Shadowrun

[radmod]

Apparently, my group is going to switch from D&D to Shadowrun. I played it once over the course of a few sessions and don't remember much about it. I have no idea, yet, about the setting or, well, anything about it.
Any EnWorld links for Shadowrun? Suggestions of places I should visit?

 

[ValhallaGH]

Well, you can start with the Quickstart rules. The wikipedia article isn't bad.

One way to think of it is low-level D&D heroes (humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, & trolls) with guns and cyberparts, in a world with dragons, megacorps, and rampant soul-crushing crime. The PCs are "Runners", a class of mercenary trouble-shooters that tend to be very versatile, and rely upon stealth and surprise to handle problems.

Mechanically, roll a fistfull of d6's (Stat + Skill +/- Stuff) and look for 5+. Each one is a hit; you need a certain number of hits to succeed (generally 2 to 4).
Combat is usually deadly, paranoia is the rule, and it's very obsessed with it's own high-tech-coolness.

Good luck.

 

[darjr]

Shadowrun is cool.

Besides the quickstart there are some other background pdf's posted to their download page.

 

[masshysteria]

There are a number of different editions of Shadowrun. The latest is 4th edition. There are two prints of 4th edition, the original "green" book and the newer full color anniversary edition. If you are going to buy one of the two, the anniversary edition is the better of the two. It incorporates errata, improves the layout, has much better art, and an index that covers the other "core" books.

But in all honesty, you don't need those other books. The base book is complete. In fact, I've never bothered to play a game using any of the other "core" books.

As far as setting material goes, there's a lot on the web, but there are a couple books that might be of interest: Seattle 2072 (the default city for the game) and The Sixth World Almanac (info on locations across the world).

 

[radmod]

There are a number of different editions of Shadowrun. The latest is 4th edition. There are two prints of 4th edition, the original "green" book and the newer full color anniversary edition. If you are going to buy one of the two, the anniversary edition is the better of the two. It incorporates errata, improves the layout, has much better art, and an index that covers the other "core" books.

Thanks, I did email and find out that we are indeed playing core 4e. However, you said there are two core books. Are they functionally different? Should I confirm one or the other?
For example, the second reprint of 2e was actually different. My favorite was that in the 1st printing anyone could be Illusionists (such as a Dwarf). They took that out of the second.

 

[darjr]

I'm biased but I'd go with 20th anniversary book.

 

[Thanee]

Are they functionally different?

Yes, they are.

It's not a completely different system, and the changes are less numerous than, say, D&D3E compared to 3.5, but there are some functional changes (the biggest one is probably the cost to improve Attributes, which has been raised from 3xRating to 5xRating; and some more subtle stuff, like editing of intercepted wireless signals, just to name a more esoteric one).

Should I confirm one or the other?

Makes sense.

You could still use the Anniversary edition book (and it doesn't really make sense to get the old one now) with the regular 4E, just be aware, that there are some changes. Most of the system, and especially the rules foundation, is the same.

This should help: http://www.shadowrun4.com/resources/sr4a/sr4a_changes.pdf

Bye
Thanee

 

[pawsplay]

Flavor-wise, think D&D meets Neuromancer plus Rising Sun, against a backdrop of C. de Lint's "urban fantasy" and Robocop-style satire, in an alternate history where mohawks never became passe.