From the Mayor’s Desk 3.19.21

Greetings, choomba! Before we unveil this week’s From the Mayor’s Desk, we wanted to catch your attention and share some data!

First, we’ve updated the Cyberpunk RED FAQ to include information from the From the Mayor’s Desk.

Second, as we’ve previously announced, the Cyberpunk RED Data Screen has made its way to the printer. Once we nail down the ship dates we’ll let you know when to start looking for it on the shelves! For now, though, how about a sneak peek of the front…

… and the back!

And with that out of the way, let’s skip right to the Mayor’s letter! Remember, if you have questions, we want you to submit them here:

Please send any questions you have about Cyberpunk RED to:

https://forms.gle/7HkSHEAEbovgG8iE6

…

Sometimes, the questions that arrive at my desk are really big ones; Big like the novelty scissors I used to open up Balance Town’s new municipal shooting range and daycare center last week.

Such questions deserve their own issue of From the Mayor’s Desk. This week, I tackle the question of availability, with the grand unveiling of The Mayor’s Guide to Availability in Cyberpunk RED!

The Mayor’s Guide to Availability in Cyberpunk RED.

FOR NON-FIXERS

I’m not a Fixer. What can I grab from a vendit, Oasis, or the stall run by that weird choomba on the corner? In other words, what can I buy without the help of a Fixer or a Night Market?

You can buy anything 100eb (Premium) or less.

I’m not a Fixer. What can I buy when I’m at a Night Market?

You can buy anything the GM generated the Night Market to have for sale. To get an idea of what might be available, visit the Night Market generator on page 338.

FOR FIXERS

I’m a Fixer. What can I buy (or help my clients/choombas buy) without a Night Market?

The answer depends on your Operator Rank:

• At Rank 3: You can buy/source anything 500eb (Expensive) or less.
• At Rank 7: You can buy/source anything 1000eb (Very Expensive) or less.
• At Rank 9: You can buy/source anything 5000eb (Luxury) or less.
• At Rank 10: You can buy/source anything, including Super Luxury items.

I’m a Fixer. What can I buy at a Night Market I’ve helped set up using my Role Ability?

At role ability rank 5, a Fixer gains the ability to help set up a Night Market once a month.

While at a Night Market they have helped set up, they can buy anything, up to and including Super Luxury items. Go wild, because you’ll have to wait a month before you can do it again! Just one additional note: for truly unique and one of a kind items you need a Midnight Market and those only get set up if a Fixer with a Rank 9+ Operator is involved.

I’m a Fixer. What can I buy at a Night Market I didn’t help set up?

If you didn’t help set it up, you’re just another customer. You can buy anything the GM generated the Night Market to have for sale. To get an idea of what might be available, visit the Night Market generator on page 338.

SELLING STUFF

So, we picked up some… merchandise from our last gig. Some weapons. A cyberarm or two. That sort of thing. How do we sell it and how much can we get for it?

Choombas, the Mayor’s Office would like to congratulate you for your entrepreneurial spirit. Your gumption is exactly what Night City needs in these transitional times. Here’s the deal. In the Time of the Red, the labels like “new” and “used” don’t matter much to most people. These days what’s more important are ideas like “functional” versus “broken”. And the answer is, as long as it works, you can sell an item for how much it costs. If Cyberpunk RED says a piece of gear costs 500eb, you can sell it for 500eb.

But, Mister Mayor, you ask, how do people make a profit like that?

There you go, thinking like a champ! We’re proud of you! There’s some fine print here and you should always read the fine print (except when you’re signing a contract the Mayor gives you. I promise, my contracts are always on the level). Here’s the caveats.

First, if you’re selling something, you’re probably selling it to a Fixer and that means one of two things. Either you’re selling directly or you’re selling on consignment.

If you’re selling directly, the Fixer’s no gonk. They’re gonna use their Operator Role Ability to strike a better deal. That means it’ll be your COOL + Trading + Your Operator Rank (if you’ve got it) + 1d10 vs. their COOL + Trading + Your Operator Rank (and they DO have it) + 1d10. If you win, they’ll give you the base price for it. If they win, they’ll pay you 10% to 20% (depending on their Operator Rank) less than the base price. Then they’ll turn around and try to sell it for 10% to 20% (again, depending on Operator Rank) more to someone else. That means most Fixers are making between 10% and 40% profit on everything they sell.

Some Fixers will sell on consignment. Which means they’ll take your goods, sell them, and charge you a fee for it. Your average Rank 4 Operator Fixer counts as “Professional Services, Good” on the Services and Entertainment table (page 376). An hour of their time costs you 100eb. It is up to your GM how much time they actually spend selling the items. Maybe it is just half an hour and they pro rate it. Maybe it is a flat hour minimum. Either way, the GM will let you know what the Fixer’s fee is and take it out of how much cash you earn.

Of course, you could always go a third route. In the Time of the Red, barter rules. Want an Excellent Quality Cyberdeck? That’s 1,000eb (Very Expensive). Don’t have that sort of scratch? Well, you did nab two Shotguns (500eb [Expensive] each) from some Corp muscle last week. You could sell them via a Fixer, sure, or you could see if the person running the electronics booth at this particular Night Market is interested in making a trade. That’s a great way to get full value from your “acquired” gear without having to worry about giving someone else a cut of the profits.

The Mayor’s Award for Service to Balance Town

As always, I’d like to highlight the fine contributions made by the Citizens of Balance Town to our fair metropolis. This week we’re honoring the fine folk who provide a space to share ideas and ask questions about Cyberpunk RED. We’re talking about the mod team over at r/cyberpunkred.

Elesday, windorigin, and DoubleBlindStudy, thank you for keeping your Data Fortress up and running. Many a question has been asked and answered there and homebrew content shared on your subreddit has saved GMs time and provided them with inspiration.

Thank you.

That’s all for this week! See you next time, choombas!

James Hutt, Mayor of Balance Town