This page should provide an easy-reference overview of the rules of the game. For details, look at the R. Talsorian rulebook and the House Rules pages of this site (see the sidebar). There also is a page for additional supplements to answer player questions.
In the rules, Cyberpunk characters are defined by five elements:
Each of these elements is defined during character generation as the player decides what sort of character to play, and each can increase or decrease during the campaign.
Anytime a skill roll is required, the referee will assign a particular STAT to be used in conjunction with the skill. Typically the Stats and skills are linked by definition in the rules, as with REF and Athletics, but in some circumstances the referee may call for a different stat to be used.
A skill roll is always 1d10 + the Skill level involved + the Stat value. So, a character with REF of 7 and Athletics-6 would roll 1d10 + 6 + 7.
The roll required for any particular use of a skill depends on the difficulty of the task at hand. For tasks of moderate difficulty, which a relatively well-skilled person could accomplish with a little effort, a roll of about 15 would be required. More difficult tasks might require a roll of 18, 20, or even 25 or 30 (for tasks which even the greatest could only achieve with a miracle).
If the character does not have any skill in the task being attempted, a +3 difficulty modifier always applies.
