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Forgetting XP spends in Shadowrun 6th Edition

Track changes over time so you can always explain what you bought and why. Use the links below to apply the workflow in Shadowrun 6th Edition and keep it consistent across sessions.

Workflow (do this first)

  1. Log XP gained at session end, amount plus source (session award, milestone, downtime training).
  2. When you spend, record both the rating change AND the in-fiction reason for it.
  3. Save the entry with a timestamp so the GM can audit history later.
  4. Mark a rollback flag while you’re unsure, easier to reverse than to reconstruct.
Roll loop reminder (Shadowrun 6th Edition)

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.

Example: Agility 5 + Firearms 4 = 9 dice vs threshold 3: rolling three 5s and a 6 gives 4 hits, a clean success unless five or more dice came up 1s.

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: Spending XP in your head and updating dots later. Fix: Log the spend the moment the GM approves it; an unsourced dot is an audit failure.
  • Mistake: Tracking totals but not what each spend bought. Fix: Every spend gets a one-line reason, "raised Athletics to 3 after the rooftop chase."
Roll resolution
Fast lookup while running scenes.
System guide
Rules + key concepts in one place.

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.

System guide
Rules + key concepts.
System glossary
Definitions for system terms.

Recommended next steps

Character sheet
Use the online sheet and keep it current.
Character creation
Checklist + builder entry points.
Advancement
Track progression with a clean workflow.

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