Cyberpunk RED skill
Persuasion
Persuasion is a skill in Cyberpunk RED: Convincing people through charm, logic, or pressure to do what you want.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Stat
- COOL
- Category
- social
Overview
Persuasion is the general-purpose social skill: making an argument, applying charm, leaning on someone without threatening them outright. It covers most of what happens when a scene is settled by talking rather than by shooting, which in a well-run Cyberpunk RED game is most scenes. It keys off COOL, so it measures composure and presence rather than empathy. The Persuasion character is not necessarily the one who understands people best, they are the one who does not flinch. At the table it is the fallback for negotiations, for talking past a guard, and for the moment a job goes sideways and somebody has to explain to an armed stranger why nobody needs to die tonight.
How it works
Linked Stat: COOL Category: Social Resolution: 1d10 plus COOL plus skill level against a DV, or opposed by the target's own social skills or Human Perception. A natural 10 lets you roll again and add, a natural 1 makes you roll again and subtract. What moves the DV: What you are asking for. Persuading a guard to accept a plausible story sits around the easy or medium end of the ladder, while persuading a corporate executive to act against their own employer climbs toward formidable or extreme.
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Every crew's designated talker, and worth 2 or 3 ranks for everyone else as a fallback. Character concepts: A Rockerboy who talks a crowd down, an Exec closing a deal, a Media getting a source on record, a Solo who would rather not shoot the receptionist. Synergies: Human Perception tells you what the target wants before you argue for it. Wardrobe and Style and Personal Grooming decide how you are received before you speak, and Bribery is what you reach for when argument alone is not moving anyone.
Frequently asked questions
Persuasion or Bribery?
Persuasion when you have an argument, Bribery when you have money and the target has a price. Bribery works on people who do not care what you think but do care what you are holding.
Can I persuade someone into something suicidal?
Not realistically. GMs raise the DV sharply for anything that cuts against a target's core interests, and past a point they will say no. Persuasion works with self-interest, not against it.
Does COOL matter as much as the skill?
It matters a lot. COOL caps at 8 and adds directly to every roll, so a face character usually pushes COOL high and pairs it with ranks rather than relying on either half alone.