The Exec is a Role in the Cyberpunk Red TTRPG that exemplifies the edgy, frequently dangerous nature of doing (il)legitimate business in the dystopian capitalist future.
Their primary Role ability is called “Teamwork”. It gets them some housing perks, but mechanically it provides some non player characters (minions if you will) to help the Exec do their job. More ranks in the Role ability means adding more members to your team and some other corporate perks along the way.
Honestly, I was on the fence about the Exec for awhile when I started my CP Red campaign. So much so that I wouldn’t allow my players to create one unless they could make a strong case. My table was mostly full of D&D 3.5 edition veterans and I felt that as noobs to the game it would be a hard sell.
A few years on and our Nomad’s player retired his character (due to in game shenanigans) and decided to start an Exec. I have no regrets about it.
Execs need a few things to really shine. By necessity they need to work within an organization. It doesn’t need to be one of the big corporate entities, but it does need to be a place that can provide them with the resources they receive as part of their Role ability. They could even own their business, join organized crime, or be some kind of freelance troubleshooter who is contracted by other organizations, so they’re not stuck only working corporate jobs.
The player and GM should give this a good think as it provides all kinds of plot hooks. Just because they spend some time at the cubicle farm doesn’t mean they don’t have enemies gunning for them. I think this will come as a surprise within my game as business rivals begin to challenge my player’s character in the open and from the shadows.
Something I also decided on was to add some changes to the Exec. I felt that they should have some ability to draw on the resources of their parent organization. I gave them what is essentially expense accounts. Its not mountains of money, but a little extra from time to time. It also gives them a good reason to flex muscles on skills that an Exec SHOULD have but just don’t seem to get a lot of use, namely skills like Business and Accounting.
Team Members got a bit of an upgrade as well. Mostly using an ability I call “delegate”. The Exec can command specific tasks in higher stakes situations by using the Business skill to manage their employee in special ways. All of this is an active in game beta test right now, but so far nothing comes across as over powered and I think its been a good change to the things that, in my opinion, were lacking in the role.
Depending on the GM and the table in general, NPCs can be a mixed bag. As an example, in a D&D campaign I play in, the GM (and players) tend to treat NPCs as cannon fodder or almost generic quest givers. I think this is a mistake so most of my NPCs have a past, motivations, likes and dislikes. I do this with Exec team members as well. The loyalty mechanic associated with team members ensures that throwing them to the wolves gives the Exec a worse reputation over time. No one wants to work for an awful boss.
Overall, the Exec Role has been a pleasant surprise and has given me a few new ways to get creative for a character type that is pretty unique. I will need to see what the future holds for the changes I have made to the Role and make further edits as needed.
Leave a Reply