What's your gig about lifestyles ?? I'm wondering why a runner would spend 4K nuyen extra a month to live in a Medium lifestyle instead of a Low lifestyle.

Better security, consistent utilities, better neighbors, no rats. Really, the same reason everyone else pays a little more to live a slightly better lifestyle. It's a rare ascetic who will make 10 or 20 grand a month and still be willing to eat unflavored soy every day and sleep on a dirty mattress every night.

Mostly roleplaying reasons though security and access to toys (such as a vehicle), security, reliable matrix connections, even water and power are governed by lifestyle too.

Runners Companion goes into more detail.

Ever since I started GMing I've always played up the security part of a lifestyle. There have been cases where I have had the runners place broken into and they lost all their food, bed, entertainment (which they spent a lot on), and even the kitchen sink. I haven't read the Runners Companion yet, but you could almost go as far as saying your wireless connection suffers from bandwidth issues while in a low or worse lifestyle.

Security is one of 5 aspects. Necessities (water, food, etc.) are another. Entertainment I believe covers matrix connectivity (and trid broadcasts, movie theaters, etc). Luxuries are things like real food (ie. not soy products), king sized beds, a maid, etc. Comfort is the last one (do you have chairs for guests to sit at your table? are they cheap stiff chairs, or are they nice comfortable ones? a couch to watch the trid?).

Note: I'm recalling this from memory, may not be accurate.

-1 on healing tests?

They wouldn't really. They'd use Runner's Companion to figure out what 2 or 3 things they want at a 3 (Medium) and which they'll keep at 2 (Low) in order to only spend 2500 a month.

Or even go Green and get a slight discount.
(Or other Lifestyle quality, both positive and negative)

Is the character numbers on a page? Or is he a married guy with a girl on the way (and one on the side), looking for a way to improve his lot and theirs the only way the system lets an ork like him climb up from the gutter and slums - by slinging bullets, drugs and spells or cracking code? Is he just a machine the corps slot a quarter into for killing. Or is he Mister Gonna Be a Big Shot One Day. Does he sleep well with the sound of gunfire rattling though the night, just turns off the cyberears and wraps in the comfy kevlar; does he mind waking up every morning stiff as hell? Frag it, take a pill, jog it off, up and down the stairs of his apartment where teenage hookers strut their wares...

I think it adds depth to the character. Where you live (or how I suppose) can really add color to your PC.


Edit: what Kanada said lol

I know I'm gonna get a thumping for this but...

I've considered the idea of classifying shadowrun payments by the lifestyle level they will support rather than just giving an actual firm number. Of course this requires that I put a similar lifestyle determination on all the equipment too, which is basically why I haven't done it yet. But I was wondering if anyone else has done something similar.

Plus sometimes if for some reason you need to have a fake SIN as Bob the Successful Consultant having a dive apartment in The Verge rather than somewhere like Fort Lewis is going to raise some flags if people start taking a look at you.

Well, Bob needs a place to satisfy his troll whore fetish where the wife doesn't see them.

Besides the role-play angle (which is big), I also enforce spending rules based on the character's lifestyle, i.e. if you have a medium lifestyle you can absob the cost of parking downtown in a secure garage when you're headed in for a meet or spring for a night in a motel to lay low (or whatever - insert reasonable costs here). If you have low-lifestyle, the cred from that motel room is coming right out of your credstick.

Security is a big thing (I had a player one time who tried to stash a tactical computer, even though he lived on the street. I asked him . . . WHERE???) Another thing is impression. Sure, no one is going to bat an eye at a street sam with a low lifestyle, but what about a face? I would say that to be clean, presentable, and live in a 'socially acceptable' place, a runner would have to have at least a medium lifestyle or suffer some social penalties. Plus, how are you going to clean your $1500 armored buisnesswear when you can't even take a shower when you want (remember, water rationing!)

I tend to see most people go for the high lifestyle option, unless it really doesn't fit the background.

Of course the reason for this is buy spending 1200 on a +12 to your starting Nuyen roll you effectively get a free lifestyle for the first month plus some spending money on top.....

Lifestyle in my games affects several things.

Petty cash is a common one.
Can you afford taking a cab, driving around town? a street lifestyle probably wouldn't include that.
Dinners do you have to pay for individual meals or are they part of your lifestyle. getting too good of a meal usually costs something.

It affects appearance. Similiar to petty cash, your wardrobe is going to be in the same style group as your lifestyle. Try walking into a AAA area with a street/squatter clothing. You'll probably find yourself hustled off and sent on your way. Want to get into a trendy club, you'll need a pair of clothes, it will just count as part of your lifestyle instead of having to buy it special.

I also allow some of the following
replenish expended munition.
Increase runs payment (or increase the jobs danger/pay which also relates to their fame) - gotta travel in the right circles and the lifestyle goes into making sure that your looked favorably upon
covers some medical/repairs

Security is a good one as well.
Especially for hideouts or rigger vehicle garages.

I look at it this way , If you are being paid to get shot , stabbed and blown up why would you then live in a dumpster? You can live in a Dumpster without those risks. (Ok you may get shot and stabbed but it will be part of the lifestyle not your job)
The game I run is fairly high paying , and the characters have been able to buy excellent gear , one of then was trying to spend 300,000 on cyberware while living a low lifestyle , I required him to have at least a medium preferable high lifesyle or expalin to me why his character enjoyed living in poverty. I also allow lifestyle to cover routine costs like taxi's etc if a character has a high wnought lifestyle and to some degree consider them to include the runner's saving up for his retirement by setting up investments etc.
I consider that shadowrunners should really be making a medium lifestyle from their career or they should be doing something else