5.5E to Cyberpunk RED

I went back and forth on this for an upcoming Cyberpunk RED meets Forgotten Realms game. Not the infamous meme about 5E players lacking the ability to play another game, but a game about being punks in a future version of the Forgotten Realms.

Art by Anselm Zielonka (Edited by Me)

Why?

As Shadowrun in concept is cool but I really don’t like any of its mechanics and find the lore to be cringe. Something that won’t get any better with the effort Cataclysm Game Labs puts into it.

I eventually went for something simple to convert the numbers over.

If the modifier is 0 or higher, add to 4, if it is -1 or lower, use a base number of 5. So, 4 +2 = 6, 5 -2 = 3.

Use all Attack bonuses as combat skills without conversion. Characteristics are converted accordingly

Dex = REF
Your Attack Modifier Characteristic (Str or Dex) = DEX
(Dex + Int)/2 = TECH, this was a recommendation, I previously had it just be derived from Int
Int = INT
Wis = COOL
Wis = WILL
(Str + Con)/2 = BODY
Cha = EMP
(Speed/5)-2 = MOVE
Proficiencies Bonus = LUCK, but no adding or subtracting here, +2 is 2 LUCK if required by an NPC/Monster.

Recalculate HP as normal, this does tend to put most monsters in the 40 HP range, which is not that strange for the idea a monster is tough but not invulnerable.

Use all skills values without conversion, Initiative becomes Combat Awareness. Use Proficiencies Bonus as an Other skill.

AC-10-Dex Mod	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Natural SP	5	7	10	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Worn SP	4	7	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18

Monsters do not take natural armour penalties
Damage Calculation, every dice size above or below d6 increases or decreases the total d6s rolled. Ignore modifiers. 1d4 becomes 2 and less than 1d4 damage becomes 1.

Ex. 2d6 = 2d6, 2d8 = 4d6, 2d10 = 6d6, 2d4 = 1d6.

Add an extra d6 for two handed weapons.

DV for skills, saving throws and spells follow a formula, with rounding down if a DC value cannot reach the next tier.

DC	5	8	10	12	15	20	25	30	35
DV	9	11	13	14	15	17	21	24	29

Saving Throws are a little tricky. As Cyberpunk RED tends to assign them all to wither DEX or WILL. And While I was fine to split them up between DEX and WILL skills, there wasn’t enough DEX skills to assign them properly, with a missing DEX skill to replace Cha saving throws.

So, if a 5E saving throw is required follow this chart

Dex	DEX + Dodge/Evasion
Str	DEX + Athletics
Con	WILL + Endurance
Int	WILL + Concentration
Wis	WILL + Resist Torture/Drugs
Cha	EMP + Concentration

This does create a particular RED issue though. Concentration the skill naturally covers what should be a Constitution saving throw for a D&D 5E Concentration check. But the core them of a Constitution is withstanding the distraction/pain, which Resist Torture/Drugs would be better.

Endurance was therefore a compromise. And they all use WILL anyway, so feel free to change things.

Magic

Magic is tricky as RED treats magic like a weapon. Rolling to hit a target with range drop-off while D&D treats it like a condition that it is up to the target to avoid or mitigate, rolling a saving throw or just suffering through attrition.

Magic can be dealt with importing the table from Elfline Online: Magic Returns or it can be it’s own strange thing, something that happens to people that must be dealt with outside of the normal process. This latter idea also means less work.

I’d keep conditions as is, I would have to write a bunch of exceptions anyway.

Magic by default is a x1 INT skill, just like in Elfline Online. But if a species starts with a magical cantrip or knowledge of a cantrip, the type of magic they use to cast it is equivalent listed Stat + Magic Skill. So, an Aaismar casts their Light cantrip with EMP + Magic. In universe, this is how people differentiate between traditions like druidism, religious, shadow, wild or weave magic.

If a Magic Skill is required to be calculated, it is saving throw DC-8 = Skill

Example Medusa 5.5E to Cyberpunk RED

REF 7 DEX 7 BOD 6 TECH 6 INT 5 COOL 5 WILL 5 EMP 6

Combat Awareness +6

Deception +5

Perception +4

Stealth +6

Other +3

Thermographic Vision 50 y/m

HP 40 SP 10

Attacks Two Claw + 1 Hair or 3 Ray

Claw +6/+13 2d6

Hair +6/+13 2 Piercing + 4d6 Poison

Ray +5/+12 4d6 Poison

Petrifying Gaze (Recharge 5-6) Roll WILL + Endurance vs DV14

Each creature in a 30-foot Cone. If the medusa sees its reflection in the Cone, the medusa must make this save. First Failure: The target has the Restrained condition and repeats the save at the end of its next turn if it is still Restrained, ending the effect on itself on a success. Second Failure: The target has the Petrified condition instead of the Restrained condition.

RED Species – Players Hand Book

Still a dumb and pointless renaming for races, considering most of the D&D lot can interbreed when bad 70s biology isn’t being used. I will only note the changes required for the mechanics later as things have delayed this longer than they should have.