BP Costs for Homebrew Races, How do you determine it? Options

[Guntherfuzz8]

I agree with Glyph for the most part, also I need some sort of information/backstory on the metatype, you know? like how it fits into the setting and what the character will look like and such. Otherwise the BP value that Glyph suggested is generous and reasonable i suppose, i would have made it a little higher. Also if there are any disadvantages to choosing the metatype then there may be cause to lower the BP cost of the metatype.

So what i'm asking for is basically a description of your race beyond numbers, i want to hear something about the race that fits into the setting. From what i can tell there are several advantages to starting as the described metatype, but to justify such weighty advantages i feel there need to be some specific disadvantages. Maybe traits that incur negative social modifiers, or an inherent intolerance for 'ware. Anything really, for inspiration you may want to look at the alternate character concepts in Runner's Companion but if there is no type of disadvantage to the metatype i would incur a minimum 150BP cost.

Sorry for the delay in posting a followup (lost internet for a while). Here is the background...
Modern style game (2005) based off the Dresden Files but using SR4 mechanics. However since all of our players aren't familiar with the Dresden Files we have also added elements of Supernatural and other genre shows. My human variant is actually a Slayer (ala Buffy) that has been transported to "our" world. Used the BTVS RPG system to determine base stats since it uses the 1-6 rating system as well since a Slayer would have enhanced Strength, Agility, Body and Will as well as Low-Light Vision and regeneration.

But my main question still remains "how do you figure out the BP cost for a meta?". I've examined the races in the core book and it doesn't seem to make sense since all four metatypes have a cumulative +3 in various abilities plus either Low-Light or Thermographic Vision and other benefits for Dwarves and Trolls, but their BP cost ranges from 20-40.

[etherial]

Sorry for the delay in posting a followup (lost internet for a while). Here is the background...
Modern style game (2005) based off the Dresden Files but using SR4 mechanics. However since all of our players aren't familiar with the Dresden Files we have also added elements of Supernatural and other genre shows. My human variant is actually a Slayer (ala Buffy) that has been transported to "our" world. Used the BTVS RPG system to determine base stats since it uses the 1-6 rating system as well since a Slayer would have enhanced Strength, Agility, Body and Will as well as Low-Light Vision and regeneration.

Ah, that's easy. Just use the rules for Possession spirits, since Buffy's powers come from Demons.

[hahnsoo]

You can even make it a pseudo-Positive Quality specific to the campaign, like a Paragon/Mentor Spirit. You are in possession (*snicker*) of powers that are from being partially possessed by a supernatural entity. The details of the relationship would be similar to a pact between a Free Spirit and the human, and would confer some benefits (like Regeneration, heightened physical skills, etc.). Absolutely no need to make Slayers a separate "race".

[Glyph]

Costing metatypes involves more than the raw stat bonuses. Orks come out 20 points ahead of humans - 50 points of bonuses, minus 20 cost and 10 for losing a point of Edge. Elves, by contrast, come out 10 points behind humans - 30 points of bonuses, minus 30 cost and 10 for losing a point of Edge. However, orks have lowered maximums for several mental Attributes. Elves have no disadvantages, and their bonuses are to important Attributes. It is worth the 10 point net loss simply to be able to have a higher Agility and Charisma.

Overall, the core races seem pretty well-balanced, although obviously they are predisposed to be better in certain niches (troll bodyguard, elven face, etc.).

The races in Runner's Companion, however, are not quite as well balanced. If you look at the ork metavariants, for instance, you will notice that ogres and satyrs are optimal picks, while hobgoblins and oni are not as good as regular orks.

[Whipstitch]

It's doubly damning in the case of oni, since they're a metavariant that's highly likely to face prejudice in their native lands.

[Karoline]

Keep in mind that a decreased attribute isn't as strong as an increased one. Being limited to a max of 4 in an attribute really isn't a problem if you only ever want a 3 in that attribute, but getting a +2 in an attribute is always great, even if it is one you don't plan on using much because you don't need to spend any points on it to get it into a usable range. I mean even the least charismatic elf is average as far as a human is concerned, and thus the 20 BP that you didn't have to spend on raising charisma can now be spent on another stat that you deem more important, which is important when you consider the 200 BP cap to stats instead of just the 400 BP cap to a character.

For an example of this mentality at work, look up the SURGE quality that raises a stat (Max, Min, and Current) and compare to the one that lowers a stat (Max only, and current if out of CG). They value the raise alot more than they value a reduction, because as I said, the reaction isn't a big problem unless you really want that stat at maximum, and as a rule you don't.

As for the exact formula for a metarace... there isn't one, at least not an easy one. The thing you have to remember is that a point of agility is generally going to be valued much more than a point of willpower. Agility affects dozens of skills, all of which are of large focus in the game, and, in general, no character will be disappointed in a point of agility. Willpower meanwhile affects one or two skills, drain, and maybe give you an extra box on your stun track. That's about it. So thus a point of agility is generally going to be viewed from a design standpoint as being more valued than a point of Willpower. Agility is useful to all character types, especially combatants and infiltrators, and is good even for someone like a mage thanks to the desire to have a backup ability to shoot people or sneak around. Willpower however is mostly only good for mages, and of some slight use to hackers/riggers, and only very very marginally useful for others. I guess Willpower is handy for trying to resist a spell, but in general that is a losing prospect anyway, and so of a fairly minimal concern.

Now, I understand there are plenty of conceptual reasons for having a high willpower, but I'm looking at pure numbers here, and in general you are going to be making use of your agility more often than any other attribute.

[Whipstitch]

Thus the 20 BP that you didn't have to spend on raising charisma can now be spent on another stat that you deem more important, which is important when you consider the 200 BP cap to stats instead of just the 400 BP cap to a character.

This is probably my favorite dead horse to beat on when advising new GMs on the finer points of balancing out a group at chargen. Ironically enough, this means that on average, I see more "bright" (logic 4+) orks and trolls my table than humans or elves when it comes to non-Awakened characters. Grabbing Logic 4 and Cerebral Booster 2 so you can crack maglocks or handle the First Aid tests simply isn't as big a sacrifice for those metatypes.