SR5:Positive Qualities

5th Edition Lists
Gear // Magic // Hacking // Skills // Qualities // Packs // Creatures

Positive Qualities	Negative Qualities	Martial Arts

Positive Metagenic Qualities	Negative Metagenic Qualities

Ambidextrous

COST:4 KARMA	Dual Wield No -2 DP Modifier
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

The Ambidextrous character can handle objects equally well with either hand. Without this quality, any action performed solely with the off–hand (i.e., firing a gun) suffers a –2 dice pool modifier (see Attacker Using Off-Hand Weapon, p. 178).

Analytical Mind

COST:5 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

Analytical Mind describes the uncanny ability to logically analyze information, deduce solutions to problems, or separate vital information from distractions and noise. It’s useful in cracking cyphers, solving puzzles, figuring out traps, and sifting through data. This quality gives the character a +2 dice pool modifier to any Logic Tests involving pattern recognition, evidence analysis, clue hunting, or solving puzzles. This quality also reduces the time it takes the character to solve a problem by half.

Aptitude

COST:14 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

This quality is how you become even better than the best in the world. The standard limit for skills is 12. Every so often, there is a character who can exceed limitations and be truly exceptional in a particular skill. With this particular quality, the character can have one skill rated at 7 at character creation, and may eventually build that skill up to rating 13. Characters may only take the Aptitude quality once.

Astral Chameleon

COST:10 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

With the Astral Chameleon quality, the character’s astral signature blends into the background of astral space and is difficult to detect. All signatures left by the character last only half as long as other astral signatures. Any individuals assensing astral signatures left behind by a character with this quality receive a –2 dice pool modifier for the Assensing Test. Only characters with a Magic rating and capable of leaving astral signatures may have this quality.

Bilingual

COST:5 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

A character with this quality reads, writes, and speaks a second language fluently. They can list a second language as a native tongue (see Language Skills, p. 150). This quality can only be acquired at character creation; selecting it gives the character a second free language skill during Step Five: Purchase Active, Knowledge, and Language Skills, (p. 88).

Blandness

COST:8 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

This character blends into a crowd; he’s seldom noticed and easily forgotten. He is unremarkable in every aspect of physical appearance. Anyone attempting to describe the character cannot come up with anything more precise than “average height, average build, average hair, etc.”Increase the threshold for anyone to recall specific details about the character by 1. This means a Memory Test with a difficulty of Average (threshold of 2) becomes a Hard test (threshold of 3). Individuals attempting to shadow or physically locate a character with the Blandness quality in a populated setting receive a –2 dice pool modifier on all tests related to their search. The same penalty applies if they’re asking around about the person based on the individual’s physical appearance. The modifier does not, however, apply to magical or Matrix searches. If the character acquires any visible tattoos, scars, obvious cyberware, or other distinguishing features, the bonuses from the Blandness quality go away until the distinctive features are removed from the character’s appearance.

In certain circumstances and specific situations, the gamemaster may determine that Blandness does not apply. For example, a troll with the Blandness quality still towers head and shoulders over a crowd of humans and so still stands out, no matter how average their horns may be. The character only regains his bonus by leaving the situation where he stands out.

Catlike

COST:7 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

A character with the Catlike quality is gifted with an uncanny elegance, a stealthy gait, and an almost preternatural ability to move without making a sound. They also claim they land on their feet when dropped, though they tend not to let people test this. This quality adds a +2 dice pool modifier to Sneaking skill tests.

Codeslinger

COST:10 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

Ones and zeroes are practically a native language to a Codeslinger. The character is adept at per forming a par ticular Matr ix action (which she selects when she selects this quality) and receives a +2 dice pool modifier to that Matr ix action. This can only be selected for Matr ix Actions (p. 237) that have a test associated with them.

Double-jointed

COST:6 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

A Double-Jointed character has unusually flexible joints and can bend and contort his body into extreme positions. The character receives a +2 dice pool modifier for Escape Artist tests. The character may also be able to squeeze into small, cramped spaces where less limber characters cannot. They’re also great at parties and bars.

Exceptional Attribute

COST:14 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

The Exceptional Attribute quality is how you get to be the charismatic troll, or the agile dwarf. It allows you to possess one attribute at a level one point above the metatype maximum limit. For example, an ork character with the Exceptional Attribute quality for Strength could take his Strength attribute up to 10 before augmentations are applied, instead of the normal limit of 9. Exceptional Attribute also applies toward Special Attributes such as Magic and Resonance. Edge cannot affected by the Exceptional Attribute (Edge is raised by another quality called Lucky). A character may only take Exceptional Attribute once, and only with the gamemaster’s approval.

First Impression

COST:11 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

The First Impression quality enables a character to slide easily into new environments, situations, groups, and jobs. Whether infiltrating a gang, making contacts in a new city, or wrangling an invite to a private meet, the character gains a temporary +2 dice pool modifier for relevant Social Tests such as Negotiation and Con during the first meeting. This modifier does not apply to second and subsequent encounters

Focused Concentration

COST:4 PER KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:(MAX 6)
SOURCE:Core

A technomancer or magic user with the Focused Concentration quality has the discipline to manipulate mana or Resonance more precisely than otherwise possible. This precision reduces stress to the magic user’s or technomancer’s body. She is able to sustain one spell/complex form with a force/level equal to her Focused Concentration rating without suffering any penalties. For example, a magic user with Focused Concentration rating 3 may sustain a Force 3 Armor spell without taking the negative dice pool modifier for sustaining a spell. Sustaining any additional spells or complex forms incurs the standard –2 dice pool modifier per spell or complex form sustained. This quality may only be taken by magic user characters that are able to cast spells and technomancers.

Gearhead

COST:11 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

The Gearhead is who you look for when it’s time to stomp on the gas and move. She’s a natural-born driver or pilot. When she’s at the wheel/stick/controls of a vehicle or drone, she has an intuitive understanding of its limitations and its capabilities and is able to coax whatever machine she’s controlling to perform at its best. During vehicle or chase combat, a Gearhead can increase the Speed of her vehicle or drone by 20 percent or increase the Handling modifier by +1 (player’s choice). She also receives a +2 dice pool modifier when attempting difficult maneuvers or stunts in the vehicle. This bonus lasts for 1D6 minutes. The player can choose to make this bonus last up to an additional 1D6 minutes if she wants. Doing so pushes the vehicle or drone well beyond its design limits and risks catastrophic damage. For each minute the character pushes the vehicle past its initial bonus period, the vehicle automatically takes one point of stress damage (unresisted)

Guts

COST:10 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

When a bug spirit with dripping mandibles comes calling, the character with Guts is the one most likely to stand and fight instead of freaking the hell out. Guts gives a character a +2 dice pool modifier on tests to resist fear and intimidation, including magically induced fear from spells or critter powers.

High Pain Tolerance

COST:7 PER KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:(MAX RATING 3)
SOURCE:Core

High Pain Tolerance lets a character keep delivering the pain even if she’s had plenty piled on her own head. A character with High Pain Tolerance can ignore one box of damage per rating point of this quality when calculating wound modifiers (see Wound Modifiers, p. 169). So a character with this quality at Rating 2 can take 4 boxes of damage but carry on without wound modifiers as if she only had 2 boxes of damage. The –1 wound modifier would then kick in when the character takes her fifth box in damage. This quality may not be used with the Pain Resistance adept power, pain editor bioware, or damage compensator bioware.

Home Ground

COST:10 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

If a character knows her neighborhood better than anyone—the shortcuts, the hiding places, and the people she can trust—then she probably has the Home Ground quality. She knows the families who live there, their stories, and what the kids who moved out are doing; she knows the streets better than GridGuide, knows things that aren’t on GridGuide, and knows when GridGuide is wrong. She knows the politics of the gangs, who’s running for whom and who’s running from whom. But it’s not just the physical streets. Depending on the character, her Home Ground quality can manifest in ways specific to who and what she is. When choosing this quality, select one of the bonuses below:

Astral Acclimation

The character has become acclimated to the background count of her Home Ground. Through a lifetime of familiarity she’s learned to work around it, enabling her to ignore up to two points of background count.

Example

For example, if the background count on her Home Ground is 3, she sees only a reduction of 1 to her Magic tests; if the background count is 5, for her it is only a 3, and so on. This quality works only on her Home Ground and has no benefit anywhere else.

You Know a Guy

The character has built up long-lasting relationships with people from her neighborhood. These people are not contacts, but they know her as one of their own and are more likely to do favors for or talk to her. NPCs from the character’s Home Ground neighborhood are considered friendly toward her wherever she encounters them (unless she has done something to change that).The character receives +2 Street Cred for any Negotiation with people from her Home Ground.

Digital Turf

This is for a decker or technomancer who has a specific host that she calls her own. She may actually own the spot, or it can be a place she frequents enough to consider home. The character receives a +2 bonus to Matrix Tests while in her Home Ground host. Bonuses from other Qualities may stack with Home Ground. If the character has not frequented this host for more than six months, she loses the Home Ground quality because she is no longer as familiar as she should be.

The Transporter

This character knows the layout of streets, back alleys, service tunnels, etc., like the back of her hand. She knows when GridGuide is wrong and when GridGuide is out of date. When the transporter is on her Home Ground, she has a +2 dice pool modifier for Evasion Tests.

On the Lam

Hiding out and lying low are part of a shadowrunner’s daily life. On the Lam means a character has an encyclopedic knowledge of safehouses, bolt holes, abandoned buildings, just about any out-of-the-way place not claimed by gangs or squatters. When she needs to find a safe location in a hurry, this character receives a +2 dice pool bonus to her Intuition + appropriate street knowledge skill to find a suitable place to hole up fast.

Street Politics

This character knows the street gangs, the criminal operations, and the beneath-the-surface affiliations that are the social and political fabric of her Home Ground. She receives a +2 dice pool modifier for Knowledge Tests relating to gangs or their operations.

This quality can be taken multiple times, selecting one of the categories above each time.

Human-looking

COST:6 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

A metahuman character with the Human-Looking quality can pass for human in most circumstances. Human NPCs respond with neutral attitudes toward such characters when making Social skill tests (p. 82), even those humans who are par ticularly biased against metahumans. The character may suf fer increased animosity from metahuman NPCs who are prejudiced against humans and who either mistake him for human or distrust his motives for tr ying to look human. Only elves, dwarfs, and orks can take the Human-Looking quality.

Indomitable

COST:8 PER KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:(MAX 3)
SOURCE:Core

Bodies and minds have limits, but some people have the will to push right through those boundaries. For each level of Indomitable, a character receives a +1 increase to an Inherent limit of his choice (Mental, Physical, or Social). He can take up to three levels and can apply them in any way he chooses (+3 to one Inherent Limit, for example; or +2 to one Inherent and +1 to another; or +1 to all three).

Juryrigger

COST:10 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

Juryrigger gives a character an intuitive grasp of the inner workings and underlying principles of mechanical and electronic devices. She knows how to repair the broken, rejuvenate the worn, improve a device’s efficiency, or coax it into doing things it’s designers hadn’t intended. Characters with the Juryrigger quality receive a +2 dice pool modifier for Mechanical Tests when juryrigging gear. If the gamemaster decides what the character wants to accomplish is in fact possible, he determines the threshold for her success using the Build/Repair Table (p. 146) as a guideline, then reduces the threshold for the test by 1. While a successful Mechanics Skill Test enables the Juryrigger to perform amazing technical feats, everything she devises is temporary. Examples of what a character may be able to do with Juryrigger include:

• Juryrig a destroyed device so that it will operate just one more time (for 1D6 minutes).
• Tweak an electronic device to function at a rating one higher than normal for 1D6 Combat Turns.
• Temporarily coax extra performance from a vehicle’s or drone’s components, increasing its Sensor or Handling by +1 (if combined with bonuses from Gearhead, the vehicle’s or drone’s critical components completely burn out at the end of the duration from being pushed well beyond their limits; at that point, the vehicle or drone becomes a big paperweight).
• Improvise a one-shot device or weapon from disparate components (the gamemaster has final say on whether suitable parts are available).
• Devise an impromptu means to bypass a security measure, such as a trip beam or pressure plate.

Lucky

COST:12 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

The dice roll and the coin flips this character’s way more often than not, giving her the chance to drop jaws in amazement at her good fortune. Lucky allows a character to possess an Edge attribute one point higher than his metatype maximum (for example, a human character could raise her Edge to 8). Note that taking this quality does not actually increase the character’s current Edge rating, it just allows her the opportunity to do so; the Karma cost for gaining the extra point must still be paid. This quality may only be taken once and must be approved by the gamemaster. The Lucky quality cannot be combined with Exceptional Attribute.

Magic Resistance

COST:6 PER KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:(MAX RATING 4)
SOURCE:Core

This is the wonderful ability to potentially make a Fireball bounce away. For every 6 Karma spent on Magic Resistance, a character receives 1 additional die for Spell Resistance Tests. The Magical Resistance quality, however, is always “on”—the character cannot lower it to receive beneficial spells such as Heal. A character with Magic Resistance cannot take part in spells that require a voluntary subject; such spells automatically fail when used on magic-resistant characters.

Characters with a Magic rating cannot take this quality.

Mentor Spirit

COST:5 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

Everyone needs some help in life, even if it comes from someone relatively filmy and insubstantial. Mentor Spirit means the character follows a patron spirit (see Mentor Spirits, p. 320) that guides him in his practice of magic and provides certain advantages and disadvantages to his natural abilities. A character may change mentor spirits, but he may have only one mentor spirit at a time. To change mentor spirits, the character must first buy off the current mentor spirit as if it were a Negative quality. He can then purchase the quality again to follow a different mentor spirit. This cost represents the toll of divorcing from one mentor spirit and bonding with a new one.

Each tradition has a different name for a mentor spirit. Hermetic mages prefer the term “mentor spirit,” while shamans use the word “totem” for the spirit that they follow. While the names may vary, the way the mentor works is consistent.This quality is only available to characters that possess a Magic attribute rating.

Natural Athlete

COST:7 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

A character with this quality has an innate combination of physical fitness, spatial awareness, and natural athletic or gymnastic talent. While the character may not be a world-class athlete and may require training to achieve peak performance, he is in prime physical shape for his size and weight class. The Natural Athlete adds a +2 dice pool modifier for Running and Gymnastics skill tests.

Natural Hardening

COST:10 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

This quality makes the character’s neural structure resistant to feedback. This gives her 1 point of natural biofeedback filtering, which is cumulative with a Biofeedback Filter program or a technomancer’s firewall (p. 251).

Natural Immunity

COST:4 OR 10 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

The ability to casually sip poison can never be overrated. A character with Natural Immunity has an innate or developed immunity to one single disease or toxin. This quality is available at two levels. If purchased at the 4 Karma level, the character is immune to a single natural disease or toxin. If Natural Immunity is purchased at the full 10 Karma level, the character is immune to a single, synthetic (artificially created) disease or toxin. Natural Immunity does not affect diseases or toxins that are magically based, such as HMHVV.

The player and gamemaster must agree on the disease, drug, or poison to which the character is immune. The character can take one dose of the drug or poison and experience one exposure to the disease every six hours with no ill effects. Any subsequent dosing or exposure during the next six hours causes normal damage, but the character’s recovery time is halved. Note that characters with Natural Immunity to a disease can be a carrier, infecting other characters while suffering no ill effects.

Photographic Memory

COST:6 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

A character with Photographic Memory can instantly recall facts, dates, numbers, or anything else he has seen or heard. The character gains a +2 dice pool modifier to all Memory Tests.

Quick Healer

COST:3 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

A character with the Quick Healer quality receives a +2 dice pool modifier to all Healing Tests made on/for/by her, including magical healing.

Resistance To Pathogens/Toxins

COST:4 OR 8 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

A character with Resistance to Pathogens/Toxins can fight off diseases and drugs more easily than other characters and receives a +1 dice pool modifier to Resistance Tests. This quality comes at two levels: at 4 Karma the character is resistant to either pathogens or toxins, not both. If the character purchases this quality at 8 Karma, she receives the +1 modifier for resisting both.

Spirit Affinity

COST:7 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

Available only to magic users, the Spirit Affinity quality allows a character to be attuned to one type of spirit (see Spirits, p. 303). These spirits find the character interesting, are drawn to her, and are more inclined to assist her. They may be reluctant to attack the character, and if forced to do so they are likely to use nonlethal power. Watchers and minions do not count for this quality as they are constructed and are not summoned like normal spirits. Spirit Affinity provides magicians with 1 additional spirit service for each spirit of that type, and it also provides a +1 dice pool modifier for Binding Tests.

Magic users may possess this quality for a type of spirit that is not part of their magical tradition.

Toughness

COST:9 KARMA
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:NONE
SOURCE:Core

Characters with the Toughness quality shrug off damage more easily than others. Such characters gain a +1 dice pool modifier to their Body when making Damage Resistance tests.

Will To Live

COST:3 KARMA PER RATING
PREREQUISITES:NONE
RATING:(MAX RATING 3)
SOURCE:Core

For each rating point in Will to Live, the character gains 1 additional Damage Overflow Box (p. 101). These additional boxes only allow the character to sustain additional damage before dying; they do not raise the threshold at which the character becomes unconscious or incapacitated, nor do they affect modifiers from the damage the character has taken.