[Charybdis]

Money is nice, but I'm researching a way to sacrifice money and earn karma.

Old systems had a Cash-for-Karma rule, where karma-intensive archtypes (read, Awakened )were able to donate money in exchange for Karma points.

It takes a good eye for campaign-balance to set the costs of donations though. Amount has to be high enough to hurt, but still low enough to be feasible.

And because each campaign has a different perception on thee things, the amount will vary all over the place. But still, there are a few GM's who house-rule it's use in SR4.

I do it and it works out pretty well
- the Sammies, riggers and Gun-Bunnies generally spend every nuyen on new toys and ware
- The Adepts and Mage generally spend as much as GM-allows on Karma, but sacrifice any new gear or lifestyle improvements....

[CanRay]

Money is nice, but I'm researching a way to sacrifice money and earn karma.

Old systems had a Cash-for-Karma rule, where karma-intensive archtypes (read, Awakened )were able to donate money in exchange for Karma points.

I have a special picture that I use for the Spirit that does this, trading Karma for Cash of various types in a supernatural currency exchange with other spirits in a way.

This is what I use.

And this is why.

[Trenchknife]

Old systems had a Cash-for-Karma rule, where karma-intensive archtypes (read, Awakened )were able to donate money in exchange for Karma points.

It takes a good eye for campaign-balance to set the costs of donations though. Amount has to be high enough to hurt, but still low enough to be feasible.

I don't remember if I ever saw that.  What book/source were those rules in?

I have a special picture that I use for the Spirit that does this, trading Karma for Cash of various types in a supernatural currency exchange with other spirits in a way.

This is what I use.

And this is why.

Heh   Did you ever have that spirit come calling when it thought there was enough Karma debt?  (I'm imagining the spirit creates a sort of 'bound metahuman' as a result of granting Karma to the mage/adept)

[CanRay]

"Wait, ALICE COOPER is coming for a piece of my soul?  FORGET THAT!!!" was the usual comment.

I think I did too well a job describing what happens.  *Evil GM Grin*

[Charybdis]

Hey, some spirits are very nice when it comes to accepting Karma *whistles innocently* 

Spirit Pacts are much more defined in SR4 (Street Magic), and there are good rules for what happens if a spirit comes a' calling.

Most pacts though, weight heavily in the spirits favour.

For an In-game discussion on same, I recommend this link...for no reason...no reason at all....

[JoeNapalm]

Hrm. My Street Merc is starting the game about one bad run from not being able to get a gig (a single contact, and Notoriety 6).

If he screws this first run up, he probably couldn't hold a job at the Shack, even if they hired him. 

He spent 20 years in the military. He's only good for being intimidating, and then making good on the scary.

-Jn-
City of Brass Expariate

[Charybdis]

Hrm. My Street Merc is starting the game about one bad run from not being able to get a gig (a single contact, and Notoriety 6).

If he screws this first run up, he probably couldn't hold a job at the Shack, even if they hired him. 

He spent 20 years in the military. He's only good for being intimidating, and then making good on the scary.

-Jn-
City of Brass Expariate

Err, how are you _starting_ the game with a Notoriety of 6?

Bad Reputation plus Spirit Bane and a few other negative qualities might get you to Notoriety 3, but 6 at CharGen? That's scary all by itself...

[JoeNapalm]

Hrm. My Street Merc is starting the game about one bad run from not being able to get a gig (a single contact, and Notoriety 6).

If he screws this first run up, he probably couldn't hold a job at the Shack, even if they hired him. 

He spent 20 years in the military. He's only good for being intimidating, and then making good on the scary.

-Jn-
City of Brass Expariate

Err, how are you _starting_ the game with a Notoriety of 6?

Bad Reputation plus Spirit Bane and a few other negative qualities might get you to Notoriety 3, but 6 at CharGen? That's scary all by itself...

"Scary" is actually his character concept. *Grin*

The math works out something like this: Bad Rep +3, Merc Creedo +2, Addiction (Mild) +1.

 He's got several other Qualities that probably should have a negative impact on his Rep, like a couple of Poor Self-Controls, Bad Vibe, Critter Spook, and Astral Hazing.

Basically, he's an old SF Operator who got caught too close to a Deep Rift inside a Displacement Alchera, in Tuguska. Most of his team had their souls sucked out, but he survived...

...however, turns out he had a whole lot of very, very nasty dormant DNA, and all that heavy Mana from deep within distant Planes of the Multiverse triggered a humdinger of a SURGE event.

Now he's a Hobgoblin who's negative emotional state not only gives both sentient and non-sentient beings a severe case of the "OMGWTFISTHATITSEVILANDCOMINGTHISWAYRUUUUUN!" variety of primal heebee-geebees, but actually warps and disrupts the Astral Plane around him. He's his own Aspected Domain of angsty goodness...er...that is to say "bad mojo."

His own team mates fight over who has to ride next to him in the van. 

-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist


PS - Yes, I am aware of how bad Notoriety 6 is and the severity of my Negative Qualities. My GM is okay with it. I also have a character in reserve, in case those Negative Qualities all catch up with him at the same time.

[CanRay]

It's bad, it's punishing, it's great for building a character from a storytelling point of view.

All depends on what you want. 

[Charybdis]

"Scary" is actually his character concept. *Grin*

The math works out something like this: Bad Rep +3, Merc Creedo +2, Addiction (Mild) +1.

 He's got several other Qualities that probably should have a negative impact on his Rep, like a couple of Poor Self-Controls, Bad Vibe, Critter Spook, and Astral Hazing.

PS - Yes, I am aware of how bad Notoriety 6 is and the severity of my Negative Qualities. My GM is okay with it. I also have a character in reserve, in case those Negative Qualities all catch up with him at the same time.

FYI I love the storytelling component

Mechanically, though....
A) Isn't this WAY over the 35BP CharGen cap for negative qualities?
B) Qualities don't stack notoriety on themselves. If you have Bad Rep (Rating 3), that's only 1 point of Notoriety.
    Exception: If you've taken the same NQ twice (eg Poor Self Control for different options) then these would stack, however most GM's don't allow the same NQ to be aken twice in the first place.

[JoeNapalm]

"Scary" is actually his character concept. *Grin*

The math works out something like this: Bad Rep +3, Merc Creedo +2, Addiction (Mild) +1.

 He's got several other Qualities that probably should have a negative impact on his Rep, like a couple of Poor Self-Controls, Bad Vibe, Critter Spook, and Astral Hazing.

PS - Yes, I am aware of how bad Notoriety 6 is and the severity of my Negative Qualities. My GM is okay with it. I also have a character in reserve, in case those Negative Qualities all catch up with him at the same time.

FYI I love the storytelling component

Mechanically, though....
A) Isn't this WAY over the 35BP CharGen cap for negative qualities?
B) Qualities don't stack notoriety on themselves. If you have Bad Rep (Rating 3), that's only 1 point of Notoriety.
    Exception: If you've taken the same NQ twice (eg Poor Self Control for different options) then these would stack, however most GM's don't allow the same NQ to be aken twice in the first place.

Thanks. So far, he's a lot of fun to play.

Mechanics:
A) Yes, very. This character has 60BP in Negative Qualities, and 75BP in Positive Qualities.

Negative
35BP (Base) + 10BP (Hobgoblin - Vindictive) + 15BP (SURGE III) = 60BP

Positive
35BP (Base) + 5BP (Hobgoblin - Fangs) + 30BP (SURGE III) + 10 Karma (Character Quiz)  = 75BP

SURGE III Changelings typically have a theme, often animalistic. My GM allowed me to base his theme on being emotionally radioactive - he goes into the SURGE event an Operator with severe PTSD exhibited via aggression and comes out a Hobgoblin who radiates a palpable aura of...well...bad. Combined with his mundane Negative Qualities, such as Bad Rep and Addiction, he's a pariah.

I only allowed him one contact - a surviving member of his old unit who still owes him a few...and even her Loyalty is less than you'd expect from a comrade-in-arms. He called in his next-to-last marker just to get his first gig with the team.


B) Bad Rep has no rating, it simply adds 3 Notoriety. Poor Self-Control explicitly states that you can take it multiple times for different options, such as Poor Self-Control (Vindictive) and Poor Self-Control (Combat Monster). I don't recommend it - it's a particularly bad stew of traits - but for a guy who's rage and hostility form their own Aspected Domain, I felt it appropriate. I also gave him WIL 5 and picked up Mercenary Creedo to help keep his aggression in check.

So far, he hasn't failed a composure check...and he's only Tasered a couple of people. Well, just the one guy...twice. And the first time it was because he scored a double Critical Success on his Intimidate roll and the guy tried to throw himself out of a speeding van to get away, so...really...it was out of concern for the guy's safety. Well, that, and he was wearing my cuffs. Those things aren't free, you know.

The second time he Tasered him for mouthing off. But I figure, hey, hello! Hobgoblin! That should be a big enough warning sign to keep your wise-ass remarks to yourself...especially if said Hobgoblin has just kidnapped you, has already zapped you once, and is actually radiating an aura of primordial evil. Maybe it's time for the "Don't tase me, bro!" approach, instead?

-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist