Okay, so, I'm an old school shadowrunner, started playing on 1st ed. running it on 2nd.
I bought 3rd but never had a chance to play. I have 3rd and have read through it. The character generation seems pretty involved. Any advice on how to make it seem less cumbersome? besides using archetypes, I mean.
any tips or suggestions? I guess, is what I'm asking.
Full Version: Character Generation
My first tip would be to move this to the general Shadowrun thread, if you want advice on making a 3rd Edition character. Also, it helps to know what general type of character you want to play (street samuria, mage, adept, decker, etc.). The priority system can seem daunting at first, but it is actually fairly easy and intuitive to use.
Other than buying gear, character generation is pretty easy. Just select your priorities, then run from there.
As glyph pointed out, it helps to know what kind of character you have in mind. Deckers, Riggers, and Sammies all benefit from having a high Resource priority. Adepts need attributes more than gear, so they can get away with putting that dead last. Mages are a mixed bag, but generally need skills over cash.
As glyph pointed out, it helps to know what kind of character you have in mind. Deckers, Riggers, and Sammies all benefit from having a high Resource priority. Adepts need attributes more than gear, so they can get away with putting that dead last. Mages are a mixed bag, but generally need skills over cash.
ugg that was a serious typo on my part
I meant ive been reading through 4th edition
i was just wondering if anyone knew of any character gen quick sheets or anything like that
I meant ive been reading through 4th edition
i was just wondering if anyone knew of any character gen quick sheets or anything like that
There are several 4th edition character generators available in the Community Projects forum.
Other good resources can be found on
Pavao's site
and
Knasser's site
Other good resources can be found on
Pavao's site
and
Knasser's site
Character generators are definately the way to go. Frankly IMO they were the way to go in SR3 too if you had an intention of meaningful tweaking of the character stats around.
Also recommend that you try get the OK from the GM to let you set aside a big chunk of cash to buy gear during the first session or two and letting you keep the leftover cash if it's less than a couple grand. Screwing around buying gear, with all it's options easily, and trying to use it up eats up a disappropriate amount of chargen time. And you end up forgetting or missing stuff anyway.
The idea of no carry-over of build resources from character generation as cash in play, while well intentioned, plays out as a PITA. Keeping the cash carry over to pocket change keeps the spirit of the purpose of the way the rules are while giving the flexibility to keep your character generation time down.
Unless you are the kind of person and play in the kind of game where a couple thousand nuyen doesn't mean anything anyway. In that case just don't worry about using up all your resource nuyen and you'll save yourself a lot of time.
P.S. Myself, when GMing I've gone to using a money system where those purchaes costing a few hundred nuyen, even a few thousand when playing higher end characters, don't even get tracked. Assuming legal items or the ability to track down the illegal ones, you are assumed to have room left on your credit account for minor purchases and away you go. Screw tracking figurative pennies, is Shadowrun not intended to be a game of action instead of accounting?
Also recommend that you try get the OK from the GM to let you set aside a big chunk of cash to buy gear during the first session or two and letting you keep the leftover cash if it's less than a couple grand. Screwing around buying gear, with all it's options easily, and trying to use it up eats up a disappropriate amount of chargen time. And you end up forgetting or missing stuff anyway.
The idea of no carry-over of build resources from character generation as cash in play, while well intentioned, plays out as a PITA. Keeping the cash carry over to pocket change keeps the spirit of the purpose of the way the rules are while giving the flexibility to keep your character generation time down.
Unless you are the kind of person and play in the kind of game where a couple thousand nuyen doesn't mean anything anyway. In that case just don't worry about using up all your resource nuyen and you'll save yourself a lot of time.
P.S. Myself, when GMing I've gone to using a money system where those purchaes costing a few hundred nuyen, even a few thousand when playing higher end characters, don't even get tracked. Assuming legal items or the ability to track down the illegal ones, you are assumed to have room left on your credit account for minor purchases and away you go. Screw tracking figurative pennies, is Shadowrun not intended to be a game of action instead of accounting?
cool
thanks guys
yeah the equipment thing really bogged me down. I'd forgotten that it was what was really getting to me.
thanks guys
yeah the equipment thing really bogged me down. I'd forgotten that it was what was really getting to me.
What I'd like to do, as a player and GM, but have yet to have a chance to, is have "standard buys" of equipment already set out - you can modify it as you wish, but as set out they'd provide the basic suite of equipment for common concepts, while leaving money for lifestyles and whatnot.
| QUOTE (Penta) |
| What I'd like to do, as a player and GM, but have yet to have a chance to, is have "standard buys" of equipment already set out - you can modify it as you wish, but as set out they'd provide the basic suite of equipment for common concepts, while leaving money for lifestyles and whatnot. |
that's a pretty smart idea
and would save some time.
like "kits"
| QUOTE (blakkie) |
| Also recommend that you try get the OK from the GM to let you set aside a big chunk of cash to buy gear during the first session or two and letting you keep the leftover cash if it's less than a couple grand. Screwing around buying gear, with all it's options easily, and trying to use it up eats up a disappropriate amount of chargen time. And you end up forgetting or missing stuff anyway. |
Actually, the rules (pg. 87) already let you set aside a certain amount of resources to increase your starting money.
As far as character generators go, they can be useful tools, but you want to be sure to double-check your character sheet for any errors.
| QUOTE (Glyph @ Sep 23 2007, 03:36 PM) |
| Actually, the rules (pg. 87) already let you set aside a certain amount of resources to increase your starting money. |
Better than nothing but it's a really goofy calculation based on Lifestyle bought that isn't cash for cash. I don't remember the exact formula and don't have the BBB in front of me but one of the mid-level Lifestyles gives you a whole wack of cash which works really wierd and highly encourages setting aside exactly 1200
of resources for conversion to cash. It also works in descrete increments.| QUOTE |
| As far as character generators go, they can be useful tools, but you want to be sure to double-check your character sheet for any errors. |
Yeah, some of the younger character generators still have some serious BP calculation problems.
Yes very true Blakkie the one you updated does not calculate specialized knowledge skills at all. 
WMS
WMS
I still use 3rd edition, but I found the point system from Shadowrun Companion the quickest, easiest and most efficient chargen method. If they have that for 4th I would suggest that.
4th is points by default.
| QUOTE (blakkie) |
| ...it's a really goofy calculation based on Lifestyle bought that isn't cash for cash. I don't remember the exact formula and don't have the BBB in front of me but one of the mid-level Lifestyles gives you a whole wack of cash which works really wierd and highly encourages setting aside exactly 1200 of resources for conversion to cash. It also works in descrete increments. |
I didn't even notice that rule when I thought how odd it was that taking high lifestyle could actually net you more starting cash that it cost for one month of the lifestyle, with a good enough roll. That's insane, a character with High Lifestyle starts with around 28,000¥ (on an 'average' roll, it could be MUCH higher or lower) for only 11,200¥.
The lesson is, all characters in SR4 should start with high lifestyles.
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