Karma

Karma is functionally the equivalent of skill points in Shadowrun.

In Shadowrun, karma is earned through advancing the story, completing side objectives as well as in certain npc conversations, and interactions with the world.

Karma is used to increase a character's skills and attributes.

Racial Bonuses
Trolls effectively gain +4 extra karma due to racial attribute bonuses, all other non-humans +2. The freedom of how to distribute every point is the Humans real advantage, because essentially they are only gaining 1 bonus karma compared to the other races.

Available Karma in Campaigns
The following details the total amount of karma in each game, and easily missed chances for karma.

Shadowrun Returns
217 (220 for humans) by the final fight, and 237 (240 for humans) by the end of the game.

9 points of Karma can easily be missed.
 * 1) (1) Be rude to Frank in Pike Place Market and you do not get the quest for Blind Lucy's necklace. Requires Quickness 4 to avoid paying off Officer Aguirre.
 * 2) (1) Don't save Symp's son, Zipper in the The Royale Apartments. Requires Charisma 3 or Intelligence 3 to avoid immediate combat and summoning of reinforcements, if violence is used rebooting the studio software grants access.
 * 3) (1) Let a chiphead die during Coyote's Crusade. If they are freed of the leader's control before all enemies are slain, the remaining gang members will attack them.
 * 4) (2) Don't retrieve Buyer Records from Mercy Mental Hospital's terminal (enter Matrix). Any hired decker or the PC should have little trouble. Requires decking 1, but a higher score will make it easier.
 * 5) (2) Fail to find out what happened to Shane during The Universal Brotherhood. The only real chance of missing him is to use the turret guarded door.
 * 6) (2) Fail to free Saada from the laboratory, freeing him but returning the Research Data to Mr. Johnson nets 1,500 nuyen and 8 karma. Returning Saada with the data results in 10,500 nuyen and 6 karma.