Netrunning Details for Cyberpunk Red Emerge

The most anticipated rule changes have now been revealed by R. Talsorian. Netrunning in Cyberpunk 2020 was always the most difficult part of playing the game. Some GMs wouldn't even allow people to play netrunners because the rules were simply too convoluted.

Thanks to a new blog post on the R. Talsorian site we get a complete run down of how netrunning will work. In the game Netrunners can take two different kinds of actions, a meat action and a net action. It works pretty much the way it sounds, a meat action is in the physical world and the net action obviously takes play in the net.

We are also introduced to the type of equipment a Netrunner will have. Cyberdecks, virtuality goggles and bodyweight suits. Cyberdecks are the same as they've always been. The virtuality goggles allow the netrunner to see in the "meat space" while hacking. The bodyweight suit includes a lot of things including life support, drug injectors and even a piss bag.

Black ICE is a type of program that you can slot into your cyberdeck that acts kind of like a familiar. You can send it out to attack your enemies in the net. Each cyberdeck will have a couple standard programs installed to help you on your way.

The way the net works now is a huge improvement over Cyberpunk 2020. Now you can give the objective a certain number of levels. If your players are trying to hack Arasaka for example you would probably give them 50 levels. Where as a small poser gang would maybe only have 2. I love the simplicity that this new system grants both players and the GM.

If you want to read more about the new system definitely go check out the blog post. They have an example of play that really shows this system in action. The Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit will be officially released at Gen Con on August 1st and available elsewhere shortly after.