Hey folks,

So I've finished a bunch of runs with my shaman and he's got like 500k in the shadow bank.
Since all foci cost karma too, I can't bond anything for a while.
What the crap should I spend that cash on?
A platinum Doc Wagon contract is only 100K a year and I'm prepaid on lifestyle.

How the hell do you guys spend your cash?

Playing Mundanes. It's hellishly expensive.

With Great Gusto...
SR4/A or SR5?

My SR4A character spent money on Image... And on Gaining and Maintaining Contacts throughout the Asian sphere of Influence.
As well as Spell Formulae. Lots and Lots of Spell Formulae.
A new toy now and again. Custom Weapons and Custom Rides (though not necessarily obvious).
Knowsofts and Datasofts to fill roles under Identities not my own.
Identities and Hideouts.
Run Bag with all the necessary things to assume a new identity at a moments notice.
Knowsofts and Datasofts to fill gaps in skills for different identities).

5th.
I could just be eccentric, but I thought having a mid-level-character crisis was silly.
I don't need a blood-red Westwind and the elephant man's bones.
This is obviously a sixth world problem, I would not be having this issue as a rigger or street sam.
It's specifically an awakened character progression game flaw.

5th Hmmmm...
SO unless you have a Skill jack, Knowsofts, Linguasofts and Datasofts are right out.

Naah... not really a problem in game... My mages never have any issues with spending money. Sounds more like a Character Problem. What are his interests other than Running?

My essence is sacrosanct.

Indeed...
If your Magic Attribute is at Essence Value, I could see that.

Hookers and blow?

Always a good standby.

One sucks the life out of you, the other the essence

Heh... Perfect.

I am in the same situation and here's what I do with the money. We're not generally paid by the job shadowrunners, more "solving problems for close personal friends" shadowrunners, so things are a little different, but not much.
1. I bought a yacht (a Dolphin II from Deadly Waves). We added satellite link and rigger adaptation, and the rigger drives it, but it's where my money went.
2. I hire a B-team whenever possible. We NEVER get caught without backup. Especially a spare decker on call to handle alarm suppression and stuff. And I get them gear.
3. I'm also the face, and I bribe the crap out of everyone. Even people we're pointing guns at gets some cash. If you do carrot/stick, you can use negotiation rather than intimidation, which I suck at.
4. I bought everyone very nice suits, so we can look the part.
5. Helped team-mates get cyberware (they're my brother and sister, so it's not that unreasonable).

Sounds like your GM is being a bit lenient on you, if you've worked enough to have that kind of dosh but haven't made any enemies worth spending it to defend against.

Yea, that too. We got paid very well for accidentally releasing a scourge upon the earth, some crazy ancient vampire thing, that's already killed 2 party members. But I got a very nice yacht

As long as you are Comfortable.

Well, I always need karma more than cash.
I think it's a common awakened problem.

Ask the GM about some cash-for-karma house ruling?

Not just an awakened problem. I cannot name a single character who would not benefit from MORE KARMA.

Shamanic Lodge of a really high rating? Reagents, more spell formulae? Safe houses, back up lifestyles and fake SINs of high ratings? Vehicles? Wining and dining contacts? Getting Deckers to do data steals on magical research?

And much, much more.

Fund the local orphanage for karma, aka. tell your GM every game needs a cash<->karma rule. Wait until 5th Ed's Augmentation and rethink your stance on how sacrosanct Essence is. Get a truckload of regents (possibly by employing those orphans ), because magic without capital Limits is just better. Buy a team van, so the rigger can finally trick out his ride without regard for human occupants. Hire another team (still got some underemployed orphans?) for legwork and stuff.

How does your team deal with money? That is, do you take out expenses (ammo, lost drones, etc) before dividing it up?

Either way, if you have that much to spare, I'd consider buying some really nice Christmas presents for your team. Sure, it is your money, but look at it this way -- if the samurai's new laser pistol and the rigger's new drone gank the sniper that was about to aerate your hide, it was good use of the funds

You said you were prepaid, but is the 100-month thing still there? Buying a permanent lifestyle is always useful, and you can use the prepaid one as a safehouse.

Some GM's might let you spend money to buy/increase contacts. That's always a good investment.

20 or so Fake SINs and full sets of Licenses for each are always a good buy. And Squirrel Bags (Body Armor Bags filled with miscellaneous needful things (Ala Burn Notice)) spread about the Metroplex are another great idea.

I have this same problem. My mage is sitting on over 600K with no obvious places to spend it and is a Christian theurge, so humility is one of his core values. The ideas of having identities and go-bags in storage in major locations sounds like a good idea, as is subcontracting reconnaissance jobs.

Retire? Any runner sitting on half a million with a prepaid lifestyle has no financial incentive to keep running.

Without some other reason to keep risking your neck, why would you keep doing it? And if you DO have some reason to keep risking your neck, then you can invest the money into accomplishing it and related goals.

Nothing else, you can always invest in your team. Give the Rigger an early Christmas present, tweak out the Street Sam's cyber, set up safehouses and equipment caches, and keep a sizeable amount around "just in case" - never know when you might need to spend 100k on short notice to set something up.

~Umi

Or become a Johnson yourself. Think of some things you want done, but can't be arsed to do yourself. Call up your fixer, tell him you'll pay to have 'em handled.

It's still too soon to retire.
He's only got 50 karma.

I think the burning question is, how the hell did you get half a million in 5th Edition in only the time it takes to get 50 karma?

A number of very lucrative runs and a problematicaly generous GM.
Were I playing anything else, this would obviously be awesome.

Assuming 3 to 5 karma per run, it'd take 10 to 15 runs to get that much karma, meaning that's an average of 33k to 50k nuyen per run, per person.

What the frag sorts of runs were you pulling to net six figures combined payout every single mission? Assassinating senators?

~Umi