This article describes how the BP (build point) character creation system of SR4 can be replaced with a Karma based creation system.
Build points (BP) are a fine thing, they only have one distinct disadvantage - because high values have constant costs O(1), players are encouraged to create min-maxed characters (such as 5 attributes at maximum - 1, the rest at 1) to make the most of their BP. The karma character improvement system, however, is made up with linear cost increases O(n). So it seems logical to also create (not just improve) characters with karma.
Exactly how much karma, and how to apply it to non-karma entities such as resources, qualities, and race, is the subject of the following considerations.
Update 2008-02: After playing one year with the new rules, it has been determined that 555 karma points (instead of 666) are sufficient for character creation, and that 2.5K per karma point are an acceptable exchange rate.
Update 2008-08: After taking a look at the SR4 Companion book, I was delighted that they also propose a karma system, and that I was spot-on with most of my "predictions". Differences are 750 instead of 555 karma, no race costs but high attribute costs, and constant costs O(1) for connection friendship.
The goal is to determine how much karma is needed in order to create a functional character. The first basis is a human, with all attributes at 4 (including magic and edge), 2 skill groups at 4, and 4 other skills at 4. The character starts with all attributes at 1 and no skills.
Cost for attribute improvements: (new rating) x 3
Cost for one attribute at 4: 2x3 + 3x3 + 4x3 = 6 + 9 + 12 = 27
Cost for 8 base attributes and 2 special attributes at 4: 10x27 = 270
Cost for skill group improvements: 10 for first point, (new rating)
x 5 afterwards
Cost for one skill group at 4: 10 + 2x5 + 3x5 + 4x5 = 10 + 10 + 15 + 20
= 55
Cost for 2 skill groups at 4: 2x55 = 110
Cost for skill improvements: 4 for first point, (new rating) x 2
afterwards
Cost for one skill at 4: 4 + 2x2 + 3x2 + 4x2 = 4 + 4 + 6 + 8 = 22
Cost for 4 skills at 4: 4x22 = 88
So the total cost for the basic character is 270 + 110 + 88 = 468 karma.
As knowledge skills are not very vital in getting the job done in comparison to active skills, players would surely neglect them in a purely karma based system. Also, it seems unfair that less smart characters have less knowledge skills. Therefore, each character should possess 6 knowledge skills at 4. This is outside the karma considerations.
These are entities which cannot have incremental costs but need a fixed amount. Looking at the "character improvement" table in the SR 4, positive and negative qualities are at double their BP costs. Following this, we get:
Race: Ork 40, dwarf 50, elf 60, troll 80.
Cost for being magic: Adept 10, mystic adept 20 karma, magician 30 karma, totem 10 karma, technomancer 10 karma.
Resources: 2.5K per karma point, at a maximum of 250K (equalling 100 karma).
The following subsections give an overview over the necessary karma distribution.
Costing 40 to 80 karma seems a hefty price. In order to determine whether these are justified, a look at the benefits of the races must be had. Generally speaking, there a two benefit types: Attribute improvements (plus their respective maxima) and qualities such as vision.
Ork: bod +3, str +2, cha -1, log - 1, lowlight
Dwarf: bod +1, rea -1, str +2, wil +1, infrared, health
Elf: agi +1, cha +2, lowlight
Troll: bod +4, agi -1, str +4, cha -2, int -1, log -1, infrared, reach,
armor
Counting shows that each race has the benefit of +3 attributes. One of them is counterbalanced by the human edge +1 benefit. The enhanced vision may be counted as another +1 attribute benefit, totalling in a +3 attributes for all metahumans.
Assuming that +1 in attribute equals the improvement of an attribute from 4 to 5 (derived from above attribute karma considerations), the karma cost for a +1 attribute is (new rating) x 3 = 5 x 3 = 15, therefore +3 attributes is worth 3 x 15 = 45 karma. This is roughly the cost of an ork or dwarf.
Orks are the most numerous metahumans in the world, so a deduction of -5 karma lands at the targetted 40 karma.
Dwarfs have +2 body for immunity test, which is surely at least worth 15 karma. However, taking the disadvantage of being small is at least worth -10 karma. In summary, the target of 50 karma can be justified.
Elves pose a bigger problem. The fact that they are the only metatype which does not suffer any disadvantages compared to humans does not seem to justify a +15 karma rise. However, charisma is an attribute which is not easily boosted by bioware oder cyberware, as opposed to physical attributes, so it must be concluded that mental attributes are inherently worth more than physical ones. Suffering no disadvantages (and having human size, as opposed to dwarfs) together with a +2 mental attribute boost can justify the +15 karma increase.
Trolls are very advantageous. Having reach and additional armor is surely worth at least +10 karma each, when compared to the cyber/bioware costs of such improvements. They are also extremely well suited for any physical character type. Additionally, trolls are the rarest of the metatypes. All in all, the +35 karma upshot seems plausible.
In determining the total karma to be added to the equation, striking into the middle seems an ample solution: 60 karma points. Human characters can use these for buying qualities or other abilities which offset the attribute disadvantage.
It should be noted that the attribute modifiers should be taken after attribute build completion. Also, within the game, determining the karma cost for improvements should align around the unmodified attribute, i.e. comparing a human and a troll, boosting body to human 6 and to troll 10 should both cost the same (6 x 3 = 18), and boosting charisma to human 6 and to troll 4 should also cost the same (6 x 3 = 18), as these seem equally hard to do, given the natural limitations of each metatype.
All qualities cost double, as indicated in the character improvement section of the SR4 sourcebook. Then, the maximum karma allowed to spent is 70 karma in place of the 35 BP.
A good, if somewhat random, approach is to award roughly half of the maximum, so an average value of 40 karma seems appropriate.
The three groups samurai, magician and technomancer should need equal karma.
A street samurai needs 250K (100 karma), but no magic attribute (at 4: -27 karma), totalling 73 karma. A magician or technomancer should need only minimal resources (e.g. 4 karma being 10K), leaving roughly 70 at their disposal. With these, the following costs could be paid:
Magican: 30 for magic, 10 for totem, 30 for 6 spells (could also be
spent for binding foci etc.)
Cost for one spell: 5
Technomancer: 10 for resonance, 56 for 8 forms at 3
Cost for forms: 2 for first point, (new rating) x 1 afterwards
Cost for one form at 3: 2 + 2 + 3 = 7
So, an additional 70 karma for resources seems good.
Every character should have the standard two connections. Since it should be exponentially more difficult to have good friends, it seems sensible that the costs should be equal to those of technomancer forms. The power cost of the connection should be low, as there is no effort behind it; so it costs the power in karma.
Cost for connections: Power in karma for creation, (new rating) x 1
afterwards for friendship
Cost for a connection 3/3: 3 + (1 + 2 + 3) = 9
Cost for two connections 2/2 = 2 x 9 = 18
Therefore, an additional 18 karma points go for connections.
The total required karma is basic (468) + race (60) + qualities (40) + resources (70) + connections (18) = 468 + 60 + 40 + 70 + 18 = 656. Massaging this number a bit, we arrive at the number of the beast: 666, which has the additional advantage that it is easy to remember and that cheating players are foreseen for a particularly hurting kind of hell.
| Staged Entity | Value | Calculation | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attribute | Cost: (new value) x 3 | ||
| 1 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2 |
6 |
6 |
|
| 3 |
6 + 9 |
15 |
|
| 4 |
6 + 9 + 12 |
27 |
|
| 5 |
6 + 9 + 12 + 15 |
42 |
|
| 6 |
6 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 18 |
60 |
|
| Skill group |
Cost: 10
+ (new rating) x 5 |
||
| 1 |
10 |
10 |
|
| 2 |
10 + 10 |
20 |
|
| 3 |
10 + 10 + 15 |
35 |
|
| 4 |
10 + 10 + 15 + 20 |
55 |
|
| 5 |
10 + 10 + 15 + 20 + 25 |
80 |
|
| 6 |
10 + 10 + 15 + 20 + 25 + 30 |
110 |
|
| Skill |
Cost: 4 +
(new rating) x 2 |
||
| 1 |
4 |
4 |
|
| 2 |
4 + 4 |
8 |
|
| 3 |
4 + 4 + 6 |
14 |
|
| 4 |
4 + 4 + 6 + 8 |
22 |
|
| 5 |
4 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 10 |
32 |
|
| 6 |
4 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 10 + 12 |
44 |
|
| Forms |
Cost: 2 +
(new value) x 1 |
||
| 1 |
2 |
2 |
|
| 2 |
2 + 2 |
4 |
|
| 3 |
2 + 2 + 3 |
7 |
|
| 4 |
2 + 2 + 3 + 4 |
11 |
|
| 5 |
2 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 |
16 |
|
| 6 |
2 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 |
22 |
|