SR 5e Character Generation

Character creation using the chummer program can seem a bit daunting at first for new players. Shadowrun 5th edition uses a game system that isn't class based, but skill based. Archetypes exist (such as mage, street samurai, adept, mystic adept, decker, technomancer, gun adept, and so on and so forth...), but the system overall is incredibly flexible that allows fine tuning for nearly limitless customization at character creation.

To help simplify this, here's the step-by-step process in using chummer, and the walkthrough for creating your character. For additional information on various topics in Shadowrun that can help, check out ComplexAction's videos **here**

There's also the Shadowrun 5e wiki, found **here**

**STEP 1 : Setting up the Homebrews...**

As you open chummer, before setting up a new character, you'll have to adjust a few things in options first to match with Shadowrunstomia's homebrews. With the image indicated above, head to tools > options.

When you open options, head to the 'Character Options' sub tab as indicated here. Ensure that all books are enabled.

Next, head to the next sub tab called 'Optional Rules', and at the very bottom, enable Troll horns counting as natural weapons.

Last but not least, go to 'House Rules', and ensure that the following options are enabled :

- Karma spent on enemies count towards negative quality limit in create mode.

- Allow characters to exceed their positive quality limit

- Use career costs for all Positive Quality karma costs in excess of the limit.

- Allow characters to exceed their negative quality limit

- Characters do not gain Karma from taking Negative Qualities in excess.

- Allow skills to be re-grouped if all ratings are the same.

Once those are set, now you can proceed to Step 2.

**STEP 2 : Creating your character...**

When you begin character creation, you'll be prompted on your build method. For Shadowrunstomia, it uses the Prime Runner Priority build. Think of this as Oustomia Pathfinder's equivalent to a 25-point buy for character creation.

Next, you'll get to choose your priorities for the character. For this example, we'll be making a mundane human street samurai. Attributes and skills will be most important to us for this example, so they're at the highest priorities of A and B before all others.

On the main stat screen here, there's a number of things to take note of :

1. Alias. This is where you put in your Shadowrunner's codename.
2. The Karma Summary. This shows a number of key things, showing how many attribute points you have left to spend on stats for chargen, your skill points, nuyen, positive and negative quality limits (though it's fine to exceed positive quality limits as per homebrew rules), and so on. Attributes are 0 because we've already distributed them among our stats.
3. Your remaining karma. Keep an eye on this, because if you do start exceeding positive quality limits, it'll start consuming your karma instead. You never want this below 0 after chargen.

When selecting any quality, or anything in general, you'll notice a source referencing where that ability, quality or item was from. Here's which books they're referring to :

**SR5** = Core Rulebook 2nd Printing

**RF** = Run Faster

**RG** = Run & Gun

**SG** = Street Grimoire

**FA** = Forbidden Arcana

**BB** = Bullets & Bandages

**CF** = Chrome Flesh

**HS** = Howling Shadows

**CA** = Cutting Aces

**HT** = Hard Targets

**SL** = Street Lethal

**DT** = Data Trails

**R5** = Rigger 5.0

**SL** = Stolen Souls

**BTB** = Better Than Bad

**SASS** = Sail Away, Sweet Sister

**KC** = Kill Code

**DTR** = Dark Terrors

After selecting your armor, gear, weapons, lifestyle, contacts and so forth with a character backstory and theme in mind, now it's time to check for character validity, which is found under the 'special' tab. This will help double check for you very quickly if the character sheet is properly legit or not. If any errors come up, it'll indicate what's wrong. If there are no errors though, then you should be good to go.

**When selecting knowledge skills, always take a native language (usually English). Set it to 0 skill points invested, and you'll see a rating of "N", indicating it is your native language and you never need to make checks to speak it. Note you can only have 1 native language (unless you have the Bilingual quality).**

**Finally, be sure to make a backup of the character sheet, and do not put it into career mode (or mark it as created) until AFTER the character has been approved on the forums.**

On the right side of the above screenshot, you'll notice the 'Other Info' tab. This will help give you a quick summary of many key factors for that character, including movement, initiative, armor dice, and the physical/stun track monitor. Hovering the mouse of any of these numbers can usually bring up the information on how it is calculated, in case you need referencing.

**STEP 3 : The Approval Process.....**

The format for character applications are up on the forums. Simply follow the guidelines, post the app, and wait for review by GMs. Once you are approved, you can then set the sheet into career mode (make a backup of it first though). There are two ways to do this....

The first method is ticking 'Mark as Created' in the character info tab. Do a quick check at your lifestyle which will show you the starting nuyen. Then, you save your file to put it into career mode.

Image above shows where the starting nuyen info is.

**When Chummer asks for starting nuyen when putting it in career mode, always put the maximum possible.**

The second option to put the character into career mode is by simply going to File > 'Save As Created'. Once again, be sure to double check your starting nuyen from lifestyle, as it will prompt you to put in that information when entering career mode.

After that, you're all set and good to go!