Shadowrun Skills and Karma
The Shadowrun skill system has a couple of major flaws that can be addressed
if you're willing to cope with a little math.
- One of the problems with the Shadowrun skill system is that it
makes no provision for the possibility that someone might want to
broaden a skill. By the standard rules, if you buy a specialization,
if you want to go back and buy the concentration, you have to pay to
bring up the concentration as a completely separate skill.
- Another problem that appears at character creation is that skills
are assigned at creation time in a radically different method from
actual play. Six points used at creation time for buying skills can
be worth anywhere from 6 karma (if used to buy six skills at 1) to 51
karma (if used to buy one general skill at 4 with a concentration at 6
and a specialization at 8).
- The skill system also has limits that ordinary experience does
not. It is possible (through play) for a character to have a
specialization at 5, but an accompanying concentration and general
skill still at 1. This cannot be done at character creation time.
None of these seems terribly realistic.
One can avoid a number of these problems with some extended rules:
- When creating a character, instead of buying skills with points as
per the standard FASA rules, sum their points. Starting characters,
as usual, should not have general skills higher than 6, concentrations
higher than 7, or specializations higher than 8. Gamemasters may wish
to insist that if a concentration is used, the general skill must be
at least two points lower, and if a specialization is used, its
appropriate concentration must be at least two points lower and
general skill at least four points lower. The number of karma points
corresponding to a given character creation priority can vary with
how you calculate it. The maximum number of karma points is based
the character taking as many specializations at the highest possible
levels, i.e., taking all possible 8/6/4 specializations and then another
specialization. This method can create any starting Shadowrun character.
One may also calculate on the maximum number of
general skills, i.e., all general skills at 6 and then another general
skill at the highest possible level.
Priority | Skill Points | Maximum general | Maximum special |
A | 40 | 265 | 333 |
B | 30 | 210 | 255 |
C | 24 | 164 | 204 |
D | 20 | 128 | 164 |
E | 17 | 111 | 140 |
This helps players break out of the molds of archetypes, since it is now
effective to have a character start as a generalist. Gamemasters may wish
to disallow obvious attempts at taking every single skill on the Skill Web
unless the character has a well-thought-out background as a generalist.
- If you have a specialization, the cost to bring a concentration that
encompasses that specialization up to the level of the specialization is
the difference between the karma cost of the specialization and the
karma cost of the concentration.
Example: Theora recently used 7 karma from a run to bring her
Computer 6 skill up to Computer 6, Matrix Software 7, so she can
start working on utilities at rating 7. After another
run, a subsequent 4 karma can bring her skill up to Computer 6,
Software 7.
- The same principle applies for a general skill.
Example: After that last run, Theora realizes that Concentrating
on pistols just wasn't a great idea. She decides to spend 1
karma to take her Firearms 1, Pistols 3 to Firearms 2, Pistols 3.
On a later run, going from Firearms 2, Pistols 3 to Firearms 3 only
takes her another karma point.
Normal Skills, by Skill
Gen | Conc | Spec | Pts |
1 | - | - | 1 |
1 | - | 2 | 3 |
1 | - | 3 | 6 |
1 | - | 4 | 10 |
1 | - | 5 | 15 |
1 | - | 6 | 21 |
1 | - | 7 | 28 |
1 | - | 8 | 36 |
1 | 2 | - | 4 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
1 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
1 | 2 | 5 | 16 |
1 | 2 | 6 | 22 |
1 | 2 | 7 | 29 |
1 | 2 | 8 | 37 |
1 | 3 | - | 9 |
1 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
1 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
1 | 3 | 6 | 24 |
1 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
1 | 3 | 8 | 39 |
1 | 4 | - | 15 |
1 | 4 | 5 | 20 |
1 | 4 | 6 | 26 |
1 | 4 | 7 | 33 |
1 | 4 | 8 | 41 |
1 | 5 | - | 22 |
1 | 5 | 6 | 28 |
1 | 5 | 7 | 35 |
1 | 5 | 8 | 43 |
1 | 6 | - | 31 |
1 | 6 | 7 | 38 |
1 | 6 | 8 | 46 |
1 | 7 | - | 42 |
1 | 7 | 8 | 50 |
- | | | |
- | | | |
- | | | |
Gen | Conc | Spec | Pts |
2 | - | - | 5 |
2 | - | 3 | 8 |
2 | - | 4 | 12 |
2 | - | 5 | 17 |
2 | - | 6 | 23 |
2 | - | 7 | 30 |
2 | - | 8 | 38 |
2 | 3 | - | 10 |
2 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
2 | 3 | 5 | 19 |
2 | 3 | 6 | 25 |
2 | 3 | 7 | 32 |
2 | 3 | 8 | 40 |
2 | 4 | - | 16 |
2 | 4 | 5 | 21 |
2 | 4 | 6 | 27 |
2 | 4 | 7 | 34 |
2 | 4 | 8 | 42 |
2 | 5 | - | 23 |
2 | 5 | 6 | 29 |
2 | 5 | 7 | 36 |
2 | 5 | 8 | 44 |
2 | 6 | - | 32 |
2 | 6 | 7 | 39 |
2 | 6 | 8 | 47 |
2 | 7 | - | 43 |
2 | 7 | 8 | 51 |
3 | - | - | 11 |
3 | - | 4 | 15 |
3 | - | 5 | 20 |
3 | - | 6 | 26 |
3 | - | 7 | 33 |
3 | - | 8 | 41 |
3 | 4 | - | 17 |
3 | 4 | 5 | 22 |
3 | 4 | 6 | 28 |
3 | 4 | 7 | 35 |
3 | 4 | 8 | 43 |
Gen | Conc | Spec | Pts |
3 | 5 | - | 25 |
3 | 5 | 6 | 31 |
3 | 5 | 7 | 38 |
3 | 5 | 8 | 46 |
3 | 6 | - | 34 |
3 | 6 | 7 | 41 |
3 | 6 | 8 | 49 |
3 | 7 | - | 44 |
3 | 7 | 8 | 52 |
4 | - | - | 19 |
4 | - | 5 | 24 |
4 | - | 6 | 30 |
4 | - | 7 | 37 |
4 | - | 8 | 45 |
4 | 5 | - | 27 |
4 | 5 | 6 | 33 |
4 | 5 | 7 | 40 |
4 | 5 | 8 | 48 |
4 | 6 | - | 36 |
4 | 6 | 7 | 43 |
4 | 6 | 8 | 51 |
4 | 7 | - | 46 |
4 | 7 | 8 | 54 |
5 | - | - | 29 |
5 | - | 6 | 35 |
5 | - | 7 | 42 |
5 | - | 8 | 50 |
5 | 6 | - | 38 |
5 | 6 | 7 | 45 |
5 | 6 | 8 | 53 |
5 | 7 | - | 49 |
5 | 7 | 8 | 57 |
6 | - | - | 41 |
6 | - | 7 | 48 |
6 | - | 8 | 56 |
6 | 7 | - | 52 |
6 | 7 | 8 | 60 |
Normal Skills, by Cost
Gen | Conc | Spec | Pts |
1 | - | - | 1 |
1 | - | 2 | 3 |
1 | 2 | - | 4 |
2 | - | - | 5 |
1 | - | 3 | 6 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
2 | - | 3 | 8 |
1 | 3 | - | 9 |
2 | 3 | - | 10 |
1 | - | 4 | 10 |
1 | 2 | 4 | 11 |
3 | - | - | 11 |
2 | - | 4 | 12 |
1 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
2 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
1 | 4 | - | 15 |
1 | - | 5 | 15 |
3 | - | 4 | 15 |
2 | 4 | - | 16 |
1 | 2 | 5 | 16 |
2 | - | 5 | 17 |
3 | 4 | - | 17 |
1 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
2 | 3 | 5 | 19 |
4 | - | - | 19 |
1 | 4 | 5 | 20 |
3 | - | 5 | 20 |
2 | 4 | 5 | 21 |
1 | - | 6 | 21 |
1 | 2 | 6 | 22 |
1 | 5 | - | 22 |
3 | 4 | 5 | 22 |
2 | - | 6 | 23 |
2 | 5 | - | 23 |
1 | 3 | 6 | 24 |
4 | - | 5 | 24 |
2 | 3 | 6 | 25 |
3 | 5 | - | 25 |
1 | 4 | 6 | 26 |
3 | - | 6 | 26 |
Gen | Conc | Spec | Pts |
2 | 4 | 6 | 27 |
4 | 5 | - | 27 |
1 | - | 7 | 28 |
1 | 5 | 6 | 28 |
3 | 4 | 6 | 28 |
1 | 2 | 7 | 29 |
2 | 5 | 6 | 29 |
5 | - | - | 29 |
2 | - | 7 | 30 |
4 | - | 6 | 30 |
1 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
3 | 5 | 6 | 31 |
1 | 6 | - | 31 |
2 | 3 | 7 | 32 |
2 | 6 | - | 32 |
1 | 4 | 7 | 33 |
4 | 5 | 6 | 33 |
3 | - | 7 | 33 |
2 | 4 | 7 | 34 |
3 | 6 | - | 34 |
1 | 5 | 7 | 35 |
3 | 4 | 7 | 35 |
5 | - | 6 | 35 |
4 | 6 | - | 36 |
1 | - | 8 | 36 |
2 | 5 | 7 | 36 |
1 | 2 | 8 | 37 |
4 | - | 7 | 37 |
3 | 5 | 7 | 38 |
1 | 6 | 7 | 38 |
2 | - | 8 | 38 |
5 | 6 | - | 38 |
1 | 3 | 8 | 39 |
2 | 6 | 7 | 39 |
2 | 3 | 8 | 40 |
4 | 5 | 7 | 40 |
1 | 4 | 8 | 41 |
3 | 6 | 7 | 41 |
3 | - | 8 | 41 |
6 | - | - | 41 |
Gen | Conc | Spec | Pts |
1 | 7 | - | 42 |
2 | 4 | 8 | 42 |
5 | - | 7 | 42 |
2 | 7 | - | 43 |
4 | 6 | 7 | 43 |
1 | 5 | 8 | 43 |
3 | 4 | 8 | 43 |
2 | 5 | 8 | 44 |
3 | 7 | - | 44 |
4 | - | 8 | 45 |
5 | 6 | 7 | 45 |
3 | 5 | 8 | 46 |
1 | 6 | 8 | 46 |
4 | 7 | - | 46 |
2 | 6 | 8 | 47 |
4 | 5 | 8 | 48 |
6 | - | 7 | 48 |
3 | 6 | 8 | 49 |
5 | 7 | - | 49 |
1 | 7 | 8 | 50 |
5 | - | 8 | 50 |
2 | 7 | 8 | 51 |
4 | 6 | 8 | 51 |
6 | 7 | - | 52 |
3 | 7 | 8 | 52 |
3 | 7 | 8 | 52 |
5 | 6 | 8 | 53 |
4 | 7 | 8 | 54 |
6 | - | 8 | 56 |
5 | 7 | 8 | 57 |
6 | 7 | 8 | 60 |
Concentration-Only Skills (Etiquettes and Martial Arts)
Some skills do not exist in a general form at all; etiquette skills are
the most obvious example, and in our campaign different martial arts are
each a concentration-level skill, rather than a concentration of
Unarmed Combat.
By Skill
Conc | Spec | Pts |
1 | - | 1 |
1 | 2 | 3 |
1 | 3 | 6 |
1 | 4 | 10 |
1 | 5 | 15 |
1 | 6 | 21 |
1 | 7 | 28 |
1 | 8 | 36 |
2 | - | 4 |
2 | 3 | 7 |
2 | 4 | 11 |
2 | 5 | 16 |
2 | 6 | 22 |
2 | 7 | 29 |
2 | 8 | 37 |
3 | - | 9 |
3 | 4 | 13 |
3 | 5 | 18 |
3 | 6 | 24 |
3 | 7 | 31 |
3 | 8 | 39 |
4 | - | 15 |
4 | 5 | 20 |
4 | 6 | 26 |
4 | 7 | 33 |
4 | 8 | 41 |
5 | - | 22 |
5 | 6 | 28 |
5 | 7 | 35 |
5 | 8 | 43 |
6 | - | 31 |
6 | 7 | 38 |
6 | 8 | 46 |
7 | - | 42 |
7 | 8 | 50 |
By Cost
Conc | Spec | Pts |
1 | - | 1 |
1 | 2 | 3 |
2 | - | 4 |
1 | 3 | 6 |
2 | 3 | 7 |
3 | - | 9 |
1 | 4 | 10 |
2 | 4 | 11 |
3 | 4 | 13 |
4 | - | 15 |
1 | 5 | 15 |
2 | 5 | 16 |
3 | 5 | 18 |
4 | 5 | 20 |
1 | 6 | 21 |
2 | 6 | 22 |
5 | - | 22 |
3 | 6 | 24 |
4 | 6 | 26 |
1 | 7 | 28 |
5 | 6 | 28 |
2 | 7 | 29 |
3 | 7 | 31 |
6 | - | 31 |
4 | 7 | 33 |
5 | 7 | 35 |
1 | 8 | 36 |
2 | 8 | 37 |
6 | 7 | 38 |
3 | 8 | 39 |
4 | 8 | 41 |
7 | - | 42 |
5 | 8 | 43 |
6 | 8 | 46 |
7 | 8 | 50 |