Chummer
By DominaVioletta (a.k.a Elodie) / source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1okX1W2-fRBNW1zcPXU79GC648GXnfLDmSMoOWqsZp9Y/edit#
Hi there, chummer! So, you’re all set to create a character for Neon Anarchy, but don’t know where to start? Refer to this guide to get set up with the newest version of the Shadowrun community’s favorite free, open source character generator.
Step 1: Downloading the Program
You’ll want to go to this link first. Then download Neon Anarchy Chummer.rar.
Right click on the rar file and extract it somewhere.
You’ll get a Neon Anarchy Chummer folder that looks like this:
Read here about getting Chummer to run on Apple devices.
Once the extraction has finished, go into the new window in your file explorer, scroll down, and click on the little green icon titled “Chummer5” (make sure to select “more info” and click the “run anyway” button if your computer gets suspicious):
Congrats! You’ve downloaded and opened Chummer. Now comes the fun bit.
Step 2: Character Creation
Before you start making your character, you’ll want to make sure all those extra goodies from other sourcebooks are included in the creator. At the top of your window, select Tools, then Options:
This will open a new window with tabs on the top. Tab over to the Character Options tab and check off the books that are approved in our Character Creation Rules (available in the #welcome channel of the discord). The end result should look something like this:
Next, tab over to House Rules and do the same thing for the boxes relevant in the house rules file in #welcome
Now, onto creating your character:
Click this little dude in the corner:
You should get a window looking like this:
From here, you can select your preferred mode of character creation, as well as whether or not they’re standard or prime. If you selected Sum-to-10 or Priority to build with, you’ll get the following window to assign priorities:
Step 3: Navigating Chummer
Here is a step-by-step guide through all of the tabs in the character creation window, and what they do. Anything in italics outside of a bullet point is a handy rule of thumb/tip you can use when further refining your character.
Common
In this tab, you can
Manage your characters’ qualities;
Manage their attributes, and
Convert Karma to Nuyen (up in the top right)
For keeping track of attributes, skills, spells, and anything else of that nature, the Karma Summary is a godsend. Just make sure you hit 0 for every category, and you know you’ve spent all your points.
Skills
In this tab, you can
Manage your characters’ individual skill points;
Manage their group skill points (off to the left);
Manage their knowledge skills (at the bottom, easy to forget about!), and
Manage skill specializations (using the white bar off to the right of a given skill).
Select “Show all Active Skills > 0” in the drop down menu up at the top to see only those skills you’ve put points in.
Limits
What it sounds like--your physical, mental, and astral limits, and an option to add modifiers to them.
Martial Arts
Again, what it sounds like--adding a martial art is as simple as clicking on that button up top and buying it like a quality. To purchase a particular technique from that martial art, right click on it and select “Add Technique”:
Spells and Spirits/Complex Forms and Sprites (relevant only for mages and technomancers)
This tab allows you to
Manage your character’s spells/CF’s off to the right;
Display any mentor spirit/paragon bonuses/drawbacks if you selected that quality;
Buy spirits/sprites at chargen with karma on the bottom and, if relevant,
Select a magical tradition, determining drain resistance stats and types of spirits a character may summon
Adept Powers (relevant only to adepts/mysads)
From here you can
Manage adept powers bought, and
Change their levels if relevant
You can’t add in the purity bonus to PP now, but just make sure your PP are 0.0 in create mode, then go back in Career Mode and add them in, negative numbers be damned.
Initiation/Submersion
If you are Awakened or Emerged, you can use this menu to add initiate grades to relevant characters postgen. Be aware that, to purchase metamagics/echoes alongside the initiate/submerged grade, you must right click on the grade to add it.
Cyberware and Bioware
What it sounds like--will track money spent on augmentations, essence loss (and everything that entails), and the amount of remaining “free essence” for bioware for prototype transhumans, should you have that quality.
Street Gear/Vehicles and Drones
These tabs cover most of the things your character owns--from your commlink to your guns. Some of this was already showcased above in Martial Arts, but it is important to know that Cyberdeck ASDF stats and foci bound to your character are all managed in Street Gear.
Big Tip!!! That right click technique will also work for any mods you wanna buy for gear (weapons, armor, etc.) vehicles/drones, and most other things that’s relevant for:
Character Info
The repository for all fluff related to your character. You can even upload photos :)
Relationships
While you can add enemies and pets in this tab, most of your focus here will be spent on managing the loyalty/connection ratings of your contacts.
What Now?
Congratulations, omae, you now know how to use chummer to make a runner rivaling any other! Now, just make sure it’s saved as created and posted on r/NeonChargen as per NA rules, and the Chargen team will get back to you ASAP.
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