Shadowrun 1st Edition To Be Reprinted

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1988's 1st Edition of the near-future urban fantasy game Shadowrun is being reprinted, according to publisher Catalyst Game Lab who tweeted the announcement this weekend.

Shadowrun is currently on its 6th Edition, which came out in 2019. The game features a dystopian fantasy cyberpunk future with elves, trolls, dragons, cybernetics, megacorporations, and automatic weapons. Characters include technomancers, mages, and street samurai.

Coming soon, Shadowrun 1st edition reprints!Relive the classic fantasy of the Sixth World with all of the dystopian action that entails!

You can currently buy the game via print-on-demand at DriveThruRPG for $11.99.

 

[Velderan]

I played 2e back when that was current and enjoyed it, aside from the "ok, the decker is going into the matrix so everyone else can go play some N64 Goldeneye while we run this" part of the game. I've never seen or played 1e so I'll likely take a look if it makes it to my FLGS and consider buying it if the print quality is good.

 

[Umbran]

I don't know anyone who played SR1 that didn't wind up making flow charts or guides on how to play the game.

While the thing is, admittedly, baroque, my group played it without too much issue. 1st edition was sufficiently playable for us to fall in love with the thing overall, and move to 2nd edition. If it were as bad as you say, we'd not have stuck around to do that.

I was far more tolerant of baroque rules back in high school and college than I am today.

This will go about as well as FFG's reprint of the 1st edition of WEG Star Wars. That is still in clearance sales today. Nobody wanted that edition.

I bought a reprint of the 1st edition Star Wars game, but only because I never owned them when we played back in the day, so it was a nostalgic collection backfilling thing.

 

[eyeheartawk]

I bought a reprint of the 1st edition Star Wars game, but only because I never owned them when we played back in the day, so it was a nostalgic collection backfilling thing.

I wish your case was more common. If it had been a commercial sales success we may have seen reprints of Second or Revised and I would have loved that.

 

[sevenbastard]

I personally found 2e notably more playable, but maybe/hopefully that book will get its reprint later).

100% agree and even then 2e still has issue. I loved shadowrun in the 90s played the heck out of it but the mechanics were never balanced and too many ideas cramed into to small a space.

Still I can make a wolf shaman almost from rote. And once i get some karma point to bond some spell foci and enhance your reaction I out class any steet samurai.

 

[Reynard]

While the thing is, admittedly, baroque, my group played it without too much issue. 1st edition was sufficiently playable for us to fall in love with the thing overall, and move to 2nd edition. If it were as bad as you say, we'd not have stuck around to do that.

I was far more tolerant of baroque rules back in high school and college than I am today.

I think at the time we just expected games to be designed that way. Everything has convoluted subsystems and highly questionable probability algorithms. I still hold a special place in my heart for the original Deadlands and Hell on Earth systems, along with Earthdawn, despite their deep mechanical flaws.

 

[Umbran]

I still hold a special place in my heart for the original Deadlands and Hell on Earth systems, along with Earthdawn, despite their deep mechanical flaws.

I ran classic Deadlands for years - my players felt the mechanics were, again, baroque, but loved how much of it was thematically appropriate, if not tidy.

Also, Deadlands has the benefit of having been the progenitor of Savage Worlds. It can be treated kindly for having brought that about in the long run.

 

[Von Ether]

100% agree and even then 2e still has issue. I loved shadowrun in the 90s played the heck out of it but the mechanics were never balanced and too many ideas cramed into to small a space.

Still I can make a wolf shaman almost from rote. And once i get some karma point to bond some spell foci and enhance your reaction I out class any steet samurai.

I'm in the "Why didn't they just reprint 2e instead" camp.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Yeah, agreed.

This will go about as well as FFG's reprint of the 1st edition of WEG Star Wars. That is still in clearance sales today. Nobody wanted that edition. Same thing here. If this were a reprint of 2e? I think people would be all over it.

I wanted it. It is a very happy inclusion on my shelf and the game is still the best version of Star Wars in roleplaying, without the awful memories of every movie made since....and no stupid proprietary dice!

I’m also eagerly awaiting the new GW reprint of Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader.

 

[Mark Craddock]

Didn't they change the die type right before publication to d6? Are thy going to keep the TN 7s? LOL Shadowrun is its own monster.

 

[eyeheartawk]

I wanted it. It is a very happy inclusion on my shelf and the game is still the best version of Star Wars in roleplaying, without the awful memories of every movie made since....and no stupid proprietary dice!

I’m also eagerly awaiting the new GW reprint of Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader.

To be clear, I'm referring to which edition of the WEG Star Wars they reprinted. Not other Star Wars games entirely. I'm stating that that there would have been far more interest in the reprint if they had chosen to reprint second edition or revised from the WEG version.