Trauma

When a PC uses their last edge point, they suffer a level of trauma. When you take trauma, mark one of your trauma conditions like Cold, Reckless, Unstable, etc. They’re all described below.

When you suffer trauma, you’re taken out of action. You’re “left for dead” or otherwise dropped out of the current scene, only to come back later, shaken and drained. When you return, you have reset your edge and your vice has been satisfied for the next downtime (any long period between missions).

Trauma conditions are permanent. Your character acquires the new personality quirk indicated by the condition, and can earn karma by using it to cause trouble. When you mark your fourth trauma condition, your character cannot continue as a cyberpunk. You must retire them to a different life or send them to prison to take the fall for the crew’s wanted level.

• Cold: You’re not moved by emotional appeals or social bonds.
• Haunted: You’re often lost in reverie, reliving past horrors, seeing things.
• Obsessed: You’re enthralled by one thing: an activity, a person, an ideology.
• Paranoid: You imagine danger everywhere; you can’t trust others.
• Reckless: You have little regard for your own safety or best interests.
• Soft: You’re lenient; you become sentimental, passive, gentle.
• Unstable: Your emotional state is volatile. You can instantly rage, or fall into despair, act impulsively, or freeze up.
• Vicious: You seek out opportunities to hurt people, even for no good reason.

You can play your trauma conditions as much or as little as you like. They can totally transform your character’s persona or have only a small impact—it’s up to you. If you do play them strongly, though, allowing a trauma condition to complicate your character’s life, you earn xp for it when xp is awarded at the end of the session.