Cyberpunk RED skill
Science
Science is a skill in Cyberpunk RED: Specialized scientific knowledge in a field such as chemistry, biology, or physics.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Stat
- INT
- Category
- education
Overview
Science covers formal technical knowledge in a particular discipline: what an unlabelled compound is, whether a pathogen is engineered, how a piece of experimental hardware could possibly work. It is deep rather than broad, and it is bought per field, so a chemist is not automatically a biologist. At the table Science is the skill that turns a strange object into information. Cyberpunk RED plots run heavily on corporate research: leaked prototypes, unlicensed pharmaceuticals, biological samples somebody was paid a lot of money to move. Without a scientist, the crew delivers those things without ever learning what they were carrying, which is normally when the campaign turns on them.
How it works
Linked Stat: INT Category: Education Resolution: 1d10 plus INT plus skill level against a DV set by how specialized the question is relative to your field. A natural 10 lets you roll again and add, and a natural 1 makes you roll again and subtract. Per field: Each scientific discipline is a separate purchase. GMs commonly allow a reduced roll for a question adjacent to your field and refuse it outright for one far outside, so pick a field that fits both the character and the campaign.
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Medtechs and Techs, and campaigns built around corporate research rather than territory. Character concepts: A former corporate researcher who saw something they should not have, a Medtech with a pharmacology background, a Tech chemist cooking product, a Netrunner turned data scientist. Synergies: Cybertech and Basic Tech handle the hardware while this handles the underlying principles. First Aid and Medtech work benefit from a biology background, and Demolitions overlaps heavily with chemistry.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pick a specific field?
Yes. Science is bought per discipline, so name it at creation: chemistry, biology, physics, pharmacology. It shapes which questions you can answer without a penalty.
Science or Basic Tech?
Science explains why something works, Basic Tech makes it work. A scientist can identify what a device does; a Tech is the one who can repair it or take it apart safely.
Is Science useful in a street-level game?
Less than in a corporate-research campaign, but drugs, poisons, and stolen samples show up in almost every Night City story. One rank or two often prevents an expensive mistake.