Cyberpunk 2020 vs NewEdo
Compare Cyberpunk 2020 and NewEdo side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Cyberpunk 2020 | NewEdo | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Cyberpunk | Cyberpunk, Fantasy |
| Play Style | Combat-Heavy, Skill-Based, Gritty, Deadly, Lore-Heavy, Career-Based, Corruption, Faction Play, Crunchy, Grimdark | Cinematic, Character Building, Crunchy, Classless, Faction Play, Heroic, High-Power, Urban Fantasy, Tactical |
| Core Mechanic | Stat + Skill + d10 against a difficulty value set by the GM (typically 15 for average tasks, scaling up to 30 for nearly impossible ones). Combat uses the same formula — REF + weapon skill + d10 against a target number modified by range. Hit location is rolled on a d10 table, and armor on each location absorbs damage separately. Cyberpsychosis tracks Humanity loss from cyberware installation, with characters losing Empathy as they augment. | Contests use a dice pool combining Core Trait d10s plus Skill dice (d4, d6, d8, or d12 depending on Focus) against a Target Number, with d10s exploding on 10s. Before each contest, the player Rolls their Fate on a d100 and resolves any matching lines on their personal Fate Card, which fills up with triggered effects as the character develops through Path abilities and in-game choices. Legend is the character's reputation and acts as a resource pool — spending up to 5 points of Temporary Legend per Round adds that total to a dice pool for cinematic stunts, and Legend is regained by doing memorable things. |
| Dice | d10 | d4–d12 dice pool |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Accessibility | Low | Medium |
| Runnability | Medium | Medium |
| License | Proprietary | All Rights Reserved |
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | R. Talsorian Games | Salty Games |
| Year | 1993 | 2022 |
| Best For | Groups who want a gritty, lethal cyberpunk setting with deep character roles, detailed cybernetics and gear, and a world where style matters as much as firepower. | Groups who want deep character customization across magic, cybernetics, and skills in a near-future city drawn from Japanese folklore and samurai fiction, with heavy factional politics and larger-than-life heroes fueled by their growing reputation. |
| Highlights | Nine distinct character roles (Rockerboy, Solo, Netrunner, Techie, Media, Cop, Corporate, Fixer, Nomad) each with a unique Special Ability. Lifepath system generates detailed backstories, allies, enemies, and romantic history. Extensive cyberware catalog with mechanical and narrative consequences. Night City setting is richly detailed with corporate profiles, gangs, and neighborhoods. | Priority Buy character creation distributes uneven resources across Backgrounds, Magic, Augmentations, Skills, and Core Traits so that no two builds share the same shape. Ten playable Lineages are drawn from Japanese folklore (bakeneko, kappa, karasu, kitsune, oni, saru, tanuki, usagi, human, and the cybernetic half-machine hisanaka), each with two Cultures. Seven Factions and their Paths tie every character to a political stance in the Empire. Magic is built around Shinpi and Rotes granted by tiers of kami — casters negotiate with spirits rather than memorizing spell slots. |
| Considerations | Netrunning subsystem operates on a separate timescale and can sideline other players during hacking sequences. Hit location and layered armor tracking add bookkeeping to every combat exchange. Rules for vehicle combat, martial arts, and fumbles are spread across multiple subsections with some inconsistencies between printings. | Dense interlocking subsystems — Legend, Fate Card, Trait Noise, Shinpi, Priority Buy, Derived Traits, Wound tiers, and four Soak types — take significant time to internalize before first play. Core rulebook runs over 300 pages and is paid only, with no free quickstart or SRD. The setting mixes cyberpunk, samurai fiction, and yokai folklore in a single package, which may not suit groups looking for a pure take on any one genre. |