Decide the concept & assign priorities

What do you want to be? Heavy-chrome killer, drain-soaking caster, sneaky face? The concept dictates which slot needs A and which can take E. Write the five letters down before spending a point. (p. 44)

Pick race & note racial modifiers

If Race is A, pick Dwarf, Elf, Ork, or Troll and note the modifiers and racial maxes. Otherwise you're Human (no modifiers, all caps = 6). Modifiers apply after you spend Attribute Points in step 3. (p. 44–45)

Spend Attribute Points

Distribute the points among Body, Quickness, Strength, Charisma, Intelligence, Willpower. Each starts at 1 minimum and stops at your racial max. Then apply racial modifiers (excess over the cap is wasted). (p. 45)

Derived · Essence = 6 (drops with cyberware) · Magic = floor(Essence) for magicians · Reaction = (Quickness + Intelligence) ÷ 2

Spend Skill Points

Active & Special Skills from the Skills chapter. No general skill above 6 at chargen. Sorcery and Conjuring require a Magic Rating. (p. 45, full list p. 68)

Concentration: +1 to a sub-category, −1 to the general skill.
Specialization: +2 to a specific item, −2 to the general skill.
Native language: free at Intelligence + 2.

→ Open the Skills Index

Buy cyberware (optional)

Pay nuyen, subtract Essence from your starting 6.0. Magic = floor(Essence), so chrome destroys mages. At chargen, ignore Availability, Street Index, and surgery costs. (p. 46, table p. 260)

Buy gear, weapons, armor

Pay listed cost from the Equipment Table. No starting gear above Rating 6. (p. 46, table p. 280)

Magicians: spells & foci (Force Points)

From the Spell Directory, pick spells. Each spell costs Force = N Force Points. No starting spell above Force 6. Foci cost both nuyen and their Bonding Karma value in Force Points. (p. 46, directory p. 161)

Lifestyle, contacts, extras

You must buy a lifestyle (or live on the streets, free). Two contacts are free; more cost nuyen. Prepay months at chargen to lock them in. (p. 46)

Convert leftover Resources → starting cash

Unspent Resource nuyen converts to in-play cash at a 10 : 1 ratio. So 15,000¥ unspent → 1,500¥ in hand. Then every character rolls 3D6 × 1,000¥ for additional starting money. (p. 47)

Karma Pool & fleshing out

Humans start with 1 Karma Pool point; metahumans with 2 (1 if the optional More Metahumans rule is in play). The team pool starts at 2. Then answer the Twenty Questions and fill out the Character Record Sheet. (p. 47–48)