Rules reference
Advancement in Shadowrun 6th Edition
How progression works and how to track it. 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.
Key points
Advancement is about tracking change over time and keeping it transparent to the table.
- 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
Shadowrun 6E advancement: earn Karma from runs and spend it on attributes, skills, qualities, spells, and contacts.
- Earn Karma from completing runs, roleplaying, and GM awards (typical: 2-8 per session).
- Spend Karma on: skill ranks (new rank × 5), attributes (new rating × 5), new skills (5 karma for rank 1), specializations (5 karma), qualities (variable), spells/complex forms (5 karma each).
- Nuyen is separate: earned from run payouts, used for gear, cyberware, and lifestyle.
- Initiation (mages) and Submersion (technomancers): karma-expensive, unlocks metamagics/echoes and raises the Magic/Resonance cap.
- Street Cred: increases with successful runs. Provides social bonuses in the shadows.
- Notoriety: increases with messy runs, betrayals, or public exposure. Makes you a target.
- Public Awareness: corp attention. High PA means corps actively hunt you.
Record XP gains/spends right after sessions and keep a short history so the table can audit decisions later.
Spend to reinforce what you want to do in scenes, not to chase every niche option.
- Mistake: XP drift (nobody remembers what changed). Fix: Record gains/spends right after sessions and keep a short history.
- Mistake: Buying upgrades that don’t show up in play. Fix: Spend toward your concept and the scenes you actually get.