How attributes and perk trees work in Cyberpunk 2077

On the surface, Cyberpunk looks like your average open-world shooter, but the RPG elements play an even bigger role than you may think. As the game starts by showing an attribute leveling system similar to the Fallout series, over time it becomes much deeper, with a large number of skill trees to place attention on. Here’s how each attribute and tree will alter your character.

Body attribute

Spending attribute points on the Body category will mainly boost melee damage, stamina, and health. Here are the stat increases with each point spent on this attribute.

• Add 5 Health Points
• Add 3 Stamina Points
• Increase hand combat damage by 3
• Increase melee weapon damage by 1.5%
• Decrease movement penalty by 6%
• Increase movement while grappling by five seconds

Body perk trees

Meanwhile, the attribute has three separate skill trees. Although each serves its own valuable purpose, we recommend starting with the Athletics tree, as certain perks inside upgrade your health dramatically.

• Athletics: Focuses on the regeneration and increase of both your stamina and health.
  • Notable perks: The Rock, Wolverine, and Marathoner.
• Annihilation: Holds upgrades that increase movement speed and critical hit damage.
  • Notable perks: Speed Demon, Skeet Shooter, and Massacre.
• Street Brawler: Carries perks that increase melee damage and decrease stamina usage.
  • Notable perks: Frenzy, Guerrilla, and Human Fortress.

Reflexes attribute

Reflexes may arguably be the most important offensive attribute, as upgrading it and its trees means higher weapon damage and faster reloading times. Here are the three bonuses given each time you level up the main attribute.

• Increase passive Evasion by 1%
• Adds another 1% to Critical Hit Chance
• Increase damage from Mantis Blades by 3

Reflexes perk trees

Yes, the attribute’s leveling bonuses are underwhelming, but you cannot go wrong with dedicating your time to filling out one of its following skill trees. Assault may hold the best perks, but it certainly comes down to what weapon you use most.

• Handguns: Increases accuracy and damage of all Pistols and Revolvers.
  • Notable perks: Brainpower, Lead Sponge, and A Fistful of Eurodollars.
• Blades: Filled with perks offering stamina and damage bonuses for Blade kills
  • Notable perks: Deathbolt, Dragonstrike, and Blessed Blade
• Assault: Boosts damage and lessens recoil on Rifles and Submachine Guns.
  • Notable perks: Named Bullets, Savage Stoic, and Recoil Wrangler

Technical Ability attribute

As you might have noticed, some doors are locked and cannot be breached with a low level Technical Ability attribute. Even though leveling up this perk doesn’t offer much but 5% increase in Armor, you’ll slowly be hacking your way around Night City with each new level.

Technical Ability perk trees

There are only two trees that support this attribute. Though, you may want to hold off until you are at least five to six hours into the game, as many of the perks are for building or using rare weapons.

• Crafting: Allows users to craft stronger weapons and for a lower cost.
  • Notable perks: Edgerunner Artisan, Tune-Up, and Cutting Edge.
• Engineering: Here, most perks supply added damage and ammo to Tech weapons and explosives.
  • Notable perks: Revamp, Superconductor, and Ubercharge

Intelligence attribute

Increasing your Intelligence attribute will ultimately allow you to use more quickhacks on vulnerable tech and for longer amount of time. Thus, taking over something like an armed drone will eventually last minutes rather than seconds. Here are the stats bonuses for leveling up Intelligence.

• Increase cyberdeck RAM capacity by 4%
• Increase quickhack damage by .5%
• Increase quickhack duration by 1%

Intelligence perk trees

With breach sequences slowing users down from controlling devices, the following trees make their rewards worthwhile. In addition, there are also skills that allow for certain hacks to take less RAM.

• Breach Protocol: Carries perks revolving around an increase of Deamon effects and easier Breach sequences.
  • Notable perks: Compression, Current Shutdown, and Buffer Optimization.
• Quickhacking: Holds upgrades primarily lowering RAM costs and making quickhacks last longer.
  • Notable perks: Master RAM Liberator, Bartmoss’ Legacy, and Plague

Cool attribute

The Cool attribute emphasizes an increase of offensive stats while using stealth. Although some may favor Reflexes due to its overpowering offensive trees, this category undoubtedly offers the best attribute bonuses. Here are the stat boosts with each level achieved.

• Increase Critical Damage by 2%
• Increase all Resistances by 1%
• Increase stealth damage by 10%
• Reduce speed of an enemy’s detection by .5%
• Increase monowire damage

Cool perk trees

These next two skill trees likely offer some of the best speed and Hit Chance boosts. However, most perks do limit their abilities to those who are only using stealth and close combat.

• Stealth: Increases damage and movement speed while using stealth.
  • Notable perks: Ninjutsu, Neurotoxin, and Hasty Retreat.
• Cold Blood: All perks in this tree boost either your damage, Critical Hit Chance, or Cold Blood stacking amount.
  • Notable perks: Merciless, Immunity, and Bloodswell.