Full Version: Team Karma
I'm currently running a renaissance campaign set in 2050. As such I'm using a lot of first and second edition adventures. I notice that in the karma award section of these books, the karma is split into individual and team karma. Individual karma is obviously awarded to each individual team member based on criteria. But how is team karma awarded? Is the full amount given to each member? Is the total split between members somehow? Does it go into some kind of pool? Any clarification on this would be appreciated.
Here are the [incredibly stupid and convoluted] rules for Team Karma, but the short version is it goes into a pool. [We just ignored it, and let people spend Karma on each other.] Team Karma appears only in SR2, not SR1, SR3, or SR4/SR4a.
QUOTE ("SR2 p191")
TEAM KARMA
Just as a character has a Karma Pool, so does a Shadowrun team. Members of the team contribute points from their personal Karma Pools to the Team Karma Pool. Points from the Team Karma Pool can then be used exactly like points from a personal Karma Pool, but by any member of the team.
The Team Karma Pool refreshes every scene or encounter, in the same way as a personal Karma Pool. Any points from the Team Karma Pool used to buy sueccesses are permanently lost, just as they are from a character's own Karma Pool.
When a team agrees to become a team, they make a list of the members, and each member must contribute at least 1 point of Karma from his or her own Karma Pool to the Team Karma Pool. Additional points can be added to the Team Karma Pool between scenes or encounters, or between adventures.
Points may not be removed from the Team Karma Pool unless one of the team members chooses to leave the team, or is asked to leave by the other members. In that case, one-half of the current Karma Points are removed from the Team Karma Pool. The departing character does not take these points with him, and if that character ever rejoins the team, he must add new Karma to the Pool. These lost points do not reappear.
When a new member joins the team, he or she must pay the initial 1 point of Team Karma.
No Team Karma is lost when a team member dies, and a replacement for that character is treated as a new character.
A character can be part of more than one shadowrunning team, but each team that character belongs to subtracts from the value of his Team Karma contributions. The actual value of a Team Karma contribution is equal to the number of Karma Pool points transferred, minus the number of additional teams the character is a part of. If a character is a part of two teams, it costs that character 2 Karma Pool points to contribute 1 point of Team Karma to either team.
Points can only be drawn from the Team Karma Pool is a majority of team members agree to do so. All the characters of the team need not be present in a secne or encounter for the Team Karma Pool to be used, but all the players present at the gaming table must still vote. In ties, the gamemaster should cast the deciding vote.
Just as a character has a Karma Pool, so does a Shadowrun team. Members of the team contribute points from their personal Karma Pools to the Team Karma Pool. Points from the Team Karma Pool can then be used exactly like points from a personal Karma Pool, but by any member of the team.
The Team Karma Pool refreshes every scene or encounter, in the same way as a personal Karma Pool. Any points from the Team Karma Pool used to buy sueccesses are permanently lost, just as they are from a character's own Karma Pool.
When a team agrees to become a team, they make a list of the members, and each member must contribute at least 1 point of Karma from his or her own Karma Pool to the Team Karma Pool. Additional points can be added to the Team Karma Pool between scenes or encounters, or between adventures.
Points may not be removed from the Team Karma Pool unless one of the team members chooses to leave the team, or is asked to leave by the other members. In that case, one-half of the current Karma Points are removed from the Team Karma Pool. The departing character does not take these points with him, and if that character ever rejoins the team, he must add new Karma to the Pool. These lost points do not reappear.
When a new member joins the team, he or she must pay the initial 1 point of Team Karma.
No Team Karma is lost when a team member dies, and a replacement for that character is treated as a new character.
A character can be part of more than one shadowrunning team, but each team that character belongs to subtracts from the value of his Team Karma contributions. The actual value of a Team Karma contribution is equal to the number of Karma Pool points transferred, minus the number of additional teams the character is a part of. If a character is a part of two teams, it costs that character 2 Karma Pool points to contribute 1 point of Team Karma to either team.
Points can only be drawn from the Team Karma Pool is a majority of team members agree to do so. All the characters of the team need not be present in a secne or encounter for the Team Karma Pool to be used, but all the players present at the gaming table must still vote. In ties, the gamemaster should cast the deciding vote.
I doubt that this answers the question. He asked about karma rewards - team karma - and not about the team karma pool, which a group can start, but doesn't have to.
To answer the question: In Bottle Demon, the team karma is described as to be split up among the surviving members. But honestly, nobody every said that every rule makes perfect sense. For example, this specific rule is pretty much bullshit.
To answer the question: In Bottle Demon, the team karma is described as to be split up among the surviving members. But honestly, nobody every said that every rule makes perfect sense. For example, this specific rule is pretty much bullshit.
QUOTE (Irian @ Nov 10 2011, 08:49 PM) 
I doubt that this answers the question. He asked about karma rewards - team karma - and not about the team karma pool, which a group can start, but doesn't have to.
Ah, yes, my bad.
As I recall from the base rules, every member gets the full amount of team karma, its only different in a few modules, which will then mention it specifically. players can then get individual karma on top of the team karma. Its just a destinction between generic rewards that aply to all the team members and individual revards for individual accomplishments.
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