Problem → workflow → tool
Character creation checklist in Shadowrun 6th Edition
Follow a step-by-step flow so you don’t miss key choices during creation. Use the links below to apply the workflow in Shadowrun 6th Edition and keep it consistent across sessions.
Workflow (do this first)
- Write the concept in one sentence before opening the sheet.
- Follow the system’s creation order, distribution rules and caps matter.
- Reserve any final-pass / freebie / bonus points for the gaps the concept needs.
- Sanity-check derived stats (HP, Willpower, Sanity, Stamina) before session 1.
Shadowrun 6E rolls d6 dice pools: Attribute + Skill dice, counting 5s and 6s as hits against a threshold. Glitches (more than half the dice showing 1s) complicate even successes, and Edge lets you reroll, add dice, or bend outcomes.
Key facts
- 5 metatypes: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Ork, Troll
- d6 dice pools: Attribute + Skill, hits on 5s and 6s
- Edge economy: earn and spend tactical advantage every combat round
- 19 consolidated skills covering combat, Matrix, magic, and social play
- Five paths: Mundane, Magician, Adept, Aspected Magician, Technomancer
- Glitches: half or more 1s complicates the roll, with no hits it turns critical
Common mistakes
- Mistake: Starting with optimized stats and reverse-engineering a concept. Fix: Concept first, math second, produces a character you actually want to play.
- Mistake: Skipping the final-pass step. Fix: Final pass closes the gap between mechanics and concept, half a character without it.
Context (system overview)
Shadowrun, Sixth World is the current edition of the classic cyberpunk-fantasy RPG. It is the 2080s: the Awakening brought magic back, metahumanity (elves, dwarfs, orks, trolls) walks the streets, dragons sit on megacorporate boards, and shadowrunners do the deniable dirty work the corps cannot be seen doing. You play a runner: part criminal, part specialist, part survivor, taking jobs from anonymous Mr. Johnsons in a world where the real power holds an extraterritorial charter.