Greeting, GUEST.
Consulate of Greater MTL, CA.
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SAFEHOUSES & FOLLOWERS

A homebrew conversion of the ideas and mechanics of MCDM's Strongholds & Followers's book to the Cyberpunk Red TTRPG system and setting.

In this article:
Introduction
The Rockerboy's Nightclub
The Solo's Gym
The Netrunner's Lair
The Tech's Atelier
The Medtech's Clinic
The Media's Editorial Desk

SAFEHOUSES BY ROLES

Regardless of the type of safehouse that you build, your safehouse also improves your ability to perform your role. When you own a safehouse, it improves your Role Ability and allows you to recruit a lieutenant and sidekicks based on your role.

The safehouse names in these sections have some dramatic flair: a “Rockerboy’s Nightclub” a “Exec’s headquarters”, a “Medtech’s clinic” … These names should be seen as examples to express the flavor of the role, rather than an obligation of how you must flavor your safehouse.

Sphere of influence effects and Safehouse Actions

When you build a safehouse, you become much more aware of its surrounding area, by the force of being there very often. The time you spend in and around your safehouse grant you many advantages based on your role, which represent the “home-turf” advantage you gain when you are challenged near your safehouse. You gain sphere of influence effects and powerful Safehouse Abilities.

Your Sphere of Influence effects are little flavorful things your character might take advantage of. When you are within the limits of your safehouse’s sphere of influence.   

Your Safehouse Abilities are very powerful. If you are a Referee, though, do not worry, because while these abilities are pretty insane and powerful, they only work while inside of the safehouse.

Improved Role Ability

Creating a safehouse improves your Role’s unique ability. Typically, this improved role ability has a limited number of uses based on your stronghold level, after which you must take an extended rest to be able to use again.

The Rockerboy’s Nightclub

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • Posters for your shows are on the walls of every block in your sphere of influence
  • Half of the people in your sphere of influence are already your fans
  • You can get gigs at every venue in your sphere of influence, regardless of your Charismatic Impact level

Safehouse Actions

You gain this ability while you are inside your safehouse.

Once per session, as an action, you can convince one person or a group of up to 6 fans person to risk their lives for you, as if you were a Rockerboy with 10 Charismatic Impact.

Role Ability Improvement: Leaving an Impression

Your charisma shines through, even when you meet people who actively hate you. Assuming you aren’t in combat, you can use your charismatic impact ability on a single person, a group of persons or a crowd of nonfans without rolling and without having to convert them into fans. You can do this a number of times equal to your safehouse level before having to take an Extended Rest to refresh this ability.

The Solo’s Gym

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • You know 30 seconds in advance when a fight you will be involved in is about to start in your sphere of influence
  • You can always tell if someone is concealing a firearm in your sphere of influence
  • The bouncers, street toughs and solos in your sphere of influence all recognize you

Safehouse Actions

You gain this ability while you are inside your safehouse.

You hide emergency weapons everywhere in your safehouse. Better safe then dead. Once per session, as an action, you grab a hidden weapon of the type of your choice that happened to be stashed within arms reach of you. As part of that action, you can attempt to use it as well.

Role Ability Improvement: Cause Distraction

Your Combat Awareness skills cause you to be able to outplay your adversaries. While you are in combat, and an enemy you can see attempts an action, you can destabilize them by moving unpredictably or by doing something that will momentarily surprise them. You impose a -5 to their roll. You must declare that you use Cause Distraction before they roll. You can do this a number of times equal to your safehouse level before having to take an Extended Rest to refresh this ability.

The Netrunner’s Lair

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • The screens and holograms in your sphere of influence sometimes glitch out to reveal your logo
  • You can always find new cyberdecks, virtuality googles and parts to repair them in your sphere of influence, without going through a fixer.
  • Every netrunner in your sphere of influence knows your handle

Safehouse Actions

You gain this ability while you are inside your safehouse.

You have +1 NET action when you are in your safehouse’s NET Architecture. In addition, you receive a notification whenever someone attempts a Netrun in your safehouse’s NET Architecture.

Role Ability Improvement: Netrunning Chair

You have managed to figure out a way to netrun like it’s the 20s again. You gain access to a netrunning chair, which is installed in your safehouse, and a long-distance “NETBox”.

The NETBox can be connected to any access point of a NET Architecture with a DV10 Basic Tech Check. Once the NETbox is connected to a NET Architecture, you gain the ability to “see” that Access Point and connect to it by Jacking In to your netrunning chair. This allows you to netrun while avoiding physical danger. Once your NETBox is disconnected from that NET Architecture, you lose the ability to use your netrunning chair until you take an Extended Rest to prepare a new NETBox and setup new secured and encrypted long range connexions.

The Tech’s Atelier

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • There is a noticeably higher number of drones flying around in your sphere of influence
  • You can always find the parts you need for your inventions or repairs in your sphere of influence

Safehouse Actions

You gain this ability while you are inside your safehouse.

Once per session, when you roll for a Skill Check in the Tech Category, you can double your level in that skill.

Role Ability Improvement: Emergency Repairs

Your experience in the field allows you to provide key repairs in dramatic situations.

You can use Emergency Repairs as an action to either repair an item with a SP value or an SDP value. When you do so roll 1d6. If you repair an item with an SP value, you add SP points to the item equal to the number you rolled, up to the item’s maximum SP value. If you repair an item with an SDP value, you add SDP equal to the number you rolled multiplied by 3 to the item. You cannot repair that item with Emergency Repairs again until it has been fully repaired by other means.

You can also use one of your uses of Emergency Repairs to clear a weapon jam without needing to expend an action.

You can use Emergency Repairs a number of times equal to your safehouse level before having to take an Extended Rest to refresh this ability.

The Medtech’s Clinic

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • Ads for cyberware and medical services are posted on every block in your sphere of influence
  • Sick people wear masks in your sphere of influence
  • You can quickly diagnose most small ailments (a cold, an infection, flu etc.) after quickly looking at somebody who is in your zone of influence

Safehouse Actions

You gain this ability while you are inside your safehouse.

Once per session, you can stabilize someone without needing to roll. That person comes back to life with 1 hp and regains consciousness.

Role Ability Improvement: Field Medic

Your experience in the field allows you to provide key medical help in dramatic situations.

If you are within touching distance of someone who fails a Death Save, you can expend a use of this ability and use your medical skill to keeps them breathing, allowing them to ignore the result of that Death Save.

In addition, you are prepared for any contingencies when in the field with a combat situation. You can expend one of your uses of this skill to dig through your bags and find a pharmaceutical of your choice from p.150 in the Core Rulebook.

You can use Field Medic abilities a number of times equal to your safehouse level before having to take an Extended Rest to refresh this ability.

The Media’s Editorial Desk

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • Most of the people in your sphere of influence align with the points of view expressed in your stories
  • Many independent journalists can be found in your sphere of influence
  • People actively inform you while you are in your sphere of influence and you passively receive more precise rumors

Safehouse Actions

You gain this ability while you are inside your safehouse.

Once per game session, you can add your Credibility Level to a Conversation, Persuasion, Human Perception, Interrogation, Bribery or Library Search Skill Check.

Role Ability Improvement: Journalistic project

You hone your craft and gather a team of technicians to help you produce a large-scale journalistic project such as a hit documentary, a tell-all book or a massive headline grabbing report. Journalistic Projects take weeks to produce but will allow you to reach a wider audience and be more believable than you could normally achieve.

When you start a Media Project, you choose what it will be about, and you can collect evidence for it like you would like you would a Story or a Scoop. You can then spend 1,000 eb. and take a work week to improve your project with the help of technicians you hired. Improving your project allows you to improve the effects of your Credibility skill for the story your project is about. You can choose to:

  • Improve your sources of your project, which will raise your Credibility by 1 when it comes to the Access/Sources effect of this project;
  • Improve the quality of your project, which will improve the chances your audience will believe your project’s story by 1;
  • Improve the virality of your project, which will raise your Credibility by 1 when it comes to the Audience effect of this project;

To succeed at improving your project, you need to roll the appropriate STAT + appropriate skill + your safehouse level + Credibility + 1d10 against a DV of 25. The appropriate Skill for the different ways you can improve might be Composition or Photography/Film (for improving the quality), Business, Accounting or Education (for improving its virality) or Bribery, Conversation, Interrogation or Persuasion (for improving your sources). This choice depends on what your project is about and what form it takes. A documentary on corruption at Biotechnica might not be improved in the same way as a memoir from a powerful mobster you ghost write, for example.

After you have worked on improving your project a few times, your project becomes more impactful. Every time you successfully improve your project three times, your Credibility increases by 1, when it comes to the Impact ability for this project.

You can use the Journalistic Project ability once before having to take an Extended Rest to refresh this ability.

The Exec’s Headquarters

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • Personal tailors and Businesswear shops are found in high density in your sphere of influence
  • Your organization’s ads can be seen on every block in your sphere of influence
  • You can always contact your team members, even when they are not working, while they are in your sphere of influence

Safehouse Actions

You gain this ability while you are inside your safehouse.

Once per game session, you can add your Teamwork level to a Business, Accounting, Trading, Bureaucracy, Bribery or Conversation Skill Check.

Role Ability Improvement: Additional Resources

Your exemplary service and initiative in becoming the owner of a safehouse have allowed you to negotiate for additional resources to accomplish your organization's objectives.

When you own a safehouse, your organization allocates a whole team for you to manage. You gain access to another Team Members who is an Exec like you. This Exec is one Teamwork level below yours and has loyalty like a Team Member. This Exec controls their own Team Members, as you do.

You can have this Exec execute actions on your behalf which would be larger in scope than what a single Team Member could achieve. These larger tasks are called Projects. A task becomes a project when it would take at least a work week to accomplish and it would need to be solved by the Exec with the help of their Team Member. When you give a Project to your Exec, they will attempt to accomplish the objectives you set out for them. Your Exec will keep you updated on their progress.

You can give your Exec and their team a Project once before having to take an Extended Rest to refresh this ability.

The Lawman's Station

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • Crime is greatly reduced in your sphere of influence
  • Lawmen regularly patrol in your sphere of influence
  • Every lawman and low-level gang member recognizes you in your sphere of influence.

Safehouse Actions

A squad of your Backup has started to hang out at your safehouse and is on call. When you are in danger while you are inside of your safehouse or directly around it and you call your Backup, the Backup will always accept to help and will enter combat at the start of the next Round. You can be retroactively punished by your Boss if you abuse of the Backup at your safehouse.

Role Ability Improvement: Open Investigation

You can use your Backup Ability to call an alternative form of Backup called Investigators. This allows you to open an investigation into a crime you might have come across and want to solve.

Investigators are non-combat lawmen who focus on figuring out what happened at a crime scene, who do research and help you find criminals on the loose. Opening a case works like calling for Backup: as an Action, when you are not in danger, you attempt to roll equal or lower than your Backup Rank on a d10. If you succeed, an investigation is opened and the Investigators will arrive in 1d6 minutes.

Opening an investigation cannot be done in every situation: there needs to be an unknown element to the situation. If the criminal is known, for example, but their motive or current location is unknown, an Investigator Backup can be called to help you figure out these unknown elements.

When an investigation has been opened, your Investigators will start gathering information about the case. To do so, they roll using their Investigation Number (described below) when attempting to, for example, do research on a person, analyze evidence gathered on the scene or gather additional elements of information. An Investigator makes a check using their Investigation Number every day until you or they cannot find new things to gather information about.

If the Investigator is unable to find any new information about the case during a period of 7 days, the Investigation Case will be temporarily closed. Once new evidence come to light, you can have the case reopened by using this ability again, as if you were opening a new investigation. You still need to use an Action and roll to call your Boss to reopen an investigation.

You can Open an Investigation once before having to take an Extended Rest to refresh this ability.

Backup Investigators Rank

Investigation Number: A Skill Base used for all skill checks the Investigators will use for the investigation case. This number combines the STAT and Skill. You will add d10 roll to this value whenever they attempt to gather information.

Backup Rank 1 and 2

Investigation Number: 8 / Combat Number: 6 / SP: 7 / HP: 20 / MOVE & BODY: 4

Entreprising PI. A local independent private investigator who arrives on foot. They have a Medium Pistol.

Backup Rank 3 and 4

Investigation Number: 10 / Combat Number: 6 / SP: 7 / HP: 25 / MOVE & BODY: 5

Junior Police Investigator. A junior police investigator is assigned to the case. They arrive in a Compact Groundcar and carry a Medium Pistol.

Backup Rank 5 thru 7

Investigation Number: 14 / Combat Number: 10 / SP: 7 / HP: 35 / MOVE & BODY: 5

Senior Police Investigator. An experienced police investigator is assigned to the case. They arrive in a Compact Groundcar and carry a Heavy Pistol.

Backup Rank 8

Investigation Number: 16 / Combat Number: 10 / SP: 7 / HP: 40 / MOVE & BODY: 6

Best Private Investigator. One of the best private investigators of the city is assigned to the case. They arrive in a Compact Groundcar and carry a Heavy Pistol.

Backup Rank 9

Investigation Number: 15 / Combat Number: 10 / SP: 7 / HP: 35 / MOVE & BODY: 5

Senior Police Investigation Team. A team of experienced police investigators are assigned to the case. They arrive in a Compact Groundcar and carry Heavy Pistols. Whenever the team attempts to gather information pertaining to the case, both members of the investigative team can roll.

Backup Rank 10

Investigation Number: 16 / Combat Number: 10 / SP: 7 / HP: 40 / MOVE & BODY: 6

National Law Enforcement/Interpol/FBI/Netwatch. A team of some of the country's best investigators are assigned to the case. They arrive in an AV-4 and carry Heavy Pistols. Whenever the team attempts to gather information pertaining to the case, both members of the investigative team can roll.

A team of experienced police investigators are assigned to the case. They arrive in a Compact Groundcar and carry Heavy Pistols. Whenever the team attempts to gather information pertaining to the case, both members of the investigative team can roll.

The Fixer’s Meeting Spot

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • You know the favorite drink or food of everybody you have talked to in your sphere of influence
  • You know every Fixer who operates in your sphere of influence and what they deal in
  • Many seedy bars with backrooms can be found in your sphere of influence

Safehouse Actions

You gain this ability while you are inside your safehouse.

Every game session, you gain access to a "Fixer" Pool of points, which represents the confidence you feel when doing business when you are at your safehouse. This pool of points works like the Luck STAT, but can only be used when you roll a Haggle Skill Check or a Skill Check for a Skill in the Social Skills Category. The number of points you have in this pool is equal to 4 + your safehouse level.

Role Ability Improvement: Business Associate

When you own a safehouse, your business network grows and you gain access to a new person called a Business Associate.

This Business Associate is loyal to you (unless you do something that breaks their trust) and will be able to accomplish Fixer tasks on your behalf, such as negotiating deals on your behalf, maintaining good relations with your contacts and finding new opportunities.

Your Business Associate can do several things for you:

  • Your Business Associate allows you to gain access to an additional culture in your area for a period of one week;
  • Your Business Associate can get you a meeting with a Contact or Client that you wouldn't otherwise have access to, by "boosting" your Operator Rank by 2 when it comes to the Contacts & Sources ability;
  • Your Business Associate helps you source an item of a Price Category higher than you would normally be able to have access to. However, you will have to pay 20% more for that item than you normally would.
  • Your Business Associate can negotiate a deal with the Haggle Skill on your behalf without you having to be present and, if you want, without the contact knowing that your Business Associate is dealing on your behalf. Your Business Associate uses your Cool, Trading, and Operator Rank to perform this Haggle Check;

You can have your Business Associate do one of these abilities a number of times equal to your safehouse level before having to take an Extended Rest to refresh this ability.

The Nomad’s Garage

Sphere of Influence Effects

  • ????

Safehouse Actions

You gain this ability while you are inside your safehouse.

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Role Ability Improvement: ???

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Next article: Followers

<-- Safehouse types // Followers -->

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Disclaimer

This is a fan project for our game of the Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop role-playing game. Most corporations, game rules and in-universe references are the intellectual property of R. Talsorian Games. Some graphical assets are created by Cédric Duchaineau were inspired by assets created by CD Projekt Red or R. Talsorian Games.

Buy me a coffee!

Disclaimer

This is a fan project for our game of the Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop role-playing game. Most corporations, game rules and in-universe references are the intellectual property of R. Taslorian Games. Some graphical assets are created by Cédric Duchaineau and Alejandro Olivares were inspired by assets created by CD Projekt Red or R. Taslorian Games.