Hey Cyberpunks, let’s start by the beginning and jump into the past.
After the Cyberpunk RED corebook release in 2020 many of us expected to have a supplement that could tell us more about the different factions that were haunting Night City. Sure you had a few ones mentioned in the corebook but none of them were really detailed and people were frustrated (at least, I know I was).
So, when Danger Gal Dossier was published in 2025, the expectations were high. Was Talsorian up to the challenge? Let’s dive in and see how they did.
Aesthetics/Artwork
The book has a hardback cover, and its illustration - which is really cool - itself adds to the lore surrounding the legendary Danger Gal and Michiko Sandersen. In this respect, it ties in with the book’s overarching theme, which I’ll discuss later.
Inside, you’ll find the classic visual style of Cyberpunk RED products, with three-quarter-page illustrations for each chapter created by different artists in different styles. Whether you like it or not, there’s something for everyone.
Now, let’s talk about the factions. Visually, a logo has been created for each of them and we were expecting no less. Then, the NPC illustrations arrive and… it’s quite disappointing. They do replicate the poses of the miniatures developed by Monster Fight Club, the creators of the board game Combat Zone, with whom R.Talsorian has worked closely on this book.
I, for one, find these NPC illustrations to be of very average and uneven quality, maybe a bit too cartoonish for my taste and definitively up to the ones we had in the corebook.
Ergonomy/Structure
The 173-page book is divided into six parts and is designed to be immersive, with a central theme that is more or less announced right from the cover: there has been a heist at the Danger Gal HQ.
The first part explains how to use the book. The instructions are clear and detailed, with a warning to players not to peek at the scenario.
The second and main part, on the factions, begins with a “message” sent to all Danger Gal agents regarding the implementation of an emergency protocol designed to verify the information the Corporation holds on fifteen different factions, following an intrusion by external agents. This is the famous overarching theme, as this message is directly linked to the final scenario. Each faction is presented by an “agent/informant” working for Danger Gal who has compiled the information into a dossier (hence the title of the book).
Part three comprises five pages of equipment. Although called “New Gear”, only three of the thirty items presented are actually new. The other items come from various free DLCs that can be found on R.Talsorian website, but the designers were keen to bring everything together in one place to make it easier to use the NPCs and save time, which is to their credit.
The fourth section is a guide to create NPCs in Cyberpunk RED. It provides plenty of advice and step-by-step instructions on how to do this easily, as well as generic NPC templates by level, which I’ll discuss later.
The fifth chapter is a short scenario called “The Incident”, which follows on from the activation of the emergency protocol and the break-in at Danger Gal’s premises. It’s a fun scenario to run… and apparently a fun one to play, if I’m to believe the feedback from my own players
Finally, the last section is a collection of lists that will allow you to find any NPC in the book, whether by faction, level or role. They have clearly been put together by people who play Cyberpunk RED and have thought through the different ways they can be used.
Usefulness for the GM
Not only does the supplement provide background on the various factions featured - including their bases of operations, recent history, resources and objectives - but it also allows players to encounter individual NPCs with well-developed personal backstories who can be related directly to the lifepath of their characters.
For each faction, the NPCs are categorised by the specific ranks developed for Cyberpunk RED: Mook, Hardened Mook, Lieutenant, Hardened Lieutenant, Mini-Boss, Boss and finally Hardened Boss, and can easily serve as inspiration for quickly coming up with an NPC encountered during improvisation.
The section on NPC creation is also useful, particularly regarding the generic NPC creation templates, which are so handy they could easily find their way onto a GM’s screen.
Finally, the short scenario included here introduces us to a new group of NPCs: the Shroomers, who are a community established in the bowels of Night-City and who primarily cultivate mushrooms. The scenario is short, well-paced, and may allow the PCs to make some very interesting new contacts whilst opening up possibilities for future adventures (but no spoilers here, I can’t say more).
There’s no need to hesitate; Danger Gal Dossier is an essential resource for any self-respecting GM. The information provided adds much greater depth to Night-City and its inhabitants and, depending on the scenarios developed, allows you to turn them into powerful enemies or indispensable allies who may become recurring characters.
In my view, Danger Gal Dossier also boasts one of the most powerful tools in the game at present (2nd quarter 2026): NPC creation templates that are simple yet incredibly effective.
Usefulness for the PC
As with all RPG supplements that provide lore and discuss factions or NPCs, it is difficult to know whether it will be useful to players or whether it will simply spoil the surprise and reveal the secrets of these non-player characters.
Whilst it could, of course, help player characters add depth to their contacts and their own backstories, or serve as a reference during Streetwise rolls for the factions featured, access to it should, in my opinion, remain under the GM’s control so that information is doled out sparingly to create better game dynamics.
As for equipment, the three new items presented are very minor, and all the others are already available in Talsorian’s free monthly DLCs. There is therefore little of interest for players.
So, would I recommend players to buy it? Well, it depends. If they are really into the lore of Cyberpunk RED, then yes as it is a real mine of stories. If they are collectors, no hesitation here as well as it is, in my humble opinion, one of the best - if not the best- product for cyberpunk RED released so far (and yes, I have also read and reviewed online Night City 2045).
Otherwise, although some NPCs might serve as inspiration for character development, the information contained within is, let’s be honest, primarily intended for the GM.
Lore/innovation
Like said earlier, the immersive experience runs from the cover right through to the very end of the book, with the story of the break-in at the Danger Gals’ premises serving as a central thread and will eventually bring the PCs in contact with everyone’s favourite corporation (is it?).
The exploration of the various factions, far more in-depth and diverse than those presented in the core rulebook, is also a sure way to delve into the underbelly of Night City and learn much more about the predators lurking there. And it holds a number of surprises in store. However, I have very mixed feelings about the fifteen factions featured.
I particularly appreciate the development of certain gangs such as The Maelstrom and the Tyger Claws, as well as factions like the NCPD and Trauma Team, which are key elements of the lore and certainly deserved to be included in the supplement.
Others, such as the Piranhas or the Zoners, are also excellent additions that fit well with the game’s punk aesthetic and which players will encounter at some point during their runs.
However, several of them, in my view, do not belong here, notably the Digital Divas, the Sighseers and Team Monster.
For the first two, they are too trivial; in my view, they should be considered more as “teams” than fully-fledged factions, and could have appeared in DLC.
As for Team Monster, its case is unique since, since Talsorian explains from the outset that this book was developed in partnership with the company Monster Fight Club. So, it’s a safe bet that including their own PCs was part of the deal. Therefore a commercial choice for what is, once again, more of a team than a true faction.
Finally, I couldn't write this review without talking about the one that has caused the most heated discussions on social media: Generation RED. A gang of armed and dangerous street kids (not even teenagers for some of them). What to do with them? That’s up to each GM and, as the book advises, a decision to be made based on the players’ boundaries.
In conclusion, the factions presented here are very uneven in terms of both power and significance. One might then wonder why R.Talsorian chose to ignore certain major gangs that have been present since the earliest versions of the game. Well, read up to the end and I will give you my take.
Overall
Whilst the art direction is, in my opinion, still not quite up to the standard of what’s possible in illustration today, Danger Gal Dossier is nonetheless very well presented, very clear and, above all, highly effective in terms of its layout and structure. It has been designed and playtested by players, not just salespeople, and it shows because it is easy to find your way around and access the information you are looking for.
As for its usefulness, it is an essential resource for any GM. The information provided offers a wealth of lore, but it also has the advantage of being useful when generating any type of NPC. It can also help players add more depth to their backstories and their knowledge of the streets of Night City and some of the factions they might encounter there.
Be careful, however, not to reveal too much, or you risk spoiling the surprises created by the authors.
Regarding the choice of factions (here is my take!), with a bit of hindsight, it feels like a business decision. There are enough gangs missing from this supplement that I can say, without much risk of being wrong, that a second volume will be released in due course.
To conclude, Danger Gal Dossier now holds a special place among my Cyberpunk RED supplements, as I consider it the most important to date, after the rulebook (and yes, even before Night City 2045).
Oh, let's not forget the add-on to this supplement: the free DLC provided by R.Talsorian on their website.
It brings us some plot hooks for each faction, a new NPC for the Bozos’ gang and some more intel linked to the scenario. Don’t forget to download it: https://rtalsoriangames.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/RTG-CPR-DLC-DangerGalDossierPlus.pdf
