BY JEFFREY MCDONALD

Hot Pursuit
chase rules for cyberpunk RED
MAY 2024 V1.0

Writing and Design by J Gray and Winterjaye Kovach•Additional Development by James Hutt
Art Direction by Winterjaye Kovach•Business Management by Lisa Pondsmith•Layout by J Gray
Map Courtesy of Loke Battle Mats

Copyright © 2024 by R. Talsorian Games, Inc., Cyberpunk is a registered trademark of CD Projekt Red S.A. All rights reserved under the Universal Copyrights Convention.
All situations, governments, and people herein are fictional. Any similarities portrayed herein without satiric intent are strictly coincidental.

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HOT PURSUIT
The cop car was all over the place, first veering slowly Hot Pursuit isn’t a replacement for the vehicle combat
to one side, then jerking back onto the road. Bullets rules presented in the Cyberpunk RED core rulebook
Penny is a new popped and ricocheted off of buildings and pene- (see CP:R page 189) but works with them, providing
character but trated signs, threatening to perforate Penny’s beloved an optional framework for quick, tense, and exciting
the Quadra
Thunder X Thunder-X as she led the chase through the streets of chase sequences where driving ability counts as much
first appeared the University District. as vehicle speed.
in Black
Chrome! Penny pushed smooth on the pedal. She knew she

See CP:R
was done for if she even tapped the wheel now, so
she concentrated on holding it steady. There in front
of her was the surprise, and it was coming up fast.
T he Rules
t h e r u l e s t h e r u l e s
Before we get into the rules, let’s clarify. This isn’t
means
check the
Only she could see it. Unless the cop had a Biblical intended to be a gear-shift to gear-shift simulation of a
Cyberpunk understanding of these streets, they were about to go chase sequence. Instead, these rules work via abstrac-
RED core
rulebook.
for a real ride. tion, shifting the focus to the action instead of the rolls.
The street dropped, and Penny’s Thunder-X flew. They Setting Up the Chase
were in the air. Penny howled at the top of her voice –
pure adrenaline like white-hot scratches filled the space At the beginning of a chase, the GM sets up the chase
around her. The engine spun free, roaring from deep grid by determining the distance, in squares, between
within its throat while the tires were off the ground. all participating vehicles. Each square represents one
She braced for impact. The tires hit, shocks crushed to band on the Range Table.
full closed, and then the undercarriage punched the
ground, kissing blue and white sparks in all directions. # of Squares Range Band
Punch/kiss, punch/kiss, she bounced and just as her
car recovered from the impact, Penny gently pulled the 1 square 0 to 6m/yds
wheel right then left in an S turn as she loped down an 2 squares 7 to 12m/yds
alley. She caught a glimpse of the cop flying past the 3 squares 3 to 25m/yds
street she had turned onto, his back end still bouncing.
4 squares 26 to 50m/yds
She briefly flashed to a memory – sitting in the passen-
ger seat of her dad’s muscle car back when she was a 5 squares 51 to 100m/yds
kid. He’d been fond of the maneuver, too. 6 squares 101 to 200m/yds
7 squares 201 to 400m/yds
Penny tasted blood. She’d bitten so hard during the
bouncing she cut her tongue. She could smell it in the 8 squares 401 to 800m/yds
back of her nose. She wondered if the cop could smell
it, too.
Example: The Crew hops in their car to chase after a
“A girl could get lonely out here on these streets,” truck. The thief inside just stole a memory chip the Crew
Penny joked to no one. was transporting. The GM determines the thief has a
decent head start and is 3 squares ahead. The GM sets

T he Chase
t h e c h a s e t h e c h a s e
Your prey’s getting away, peeling down the street in
up the chase grid as follows.

their Quadra Thunder-X. You leap into your Makigai

Ebi and give chase. They’re faster, but you know the
score – when it comes to the rack-and-ruin streets of
Night City, skill matters as much as speed. Maybe Crew Thief’s
more. Car Truck

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 HOT PURSUIT
Initiative
Once the chase grid is set, all participants should roll 12 m/yd
Initiative. Unlike with standard vehicle combat, the
operators (aka the drivers) roll Initiative. They aren’t Crew Thief’s
automatically at the top of the queue. Car Truck

Chase Rounds Positioning

During a Chase Round, each participant can perform At the end of a Chase Round, all participants acting
one Move Action and one standard Action, just like in as operators must determine their vehicle’s position
regular combat. relative to the others. If they want to move forward on
the Chase Grid, they must succeed at an appropriate
▶ Move Actions ◀ vehicle control Skill Check, aka a Positioning Check.
Participants can use their Move Action to change The DV of the Check is dependent upon the vehicle’s
position in their vehicle (jump into a turret seat, for Combat Speed.
example), climb out of the vehicle and onto the roof or
vice versa, or leap from the vehicle to a location within ▶ Positioning Check DVs
range based on their MOVE Statistic – even another
vehicle involved in the chase. Combat Speed DV

When determining if a location is in range for a leap, 60 MOVE 13

use the far end (the higher number) of the current range 40 MOVE 15
band based on the location of the vehicle (or vehicles)
20 MOVE 17
on the Chase Grid unless the operator has performed
a Pull in Close Maneuver (see page 5). 15 MOVE 21
10 MOVE 24
Unlike with regular combat, participants in a Chase
can hold their Move Action but only to sync with the 8 MOVE 29
vehicle operator. For example, to wait for them to
perform a specific Maneuver.
The operator of a vehicle with a current SDP total
▶ Standard Actions ◀ of less than ½ its maximum makes the Check as if it
were one Combat Speed category lower (for example,
A participant can perform any Action they could in normal 10 MOVE instead of 15 MOVE). If this would reduce
combat, taking in account their circumstances. Range to the target vehicle’s effective Combat Speed below 8
other vehicles is determined by their position on the Chase MOVE, it spins out of control and crashes (see CP:R
Grid. Melee attacks against another vehicle (or targets page 192).
on the vehicle) can’t be made unless the two vehicles are
adjacent to each other on the grid and one of the opera- If the operator succeeds, their vehicle moves forward
tors first performs a Pull in Close maneuver (see page 5). 1 square on the Chase Grid. If they fail, they remain
where they are. This Check is not considered an Action
Example: At the start of the second Chase Round, the
or a Move Action.
Crew is 2 squares behind the thief’s truck. That’s the 7
to 12m/yd range band. Forty decides to shoot at the Operators always have the option of maintaining
truck using her Very Heavy Pistol. Since she’s in the speed, in which case they don’t move forward on the
7 to 12m/yd range band, she’ll be shooting against Chase Grid, or slowing down and moving backward
a DV15. Mover, meanwhile, wants to leap from the 1 square on the Chase Grid. Neither maintaining
Crew’s car to the thief’s truck. The GM rules this as a speed nor slowing down requires a Check. If the lead
12m/yd (6 squares) jump. Fortunately, Mover recently vehicle suddenly reverses course and runs directly at
bought jump boosters for both his cyberlegs, and he the vehicle following it, switch to normal combat rules.
has a MOVE of 7, so he can make the leap. It isn’t a chase anymore!

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HOT PURSUIT
Example: At the end of the Round, the Chase Grid is Operators and Actions
as follows.
Since operators control the vehicles involved in chases,
there are special considerations regarding their
Actions.

▶Actions ◀
Operators do not use their Move Action to move their
Crew Thief’s
vehicles. That’s done at the end of the Round, as out-
Car Truck
lined above. If the operator uses their Move Action to
leave the control seat, they are no longer in command
The Crew’s car and the thief’s truck both have a of the vehicle. Someone else should probably use their
Combat Speed of 20 MOVE. However, since the thief’s Move Action to slip into the control seat, quick!
truck is now at less than ½ of its maximum SDP, the
GM rolls the thief’s Drive Land Vehicle Check as if it If the operator’s REF + Relevant Control Skill + any
had a Combat Speed of 15 MOVE. In other words, bonuses is less than 9, they cannot perform a standard
against a DV of 21 instead of 17. The Crew’s car is Action during their Turn. All of their energy is focused
undamaged, so Racer, the operator, makes the Check on maintaining control of the vehicle.
against a normal 17.
▶Maneuvers ◀
Racer succeeds and moves up a square. The thief
The GM can always spice things up by placing obstacles,
fails and does not. The Chase Grid looks like this at the
dangerous terrain, or sharp turns in the path of vehicles
beginning of the next Round.
during a chase Round. When this occurs, the operators
of all vehicles in the chase must use their standard Action
that Round to make a Maneuver Skill Check. This follows
the normal rules for Maneuvers (see CP:R page 192).
Failure to perform a Maneuver will result in the vehicle
either falling back 1 square as it is forced to slow down
Crew Thief’s or spinning out of control (see CP:R page 192). The GM
Car Truck determines which result occurs based on the degree of
failure and the riskiness of the Maneuver in question.

BY NEIL BRANQUINHO

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 HOT PURSUIT
In addition to those listed in the core Ramming (DV17): In a chase, ramming
rulebook (see CP:R page 192), vehicle does not happen automatically by
operators can perform the following addi- pushing into the same square as an
tional Maneuvers during a chase. opponent but requires a focused attempt One if By Land
to crash into the target while still main-
NOS (DV13): If a vehicle has NOS, the Hot Pursuit was developed
taining control. Otherwise, it follows the
operator can activate it on their Turn as a with land vehicles in mind
same rules as in the core rulebook (see but there’s no reason they
standard Action. Doing so automatically
CP:R page 192). can’t be used for air or
moves the vehicle 1 square forward on
sea vehicle chases as well.
the Chase Grid. The Check is to deter- Passenger Actions Just apply common sense.
mine if the operator can maintain control Jumping from one AV to
during the harsh acceleration. Passengers can perform any Action they another is probably pos-
would normally be capable of within the sible, but leaping from one
PIT Maneuver (DV15): This Maneuver
limits placed upon them by being inside (or fighter jet to another in the
can only be performed if the operator’s
on top of) a moving vehicle. This includes middle of a dogfight would
vehicle is adjacent the the target vehicle be a legendary feat… at a
attacking the enemy or taking an Action
on the Chase Grid. The operator uses minimum!
to provide a Complimentary Skill Check
their vehicle to tap the target vehicle.
bonus (see CP:R page 130) to an ally.
This does no damage but causes the
target vehicle to wobble. At the end of Some examples of Complimentary Skill
the Round, the target vehicle’s operator Checks include using Local Expert to shout
makes their Position Check as if it were directions to the operator (bonus to the
one speed category lower (for example, operator’s next Positioning Check), using
10 MOVE instead of 15 MOVE). If this Perception to search for obstacles on the
would reduce the target vehicle’s effec- road ahead (bonus to the operator for their
tive Combat Speed below 8 MOVE, it next Maneuver Check), or using Tactics to
spins out of control and crashes (see direct ally fire (bonus to an ally’s Attack
CP:R page 192). Check).
Pull Ahead (DV17): This Maneuver Don’t forget more creative options! A
can only be performed if the operator’s paintball splattered on a chasing car’s
vehicle is adjacent to the target vehicle windshield can impose a penalty on the
on the Chase Grid. With skill and speed, operator’s Skill Checks to control the
an operator can risk their vehicle and vehicle. An Athletics Check to throw a large
their life by pulling ahead of the target enough obstacle in a chasing vehicle’s
vehicle. If they succeed, their vehicle path can force its operator to perform an
moves 1 square ahead of the target emergency Maneuver on their next Action.
vehicle on the Chase Grid. If they fail, Go wild!
they spin out of control or possibly run
into an obstacle such as an oncoming Ending the Chase
vehicle (see CP:R page 192).
A chase ends when one vehicle is unable
Pull in Close (DV13): The operator puts to continue for whatever reason (including
on a boost of extra speed, pushing their the occupants voluntarily stopping) or when
vehicle to the lower edge of their current the vehicles involved move more than 8
range band (for example, 7m/yds squares apart on the Chase Grid. If some-
instead of 12m/yds) until the end of the one’s gotten that much of a lead they’re
Round. This can make it easier for others able to vanish into the urban jungle. Maybe
to leap from one vehicle to another and the Crew escaped! Or maybe they’ll need
makes melee attacks against another to resort to new tactics to flush their prey
vehicle (or one of its occupants) possible. out again.

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Chase Grid
Grid