INTRODUCTION

Welcome to a rather minced version of the shadows, chummer.

If you have no idea what you're doing, this should fill you in:

The Players create characters known colloquially as “Shadowrunners”, which is defined as “clandestine groups of individuals who engage in acts that are illegal or quasi-illegal.” The system is classless, which means you are not rigidly shoehorned into a role, but the most effective builds are ones that suit a purpose, like inhumanly quick and strong “Samurai” of an urban jungle, systemic-minded computer hackers or “Deckers”, and unusually gifted Magicians.

The Game Master, as in most games, keeps the game running as the players engage in illegal activity. In keeping with the themes of Shadowrun and most other cyberpunk series, the goal is not so much to make the players feel like heroes, but to provide them with an almost unending level of complications, allowing the characters to briefly rise above the drudgery through the exceptional circumstances of the shadows.

Legwork or “The Planning Stage” is what confuses some people who are used to more combat-heavy RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons. In Shadowrun, combat with the established big players of the setting is, at best, likely to make your job much harder, at worst, impossible odds that will almost certainly kill a player character if pushed too far. As it would be in real life, the ultimate goal of a successful criminal is to avoid unnecessary combat as much as possible. Keeping this in mind, your will want to plan your moves carefully: do research on the Matrix, scope out your contacts, and most importantly, know exactly where you're supposed to go in the first place, and how to get there.

The System uses only d6, where the most common tests will require you to roll Attribute + Skill d6, where successes are measured in rolls of 5s or 6s. The actual nature of the system is essentially Shadowrun 2E, distinguished by it's simple attribute system and lack of skill bloat that the other editions of Shadowrun had, but with the success conditions of Shadowrun 3E, and other easily-ported quality of life things from 4E and 5E like certain qualities and the addition of mystic adepts and technomancers. As my own games are run in the early 2060s (the time period of the third edition), certain elements of later years in the setting like commlinks replacing cyberdecks are not included or mechanically provided, but should be fairly easy to port in for people who want to play more futuristic games.

The game is played in an alternative timeline Earth where humanity entered the 6^th world, marked by the end of The Long Count in the Mayan Calender. In 2012, magic returned to the world after being lost since the days of Atlantis, and dragons awoke from hibernation to find a dominant metahuman species that had taken technology to unthinkable levels. As corporations continued to grow, the major military powers of the 20^th century were weakened by economic failure and the lack of foresight necessary to deal with the new magical presence on Earth. Corporations and dragons, which are not mutually exclusive, are now the most powerful entities on Earth. For a more detailed overview of the 6^th world, see the introduction to the rulebook of the first edition of Shadowrun.

Being an extension of our own very dense world, the 6^th World has a lot to offer and players can be introduced to it in a number of different ways. Players could be low-life runners working with a newbee fixer to manage their runs, a group of hardened criminals that practically keep the world running by themselves, or even slum-life criminals that aren't even runners up until a certain point. While the DM decides how the players get brought together, success should always be determined by the abilities of the players.

CHARACTER CREATION

Choosing Your Metatype

Metatype refers to your character's “race”(Human, Elf, Dwarf, Ork or Troll). Each metatype carries bonuses and restrictions, some have unique characteristics.

Human

The average human is 5”9.5' inches tall or 176 cm. At the age of 30, they weigh about 150 pounds or 68 kg.

Coloration ranges from pinkish-white to ebony.

The average human lives to be about 72 years old.

Humans are, as of 2060, the most populous metatype on the planet.

Humans gain +5 more resource points at character creation.

Elf

The average elf is 6”1 inches tall or 185.5 cm. At the age of 30, they weigh about 136 pounds or 62 kg.

Coloration is always either pale pink, pinkish-white, or ebony. Their ears are pointed and their eyes are almond shaped. Elven hair can only be straight or wavy, not curly. Elves stop aging at the culmination of puberty and begin aging again after a human's menopausal age (about 50 years old)

It is not known what the average lifespan of an elf is, since none of them have died of old age yet, but it is estimated to be about 105 years old.

Elves are, as of 2060, the third most populous metatype on the planet.

An elf has low-light vision.

Dwarf

The average dwarf is 3”9 inches tall or 120 cm. At the age of 30, they weigh about 158 pounds or 72 kg.

Coloration ranges from pinkish-white to ebony. Dwarves don't tan well. They have more body hair on average than a human and have large, long ears and nose.

It is not known what the average lifespan of an dwarf is, since none of them have died of old age yet, but it is estimated to be about 105 years old.

Dwarves are, as of 2060, the fourth most populous metatype in the world, much less common than elves; the third.

An dwarf has thermographic vision.

A dwarf gains 2 more dice than usual to resist pathogens.

A dwarf spends 20% more on equipment to suit their size.

A dwarf has 15 movement speed instead of the average 20.

Ork

The average ork is 6”1 inches tall or 185.5 cm. At the age of 30, they weigh about 165 pounds or 75 kg.

Their coloration is broadened from the typical spectrum and can gain red or yellow pigment. Head hair usually grows fast. They have broad noses and thin lips. Their ears are elongated and sometimes pointed. They have 32 teeth, which have a tendency to elongate as a result of dental crowding.

The average ork lives to be about 56 years old.

Orks are, as of 2060, the second most populous metatype in the world. By 2070 they are estimated to overtake humans as the dominant metatype.

An ork has low-light vision.

Troll

The average troll is 7”3 inches tall or 221 cm. At the age of 30, they weigh about 275 pounds or 125 kg.

Their coloration is broadened from the typical spectrum and can gain red, yellow, blue or mahogany pigment. They are heavily built and have especially massive chests and arms, as a result of dermal bone deposition along their spine. Their noses are broad, and their ears are slightly longer than usual. They have 34 teeth, two of which are enlarged molars with extreme convulsions. They have dermal “horns” on each side of their top of their head, which researchers have shown aid in protecting the skull.

The average troll lives to be about 50 years old.

Trolls are, as of 2060, the least common metatype in the world.

Trolls start with 15 Resource Points rather than 20.

A troll has thermographic vision.

A troll gains +1 reach with melee weapons that are suited to their size.

A troll spends 100% more on equipment to suit their size.

Other Options

Players with at least ten sessions of play time can create a metavariant or metasapient character. The details for these characters are laid out here.

Priority Generated Character Creation

The typical method of character generation is done by method of Priority Gen. Players choose what they would like to prioritize based on the following grid:

Where, after determining priorities, humans have 25 resource points, elves, dwarves and orks have has 20 resource points, and trolls have 15. Free skill points for knowledge skills are equal to the unaugmented intelligence of the character multiplied by 2.

The recommended way of using this table is Sum to 6, where players choose up to 6 points off this grid. Any left over BP is converted to 5 resource points. Resource points can be used to buy an additional spell for 20 resource points, 1000 nuyen for 1 resource point, or qualities. In addition, any equipment you would like to buy with your nuyen that has a license restriction costs 5 resource points to buy in addition to the regular price. If an item is highly illegal or restricted, it cannot be bought on character gen. Nothing with a price estimation can be bought either. (“At least X”)

If you want, you can increase or decrease the power of starting characters by using Sum to 7, Sum to 5, etc. Another option is a Sorted Priority grid, where a player puts one factor at 3, one at 2, one at 1, and one at 0.

Qualities

Positive Qualities are bought with resource points. Negative qualities award resource points. You can have up to three qualities at character gen, though you can “earn” more later if the DM feels it is appropriate. You cannot end up with more than a sum total of 20 resource points as a result of qualities. For example, taking Adrenaline Surge (-15 resource points), Bad Luck (+10 resource points) and Addiction [Burnout] (+20 resource points) would be legal, because you would end up with a sum total of +15 resource points. However, simply taking Bad Luck (+10 resource points) and Addiction [Burnout] (+20 resource points) by themselves for +30 resource points would not be legal.

Positive Qualities:

Acrobatic Defender: You can dodge using your Gymnastics Skill bonus on top of your Dodge skill bonus. 15 Resource Points.

Adrenaline Surge: +1 Reaction Class, you always act first on the first turn of combat. This does not allow a surprised character to act first in an ambush. 15 Resource Points.

Agile Defender: You can dodge using your Gymnastics Skill instead of the dodge skill. 3 Resource Points.

Ambidextrous: You are equally good with both hands, which means you do not get any penalty to your offhand, and dual-wielding only lowers your dicepool by 2 rather than 4. 4 Resource Points.

Analytical Mind: When trying to crack things like cyphers, puzzles and complex machinery, the DM will give you much more information than usual when performing the proper skill check. Extended Technical tests also take half the usual time. 5 Resource Points.

Animal Friend: +3 to Animal Handling tests for calming an animal or telling them to back off. 5 Resource Points.

Aptitude: One skill levels alongside an attribute. 10 Resource Points.

Astral Chameleon: Those who try to assess you lose -2d6 to do so. Your astral signatures also only last half as long as usual. Must be awakened. 10 Resource Points.

Barren Rat: You're very experienced with hiding stolen goods and illegal items. +1 Concealability to all items you carry. 5 Resource Points

Biocompatability (Cyberware/Bioware): -0.1 essence cost on specified ware for ware that would normally remove at least 0.2 essence. For ware that removes less than that, -0.01 essence cost. Cannot be taken twice. 8 Resource Points.

Brand Loyalty: You have a specific company as an interest (for knowledge skills) and you gain a +1 dicepool with or involving any product from that company. 3 Resource Points.

Black Market Pipeline: You can regularly purchase items at are two stages of legality higher than your license quality with a single category of merchandise. You also get to sell these items at a base rate of (8% * Negotiation) rather than (5% * Negotiation) as is the standard. 15 Resource Points.

Cat-like: Your footsteps are more silent than usual, and you gain +1 success to all sneak rolls for silent running. 8 Resource Points.

Chaser: You're way into vehicle chases. +2d6 to the Catch-Up and Breakaway driving actions, and these actions are no longer capped by a vehicle limit. 5 Resource Points.

City Slicker: +2d6 to survival and navigation checks, +2 to the Tracking skill, and +2 Leadership while in cities. 10 Resource Points.

Codeslinger: +2 dicepool for a specific Matrix action. 10 Resource Points.

College Education: 1 point in every knowledge skill. (Note: Only for knowledge skills you haven't already increased.) 3 Resource Points.

Combat Healer: -1 Condition modifier for healing this character during combat. 2 Resource Points.

Cyber Devotion: You have a religious connection to cyberware. For every set of cyberlimbs or a cybertorso, gain +1 Willpower. 15 Resource Points.

Daredevil: When performing an action the DM rules would be particularly brave or daring, you automatically get the ability to reroll the proper test for that action without karma. 8 Resource Points.

Dealer Connection: You can purchase and lawfully drive vehicles and drones with a Rigger's License or Specialized License D requirement even without those licenses. 3 Resource Points.

Deus Vult: You can recover from wounds with Willpower rather than Body. 4 Resource Points..

Digital Doppelganger: This is the same as the Mistaken Identity quality but only applies on the Matrix. Either you are copying someone's Matrix persona, or they are copying you. 7 Resource Points.

Disreputable Authority: This character is or used to be some sort of corrupt official, often with the intention of quelling the numbers of some sort of group, or doing something equally nefarious. When dealing with people that would fit in with this character, they gain 2 more dice for intimidation tests. 3 Resource Points.

Double-Jointed: +2 Escape Artist, squeeze into tight spaces. 6 Resource Points.

Drug Tolerance: +2d6 for Pathogen Resistance checks to resist Addiction. 6 Resource Points.

Eagle Eye: Characters with the Eagle Eye quality reduce all vision penalities applied on them by -3. This applies to natural eyes only, any use of bioware or cyberware eyes will remove this quality. 5 Resource Points.

Elemental Focus: +2 dicepool with spells of an element you choose, and +2 ER with that element. Must be awakened. 10 Resource Points.

Empowered By Hatred: +2 damage value to all spells that do damage, +1 drain to all spells that do damage. 8 Resource Points.

Exceptional Attribute: +1 to the max of any stat. 15 Resource Points.

Fade to Black: As long as you undergo a successful Matrix Hide action, you can jack out of the Matrix without any dumpshock penalties. 8 Resource Points.

Fame (Local): This character is famous within a specific community. They gain 2 Public Awareness and +2d6 on Charm rolls when talking to people who know of them. 4 Resource Points.

Fame (National): This character is famous throughout an entire country. They gain 3 Public Awareness and +3d6 on Charm rolls when talking to people who know of them. 10 Resource Points.

First Impression: +2 to Charisma during first meetings. 12 Resource Points.

Focused Concentration (1/2/3/4): You can learn spells that are (level) force higher than your maximum capability. You can also cast spells that are within this number of Force beyond your focus within suffering extra drain as you normally would (For example, a Force IV focus could be used to sustain a Force V spell with no penalties). 4 Resource Points per level.

Gearhead: +1 to one vehicle skill, +1 success for all stunt checks. 10 Resource Points.

Guts: +2d6 to resist fear and intimidation. 10 Resource Points.

Grease Monkey: Gain Knowledge (Engineering) as an interest, +1 to Armorer and a repair specialization in all vehicle skills that you have invested points in. 8 Resource Points.

Go Big Or Go Home: +1d6 to Matrix attack actions for each level of damage you do to the host. 7 Resource Points.

Hard Worker: Most positive qualities involve some sort of innate talent or special ability--not for you, you just strive to be the best. Leveling any skill beyond 5 takes 1 less karma than usual. 2 Resource Points.

High Pain Tolerance (1/2/3): Can resist up to (level) wound modifier. 5 Resource Points per level.

I C U: +2d6 for Matrix Perception. 8 Resource Points.

Indomitable: (1/2/3): +(level) to the limits of all stats. 5 Resource Points per level.

Inspired: +3d6 to an Artisan skill and said skill can be leveled beyond your intelligence. You also gain 2 Street Cred. 4 Resource Points.

Lucky: +1 to your Edge and +1 to your edge attribute's maximum. 15 Resource Points.

Linguist: As soon as you reach 4 skill points in a language, that language is considered a language you know completely. 5 Resource Points.

Lightning Reflexes: +2 Reaction Class. 15 Resource Points.

Made Man: You are a minor member of an organized crime syndicate. You gain the ability to purchase any items from this syndicate that they would happen to have in stock whilst ignoring license requirements. However, this quality also requires that you take a Code of Honor related to your syndicate without being awarded Resource Points. 5 Resource Points.

Matrix Ninja: Gain the ability to ignore the Sleaze rating limit on your deck when using Matrix Hide by rolling Edge. 5 Resource Points.

Master Mentor: You gain one contact that has 15 dice in a knowledge skill you choose. 5 Resource Points.

Magical Resistance (1/2/3/4): Gain (level) magic resistance. 5 Resource Points per level.

Mistaken Identity: Something about you reminds people of someone more affable: the morning weather girl, a sports announcer, etc. You gain +2d6 to all charisma tests with “minor characters” (usually people who have no given name), but the real benefit is that when you get caught on camera, people will assume it's someone else. 10 Resource Points.

Multicultural: You get two different communities of your choice as interests at character creation, and the range of area that designate a community is increased: For example, a character with Interest: Boston would be expanded to Interest: Massachusetts. 5 Resource Points.

Natural Athlete: +2 to Gymnastics and Swimming. This character can also run an unlimited amount of turns in combat without taking fatigue. 10 Resource Points.

Natural Hardening: +1 Biofeedback Resistance. 10 Resource Points.

Natural Immunity: You're immune to a disease or toxin. 5 Resource Points for natural diseases or toxin, 10 Resource Points for synthetic disease or toxin (like Tear Gas). A character cannot be immune to a magical contagion.

Outdoorsman: +2d6 to survival and navigation checks, +2 to the Tracking skill, and +2 Leadership while in rural areas. 10 Resource Points.

Out For Myself: You prefer to work and fight alone—this unpredictability means that even people tracking your “friends” won't know what to do. Threshold for enemies resisting your surprise attacks is increased to 5 successes. Double Notoriety for selfishness or betrayals. 5 Resource Points.

One Trick Pony: You gain one basic martial arts technique without actually needing to know the basics of that martial art. 8 Resource Points.

Online Fame: You are famous, but only on the Matrix. You gain +2d6 for charm tests while using your established persona on the Matrix. 4 Resource Points.

Overclocker: This character has the ability to gain overclocked dice with a Cyberdeck, allowing to overclock one of their ASDD Arrays by 1 points. This cannot apply for cyberdecks that are already overclocked. 5 Resource Points.

Pain to Gain: +2 Matrix Initiative after being attacked in the Matrix, except when being struck by biostun. 2 Resource Points.

Perceptive Defender: You can use your Intelligence to defend rather than your Body. 5 Resource Points.

Perfect Tempo: You are always on beat. You gain one extra free action per turn, and +1 to Performance checks. 5 Resource Points.

Poisoner: You are particularly practiced with poisons. You gain +1 Notoriety, but the poisons you use deal 2 more damage for each instance. 5 Resource Points.

Photographic Memory: The DM supplies you with all dates, numbers, etc. you may have seen that's relevant to the situation. You also automatically succeed at all memory checks. 6 Resource Points.

Poseidon: You gain +2d6 to swimming and diving tests, swim as if you had 2 more strength, and gain 2 more dice for resisting the damage from lack of oxygen. 5 Resource Points.

Prime Data Haven Membership: You have access to a private online data haven populated by shadowrunners. The whole of the forum counts as a C4, L3 contact. 8 Resource Points.

Prime Technomancer: Must be technomancer. You are among the first technomancers, those who rolled with online tribes of children who spent their entire life on the Matrix. The limits for your Complex Forms are all increased by 2. 10 Resource Points. (Note that the character must match the age for this to be possible—in 2064, roughly 16-23)

Quick Healer: All acts of healing bestowed upon you are increased as if they rolled 2 more successes. 10 Resource Points.

Restricted Gear: You can buy one piece of Restricted Gear at character creation. You can also buy gear with similar restrictions during play. Keep in mind this does not give you the licenses required to legally use these items. 10 Resource Points. (NOTE: I reserve the right to deny the use of this quality. I am more likely to allow it when it is used to flavor a backstory rather than getting sick rocket launchers or whatever.)

Rig Configurator: Gain the ability to swap the stats of Cyberdeck arrays. 5 Resource Points.

Schooled On The Streets: This character grew up on the streets, and gains Knoweldge (Street) as an interest. They also get the ability to use half their Knowledge Street dicepool for any knowledge test that would be situationally appropriate in the sprawls. 5 Resource Points.

Sharpshooter: Only -2 successes on called shot. 5 Resource Points.

Solid Rep: Your street cred is increased by 1. 3 Resource Points.

Spirit Affinity: +1 to Spirit Summoning with a specific type of spirit, and a “free” extra task with these spirits. 8 Resource Points.

Spirit Whisperer: +1 to Spirit Summoning, and all spirits summoned are 1 Force higher than usual. 13 Resource Points.

Speed Demon: You feel the need for speed. As long as you are driving a vehicle that is going at it's maximum (unaugmented) speed, you gain +2d6 to all actions. 3 Resource Points.

Speed Reading: You are a very quick and avid reader that can tear through about 500 pages worth of material in 5 seconds. You need to make a perception or knowledge check to understand what you read unless you also have the Photographic Memory quality but you will fully grasp basic concepts. 5 Resource Points.

Spike Resistance: You have an inherent resistance to strong biofeedback that allows you to use the Defend action to resist strong biofeedback from things like Black IC, the Black Hammer Program, and Dumpshock. 15 Resource Points.

Steely Wheelman: You ignore all terrain modifiers when making turns. 2 Resource Points.

Successful Profiler: +2d6 to charisma tests when dealing with an NPC you have looked up before hand. 5 Resource Points.

Subtle Driver: You know the value of getting your work done without the stereotypical pizazz of vehicle chases. Those perceiving you while driving get -3d6 to their test for one specific vehicle skill. 5 Resource Points.

Stunt Driver: +2d6 to stunt checks, and you always have the extra +2 to vehicle limit for stunt checks regardless of whether or not you are rigged into your vehicle. 5 Resource Points.

Technical School Education: Your free knowledge skills at character creation are doubled for the purposes of increasing technical knowledge. Also, increasing these knowledges costs 1 less karma than usual. 5 Resource Points.

Too Pretty To Hit: If you roll at least two successes on a charisma check, the enemy loses one of their successes when trying to hit you. 3 Resource Points.

Toughness: You can make defend checks to resist damage even without cover. 10 Resource Points.

Tough as Nails: You get knocked out on a wound modifier of 7, not 5. This does not stop you from retaining severe injuries at wound modifier 4 and 5. 10 Resource Points.

Vehicle Empathy: The +(Rigging Skill/2)d6 bonus for actions while jacked into a vehicle becomes equal to your Rigging skill in d6. 8 Resource Points.

Will to Live (1/2/3): When being healed by a revival kit or trauma patch, reduce your condition modifiers by 1+level. 3 resource points per level.

Would I Lie To You?: This character just seems particularly trustworthy and can level Deceit, Leadership, and Impersonation beyond their mental limit. 12 Resource Points.

Intermediate Qualities (These qualities do not take up or give you resource points, they have benefits and penalties.):

Amnesia: You don't remember anything at all about who you were before you became a shadowrunner, but you retain all your skills.

Day Job: You earn 600 nuyen per week doing an ordinary job. If you miss too many work days, you'll get fired. The typical shift is monday-friday from 9 AM to 5 PM.

Dry Addiction: This quality only applies to one drug—either as a result of having a paid-off addiction quality or an implicit addiction that occurred before the start of the campaign. You can no longer experience any addiction penalties from that drug except for the need to seek out your addiction. This occurs once every 1 + Willpower days, once per session.

Signature: For some reason, you constantly feel the need to leave a calling card announcing your involvement with a run. You are less likely to acquire notoriety (because so many runners know and like you) but anyone can easily identify your involvement in a run with a Knowledge (Street) or Knowledge (Shadowrunning) test.

Redliner: You have removed the safety protocols on your cyberlimbs in order to go full throttle on their benefits. You will have +1 Quickness and +1 Strength for each set of cyberlimbs but the object resistance of your cyberlimbs is reduced from 7 to 2.

Negative Qualities:

Accident Prone: Driving is probably not for you. Road penalties and visual penalties are doubled for this character while driving. 5 Resource Points.

Addiction (Mild/Moderate/Severe/Burnout): You're hooked on a chemical substance. +5 Resource Points per level. (NOTE: Addictions to legal items, like Tobacco, Alchohol, etc, also raises your lifestyle costs by one in addition to the normal effects of an addiction. Also note that you should understand the addiction penalties before choosing this quality.)

Aged (1/2/3): Gain +2 to your interest knowledge skills for each level, but lose 1 to your physical limit and physical maxes. for every level. +5 Resource Points per level. (NOTE: Elves and Dwarves cannot take Aged 2 or 3.)

Aggressively Passive-Aggressive: This character is bad at disguising insults and can't resist calling people horrible things. Every time they lose out on a social test, it is always a critical failure. +5 Resource Points.

AIPS: Artificially-Induced Psychotropic Schizophrenia. You are disturbed by low electronic frequencies and gain a perception d6 penalty equal to the noise rating of the area. +10 Resource Points.

Asthma: You have a Minor allergy to all pollutants and you begin taking fatigue damage after minor fatigue. +15 Resource Points. (NOTE: This quality cannot be taken in combination with allergies to pollutants, for obvious reasons.)

Albinism: You have extremely pale skin and hair. You have a minor allergy to sunlight and unless you get cybereyes you completely lose your vision for a few seconds when you are blinded and lose -2d6 to perception checks in strong light or glare. +10 Resource Points.

Astral Beacon: Your astral signature is easily recognizable, and all astrally perceptive characters tracking your spells have a -1 to the threshold of the difficulty of the test. +10 Resource Points.

Bad Luck: When you fail an edge test, the result is a spectacular failure. +10 Resource Points.

Big Regret: This character did something that they're deeply ashamed of. They gain 1 Notoriety, and they lose their entire dicepool for any charisma test against someone who knows their past. +5 Resource Points.

Biggest Badass On the Streets: The good news is that you gain 2 Street Cred, and can apply your Street Cred – target professional rating to social checks, because you're such a big deal in the barrens. The bad news is that people are always going to want to take you down to prove themselves. Once every two weeks, a rough street challenger will come to take you down. The professional rating of the challenger will increase for every challenger you defeat. If by some chance you lose a battle with your challenger but do not die, you lose this quality and gain 2 Notoriety. Nobody likes a loser. +10 Resource Points.

Bad Rep: You start out with +2 Notoriety. +7 Resource Points.

Blind: You are totally blind. Cybereyes do nothing for you because you have damaged your optic nerve. You have -8d6 in all visual tests. Note that astral perception is not a visual sense, so it may still be used without penalties. +15 Resource Points.

Braggart: You are constantly claiming that you are bigger, tougher and cooler than anyone else. If someone demands that you “prove” something, you have to succeed in a Willpower test with a target number of 3 to back down. +5 Resource Points.

Code of Honor: You have some sort of guiding principle which greatly effects your behavior. All Codes of Honor involve some sort of group that must be treated in some sort of specific manner. You cannot ever break this Code of Honor, although you can roll Charisma + Willpower to “bend” it, with a target number of 3 successes. +15 Resource Points.

Codeblock: -2d6 to any single Matrix action. Must be a character that frequently uses the Matrix. +10 Resource Points.

Combat Paralysis: Initiative is halved and you always go last. +15 Resource Points.

Computer Illiterate: Do I look like I know what a JPEG is? You gain -5d6 to any test involving the Matrix or communication gear, and some tests may occur even when they would normally not be needed. +10 Resource Points.

Creature of Comfort: You are accustomed to the lifestyle you begin with at character creation (must be at least medium) and when you live below that lifestyle for whatever reason, your social and technical tests are reduced by 1d6 for every level that it stoops down from. Your condition modifiers for being healed are also increased by that same amount. +12 Resource Points.

Dependents (Nuisance): Someone who depends on you occasionally drops in. You must pay this character a fourth of your lifestyle cost every time they request money from you. +3 Resource Points.

Dependents (Regular Inconvenience): You have someone who depends on you for not just money, but emotional support. Examples are a lover or a long-time slacker best friend. You must pay this character a fourth your lifestyle cost every in-game week. +6 Resource Points

Dependents (Resource Drain): At this level, your dependents are either a spouse or a child. The dependent is a strain on the character’s time and resources, and/or requires special care and attention that limits the character’s availability for missions or specific actions. They must pay for this character's entire lifestyle (the same of that of the character) cost once every three weeks. +9 Resource Points.

Deaf: You are deaf and perceive no sound at all. You automatically fail at any sound-related perception checks, take a -3d6 penalty for general perception tests, and are always surprised whenever someone ambushes you. +15 Resource Points. (NOTE: Deaf characters cannot hear commlink calls but can respond to texts. Keep in mind that reading a small sentence is a free action (less than 20 seconds) without a datajack but reading anything with a less than 20,000 character text length with a datajack is a single free action.)

Dim Bulb (1/2/3): You never got into that whole “thinking” thing. Every time this character performs a technical or knowledge test, the time for them to perform this action is increased by 4 minutes per level, or 1 turn per level. +5 Resource Points per level.

Dissonance: Technomancers only. You are a dissonant Technomancer, a dissociative freak. What others call “data” you call “misinformation.” Whenever you are in combat, you must pass a Willpower test with a target of 2 successes or constantly speak out a string of unintelligible syllables. If this combat is physical, you lose -5 initiative. Your character's racial max charisma is also lowered by 4. Lastly, and most important of all, whenever you enter VR, you must pass a willpower test with a target of 3 successes or single-mindedly seek out data and use the Edit File function or Editor file to change all data into nonsensical gibberish. This continues into you have changed all data in the grid or are dumped from the Matrix. +20 Resource Points.

Elf Poser: You pass for an elf, except among elves, who you get -4 charisma with. Must be human. +5 Resource Points.

Compulsive: You make a big deal about things you have no control over. You might have a need to make everything super clean, or a need to look into all data stores in every node. In order to resist this urge, you have to succeed in a Willpower test with a target number of 3 to back down. +5 Resource Points.

Ex-Con: A law enforcement agency knows you probably better than you know yourself: biometrics, cybernetics, magical capability, your associates, etc. They routinely check you once per week for illegal equipment. This character is also only legally allowed to have one commlink, and cannot legally leave the country. +15 Resource Points.

Flashbacks (1/ 2): Something really traumatic happened, and you can't stop reliving it. Sometimes a situation can be triggering, and you will go through the motions in your head. At level one, flashbacks are sporadic and require a Willpower test with a target of 5 successes to ignore. At level two, flashbacks last at least a half hour and require a Willpower test with a target of 6 successes to ignore. You cannot move at all when experiencing a flashback. +7 Resource Points at level 1, 15 for level 2.

Gremlins (1/2/3): This character has a weird, counter-intuitive behavior with computers. At level one, they have to take extra success tests. At level 2, they have to take even more extra success tests. At level three, they automatically fail miserably when dealing with computers every other roll. +4 Resource Points per level.

Hung Out to Dry: You did something so bad your old group left you to rot, and erased all evidence of your good name. Nobody you used to know will so much as look at you. +1 Notoriety, and this character cannot ever have contacts. +10 Resource Points.

In Debt (Ranges from 1 to 15 resource points, ask DM): Something critical came up, and you had to call in a favor. In character creation, you can buy any non-restricted item or ware for free, but this means you have to pay off your debt, or face the consequences. This number will always be at least the baseline payment of the item plus another 50%. If they miss out on a payment (which can be anywhere from weekly to yearly), they are visited by a hit squad in the night and suffer a serious injury that cannot be healed and causes them to lose 5 HP until they pay off their debt. Once the debt is paid off, the quality vanishes.

Incompetent: Permanent 0 in one group of skills. +8 Resource Points.

Insomnia: This character has trouble feeling well-rested. Whenever they would normally take fatigue, they also take stun damage equal to the severity of the fatigue. They also gain no HP from resting. +15 Resource Points.

Impassive: You see death so often that you cannot express positive emotion properly. You lose 1d6 for all innate charisma skills except Intimidation. +5 Resource Points.

Lack of Focus: When performing an extended test, roll 1d6. If the result is any number but a six, the character breaks from the test out of boredom. +7 Resource Points.

Lightweight: Drugs always last as if “working against” the body. +3 addiction rating when this character takes a drug immediately after the effects of another drug wear off. +5 Resource Points.

Loss of Confidence: Your highest skill is temporarily decreased by two, until you do something to regain your confidence, where it returns to normal. If you ever roll 0 successes with that skill again, it is again decreased by 2. +10 Resource Points.

Low Pain Tolerance: You become unconscious upon reaching a wound modifier of 3. +10 Resource Points.

Matrix Terrorist: You are so well-known as a cyber-threat that hundreds of grids have put protocols for your Matrix address out and you will always hit Full Alarm State at 15 Overwatch Trace. In addition, any corporation which has the ability to deploy high-threat matrix-response teams will whenever they have you traced. +13 Resource Points.

Motion Sickness: Anytime you are on a vehicle that is moving more than 50 feet per turn, you experience nausea complete with minor fatigue. Once the speed drops, the nausea goes away in (12 – Body) turns. +5 Resource Points.

Night Blindness: All visual penalties for this character are increased by 1. +6 Resource Points.

Noted Liar: You are or were a compulsive liar. Your contacts have -1 loyalty with you, and when you try to talk to your contacts about something important, there is a 1/6 chance that they will not believe you regardless of evidence. +10 Resource Points.

Oblivious: You lose 1 success for all perception and astral perception checks. +5 Resource Points.

Obsessed: This character has some sort of inner drive that caused them to be a shadowrunner. Everything they do is for the purpose of solving this problem with their life. Every time the character is faced with a clue or opportunity to get more intimate with their obsession, they must make a Willpower test with a target number of 4 successes to not drop everything and pursue this new information. It's not all bad, however—you do get +2d6 for resisting influence and intimidation tests that would cause you to get further away from your obsession. +5 Resource Points.

Ork Poser: You pass for an ork, except among orks, who you get -4 charisma with. Must be human or an elf. +5 Resource Points.

Pacifist: A Pacifist avoids all violence except self-defense. Non-lethal attacks like gel rounds or stun grenades are still considered violent for these purposes. In both cases, this character must try to convince their team to pursue non-violent solutions and has to pass a Charisma + Willpower test with a target number of 4 successes to allow the others to commit violent actions. If the character with this quality commits violent actions, they lose 1 Charisma and 1 Willpower permanently. If they reach 0 Willpower, they commit suicide. +15 Resource Points.

Paranoia: You lose 2d6 on charisma tests with anyone unfamiliar (spirits don't count) and you cannot live in the same place for very long. This character also must refuse to give out their living space information to anyone but their team. +10 Resource Points.

Paraplegic: You are paralyzed from the waist down. Note that this means you have taken severe nerve damage, and therefore are not compatible with cyberware leg replacements. You have a permanent 0 in anything that requires your legs: gymnastics, leg-based escape artist checks, swimming, dodging, etc. Wheelchairs can help you move around, and this does not effect the process of controlling an anthro-drone at all. +10 Resource Points.

Phobia: Mild phobias cause a –1 dice pool modifier to all actions while in the presence of their source. Moderate phobias cause a –3 dice pool modifier to all actions while in the presence of their source, and the character must succeed on a Composure (2) Test or feel a strong need to get away from the source of their fear. A Severe phobia causes the character to face a -6 dice pool modifier, requires a Composure (5) test to stay in it's presence, and if the composure test is failed, the character must move away from the source of their fear for at least 5 - (successes) turns. +3 RP for an Uncommon Phobia, +5 RP for a Common Phobia, +3 for Mild, +5 for Moderate, +10 for Extreme.

Prejudiced: You are loudly and angrily distressed by some group's existence. You initially get -2d6 to charisma checks with all members of this group and you automatically fail any negotiation check against a member of this group. +3-10 Resource Points.

• Specific Prejudice: +1 RP (e.g. Doctors, Educators, Renraku Employees)

• Categorized Prejudice: +3 RP (e.g. Children, The Infected, Mages)

• Broad Prejudice: +5 RP (e.g. Women, Elves, Orks)

• Subconscious Nature: Only base effects (+2 RP)

• Stubborn Nature: Base effects and apply the effects of the Aggresively Passive-Aggressive quality with the prejudiced group (+4 RP)

• Radical Nature: Base effects and the character constantly demeans prejudiced group during conversation; refuses to work for members of this group (+5 RP)

Public Record (1/2/3): At level 1, a law enforcement agency has your SIN. At level 2, they have your SIN, biometrics and personal data. At level 3, they have your SIN, biometrics, personal data, medical data, and have acquired the SINs of your close friends and family. +10 Resource Points, then +5 for every level beyond 1.

Poor Micro Skills: Anytime you are working with more than one drone and/or vehicle in your network, any test to move these vehicles manually takes a 2d6 penalty. This applies even if some (but not all) of these vehicles are on auto-pilot. +3 Resource Points.

Raging Mad: If an NPC verbally insults you, you lose -1 successes on all social tests against that person until you get them back. +8 Resource Points.

Reduced Sense: While you may not be blind or deaf, you do have some sort of condition or ailment that causes that sense to be very poor. Any test that involves that sense takes a 2 dicepool penalty. Note that ranged weapon accuracy is lowered with Reduced Sense (Vision) and melee weapon accuracy is lowered with Reduced Sense (Hearing). 5 Resource Points for Smell or Taste, 10 Resource Points for Vision or Hearing.

Sensitive System: All instances of magical drain damage to this character are increased by 2 damage. Double essence cost for cyberware, can't get any bioware. Must be awakened. +15 Resource Points.

Simsense Vertigo: -2d6 to all rolls when interacting with the trideo, augmented reality, or virtual reality. +5 Resource Points..

Social Stress: This character is stressed by some sort of condition. A specific cause and trigger for the Social Stress must be established. For example, if the Social Stress is caused by work stress, being in a workplace will heighten stress. While stressed, characters with Social Stress have their Social Rituals and Leadership dicepools halved. +5 Resource Points.

Spirit Bane: A certain type of spirit despises your character, and can't even be summoned by them. They also lose -2d6 when trying to bind or banish them. Must be awakened. +8 Resource Points.

Spirit Pariah: You really pissed off the spirit world, and they won't ever respond to your summonings. Also, all spirits that are ordered by others to combat you or your group will always focus you down. Must be awakened and have the ability to summon spirits. +15 Resource Points.

Thrill Seeker: Whenever you're confronted with the option of risky behavior (skydiving without a parachute, etc.) you have to succeed in a Willpower test with a target number of 2 to back down. +5 Resource Points.

Uncouth: -2 successes to all charisma checks, double cost for any charisma skills. +15 Resource Points..

Uneducated: Triple cost for any knowledge skills. Success tests may be required for actions that usually do not require success tests. +10 Resource Points.

Unsteady Hands: Every fight, you must make a Body + Quickness roll with a target of 4 successes to not drop your weapon immediately. The disarm action is always successful against this character. +8 Resource Points.

Vindictive: You are especially vengeful and need to “undo” any slight done against you. This is eye-for-an-eye logic, an insult would usually require a further insult while an injury would call for more blood. Whenever someone disrespects you, you have to succeed in a Willpower test with a target number of 3 to back down. +10 Resource Points.

Weak Immune System: -2d6 to Pathogen Resistance. It is harder to alleviate illness and poisons for this character. +10 Resource Points.

Attributes

There are six core attributes that the player can increase. They are as follows:

Body is a measure of how durable your character is. Hit points are determined by (Body* 5) + 10. Damage resistance, which acts as a flat resistance to physical damage, goes up by 1 for each point 2 points of Body beyond 1 (i.e. Body 3: 1 DR, Body 5: 2 DR, etc.)

Quickness is a measure of your character's dexterity and agility. Nearly every combat skill is governed by quickness.

Strength is a measure of how physically capable and strong your character is. Strength determines carry weight, unencumbered carry weight is Strength * 3 pounds, encumbered carry weight is Strength * 5 pounds. Strength tests can be used to destroy barriers and push objects. High strength characters are also more capable of actions while running.

Charisma is a measure of how capable your character is at making people feel at ease. Charisma tests are used for acting natural, making people feel better or worse, and negotiating deals.

Intelligence is a measure of how quick your character is to understand difficult mechanics. All electronic and vehicle skills are governed by Intelligence. Intelligence tests are used for perception, navigation and memory.

Willpower is a measure of how far your character is willing to go for self-preservation. Willpower is the primary attribute for most magical abilities. Willpower tests are used for resisting magical circumstance and ability to adjust to desperate circumstance.

There are three more attributes that cannot be adjusted with karma:

Reaction acts as the governing attribute for your initiative and gives you a small bonus to dodging and defending. Reaction cannot be directly increased to reflect the difficulty of increasing reaction time, but it can be increased indirectly: You gain 1 reaction class for every 5 quickness you have, one reaction class for your first 5 points in a melee skill, and one reaction class for 5 points in knowledge relevant to circumstance (5 points in combat tactics during a fire fight, for example). Reaction class can be increased cybernetically and magically.

Edge is, in very simple terms, how lucky you are. The higher your edge, the more edge tests you can do per session, and the more likely they are to succeed. Edge cannot be raised during play, but can be raised during character creation as an attribute that costs 2 BP.

Essence is a measure of the soundness of the human spirit. Metahumans with no cyberware start with 6 essence, and then decline for every installation of cyberware or bioware they get. For every point of essence lost, magical characters lose some of their force potency. Characters with less than 2 essence cannot do anything magical, and may find themselves at the risk of disease.

Force Potency is for magical characters only. It is a reflection of the most powerful spell the caster could bring themselves to sustain. A magical character requires at least equal force potency to the force of the spell they want to cast before they sustain it. The measure of force potency depends on the powers of the awakened character, but a Magician has a force potency of (lost essence *-2) + their proper casting skill + 5.

Skills

Skills are a measure of how consistent your performance is with a common element of shadowrunning life. Skills cannot be increased beyond your attribute unless you cybernetically or magically enhance them. No skill can ever be increased beyond 9 except with the Aptitude quality. Each skill is governed by either your physical or mental limit.

*Denotes that the skill will have an initial level equal to it's governing attribute.

Body Skills

Diving*

Freefall*

Quickness Skills

Automatic Weapons

• Specializations: Assault-Rifles, Machine Pistols, SMGs

Blades

• Specializations: Knives, Swords, Parrying

Dodge

Exotic Weapon [Choose One]

Gunnery

Gymnastics

• Specializations: Balancing, Climbing, Jumping, Parkour Techniques, Combat Maneuvers

Locksmith

• Specializations: Tumbler/Combination, Keypad, Maglock, Gunlock

Longarms

• Specializations: Take Aim Action, Bipod-Assisted Shots, Sporting Rifles, Sniper Rifles

Pistols

• Specializations: Light Pistols, Machine Pistols, Revolvers, Heavy Pistols, Tasers

Palming*

Sneak

• Specializations: In Urban Buildings, In City Streets, In Rural Area, In Survival Conditions

Quickness and Strength Skills

Archery (Choose a governing attribute)

• Specializations: Bows, Crossbows, Non-Standard Ammunition

Escape Artist (Quickness when slight of hand, Strength when brute force)

• Specializations: Escape from Handcuffs, Use Rope, Use Zipline

Throwing Weapons (Choose a governing attribute)

• Specializations: Aerodynamic, Non-aerodynamic, Knives/Shuriken

Strength Skills

Blunt/Bludgeoning Weapons

• Specializations: Axes, Batons, Hammers, Parrying

Heavy Weapons

• Specializations: Assault Cannons, Grenade Launchers, Machine Guns, Rocket Launchers

Swimming*

Unarmed

• Specializations: Blocking, Grappling, Martial Arts Techniques

Charisma Skills

Animal Handling

• Specializations: By Animal Type

Deceit

Etiquette/Social Rituals*

• Specializations: Corporate, High Society, Security, Street Life, Specific Criminal Syndicate, On Trideo, On the Matrix, Shadowrunning

Intimidation*

• Specializations: Interrogation, Physical Threat, Magical Threat, Torture

Impersonation

Leadership

• Specializations: Command Others, Instruct Combat Maneuvers, Inspiration, Teaching

Negotiation

• Specializations: Bargain with buyer/seller, Johnson Meets, Diplomacy

Performance [Choose an Artistry]

Spirit Summoning [Must be a magician, mystic adept or aspected conjurer]

• Specializations: By Spirit Type

Intelligence Skills

Aeronautics

• Specializations: Planes/Jets, Helicopters, LAVs

Armorer

• Specializations: Armor, Weapon Accessories, Vehicle Accessories

Artisan [Choose an Artistry]

Automobiles

• Specializations: Bikes, Automobiles, Wheeled Drones

Cybercombat

• Specializations: VS Personas, VS IC, VS Devices

Decking

• Specializations: VS Personas, VS Files, VS Devices

Demolitions

• Specializations: Legal Explosives, Improvised Explosives, Defusing Explosives, Crafting Explosives

Disguise

• Specializations: Makeshift Disguise, Cosmetic Disguise, Full Disguise, Matrix Disguise

First Aid

Forgery

Hardware

• Specializations: Rig Device, Sensor Use, Maintain Electronic Equipment

Industrial Vehicles

• Specializations: Tracked Wheels, Multiped, Multiped Drone

Nautical Vehicles

• Specializations: Motor Boat, Ship, Submarine, Aquatic Drone

Navigation*

Perception*

Programs

• Specializations: Edit File, Matrix Search, Matrix Perception

Tracking

• Specializations: By Road, By Forensic Analysis, In Rural Area, Astral

Knowledge Skills

Knowledge (Any City)

Knowledge (Astronomy and Astrophysics)

Knowledge (Biology and Biotechnology)

Knowledge (Business)

Knowledge (Chemistry)

Knowledge (Combat Tactics)

Knowledge (Criminal Syndicates and Terrorists)

Knowledge (Cybertechnology)

Knowledge (Engineering)

Knowledge (Firearms)

Knowledge (Gaming)

Knowledge (Gangs)

Knowledge (High Art)

Knowledge (History)

Knowledge (Law)

Knowledge (Literature)

Knowledge (Medicine)

Knowledge (Magical Theory)

Knowledge (Magical Threats)

Knowledge (Mathematics and Physics)

Knowledge (Military and Government)

Knowledge (Music)

Knowledge (Parazoology)

Knowledge (Philosophy)

Knowledge (Politics)

Knowledge (Pop Culture)

Knowledge (Private Matrix Sites)

Knowledge (Physical Security)

Knowledge (Matrix Security)

Knowledge (Shadowrunning Community)

Knowledge (Street)

Willpower Skills

Chi Casting [Must be an adept]

Counterspell [Must be awakened]

• Specializations: Counter Detection Spell, Counter Combat Spell, Counter Manipulation Spell, Counter Illusion Spell, Counter Health Spell

Spellcasting [Must be awakened]

• Specializations: Cast Detection Spell, Cast Combat Spell, Cast Illusion Spell, Cast Health Spell, Cast Manipulation Spell

Survival*

Magical Attribute Skills

Alchemy [Must be awakened]

• Specializations: Craft Detection Spell, Craft Combat Spell, Craft Manipulation Spell, Craft Illusion Spell, Craft Health Spell, Analyze Focus, Analyze Spirit

Assessing [Must be awakened]

Banishing/Binding [Must be awakened]

• Specializations: By Spirit Type

Resonance Skills

Compiling [Must be technomancer]

• Specializations: By Sprite Type

Registering/Decompiling [Must be technomancer]

• Specializations: By Sprite Type

Magical Potency

Awakened characters are determined by birth. It may take you decades to awaken to your magical power, but you were always meant to have it. Awakened characters typically either follow the whims of a Mentor Spirit [see Mentor Spirits] or the ways of a magical cabal. As magical characters continue along their path, they learn more and more about the unknown realms that await them.

All magic users fall under one (and no more) of the following categories:

Adepts

Better known as physical adepts, these awakened beings channel magical energy through their body rather than outward in the form of sustainable energy. They begin play already initiated, as all adepts follow either a mentor spirit or a magical order. Their initiation manifests in centering of a physical weapon(which the player chooses), such as a sword or an axe, allowing them to use that weapon supernaturally well. They also have two anchored spells, reflecting the characteristics of their initiation.

-Only certain adepts can astrally perceive.

-Adepts cannot astrally project.

-Adepts cannot cast spells except chi casting spells. They cannot summon spirits.

-Adepts have a Force Potency of 3 - (lost essence *-2) + their proper casting skill.

Aspected Magician

Aspected Magicians are magicians that have limited magical ability in the form of a Geas. This Geas restricts the manner in which they can sustain spells, practically forcing them to specialize. In simple terms, an aspected magician can only cast one type of spells. The types of magicians are:

• Aural Mage: Can only use illusion spells. Can use alchemy.

• Black Mage: Can only use combat spells. Can use alchemy.

• Security Mage: Can only use detection spells. Can use alchemy.

• Shaman: Can only use conjuring. Can Banish/Bind spirits.

• Thaumaturge: Can only use medical spells. Can use alchemy.

-Aspected Magicians cannot astrally perceive.

-Aspected Magicians cannot astrally project.

-Aspected Magicians can summon spirits regardless of their aspect. They can also take mentor spirits.

-Aspected Magicians can only counterspell spells of their own aspect.

-Aspected Magicians have a Force Potency of (lost essence *-2) + their proper casting skill + 6.

Mystic Adept

A Mystic Adept is a highly enlightened adept that can both sustain magical energy inside their body and expel it to cast spells at no cost to themselves. Like adepts, they begin play already initiated, centering a a physical weapon(which the player chooses) and gain two anchored spells, reflecting the characteristics of their initiation. Mystic adepts have an increased risk of losing their abilities if they fail to uphold their path.

-Mystic adepts can astrally perceive.

-Mystic adepts cannot astrally project.

-Mystic adepts can cast any type of spells.

-Mystic adepts can summon spirits and take mentor spirits.

-Mystic Adepts have a Force Potency of (lost essence *-2) + their proper casting skill + 5.

Magician

A Magician is the perfect match of magic and metahuman, the closest a sapient being can ever get to becoming extraplanar. They can cast any type of spell except chi casting and have enough force potency to cast nearly any spell—that is, if they don't burn themselves out on worldly desires. Magicians are the only type of character that can astrally project, allowing them to scope out magical security hidden in the astral plane.

-Magicians can astrally perceive.

-Magicians can astrally project.

-Magicians can cast any type of spells except Chi Casting

-Magicians can summon spirits and take mentor spirits.

-Magicians have a Force Potency of (lost essence *-2) + their proper casting skill + 5.

Technomancer

A technomancer is not, and to be honest, should not, be classified as magical in the same regard as the other magical groups. Instead of being able to manifest power through mana lines, A technomancer manifests power through resonance, a mysterious energy lying in the most super-powerful Matrix nodes. They are wizards of the Matrix, capable of inhabiting nodes with their true self rather than their persona.

-A Technomancer can use basic commlink functions (texting, sending pictures, phone calls) with people who agree to be in their network, without actually having a commlink.

-A Technomancer's essence effects their Resonance. They use their Resonance as their attribute component for their Matrix dicepools (rather than Intelligence)

-A Technomancer's Charisma is their Attack Rating, their Willpower is their Firewall, their Intelligence is their Sleaze Rating, and their Resonance is their Data Processing rating.

-A Technomancer can compile up to 5 – (lost resonance) sprites.

-A Technomancer's “spells” are called Complex Forms. They can summon “spirits” called sprites.

-Instead of IP damage, each 25 IP damage equates to 1 real stun damage to a Technomancer. Technomancers don't have IP either, they use their actual HP.

Resources

Resources are bought with nuyen, the primary currency of Shadowrun. Once you decide how much nuyen you're getting on character creation, use the catalogue to buy gear, cyberware and other resources.

Keep in mind that the amount of nuyen you have leftover after your character generation will determine your Lifestyle, which is a GM inference of how you live.

GAME CONCEPTS

Rolls

As said before, the most basic roll in Shadowrun is that of the skill test, where a player rolls an attribute + a skill. If a player had 7 Strength and 6 Unarmed, they would roll 13d6 to punch someone, where rolls of 5 and 6 would mean that they are given increasing effectiveness each time those numbers are rolled. For most skills, in general, a dicepool of 4 indicates an amateur, a dicepool of 8 indicates a professional, a dicepool of 12 indicates a world-class professional, and any dicepool above 12 indicates extraordinary ability. Most metahumans are not going to have any dicepools over 8—because most human beings are variable and mundane. Shadowrunners, however, work best with a speciality: if you have at least one dicepool of 12 or more, chances are you have made an effective character.

A roll with 0 successes indicates a failure, or a “glitch”. Nothing positive can ever happen on a failure. If your total dicepool for a roll with 0 successes was with a skill you are untrained in, the DM may elect to count this flop as a serious failure, or “critical glitch”, where the player does something ridiculously terrible while attempting to use a skill.

A success test is a test where a character attempts to reach a number of successes over a pre-determined, static number. If this is an attribute + skill test, successes are measured in 5s and 6s, if this is an attribute only test, successes are measured in 4s, 5s and 6s. This should be used when attempting to perform an action against an unresisting target where time does not matter much at all.

A opposed success test is a test where a character attempts to out-score their target's number of successes. For example, if an enemy is dodging pistol fire, the player rolls Quickness + Pistol, where the enemy rolls Reaction Class + Dodge, and whoever has the most successes acquires a successful result. This will happen most often in combat but also in instances where the player is trying to deceive an NPC or work through an electronic safeguard.

Dealing Damage

Each weapon in Shadowrun does a set amount of damage. This number is increased by your successes over your enemy and decreased, when physical, by their Armor and Damage Resistance rating. When the player achieves 4 successes over the enemy when attempting to damage them, the result is a critical hit. Critical hits allow you to roll your weapon skill to multiply the damage output of that hit by 1.[successes]. Successes are measured in 4s, 5s and 6s for this purpose.

When a character sustains a single instance of damage that goes over their Wound Threshold, which is their Body + Armor + DR/MR, they receive a Wound Modifier equal to the sum total of the damage dealt – your wound threshold. A wound modifier of 1 takes away one initiative, a wound modifier of 2 takes away 2 initiative, etc. A wound modifier of 3 or 4 indicates that the character has received a minor injury, and a wound modifier of 5 indicate that the character has received a critical injury, and is KO'd. As you might expect, characters die when they reach 0 HP. If your character has any wound modifier at all, they can no longer dodge, defend or run.

Magical damage works the same way but has somewhat variable factors for it's resistance. Elemental damage, indicated by a large amount of fire, electricity, acid, or cold air, does not factor in armor rating into resistance, only elemental resistance. Matrix damage is done in increments of 25, where HP is replaced by a high number which increases with the Device Rating of the Virtual Reality device. Excessive Matrix damage, where a character takes more than 50 IP damage at once, reduces their real-world HP and is resisted by Biofeedback Resistance.

Elemental and Other Damage Types

Acid: Acid Damage is at first physical. In addition to it's normal damage, it removes the armor rating of any armor it touches by 1. If the acid is considered to not be washed off by the next turn, it does one less damage than the base damage as elemental damage, and removes another point of armor. This continues until the damage goes down to zero.

Cold: Cold Damage is standard elemental damage. If it hits armor that is considered to have a material that is breakable, roll the armor value =>5. If the armor rolls no successes, the armor is broken. If an unarmored target is hit by cold damage greater than their body value, they are considered to be frostbitten and permanently lose 1 body attribute. This can only occur once per combat.

Electric: Electrical damage does standard elemental damage to those not wearing metal armor, but does standard elemental damage plus damage value/2 stun to those wearing metal armor. It also lowers the initiative value of the target by a number equal to the damage value, but this particular effect can only occur once per combat.

Fire: Fire works differently depending on the type of incident that caused it.

• Environmental fire does it's damage value as physical per turn until the total damage taken exceeds the armor value of the victim. When this happens, the target is considered engulfed.

• Magical fire does it's damage value as elemental damage immediately in one burst. If the force of the spell exceeds the armor value of the victim, the target is considered engulfed.

• Weaponized fire does physical damage but also pierces through up to six armor. If the armor can't deal with this damage, the target is engulfed. If the armor can stand up to this damage, fire is set on the victim, dealing 1 elemental damage on the first turn and increasing at a rate equal to the successes of the flame, for a number of turns equaling (Damage Value – armor rating/2)

Being engulfed means you cannot undertake any action that does not involve an attempt to put out the fire that has consumed your body. You take the entirety of the fire damage value as elemental damage twice each turn (once at the beginning, and once at the end) until the fire is put out or you die. This also puts you in major fatigue.

Falling: When a character falls more than 25 feet they take physical damage equal to the number of feet fallen. The Freefall Body test is used to resist this damage, with each success subtracting their Body attribute in damage. Falling characters are considered to be moving at a speed of 550 feet per free action, if for some reason that ever comes up.

Fatigue: Fatigue come in three stages: Mild, Moderate, and Major.

Mild: No dodging, no defending, no running. Stun Threshold is reduced by 2.

Moderate: No dodging, no defending, no running, Quickness and Strength are temporarily reduced by 2 (minimum of 1). Stun Threshold is reduced by 4.

Major: Cannot perform combat actions or run. Any stun will KO you.

If someone reaches a fatigue state that is beyond Major, they take pure damage equal to the number of fatigue states they have reached. The exception is fatigue gained by magical drain, where they take magical damage equal to the Force. Sleep, Food, and Drink related fatigue will begin once a character has neglected one or more of these vital components for 20 hours. Fatigue stages will then increase every 35 hours for food, every 20 hours for drink, and every 15 hours for sleep. Fatigue damage can be healed as most damage can but cannot be healed as long as the condition causing the fatigue still exists.

Harsh environmental conditions will also cause fatigue damage, but this can be resisted by a Survival check. Environmental fatigue works as follows:

• Uninhabited area with scarce food and good climate: 1 point of fatigue for every 6 hours spent

• Uninhabited area with scarce food, but not a good climate, or vice versa: 1 point of fatigue for every 3 hours spent

• Really bad weather and no food: 1 point of fatigue for every hour spent

• Life-threatening weather: 1 point of fatigue for every 40 minutes pent

• Conditions near instantly-lethal for human life: 1 point of fatigue for every minute spent

The Matrix

The Matrix is a cybernetic analog space that functions as the world wide computer network. Only characters who have a powerful cyberdeck or equivalent device can access virtual reality, where the Matrix is visible, but any character with a device for augmented reality like a Vehicle Control Module or a Sim Module can comprehend specific portions of it. The Matrix appears as a huge lattice, where a character appears as a Persona, an avatar of their choice. Software, electronic security, other persona, and anything else the players encounter can only exist on the same grid, which is like an expansive Web URL made visible in virtual reality.

The most common use of the Matrix, and the only thing grid monitors (the closest thing Shadowrun has to “hard drives”) can do without modification, is to search for Data. The things we use the internet for in real life, like looking up info, watching videos, and chatting with friends from around the world, can all be done on any basic Matrix device, the most common of which is a commlink. A commlink is like a modern day smartphone—in fact, it's exactly a modern day smartphone, except that many people choose to cybernetically attach it to their brain, allowing them to visualize basic information and make phone calls with their mind. This is the most basic form of Matrix technology, existing since 2027, and only reflects a small fraction of what you can view with Augmented and Virtual Reality.

Augmented Reality is like viewing the real world with a “Heads-Up Display” or HUD. This requires a datajack, which gives metahumanity the “processing” power necessary to access this kind of “superior reality”. Augmented Reality allows you to see the “true” technological marvel of the 6^th world—trideo boards become 3D, artificial scents enter your nose, and “arrows” or AROs (augmented reality objects) enchant your visuals with ghostly advertisements and directions to key locations. Augmented Reality can be used to enhance your aim, which is how the common Matrix action “mark” works and how the technology of Smartlink gives you more accuracy.

Virtual Reality is the previously mentioned virtual lattice, a world all it's own where the character stands idle in the middle of physical reality as they enter a high-powered visualization of the Matrix. Anything with a device rating of 1 or higher can enter the Matrix, however, due to the tight restrictions of the corporations that control the virtual world, it is of little good unless you have a capable, easily jury-rigged device known as a Cyberdeck. A Cyberdeck is a 3-5 pound “winged” computer that is intended to be wired up to the user's datajack so the user can experience virtual reality. All Cyberdecks are equipped with an Attack program, which allows them to cause sensory damage to other Matrix users and Intrusion Countermeasures or IC. Most Cyberdecks that are worth a damn also come equipped with a Sleaze program, which masks the user's Matrix Address and makes them harder to track down.

The sheer power of a Cyberdeck allows intelligent and cunning deckers to rule the virtual world. Here are a list of common actions in the Matrix:

Aggression

Breaking through firewalls: Forcefully work through a firewall. Cybercombat + Decking D6 vs Firewall status
Crack Encrypted File: Find a way through the protections of a file. Decking + Intelligence D6 vs Device Rating
Crash Program: Crash a computer program used within the current system. Cybercombat + Programs D6 vs Firewall status
Data Spike: Kind of like a DDOS attack, delivers data stun equal to the number of successes. Cybercombat D6 vs Intelligence
Jam Signals: Stops communications or anything similar within 100 meters. Cybercombat + Intelligence -1 rounds

Data Manipulation

Change Basic Data: Change something as obvious as a file name or desktop icon. Free action, must be given administrator permissions
Copy/Edit/Delete File: Self-explanatory. Decking + Intelligence D6 vs Firewall status
Invite persona: Invite someone in another grid to this grid. Simple action, must be given administrator permissions
Rig Device: Rig a device from a the Matrix grid. Rigging + Intellgence D6 vs Device Rating, device must be freed up
Matrix Perception: Heavily analyze a file. Knowledge (Programming) + Intelligence vs Device Rating
Matrix Search: Search for information., Decking + Intelligence
Shut down: Suffer dump shock and remove yourself from the Matrix. Decking + Intelligence vs Willpower + Device Rating of attacker
Send message: Free action

Hacking

Tab Device: Tab a device for future reference. Decking + Intelligence vs Firewall status
Hack on the Move: Additional roll for any data manipulation roll while being attacked. Decking + Quickness vs Device Rating
Hide: Make yourself hard to find. Cybercombat + Intelligence vs Cybercombat + Intelligence OR device Rating of Attacker
Databomb: Deploy a databomb that does biofeedback damage and wipes out any data within the grid. Decking + Intelligence vs Device Rating, successes determines rating. Roll rating dice for damage (add up all results)
Intercept Matrix Traffic: Find information working it's way through the system. Decking + Intelligence vs Device Rating + appropriate external factors
Spoof Command: Fake an administrator command. Decking + Intelligence vs Firewall Status

Matrix Defenses

Disarm Databomb: Decking + Intelligence vs Data Bomb Rating
Matrix Defenses: Must have administrator permissions, work behind IC to take out aggressors. -10 Initiative, add Intelligence to defense actions against Matrix attacks
Jack-Out: Remove yourself from the Matrix. Normally a move action, if being attacked, Decking + Willpower vs Decking + DMG of any interceptors/25

Dump-Shock occurs when a decker is pulled from the Matrix without being properly ejected. This happens when the Decker loses all of his initiative due to stun or wound modifiers, shuts down their cyberdeck without the proper jack-out procedure, or their persona "dies". The Decker loses grip on the Matrix, returns to the real world, takes biofeedback damage equivalent to the last attack that hit them within the Matrix/5, (or 1 biofeedback DMG, if they've never been hit) and receive stun equivalent to the number of real world turns (The decker takes 4 turns in the Matrix in the time someone takes 1 turn in the real world) they've been in the Matrix. They are also considered to have minor fatigue, and cannot run until they rest up. Biofeedback damage can indeed kill you.

The newest and weirdest thing to come on the scene in the Sixth World is the Technomancer – a metahuman who can produce and direct high density signal with their own body. Technomancers share more than a few game mechanics with magicians, but they are not magicians. The signals that they produce are not the same as the signals produced by the commlinks and transmitters of hackers, but they are real electromagnetic signals nonetheless. People in 2064 or even 2071 do not understand how technomancy works, but they do understand that it works, and they can take entirely physical instruments and use them to demonstrate and measure the workings of technomantic techniques. A technomancer can be discovered by biochemical investigation, and the powers involved can be caught on film.

Technomancers who agree about their world view often join together in “networks”, which are connected through an invisible node. A shadowrunning technomancer may which to include their fellow runners in their network, or they might not.

For a Technomancer, entering virtual reality is essentially the same thing as astral projection. The technomancer attempts to leave their own body to interact with the virtual world, and if there's high amounts of noise or poor Matrix access, he might have difficulty making it there. Most Technomancers use Sprites which are similar to spirits, sophisticated virtual entities that are like artificial intelligences, only not. A Technomancer can compile a sprite in place of a complex form slot if they so which. These sprites are a bound spirits, helping the technomancer with combat and other facets of the Matrix.

Complex Forms are the “spells” which the Technomancer uses in place of programs. They are, quite obviously, similar to programs, but are usually more dynamic in effect and do things that would normally be impossible to accomplish in the Matrix. Complex Forms that are always “streamed” through the Technomancer are known as “Echoes”, always-active abilities that reflect the Technomancer's resonant ability.

Rigging is the most militaristic and practical thing that the Matrix has produced. By hooking your datajack to a Vehicle Control Rig, you can slave devices to the rig that function in accordance with your control, and, more importantly, can be directly controlled by your mind. This runs the gauntlet from cars and trucks to anthromorphic military drones.

There is no limit to the number of devices you can slave to your Vehicle Control Rig as long as you have administrative control over them. However, a rigger can only mentally control one drone at a time. To help with the prospect of creating a drone army, most 6^th world drones and vehicles are equipped with an auto-pilot setting that allows them to take limited, imprecise action without your direct input. Driving with a drone or vehicle is measured by a Intelligence + proper Vehicle skill check. Shooting is done by Rigging + proper weapons skill or, if the runner shells out enough money for a Control program, Quickness + Gunnery.

Vehicles are most obviously used to get people and equipment from place to place, but drones can serve a number of different purposes. The most common and most effective use of a drone is to use them for recon, where a drone with proper sound proofing looks over an area with their video camera. Drones can be extremely capable in combat, because they are generally quite accurate even when on auto-pilot, but their damage does not increase with successes unless a rigger assumes control.

The biggest problem of being a rigger, besides the general expense of new drones, is dealing with other riggers. While drones can be incredibly lethal against a group that does not have a proper hacker or rigger, two riggers on opposite sides turns the battlefield into an entirely new game. While most drones have high firewall ratings that make them difficult for even a good decker to hack, with two riggers, it becomes a race to see who will hack the other's drones first. There are a number of ways of dealing with this, the most obvious being simply shoot the rigger before he does anything, but one can also use electronic countermeasures to interfere with the signal frequency of enemy hackers. Also, the rigger can always simply elect to turn their drones off.

Magic

Adepts, Aspected Magicians, Mystic Adetps and Magicians add up to about 1% of metahumanity. Most people are not awakened, and most people do not know how to deal with the awakened. It stands to reason that the most effective way of dealing with a mage is to send another mage, but keep in mind that magic is a life-long commitment, and that most magicians aren't going to have the time to learn how to swiftly move away from a bullet coming straight at their head. With the exception of chi casting, most magic is not fast, and takes time to sustain.

Most spells are full turn actions and a mage can only sustain them a certain number of times before the casting begins to drain them. For each time a spell is cast, note that the character has taken that amount of force. For example, Armor I has a force rating of 3, so a character with a force potency of 9 could cast Armor I three times in one day without experiencing drain. Force should only be counted on a spell-by-spell basis, if a character has used up all their force potency for Armor, this should not stop them from casting Acid Stream.

For each force point that the mage reaches that goes over their force potency, the drain damages them accordingly:

• One over: Minor fatigue

• Two over: Moderate fatigue

• Three over: Major fatigue

• Four+ over: Major fatigue+Force in Magical Damage to the user for every point over the force potency

Note: If a character receives different drain for two different spells, count it all as if it was the sum of both drain values.

All magical characters can summon Spirits, which are magical entities from other planes. Spirits can materialize into the physical world or possess a living being. Spirits are an enigma, most do not communicate in any regard, and the ones that do, usually say nothing revealing. Spirits are classified into a couple categories, though the GM is allowed to make them look like anything they want to. Spirits are vast and infinite in their variety.

Certain spirits, powerful but aimless, are so powerful in nature that they can communicate with multiple people at any given time. These spirits are called Mentor Spirits, and are one of the main reasons that metahumanity can learn magic. By learning to communicate respectfully with this spirit, certain people awaken and learn to cast magic. These people are known as shamans, who often understand their mentor spirit under a “totem”. Most totems are animals, like Dog or Eagle, but others exist that imply more equally lasting companions of humanity, such as The Adversary, often though to be the abrahamic Devil, or The Creator, which can be interpreted as the God of many different religions. If a shaman wants to keep the favor of their totem, they have to life their life under the terms of their mentor spirit, which usually wants some sort of broad behavior from their subjects. For a list of totems, see the other rules section.

Though spirits are the most common “proof” of the infinite depths of magical power, some individuals have found their own proof under their own terms. Hermetic tradition is the school of thought that states that astral space has an exact and definite nature that can be acknowledged as if it was a science or religion. The most common schools of hermetic thought belong to religions or pseudo-science like astrology, now a core part of magical theory. By initiating themselves under these schools of thought, most hermetic mages become molded by their order in the same way that a Mentor Spirit would, however, unlike mentor spirits, hermetic schools of thought do not have mandatory game mechanics.

Applied magical theory, also known as Arcana, is a complex but limited prospect of magic where very learned scholars of magical theory can effect the astral world through careful study and prepared materials, even if they are not awakened. Examples include the ritualistic use of moss grass, where a practitioner of Arcana can hold the grass in a specific manner, allowing them to detect the use of magic. The ultimate culmination of Arcana is Alchemy, magical use of magical reagents in combination with physical materials, allowing a mage to prepare physical encapsulations of spells without actually having to sustain them. In terms of game mechanics, subtract prepared spell user's force expendage by a number equal to their Alchemy skill. Alchemy can also be used to Enchant objects, sometimes turning them into Foci, which can be used to channel their spells up to a maximum of their Focus Force Level.

The Astral World or Astral Space is a world that exists alongside our “reality”. Invisible and unnoticed by the unawakened, a photo-negative world where mana is air, housing spirits and potent magical entities. Quite a few awakened humans can examine this world through Astral Perception, but only Magicians can actual interact with it through Astral Projection.

Astral perception is done by rolling your highest spellcasting stat + Intelligence. If the number of successes is equal to or higher than the Background Count, a measure of the density of mana in the area, the caster examines the astral world. Background count effects magical beings even if they cannot astrally perceive to see it. For every single digit number the background count succeeds your acclimation (or the background count you are used to), the following things happen:

1: No modifiers to any form of magic except astral perception.

2: No modifiers to any form of magic except astral perception.

3: -1 successes to all magic tests and +1 to all forms of force drain.

4: -1 successes to all magic tests and +2 to all forms of force drain.

5: -1 successes to all magic tests and +3 to all forms of force drain.

6: . -2 successes to all magic tests and +4 to all forms of force drain.

7: -2 successes to all magic tests and +5 to all forms of force drain.

8: At this point, drain has no meaning and spells can be invoked haphazardly (with horrendous accuracy: -3 successes) as magicians not acclimated to the area slowly die of mana burn, taking 6 magical damage per turn or every 4 minutes, plus 4 – Willpower stun per turn (can be resisted completely).

9: If you reach this point, something has definitely gone wrong. An absolute catastrophe or monumental shift in the natural order has occurred and mana flows chaotically, manifesting in storms of destructive power and creating voids of nonexistance, plus warps of accelerated existence. Magic tests are nearly impossible with -4 successes, bleeding internally as they take 8 magical damage per turn or every 4 minutes, plus a further 4 magical damage for every spell they have quickened or anchored, and 8 – Willpower stun per turn (cannot be resisted completely).

The most common uses of astral perception are the perception of magical security (patrolling Watcher Spirits) and the assessing of someone's Aura. Every living thing has an aura, from the smallest blade of grass to a dragon. The following can be inferred from an astral perception of a target's aura, for each success:

1: Subject's emotions. Whether the subject is mundane or awakened.

2: Presence of cybernetics. Identification of magical nature (i.e. mystic adept, fire elemental, bug spirit, etc.)

3: The subject's Force Potency and Essence. Identification of diseases or illnesses. Any lasting astral impact on the aura.

4: Presence of bioware. Type of magical belief system (i.e. Dog Shaman, christian theurgy, etc.)

5+: Existence of resonance (and therefore identification of a Technomancer)

Astral Projection allows a Magician to leave their physical body and enter astral space. When in astral space, the magician can move at the “speed of thought”, which in gameplay terms, translates to anywhere on the current map in one movement action, but no further. In astral space, all skills are governed by Willpower, and initiative is determined by Willpower as well. When you suffer a wound modifier of 5 in astral space, you die, rather than just getting KO'd, making astral combat extremely lethal. On top of this, the magician's body is effectively dead while they are in the astral realm. If the magician is in the astral realm for 0+ (essence) hours, their body dies, and they are lost in astral space. The same applies if their body is reduced to 0 HP.

Astrally projecting magicians are invisible to mundane eyes. They cannot be effected by stray projectiles like bullets and arrows, but can be effected by magic. Astrally projecting mages can fly, go through walls, and cast spells, but he cannot effect physical beings with non-magical means—the same goes for objects. Because physical beings are only marked by their astral signature, a magician has to exceed an astral perception roll versus the enemy's Willpower in order to get a proper visual. Astrally perceiving mages that cannot astrally project can see the astrally projecting mage, and can target them.

CHARACTER PROGRESSION

For a lot of characters, the key to life, the universe and everything is gong to be nuyen. In a classless system, money is sometimes more useful than EXP, especially when this is a game where your livelihood is measured in nuyen. For everything else, there's Karma. Karma is awarded for good roleplaying that would normally signify progression, and can be used to increase skills and attributes. It also acts as a kind of metaphysical currency, being used for a number of things:

Using Karma:

There is also the non-abstract, magical use of karma, where karma is traded for magical power:

Karma can be used to increase an attribute by spending karma equal to the level of that attribute, or for a skill by spending karma equal to the level of that skill.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Special Actions:

Simple Actions

Full-Turn Actions

Firing Modes:

Surprise rounds: Victims make a Reaction Class + Intelligence=>5 test, where if they roll at least 3 successes, they are not surprised. Otherwise, the aggressors get to take a free combat turn and the the victims cannot dodge or defend for that turn.

Barrier defense bonuses:

Barriers are considered to have double their defense bonuses in armor and their defense bonuses in HP.

If you use people/dead bodies as “cover”, the defense bonus is equal to their Body.

Locks:

A DNA Scanner requires a sample of genetic material. The only way you can fake it is through an extended (5 hours) Knowledge (Chemistry) test and a sizeable amount of materials.

A Facial Scanner requires an Int + Impersonation test against the device rating.

A Voice Recognition Lock requires a recording or some other simulation. If you have a voice modulator, a Cha + Impersonation test against the device rating will work.

A Keypad requires a 5 digit code. Without the code, you can break the case with Agility + Locksmith. If it has anti-tamper systems, two tests are required, both with net successes.

A Cardreader requires an ID card. Without a card, it functions identically to a Keypad in terms of infiltration, with the one exception that you can make a Forgery test to fake a card.

A Print Scanner requires a specific set of printed characters. A fake scan can be forged, and they can also be manipulated through hacking.

A standard Door Lock requires an Agility + Locksmith test and a proper tool, though a long fingernail can be used in some cases with a -4 dicepool penalty.

Matrix Conditions: