So, back at PAX Unplugged 2024, James Hutt shared this specific photograph of me below, scribbling on the pad.

What was I up to? Well, just had the urge to do some writing in the similar ways I used to put together scripts for my old Youtube videos. No, this was not me working on Pacifica, we’ll get to that later. Whenever it was done, I didn’t really want to put it to the ‘Listen Up!’ line of articles, videos, and book. I brought back an old name from my own past.

My approach always has been just a simple sitdown approach as if you’re sitting with someone across the table and helping them learn the game. Below is what came rolling out at PAXU, and I hope you enjoy the read!

Back when everyone was neck deep in World of Warcraft, I was deep in a different MMORPG called City of Heroes and its other parallel, City of Villains. The variety of customization of the game kept me hooked, especially the enemies.

Variety is important to me and to have it you need a plethora of basic building blocks. Cyberpunk RED is a game built to provide those building blocks to GMs and I take advantage of that. So, when making NPCs (both allied and enemy) I tap into the ranking system used for that game’s villains as inspiration. Enemies are sorted by a ranking system from Minions to Bosses. You do have Elite Bosses and Signature/Arch Villains but it all starts with a base foundation, a Minion, lower than even your standard mook. Each tier above goes Minion, Henchman, Lieutenant, Boss, Elite Boss, Signature Arch. There is a good basic 10 overall. When building out a threat, I think of what made them earn the rank. Threat? Sycophant? Cutthroat? Normal gonk?

This all forms into the “Why?”

Enemies need reason, motivation. Climbing the ranks is a solid base of motivation to make them not be blank, bland copies. And that is where the other system I enjoy using comes into play and compliments it. The need for personal vendettas as well can be filled with the risk of letting enemies survive or not stopping all of them. If an enemy survives, rank them up. Boost their gear, stats, chrome, make them a threat built upon their own history and injuries.

If you need inspiration from a similar vibe, look at Lord of the Rings: Shadow of Mordor/War, and the Nemesis System. To me, that is one of the best tabletop-ish things I’ve seen in a video game. Now, don’t directly copy it, but notice how there is always internal strife, fighting, and power voids are quickly filled by eager grunts. Take inspiration from that.

Either by victory or loss, this keeps a varied group of persistent threats, independent of origin (such as gangs/corps.) The win doesn’t matter, survival and power does. An NPC with a new gun or even just a new piece of armor can constitute this, not just stats or skills. Do not fall into that trap of only using published stat blocks or sheets, use the freedom that Cyberpunk RED truly provides. Don’t be scared of it.

Start by making your henchman, and get the theme personal for your players.

Do not care about keeping canon in this, it isn’t important and your game is not canon the moment it starts anyway. Your creativity is held back by chaining yourself like that. Stop it! It’s YOUR Night City and YOUR story. And don’t let someone tell you your fun is wrong by following your own story.

Now, build that henchman as a minion, then think the logical next step. Who keeps them beaten and down? Who keeps them in line? Who hogs resources from them to keep them in line and under their thumb? What skill or traits keep them there? Follow that logic and make the next one up from them that if they were gone, they’d grow into their shoes. Once a few ranks in, make a few unique ones that got their clout by specialization. Make them weird. This is your playground. Do not exactly follow the Cyberpunk RED ranks for this, they may be any rank, be loosey-goosey and flexible. Remember that you are only restricted if you let yourself be.

Avoid using the same sheets and builds over and over. Since this approach can keep your games personal for your players by directly pulling from lifepaths rather than lore-bombing a whole huge amount of stuff. Remember, all you need to do is keep it fun. That is it.

This is how I do it and keep it filled with variety. This approach lets my our NPCs feel organic and not just copies of one another and samey. Don’t fear being weird, against canon, or even purely breaking the rules to make something cool as long as it’s not designed purely to cause a TPK (which, we all agree, is a jackass move.)

You’re not there to ‘beat’ your players. And they’re not there to ‘win’ and ‘beat’ you either. Give them an ongoing threat and proper reason to wonder if that one little whelp that snuck away mid-fight may come back later with friends. And those friends? Well, he recorded the whole thing and now they know how you fight.

All in all, this was written for people just coming into the game and trying to figure out a ‘how’. Everyone has their own methods of madness, this is me simply sharing one of my ways. I’ve always had the goal of teaching new players and people interested in our games, and no matter how my life has changed since joining R. Talsorian Games, that’ll still be my goal!

If you have any questions, pop into the R. Talsorian Games Discord Server via the link below. Enjoy the holidays everyone!

– Rob Barefoot