Okay, am I the only one here who flinches at they way he mentions karma like we net it by the dozens? I usually net 2-4 per run. Thanks for the math though ![Grin ;D](https://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
can i see the numbers on gearhead (5BP) Born Rich and the two trust funds?
Ummm, 2nd to last paragraph of the Attributes section, in reference to how much post-chargen karma you can gain by spending BP wisely: "Think about how long it takes you to earn 150 Karma, or even 40, once you start Running? Personally, I think I've only had 1 or 2 characters that have lasted beyond 150 Karma." Where do I talk about it like it comes in the dozens? The whole point of this thread is that post-Chargen karma is very valuable. All of the hours I've spent writing this stuff out is because I recognize how hard it is to come by "enough" karma in play. How can you take it any other way?
Regarding
Gearhead, it's one of those weird Qualities with some tenuous benefits and wording (such as, it starts as 5 & 10 BP purchase levels at first then changes to 5 and 15 at the bottom), like it says you get the benefits for 1 scene but it doesn't say if that should be per session, per run, per campaign, etc., so I won't be covering it in the main entry. Generally though you
could lump it in there with the very first entry of Part 4, Qualities "+1 or 2 to X-Skill or Test(s)" (i.e. only advisable to take if you want to be the best of the best of the best at something), but it's benefits go a little beyond that so I wouldn't. My personal opinion of it; if you know your GM likes to do a lot of chase scenes (with you as the pursuer or escapee) or otherwise vehicle related elements, could be a decent purchase (it's not that expensive if you have a "signature" ride you're planning on using) if you're the dedicated Wheelman, but in my experience I've never done much with vehicle scenes and don't hear much about people doing much with vehicle scenes, so I wouldn't be very inclined to purchase it. Then again, I'm a big fan of solid consistency, and this is a very niche thing.
I'm not going to include Born Rich or the Trust Funds in the main entry either, but I'll give you an ad hoc break down here:
Born Rich, essentially costs 20 BP/ 40 karma for 50K
Y. 10 BP for the "privilege" of spending 10 more BP on cred. First, you should only take this if 1.) you've already spent all your possible cred and 2.) if you're going to spend this extra cred on something that is either hard to get post-Chargen, or on something that will net you post-Chargen karma (like Attribute-boosting 'ware). Second, it's exchange rate is not necessarily favorable. It's strictly worse than "In Debt" (though they fill slightly different Chargen needs), because even though you get less cred total and less cred per BP, you're also getting that BP which you can spend on cred (obviously this doesn't given you the nuyen-roof busting ability of Born Rich - only 10K vs 50K), so it's a good Neg Quality for PCs who are low on BP (due to Attributes, Skills and Posi-Qualities, etc.), but need more
Y for gear. Even if you have to pay In Debt Quality off in Karma (as well as
Y), you're still potentially getting 60K
Y for 20 Karma (plus interest). If you don't have to pay it off in Karma (be sure to ask your GM first), you should absolutely take the 30 BP version of this Quality, every time. 3K interest can be hard to make at first, but if you can get some help from your friends, you're pretty much getting money - and more importantly 30 BP - for nothing.
Trust Fund is different and kind of subjective. You're paying either 10 BP or 20 BP for the equivalent of 5.5K or 10.1K cash infusions per month, right? That sounds freaking fantastic, no? But is the value really there? What do you do with that Middle or High Lifestyle? Do you need that high of a lifestyle? What mechanical game benefits do you really get from it? The answer is not necessarily a whole lot. If your GM will let you build a Custom Lifestyle with those budgets it's a little better of a Quality. But ultimately, you're making a significant mechanical sacrifice (10-20 BP) for a largely intangible to non-existent mechanical benefit in-game. This one is really a choice that should be made on the level of other RP choices. You don't take this Quality because it saves you a bunch of karma down the road, you do it because your PC has daddy pay for all his crap.