We did it once in a priorites game... The GM said, "Guys, everybody gets an extra million nuyen and 50 karma to spend. Have fun!"
And our jaws hit the floor.
That's the game I played a Quebecois corp lawyer and dirty tricks specialist. Heh.
It's occasionally kind of fun making a mundane who can go through security _and_ evade machinegun fire in a narrow hallway.
Full Version: Best chargen system
I came across BeCKS after I stopped running regularly, so while I like the concept I can't claim any expertise with its finer points...
I like the idea of equalising skill costs as between chargen and advancement, and I feel that the other systems are flawed because they force smart players into specialisation if they want to get the most bang for their buck.
As a GM nothing irritates me more than trying to run a group of characters each with some combination of firearms 6 (I know, I know, 2nd edition reference), Sorcery 6, conjuring 6 or firearms 6, unarmed 6 and, if you're lucky, stealth 6. A group with an array of abilities like demolitions, tribal et, electronics b/r, athletics, psycholgy, biotech and at least one bloody driving skill in the whole group allows for a more varied array of challenges and is a strong personal preference of mine as a GM,
but even were than not the case, the canon systems don't even give players an unbiased choice, in the sense that they are not neutral between generalists and specialists. After a couple of months of play the players who built specialists will be in a better position, all else being equal, than those who built generalists. A BeCKS-like system doesn't in any way take away your ability to build specialists, except by implementing the existing rules-mechanic of diminishing marginal returns for improvement in higher skills, it just gives you a choice that's not going to be punished after everyone has earned a few dozen karma...
I like the idea of equalising skill costs as between chargen and advancement, and I feel that the other systems are flawed because they force smart players into specialisation if they want to get the most bang for their buck.
As a GM nothing irritates me more than trying to run a group of characters each with some combination of firearms 6 (I know, I know, 2nd edition reference), Sorcery 6, conjuring 6 or firearms 6, unarmed 6 and, if you're lucky, stealth 6. A group with an array of abilities like demolitions, tribal et, electronics b/r, athletics, psycholgy, biotech and at least one bloody driving skill in the whole group allows for a more varied array of challenges and is a strong personal preference of mine as a GM,
but even were than not the case, the canon systems don't even give players an unbiased choice, in the sense that they are not neutral between generalists and specialists. After a couple of months of play the players who built specialists will be in a better position, all else being equal, than those who built generalists. A BeCKS-like system doesn't in any way take away your ability to build specialists, except by implementing the existing rules-mechanic of diminishing marginal returns for improvement in higher skills, it just gives you a choice that's not going to be punished after everyone has earned a few dozen karma...
I think Lace has put into words exactly the reason I like the BECK's system.
hey, I knew if I posted here often enough I'd eventually say something that someone would agree with 
I just sleep with the GM and make whatever character I want.
There's a certain elegance to that method…
~J
~J
Especially if you're the GM
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