Cyberpunk RED skill
Stealth
Stealth is a skill in Cyberpunk RED: Moving unseen and unheard, the skill that keeps a job from turning into a firefight.
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Key facts
- Stat
- DEX
- Category
- body
Overview
Stealth is staying unnoticed: crossing a lit loading bay, holding still behind a server rack while a patrol passes, following someone through a market without becoming part of their story. It is a Body skill keyed to DEX, so it is about physical control rather than cleverness. At the table Stealth is the difference between a job that works and a job that becomes a gunfight. Cyberpunk RED characters are fragile, corporate security is not, and every fight the crew avoids is money they do not spend on medical care. Even in a combat-heavy campaign, getting into position unseen is how the shooters get to start the fight on their own terms rather than someone else's.
How it works
Linked Stat: DEX Category: Body Resolution: 1d10 plus DEX plus skill level, usually opposed by the watcher's Perception. A natural 10 lets you roll again and add, a natural 1 makes you roll again and subtract, which is how a careful approach falls apart in one step. Conditions: Darkness, noise, and cover work for you; open ground, bright light, and heavy gear work against you. Cameras and sensors are a separate problem that Electronics and Security Tech handles, not something Stealth talks its way past.
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Infiltrators and anyone whose crew would rather be paid than be shot at. Character concepts: A corporate burglar, a Media getting into a facility, a Solo taking an overwatch position, a courier who prefers not to be seen making the handoff. Synergies: Perception is the skill you are rolling against, so understanding it helps. Athletics gets you over what is in the way, Conceal/Reveal Object hides what you brought, and Electronics and Security Tech deals with the sensors your body language cannot fool.
Frequently asked questions
Can Stealth beat cameras and sensors?
Only partially. Staying out of a camera's arc is Stealth, but defeating a real electronic security system is Electronics and Security Tech. A crew that plans on stealth alone tends to get caught by equipment rather than by people.
Does everyone in the group roll?
Usually, and the worst roll is the one that matters. This is why crews send one high-Stealth character ahead instead of moving four people through the same corridor.
Does cyberware help?
Yes, with sound dampening and optical camouflage among the options. All of it costs Humanity out of your starting EMP times 10, so a very quiet character often becomes a less social one.