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Ever wanted to run the Shadows?
Granite threw himself behind the wall a second ahead of a barrage of lead that chewed up the trees beyond his position. Checking the smartgun link display projected onto his retina he knew it was time to reload. As he slapped a new clip home into the submachine gun Granite glanced over to Serpent. He hoped the shaman had a plan.
Serpent pulled the fetish focus from his jacket, he felt the power pulsing within, straining for release. He motioned to Granite, using a crude sign language to convey his intentions. Then he summoned the mana and weaved it to his will, the focus crumbled to dust in his hands as its energy was added to fuel the spell forming over Granite. And slowly Serpent saw the big ork fade from view.
Granite smiled. Standing, he levelled his Heckler & Kosh at the security guards across the corporate compound, confident that Serpent�s spell would render him invisible to their eyes. Taking careful aim Granite squeezed the trigger, �Surprise, drek heads!�
Back Story
Some say the ancient Mayans predicted it, some say that it has happened before, and a few people deep in the shadows whisper the names of those they believe witnessed it the last time, over 5000 years ago�
On December 24th 2011 hundreds of people witnessed the first appearance of a Great Dragon, his name was Ryumyo, and he wasn�t the last. This incident marked the beginning of the Awakening, when the world changed beyond all recognition, new breeds of man were born, when magic was rediscovered and the political face of the planet was turned on its head.
In a dystopian future, man and machine have merged. People feel the bite of the state of the art and save for cybernetic implants that can push them above their peers, be it computer analysis and memory enhancing cyber providing the edge in the corporate boardrooms, or wired reflexes, smartgun links and hand razors that make you top dog in the squatter towns of the barrens.
But now magic adds another element to the mix. Ever since the United States of America were forced to give away half their land to the Native Americans after witnessing the power the tribal shamen could wield, people all over the globe have been racing to discover and master the power that magic can provide. And now the corporations have harnessed that power, treating magic as just another tool, another way to pursue the almighty Nuyen. The corporations are now more powerful than the governments.
Orks and Trolls suffered at the hands of racists during the Night of Rage, and are now barely tolerated, used as menial labour. Elves have found their place within the nobility and corporate elite, their pretty boy faces hiding the cut throat machinations that go on in their minds. And dwarves are often overlooked, thought of as man�s poor cousin, and stereotyped into technical careers.
This is the future; this is the way it is. Few people look to try and make the world a better place, few people can afford to, most struggle just to survive.
The year is 2060, it�s a hell of a future�
What is Shadowrun?
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a dark future of corporate intrigue, gang politics, cybertechnology implants, and magic. Players take on the role of "shadowrunners", street operatives who perform the corporations' dirty work. These Street Samurai, Computer Deckers, Vehicle Riggers and Mages are essential tools in the megacorps' war against one another.
So what is Shadowrun: Missions?
Shadowrun: Missions is the official "living" campaign sponsored by FanPro. In Shadowrun: Missions, players can create their own characters and play them in a campaign of officially published scenarios. These scenarios may be run at home, in stores or at conventions. Players will be able to see their characters grow and develop while participating in games with players from around the world.
More information about Shadowrun: Missions can be found here.
And what is Shadowrun Duels?
Shadowrun Duels is an action figure game produced by WizKids LLC, the creators of MageKnight, MechWarrior: Dark Ages and HeroClix. It is a game of skirmishes set in the Shadowrun universe, where Shadowrunners are pitted against one another in deadly combat. Shadowrun Duels is a completely separate game from the RPG - play one, the other, or both!
The official Shadowrun Duels website can be found here.
Who Publishes Shadowrun?
The Shadowrun roleplaying game is published by FanPro under licence from WizKids LLC. It was originally created and produced by FASA Corporation.
3rd Edition Resources
All the resources below have been created by Grant Erswell, except where noted.
- Character Sheet - A Shadowrun Character Sheet in MS Excel
- Character Generation Reference Sheets - A set of reference sheets for the Priority and Build Point methods of character generation. Also included is a Build Point system for low level ganger campaigns
- Skill List - A list of the Shadowrun Active and Knowledge skills with references to the books.
- Crib Sheets - A set of crib sheets with the most important rules of Shadowrun, invaluable for players. Included are a Combat, Magic and Matrix cribsheet (the former two being 1 page, the latter 4 pages).
3rd Edition Scenarios
Below are some scenarios I wrote as demonstration games - they are written in the usual Shadowrun style (Tell it to Them Staright, Behind the Scenes, Debugging etc) and include pre-generated characters.
- Descent Into Shadows - "Gang life ain't all its cracked up to be. Being pursued down dank back alleys by the rival Scorchers is not your idea of fun. But that's when a real-fragging-life Shadowrunner shows up..." A low level adventure for 4 players.
- Strike Team Tango - "Your fixer said it was a simple job, break into a corp facility and take care of security while a second team secure the objective. The only catch? It has to be done tonight!" An easy introduction to Shadowrun for up to 4 players.
- New Horizon - "It is the Year of the Comet. A magical artefact must be retrieved from a missing ship. But there is something waiting, something new to the world, something beyond death...". A horror themed game for up to 6 players.
4th Edition Resources
- Character Sheet - A 4th Edition Shadowrun Character Sheet in MS Excel
- Crib Sheets - A set of crib sheets with the most important rules of Shadowrun, invaluable for players. Included are a Combat, Magic and Matrix cribsheet.
- Crib Sheet Booklet - The crib sheets as a single MS Word document (not zipped).
4th Edition Scenarios
- Quickfire - The year is 2070 and corporations wage a covert war using Shadowrunners, those few people who have mastered the arts of espionage and violence using both technology and magic. A new edition, a new attitude - fast and easy to play! A beginning adventure for up to 6 players.
Links
WizKids, LLC has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. WizKids, LLC has granted permission to R Grant Erswell to use such names, logos, artwork, marks and/or any proprietary materials for promotional and informational purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not affiliated with R Grant Erswell in any official capacity whatsoever.
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