GENERATION
Sum to Ten is an option for players and gamemasters seeking a middle ground between the rigidity of the standard priority chart and the complexity of more flexible, but advanced, character-generation methods. Using this choice, players refer to either the new Sum to Ten Priority Table or simply the basic Priority Table (p. 65, SR5) with one change: Rather than selecting A,
B, C, D, E as normal, players are given a pool of ten (10) points to spend on priorities. Choosing A costs 4 points, B is 3, C is 2, D is 1, and an E choice is free.
Creating a standard character, with a priority array of A, B, C, D, E, would cost 10 points. Sum to Ten characters receive the same 10 points to spend—the same amount of potential—but may invest them however they wish. Sum to Ten allows a player to choose A multiple times and then settle for D and E levels for the rest of creation, to create a character with C Priority Levels all the way across the board, or even to essentially mimic the stan- dard Priority array, if that’s what they prefer.
Though each Priority Level (A, B, C, D, and E) can be selected more than once under this method, keep in mind that each column (Metatype, Attributes, Magic/ Resonance, Skills, and Resources) may still only be se- lected once. No trying and take the 0-cost “E” option over and over again, gaining your Human character +1 special attribute point each time, or creating an infinite loop of 6,000 nuyen profits over and over again. You have to hack the Matrix, not the chargen system, sorry!
BUILDING CHARACTERS
WITH SUM TO TEN
Let’s say Dave wants to build a hotshot combat decker, a tough merc who can hold his own in a firefight just as well as he can in the Matrix. He doesn’t invest anything at all in either Metatype or Magic (E Priority in both cas- es for 0 points each, giving him no magical potential, and granting his human just 1 special attribute point). With all 10 of his priority points remaining, though, he spends 3 to get a B in Attributes (20 points, which should give him a decent spread of both physical and mental stats), spends 3 more for another B in Skills (36 skill points and 5 points of skill groups goes pretty far!), and then sinks his last 4 points to get an A for Resourc- es (maxing out his bankroll with 450,000 to spend on a red-hot cyberdeck and a fair amount of combat chrome, to boot). Dave’s final choices of A, B, B, E, E let him build the character he wants, while retaining the easy-to-use bundles provided by the priority chart.
Felicia wants to make a sort of “everyelf” character, a corporate wagemage whose new trickster totem drives
SUM TO TEN SUMMARY
Spend 10 points on Priorities, using this modified table or the standard Priority Table (p. 65, SR5) with the following adjustment:
A Priority = 4 points B Priority = 3 points C Priority = 2 points D Priority = 1 point E Priority = 0 points
CONSTRUCTION
KITS
her to the shadows. Choosing Priority C for Metatype costs her 2 of her 10 points and grants her an elven char- acter with 3 special attribute points, which will give her a decent Edge score as long as she buys Magic points elsewhere). Another 2 points gets her the C choice in attributes, gaining her 16 points (which she’ll use for a fairly even spread to all her stats, with a bit of a shaman- ic bent from her elven bonuses). Continuing the trend, spending 2 points at a time to get Cs across the board, she makes a Magician with a base Magic of 3 and 5 spells, 28/2 for skills, and a reasonable corporate em- ployee savings account with 140,000 nuyen to invest. Her former researcher will be decent at lots of stuff, can use Edge to shine at key moments, and will have a lot of room to grow, thanks to her C, C, C, C, C array.
Kevin decides that a tough, no-frills, urban sprawl neo-primitive could be fun. As a semi-luddite who’s just barely scraping by, he short-changes his Resources (E, for 0 points and just 6,000 to spend) and Magic (E, 0 points, as mundane as a brick). He goes for an impres-
sive A in Skills (costing 4 priority points, but granting 46 skill points and 10 group points) and another A in Attributes (another 4, scoring him the maximum 24 at- tribute points). His last 2 priority points go toward a C in Metatype, making a Dwarf with 1 special attribute point to increase his Edge, showing that he’s already pretty grizzled just from surviving amidst the urban squalor. With plenty of skill points and a solid base of attributes to go around, even with just a compound bow and a few blades, he’ll be a pretty dangerous character thanks to his A, A, C, E, E spread.
Rusty wants a classic combat mage, good with a gun or a blade, not just a spell. He decides to get a B (3 points each) in Attributes, Magic, and Skills (giving him enough stats to be all-around decent, a solid Magic score, diverse spells, and a few extra Magical skills, and a big 36/5 for a wide variety of skills). He opts for the 0-cost Human option for Metatype (still granting him an Edge point up his sleeve), and then spends his last priority point for 50,000 in Resources, which should be A (4) Human (9) Elf (8) Dwarf (7) Ork (7) Troll (5) 24
Magician or Mystic Adept: Magic 6, two Rating 5 Magical skills, 10 spells
Technomancer: Resonance 6, two Rating 5 Resonance skills, 5 complex forms
46/10 450,000¥ B (3) Human (7) Elf (6) Dwarf (4) Ork (4) Troll (0) 20
Magician or Mystic Adept: Magic 4, two Rating 4 Magical skills, 7 spells
Technomancer: Resonance 4, two Rating 4 Resonance skills, 2 complex forms
Adept: Magic 6, one Rating 4 Active skill
Aspected Magician: Magic 5, one Rating 4 Magical skill group 36/5 275,000¥ C (2) Human (5) Elf (3) Dwarf (1) Ork (0) 16
Magician or Mystic Adept: Magic 3, 5 spells Technomancer: Resonance 3, 1 complex form Adept: Magic 4, one Rating 2 Active skill
Aspected Magician: Magic 3, one Rating 2 Magical skill group
28/2 140,000¥
D (1) Human (3)Elf (0) 14 Adept: Magic 2
Aspected Magician: Magic 2 22/0 50,000¥
enough to let him kit himself out like a proper shadow- runner. B, B, B, D, E allows him to create a character with solid competence in more than one field.