll to your defense, a natural 1 subtracts one, so a bad roll can leave you effectively standing still. Coverage: Evasion is used against melee attacks and to get clear of area effects and blast zones. Aimed gunfire is generally harder to sidestep, which is why cover and positioning still matter as much as the skill rank.
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Every character who intends to be in the room when shooting starts, regardless of role. Character concepts: A Solo who fights outnumbered, a Rockerboy who keeps ending up in riots, a Media working conflict zones, a courier who runs rather than fights. Synergies: Athletics for movement and cover, Perception so you see the attack forming, and Concentration for holding it together when you are being suppressed. Reflex-boosting cyberware helps, at a cost in Humanity.
Frequently asked questions
Can I dodge bullets?
Not the way you dodge a punch. Evasion is reliable against melee and against area effects you can move out of; against aimed gunfire, cover and not being visible do more for you than the skill does.
How much Evasion is enough?
Skills cap at 6 at character creation and 10 later. Combat characters should aim for the creation cap, and even non-combat characters benefit hugely from 3 or 4 since it applies every time someone swings at them.
Is Evasion better than armor?
They solve different problems. Armor reduces what gets through; Evasion stops the hit entirely and works against blasts. Most survivors carry both, because neither is reliable enough alone.