Shadowrun
Run the most dangerous shadow ops in a world that combines fantasy and cyberpunk!
Shadowrun characters are humans, trolls, elves, dwarves, and orks. Some wield magic, some master the matrix, and they all have access to high-tech gear and weapons. They are paid to do dirty jobs in the shadow of the powerful megacorps that control life in 2080.
Shadowrun is consistently popular and is now in its sixth edition. Its blending of magic, fantasy creatures, high technology and corporate dystopia is well-suited to campaign play. The mechanics are more complex than most current systems.
Here’s how publisher Catalyst Game Labs describes Shadowrun:
Be an elf shaman, an ork street samurai, a dwarf rigger, or any of thousands of other possibilities. Find your unique expertise and use it to take the wild chances that can keep you alive, that will give you that one last chance at freedom. So you can survive until the next one.
What Fans Love About Shadowrun
- A Tremendously Detailed Game World – The game’s future history has been extensively developed over the past 25 years, giving gamemasters a vast palette for creating adventures.
- The Blending of Technology and Magic – From shamans to riggers, dragons to hovertanks, the rules incorporate virtual reality, advanced technology, and magic of all stripes.
- Dice Pool Mechanics – If you like rolling lots of six-sided (‘normal’) dice, this is the game for you.
Reviews
The original 2019 printing was notoriously poorly edited. 2022 Core Rulebook City Edition Seattle incorporates errata and ostensibly addresses the editing problems.
The Beginner Box for sixth edition has not received positive reviews and for that reason is not recommended.
- “With the cumulative improvements over the last three editions, the game has maintained its unique style while actually becoming accessible…” — Aaron Marks, Cannibal Halfling Gaming
- “The sixth sixth world is here, and I like it!” — Ed Kabara, Board Game Geek
See Shadowrun in Action
Community
- Catalyst provides a slew of free resources, a forum, and more at Shadowrun Tabletop
- Get answers to your Shadowrun questions on RPG StackExchange
Buy It
- Get Shadowrun in PDF and print from Catalyst Game Labs
- Grab the PDF from DriveThru RPG
Bonus
- Shadowrun is what I refer to as a foundational setting