Cyberpunk RED: Masochistic Mercenaries Needed!

Creating your character

The first session is dedicated to making everyone's characters, thoroughly explaining the game, and making sure everyone knows what sort of insane adventure they are in for. Cyberpunk allows for so much freedom and expression! As it says in the book: STYLE over substance! ATTITUDE is everything. I own almost all of the books for both Cyberpunk RED, and bonus books (like all the guns and chrome) from Cyberpunk 2020. You just think up a badass that you would love to be, we all get to know each other and our characters, and everything is all set to begin on the 2nd meeting! I run Cyberpunk as it's written in the book... especially the part where it says BREAK THE RULES!

Preparing for the session

Players should be prepared with a Discord account, a set of RPG dice (Cyberpunk primarily uses the 10-sided die), an imagination, a punk attitude, and a taste for the madness of the Dark Future. Be prepared for hardcore, bizarre, insane, unforgiving, no-holds-barred brutality in a grim, war-torn, 100% PUNK world ruled by megacorporations. This is not for the faint of heart. Cyberpunk is hardcore, and if it were watered-down it would not be Cyberpunk. "If you want a cute story with happy endings, you can go back and play that game with the fairies and unicorns." — Mike Pondsmith, creator of Cyberpunk Roll20 and Tabletop Simulator are both options, but only if every player has it. I do just fine and dandy running digital games through Discord streams, maps, and good narration. I believe having physical dice to roll is worth it; it's what they are made for and your destiny is literally in your hand! Oh, and... you should be prepared for some fucking profanity, bitches! This game is full of swears and dirty words around every corner. This is Cyberpunk, there will be profanity pumping. I never use racial slurs, and I am never aiming to insult or offend *the players,* but you can expect plenty of cursing from characters. I think you will find that it is fittingly profane such that it adds to the essence of Night City and the fucked-up people that live in it. If you don't like swearing and a variety of characters with shitty attitudes, don't play this game. Just sayin.

What Sam brings to the table

I am a very experienced Game Master with a good sense of balance, a vivid imagination, a love of people, a variety of character voices, and a passion for good game design. With me, you can count on a badass, bombastic, dark-yet-funny adventure with many twists and turns, weird noises, a variety of humorously distinct characters, various types of fucked-up shit in the streets, and some unexpected (usually funny) problems that require improvisation. I keep the scene flowing and the action going, I know all the lore and lingo, I'm a quick thinker and an experienced judge of game balance, I'm quite silly, and I know the true spirit of Cyberpunk RED. I prioritize immersion and roleplaying above all, and the rules are meant to enhance that, not limit it. My style is evocative narration at a good pace, letting the players guide the scene with their interactions, and only interrupting with rolls when it *adds* to the fun and immersion. When you sit at my table, you are in for an immersive experience playing your fun character, without needing to know every rule and detail. You'll be able to think about your next robbery gig instead of figuring out pointless complications. I choose ambient music to play specifically for each session and scene, and I find that the music is critical for the session. The Rule of Cool is a great way to approach things, but there is also no room for pity and pandering in Night City... characters can get shot, be blown up, or go cyberpsycho. If no one dies at all through the campaign, that means the GM was probably doing it wrong! Shit happens. CRAZY shit.

Homebrew rules

Cyberpunk RED is so well-designed that I hardly find the need to make homebrew rules, especially because one of the four rules of Cyberpunk is "BREAK THE RULES." The game mechanics present the challenge and make actions have consequences, whether good or bad... but in the end, ballsy badassery wins out. When rules and rolls start slowing down the game, that's when you can break right through with a bold play, and as long as you act awesome enough, you might get away with it! My job is to design games and invent rules, but Cyberpunk's system is very well made. Any homebrewing I do will be clearly laid out when it happens, and it is always made to complement roleplaying, not nerf the player's capabilities.

How Sam creates a safe table

Firstly, I want to assure you that I never have prejudice toward any player. I truly don't care about your background, your race, identity, outside beliefs, or anything that is not relevant to our game sessions, unless it's something you think is truly important. It is not my job to judge anyone and you can leave everything at home when you step into the game. My one and only goal is to facilitate fun and give all of the players the insane adventure they are hoping for in Cyberpunk. I have no tolerance for personal attacks, prejudice, or any form of ill will between players, though this has almost never been a problem in my many years of playing. I have an excellent history of being a fun, fair, friendly GM, and I'm willing to listen to what anyone has to say. As per the rules and regulations, players can set limits for what they would and would not be okay with, and you can tell me privately in a DM if you don't want to share it with everyone. I never want to truly upset players or bring up anything that takes them out of the immersion of the game. That said... I have to be honest with this one. To play this, you gotta be willing to accept that this is Cyberpunk. It's hardcore, brutal, violent and insane. This warning here is how I am keeping you safe; if you can't handle it, don't play, that's how it goes. This is Night City, not Nice City. Boundaries are okay, but it needs to be brutal to be what it is. *I don't ever include racial slurs, direct sexual violence (but could potentially allude to it), or push anything that a player finds extremely disturbing.* Other than that, let the chaos roll. "Don't play Cyberpunk in a brightly lit, comfortable room with sofas and a plate of cookies on the table. It would be better to bring in a big, stinky trash bin and stick it into the corner and dim the lights to look like a morgue. This is the Dark Future. If you wanna be perfectly comfortable, go play that game with the fairies and the unicorns." — Mike Pondsmith, creator of Cyberpunk If you are easily offended and need to be perfectly catered to for your comfort, then this isn't the right game for you and you should play D&D5e or something. I'm not gonna try upset you or violate hard boundaries, I'm saying this is a fair warning, and that is how I keep you safe. Anyone who has a serious issue with the events of the game or how I run it is free to tell me about it privately. I don't anticipate this will be much of an issue for those who are interested in the likes of Cyberpunk RED. Take a look through the content warnings and see if you can stomach it. Approach me about anything and I am all ears.