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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: John Jacobsma <j.jacobsma@************.COM>
Subject: Good Karma v. Karma Pool
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 07:08:01 -0500
There's been a lot of discussion on list lately regarding the proper way to
divide karma awards into good karma & karma pool, so I thought I'd further
muddy the waters by presenting our groups house rule.

The GM awards only good karma, period. To increase your karma pool, you
have to convert good karma into karma pool. You do this by spending good
karma the same way you would to increase an attribute. If you have 3 points
in your karma pool, it cost you 4 points of good karma to increase your
pool to 4. It's simple, and I think it accurately reflects the power of the
karma pool.
Message no. 2
From: Mike Loseke <mike@******.VERINET.COM>
Subject: Re: Good Karma v. Karma Pool
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 08:39:58 -0600
Quoth John Jacobsma:
>
> There's been a lot of discussion on list lately regarding the proper way to
> divide karma awards into good karma & karma pool, so I thought I'd further
> muddy the waters by presenting our groups house rule.
>
> The GM awards only good karma, period. To increase your karma pool, you
> have to convert good karma into karma pool. You do this by spending good
> karma the same way you would to increase an attribute. If you have 3 points
> in your karma pool, it cost you 4 points of good karma to increase your
> pool to 4. It's simple, and I think it accurately reflects the power of the
> karma pool.

This is a workable rule if you don't feel the need to dip into the pool
too often. We played SR1 for quite some time with no karma pool so we
got used to living and dying without it. Now that we use it, we treat it
very carefully, as it should be IMHO. I only use it as a last resort for
survival or if something absolutely *needs* to happen.

The character I played the longest wound up having just over 350 total
karma, with 16 in his personal pool and the rest in the team pool. I
think I drained the personal pool once when I was the only runner left
vertical and I had to get the rest of the characters out of the hot
stuff. Use it sparingly and use it wiseley.

--
|
Mike Loseke | You never know how fluffy poodles are,
mike@*******.com | until you step in one.
|
Message no. 3
From: Justin Pinnow <vanyel@*******.NET>
Subject: Re: Good Karma v. Karma Pool
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 11:42:54 -0400
> From: Mike Loseke <mike@******.VERINET.COM>
> Date: Friday, June 27, 1997 10:39 AM

> Quoth John Jacobsma:

<Snip>

> > The GM awards only good karma, period. To increase your karma pool, you
> > have to convert good karma into karma pool. You do this by spending
good
> > karma the same way you would to increase an attribute. If you have 3
points
> > in your karma pool, it cost you 4 points of good karma to increase your
> > pool to 4. It's simple, and I think it accurately reflects the power of
the
> > karma pool.

> This is a workable rule if you don't feel the need to dip into the pool
> too often. We played SR1 for quite some time with no karma pool so we
> got used to living and dying without it. Now that we use it, we treat it
> very carefully, as it should be IMHO. I only use it as a last resort for
> survival or if something absolutely *needs* to happen.

<Snip>

I am going to be running a campaign soon and wanted to know how you feel
about what I intend on implementing as a house rule regarding Karma Pools.
Instead of automatically putting the 11th good karma point into a karma
pool, I was thinking of starting all of the PCs out with 1 in their karma
pool (regardless of metahuman status). Then, a PC could earn an additional
karma pool point through extremely good role playing, heavy use of leg
work, etc. This, of course, would have to be a SIGNIFICANT event, but
nonetheless, possible to do every once in a while. This way, it's GMs
discretion how large someone's karma pool gets. I find that after 2 or 3
karma pool points, it gets out of hand.

My alternative method would be to award everyone 1 point in their karma
pool at the beginning, and just never letting that increase. Once they
have used this karma pool point during a scene, it is gone until the next
scene. In order to reroll failures or to buy a success, they would have to
burn a good karma point.

Suggestions?

Justin :)
Message no. 4
From: Mike Loseke <mike@******.VERINET.COM>
Subject: Re: Good Karma v. Karma Pool
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 10:13:08 -0600
Quoth Justin Pinnow:
>
> > From: Mike Loseke <mike@******.VERINET.COM>
> > Date: Friday, June 27, 1997 10:39 AM
>
> > Quoth John Jacobsma:
>
> <Snip>
>
> > > The GM awards only good karma, period. To increase your karma pool, you
> > > have to convert good karma into karma pool. You do this by spending
> good
> > > karma the same way you would to increase an attribute. If you have 3
> points
> > > in your karma pool, it cost you 4 points of good karma to increase your
> > > pool to 4. It's simple, and I think it accurately reflects the power of
> the
> > > karma pool.
>
> > This is a workable rule if you don't feel the need to dip into the pool
> > too often. We played SR1 for quite some time with no karma pool so we
> > got used to living and dying without it. Now that we use it, we treat it
> > very carefully, as it should be IMHO. I only use it as a last resort for
> > survival or if something absolutely *needs* to happen.
>
> <Snip>
>
> I am going to be running a campaign soon and wanted to know how you feel
> about what I intend on implementing as a house rule regarding Karma Pools.
> Instead of automatically putting the 11th good karma point into a karma
> pool, I was thinking of starting all of the PCs out with 1 in their karma
> pool (regardless of metahuman status). Then, a PC could earn an additional

If you use the "more metahumans" rule then they only get one point anyway.

> karma pool point through extremely good role playing, heavy use of leg
> work, etc. This, of course, would have to be a SIGNIFICANT event, but
> nonetheless, possible to do every once in a while. This way, it's GMs
> discretion how large someone's karma pool gets. I find that after 2 or 3
> karma pool points, it gets out of hand.

Look at it this way: by awarding them an extra point of good karma for
stuff like this then they'd probably try to be better players (to some
extent - not everyone will respond to this). As far as the karma pool
getting unmanageable - limit what they can actually use pool dice on. I
played in one campaign where karma pool could only be used in combat
situations, or in very special situations. This limited it to real
save-your-butt usage. Some people let it be used anytime - this is where
it gets unmanageable.

> My alternative method would be to award everyone 1 point in their karma
> pool at the beginning, and just never letting that increase. Once they
> have used this karma pool point during a scene, it is gone until the next
> scene. In order to reroll failures or to buy a success, they would have to
> burn a good karma point.

I would suggest asking your players if they'd feel comfortable with
either system. With either method it looks like they'll wind up getting
a bit more karma to spend raising/gaining abilities so they might like
it. You can probably sell them on that point alone. If they're used to
using the pool alot, they might not like it.

--
|
Mike Loseke | You never know how fluffy poodles are,
mike@*******.com | until you step in one.
|
Message no. 5
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@****.ORG>
Subject: Re: Good Karma v. Karma Pool
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 10:32:44 -0600
Justin Pinnow wrote:
|
| I am going to be running a campaign soon and wanted to know how you feel
| about what I intend on implementing as a house rule regarding Karma Pools.
| Instead of automatically putting the 11th good karma point into a karma
| pool, I was thinking of starting all of the PCs out with 1 in their karma
| pool (regardless of metahuman status). Then, a PC could earn an additional
| karma pool point through extremely good role playing, heavy use of leg
| work, etc. This, of course, would have to be a SIGNIFICANT event, but
| nonetheless, possible to do every once in a while. This way, it's GMs
| discretion how large someone's karma pool gets. I find that after 2 or 3
| karma pool points, it gets out of hand.

That would certainly limit the karma pool and reward good
roleplaying. Another way to do it is reward them with a karma pool
point if they used their karma pool wisely.

Also, note that when karma pool is spent on dice rerolls it costs 1
point for the first re-roll, 2 points for the second re-roll on that
test, etc. So if a character wants to re-roll his failures three
times it would cost him (1+2+3) 6 karma pool points. I failed to
read this correctly and was having a hell of a time GMing a balanced
game.

Refreshing karma pools at the end of an encounter helps. And only
allow karma pools to refresh during calm moments in the adventure
(when the characters have time to catch their breath and gather their
wits).

-David
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm
--
Yoink - The sound of a crescent roll being stolen.

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