Editing A Place Called Home (section)

===Step 2:=== 

Rank the following from 1 to 5 (5 is highest and best):

Attributes
Essence
Race
Skills
Stuff

The rank you give each section is the number of points you have to spend in that section, as can be found below:


====Attributes====

There are four attributes. When / If I have to make a roll, I'll add whatever modifier best fits to the roll. You have a number of points equal to the rank you gave to Attributes in step 2 above. The maximum (before racial or cybernetic etc modifiers from below) that you can give to an Attribute is 3. All Attributes start at 0. They can below 0 if modified by race, wounds etc. 

The four Attributes are:

Brawn (physical presence, 'hit points,' strength, endurance etc)
Observation (knowledge, intellect, perception etc)
Reflexes (Agility, dexterity, speed, reactions etc)
Social (charisma, persuasion, willpower)

Generally, Brawn also tends to help Close Combat, Observation tends to help Hermetic Mages (spells) and Deckers, Reflexes tends to help Shooting, and Social tends to help Shamans (conjurings). When you are harmed, any of the four Attributes can be used to deflect damage, such as using Brawn for shrugging off damage, Observation for being perceptive enough to see where an attack is likeliest to come from, Reflexes for dodging the attack, Social for appearing the least offensive (and thus not as big a target), pleading with your attacker, whatever works for you. Armour will help even more. 

====Essence====

You have a number of Essence points to spend equal to the rank you gave to Essence in step 2 above. Each Essence point can be spent on either a Spell Group, a Spirit, or a Cybernetic Implant as described below. Both Cybernetic and Magic-wielding characters will thus find Essence useful, and a magic-wielding character that chooses to have Cybernetic Implants will have less ability with his magic. These are your initial Essence points, not your final limits - you can gain more spells, spirits and cyberware as the game goes on.

Spell Groups

Spells are pretty freeform - if you know the Spell Group, you can cast just about any spell that comes under that category. Combat Spells are ranged, if you want to do Close Combat damage, choose Dervish.

Physical Combat Spells (Can affect anything with a physical element, Powerbolts, Powerballs, etc)

Mana Combat Spells (Doesn't affect physical elements at all (including armour), Manabolts, Manaballs etc)

Detection Spells (Spells that involved detection or analysis to some extent, Hypersenses, Detect Life, Mind Probe, Astral Perception etc)

Health Spells (Spells that heal or cure, Heal Wounds, Reduce Toxins and Diseases etc)

Illusion Spells (Spells that disguise or hide in some way, Invisibility, Mask, Mask Object, Cause Confusion, Silence etc)

Manipulation Spells (Spells to control or otherwise manipulate, Levitation, Telekinesis, Control others' mind or body spells etc)

Transformation Spells (Spells for changing one thing to another, Create Light, Darkness, Create Barriers etc)

Dervish Spells (Spells that affect your own Attributes and body (like Physical Adept powers), Armour etc)
Spells that do harm (combat spells) can either do targeted damage to a particular thing or person, but can miss, or do area effect damage which isn't as powerful, but which is more likely to hit someone in the area affected. Also, the more you want out of a spell, the harder it is to make it work as you want.

Spirits


Spirits can be conjured where they exist. Hermetic Mages can choose Elemental spirits, which exist where that element is represented in some way, but the spirits have to be bound and forced to comply; Shamans can summon spirits where the environment is conducive to the spirits they have a good rapport with, and bargained with - they are easier to persuade than elementals, since Shamanic spirits are on good terms with the shaman, whereas elemental spirits are neutral at best. They are also generally more common than elemental spirits. Each rank spent on spirits grants you one spirit from the list below. The downside for Shamans is that there are more varieties of spirits to choose from (12 in all).

Hermetic: Air, Earth, Fire, Water

Shamanic: (City): Urban, Hearth, Field. (Land): Desert, Forest, Mountain. (Water): River, Sea, Swamp. (Air): Wind, Storm, Fog.

Cybernetic Implants

Choose an implant (R/L Eye, R/L Arm, R/L Leg, Head, Chest) and a power. Use your judgment to choose a suitable power based on the Shadowrun world (See the various books on cyberware for ideas). Describe what the implant does so I know when you're likely to use it. This is bog-standard cyberware (possibly even second hand). A datajack is pretty much free, so everyone can have one (except for mages and shamans) if they want one at no cost.

====Race====

If you want to be Human, you get no benefits, and can set your Race to 1 in step 2 above. 

If you want to be an Ork, you get Low-Light Vision, a +1 to your Brawn Attribute and a -1 to your Social Attribute, and can also set your Race to 1 (The two Attribute modifiers offset each other, and your low-light vision is offset by societal prejudice against Orks). 

If you want to be a Dwarf, you get Thermographic Vision and +1 to your Brawn Attribute, but you must set your Race to 2 in step 2 above. 

If you want to be a Troll, you get Thermographic Vision, Dermal Armour, +2 to your Brawn Attribute and -1 to your Observation and Social Attributes, and you must set your Race to 2 in Step 2 above. 

If you want to be an Elf, you get Low-Light Vision, +1 to your Social and Reflexes Attributes, and must set your Race to 3 in Step 2 above. 

====Skills====

You receive one Skill Group for each rank you put into Skills in step 2 above. You know at least one Skill Group already based on the Archetype you chose in Step 1 above. Skills are an on/off thing - you either have skills or you don't (so you only have to spend 1 point to get a skill group, you can't spend 2 points to be extra good at Decking, for example, just 1 point). Anyone can attempt to use a skill, but those with that skill have a much better chance of success. In some cases, simply having the skill gives you a free pass.

The following skill groups may be chosen:

Sorcery [Only if Shaman chosen as Archetype] (Spells)
Conjuring [Only if Hermetic Mage chosen as Archetype] (Spirits)
Athletics (Running, jumping, climbing, swimming, throwing, etc)
Close Combat (armed or unarmed)
Shooting (all sorts of guns and stuff)
Stealth (Hiding, sneaking, legerdemain etc)
Decking (includes electronic door locks and other security measures) 
Etiquette [Choose 1: Street, Corporate, Gang, Government, Media, Tribal, Underworld] (Knowing how to act around them what leverage to use when negotiating with them, etc)
First Aid (Care for wounds, shock, etc)
Knowledge (You start with knowledge applicable to your Archetype and you can also pick another specialty of any sort (medicine, bioscience, history, a particular corporation, dragons, etc)
Rigging (driving or piloting all manner of vehicles)

====Stuff====

This is a general category. You get a number of points in Stuff equal to the rank you gave to Stuff in step 2 above. For each point, you can choose something extra. It might be a better Item (you all start with an item relevant to your Archetype, light armour, and a hand weapon), an extra Spell or Spirit, an extra Cybernetic Implant, an extra contact, speak an extra language (otherwise you all just speak English), an extra Skill, an extra point in an Attribute, or something completely outside of the above constrictions - anything extra that you can think of that you want your character to be known for that isn't covered above, basically, but within reason and within the bounds of the Shadowrun universe in 2050.