~~~~~~~~~~ CHARACTER GENERATION CHECKLIST ~~~~~~~~~~

Basic character generation uses the following steps:
Use the run-through in the Shadowrun 4th Edition Anniversary Edition handbook(p.80 and forward).

STEP 1: BUILD POINTS
Build Points (BP): 450
Maximum BP on Attributes: 225
Maximum BP on Positive Qualities: 40
Maximum BP from Negative Qualities: 40
Maximum BP on Gear: 50 BP or 250,000 nuyen

STEP 2: CHOOSE/PURCHASE METATYPE


STEP 3: IMPROVE ATTRIBUTES
Normal Attributes range between 1 and 6. A character’s metatype may adjust the maximums higher or lower. Augmentation (either through technology or magic) can allow a character to exceed their metatype maximum to a certain point.

All characters start with the minimum Attributes as noted for their metatype on the Metatype Attribute Table. Characters also start with a value of 6 in Essence, 1 in Edge (2 for humans), and a value of 0 in Magic and Resonance. Initiative is a derived value and is not calculated
until after Attribute values have been finalized.

Physical/Mental Attributes
Improving a character’s Physical or Mental Attributes costs 10 Build Points (BP) to increase an attribute by +1. The final increase spent to raise an Attribute to its natural maximum (known as “maxing out”) costs 25 BP instead of the normal 10.

Players may not spend more than half their total BP on Physical and Mental Attributes. Also, characters cannot have more than one Attribute at their natural maximum.

Edge
Improving a character’s Edge costs 10 BP per +1 increase (25 BP for raising it to its natural maximum). The metatype maximum for Edge is 6 (7 for humans).

Essence
All characters start with an Essence of 6. This may be decreased by implants such as cyberware or bioware, but it can never be increased.

Magic/Resonance
In order to possess either Magic or Resonance, a character has to first purchase either the Adept, Magician, Mystic Adept, or Technomancer Qualities. Purchasing Adept, Magician, or Mystic Adept gives the character a Magic Attribute of 1. Purchasing the Technomancer quality gives the character a Resonance Attribute of 1. A character can possess either Magic or Resonance, but never both.

Once a character possesses a Magic or Resonance Attribute, it may be raised normally at a rate of 10 BP per +1 increase, with the sixth point costing 25 BP. Magic and Resonance can both be raised to a natural maximum of 6 (+ initiation/submersion type) regardless of metatype.

STEP 4: PURCHASING ACTIVE SKILLS
     Your character starts with a rating of 0 in all skills. Rating 0 doesn’t mean that your character is ignorant or clueless, only that he has the same amount of training (or lack thereof ) as anyone else. If a character has a skill at a rating greater than zero, then he
knows more than the average person on the street. (See the Skill Ratings Table on pp. 108–109 for more information.)
     Raising a skill costs 4 BP per rating point. Skills can only be improved to a maximum rating of 6.
    The maximum skill rating for starting characters is either one skill at Rating 6 (with the rest at Rating 4 or less) or two skills at Rating 5 (with the rest at Rating 4 or less). Your character cannot start with both one Rating 6 skill and two Rating 5 skills.


STEP 5: PURCHASE QUALITIES
40BP ON QUALITIES
EARN NO MORE THAN 40 BP ON NEGATIVE QUALITIES

STEP 6: ASSIGN RESOURCES

1. gear
   
2. bioware
   
3. cyberware
   
4. life style

STEP 6B: MAGICAL RESOURCES

1. spells
   
2. spirits
   
3. foci

STEP 7: CONTACTS & FINAL STATISTICS(NAME/PERSONAL DATA etc).