I suspect we'd all more or less agree that karma to some extent represents straight experience and the ability to learn from experience. But sometimes karma can be sold (for nuyen), or transferred to others (free spirits). Sometimes it can be purchased. Some house rules and designed spells cover accumulation of karma from others (willing or not) as "life energy" from specific metamagics and ritual magics.
How do you work this? What is the mechanism of transfer? and how do you image it? What do you understand karma to represent, especially in situations which involve its transfer or trade or sale to others?
Full Version: Karma
How about it just representing points to make your character better so you actually evolve? No hidden mystery, no in-character meaning, just a GM's way of helping you become more powerful for the next story. 
Sphynx
Sphynx
Well beacuse Sphynx sometimes karma DOES pop up in character, such as free spirits needing to advance and aquire it from outside forces. WHat does the character go through when giving up Karma ro a Free Spirit?
| QUOTE |
| BitBasher What does the character go through when giving up Karma ro a Free Spirit? |
Or Quickening a spell and locking a ward or watcher.
I always thought of Karma as Lisa Simpson describes the Soul to Bart, "Some would say that the Soul is really a measure of ones deeds and actions."
"So you agree?" The Oracle asked quietly.
"Yes."
The whirlwind of light about it spins faster and brighter. Seeming to breath deeply, The Oracle leans forward. A shadow of the emotions you experienced, the pain and joy of the past weeks and month, rises through your mind as if pulled by a ghostly hand. Fleeting away, the sensations die down leaving an almost hollow feeling behind. Before your eyes a myriad of tiny glowing globes float gently towards the whirlwind, seeming to merge with it.
"Done," he said, his voice final and firm, "Now, listen well, and I shall answer your three questions."
| QUOTE (Kanada Ten) |
"So you agree?" The Oracle asked quietly. "Yes." The whirlwind of light about it spins faster and brighter. Seeming to breath deeply, The Oracle leans forward. A shadow of the emotions you experienced, the pain and joy of the past weeks and month, rises through your mind as if pulled by a ghostly hand. Fleeting away, the sensations die down leaving an almost hollow feeling behind. Before your eyes a myriad of tiny glowing globes float gently towards the whirlwind, seeming to merge it. "Done," he said, his voice final and firm, "Now, listen well, and I shall answer your three questions." |
I swear to God, I have to be a player in a game you GM before I die, Kanada.
karma is a measure of good deeds generally. in most published run, you get a karma bonus for going out of your way to be a 'good guy', yet the run is a bit easier if you go evil. Evil has its own reward, Karma is not one of them.
| QUOTE (Sammiel) |
| karma is a measure of good deeds generally. in most published run, you get a karma bonus for going out of your way to be a 'good guy', yet the run is a bit easier if you go evil. Evil has its own reward, Karma is not one of them. |
I hate this interpretation! If this were the case, bad guys would never get better at anything.
Karma in Shadowrun is an abstract. While it does have various uses, it's main purpose is to represent the effort required to learn and/or improve one's self.
Not sure if I'd go with the following model in my own game, but it works well enough that I wouldn't be put out if it were presented as the official definition:
Karma is a measure of a person's ability to determine the course of their life in opposition to the external forces that shape it. This definition explains why it's used by PCs to improve themselves, and why free spirits need it, but isn't so great at explaining where it comes from. C'est la vie.
Karma is a measure of a person's ability to determine the course of their life in opposition to the external forces that shape it. This definition explains why it's used by PCs to improve themselves, and why free spirits need it, but isn't so great at explaining where it comes from. C'est la vie.
If you are looking for some spiritual meaning fo karma...
Karma is a powerful force created by the ancient and sometimes forgotton gods that created the 6th world and have now turned over control of the universe to many other gods.
Translation: Karma was created by the authors/designers (ancient gods) and is controlled by the GM's (current gods).
Karma is a powerful force created by the ancient and sometimes forgotton gods that created the 6th world and have now turned over control of the universe to many other gods.
Translation: Karma was created by the authors/designers (ancient gods) and is controlled by the GM's (current gods).
| QUOTE (Buzzed) |
| If you are looking for some spiritual meaning fo karma... Karma is a powerful force created by the ancient and sometimes forgotton gods that created the 6th world and have now turned over control of the universe to many other gods. Translation: Karma was created by the authors/designers (ancient gods) and is controlled by the GM's (current gods). |
No Karma was created by Ancient History.
| QUOTE (Person 404) |
| Karma is a measure of a person's ability to determine the course of their life in opposition to the external forces that shape it. |
I like this!
| QUOTE (Magus) |
| No Karma was created by Ancient History. |
Nice description, Kanada Ten. Now, what of karma used to bind a newly-found focus?
| QUOTE |
| Karma is a measure of a person's ability to determine the course of their life in opposition to the external forces that shape it. - Person 404 |
So karma is a measure of free will and the ability to act upon free will?
| QUOTE (Talia Invierno) |
| So karma is a measure of free will and the ability to act upon free will? |
Well, sort of. On one level, I like this idea, because it's a neat explanation of how karma is used: improving skills and stats, binding focuses, granting to free spirits. It has some rather undesireable philosophical consequences, but it's not often that philosophy comes up in Shadowrun anyway.
I want to use a nanosecond buyout example, but I can't quite figure out how to phrase it, and it works better with karma pool anyway.
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