1

Introduction 3 Weapons & Armor 25

Character Creation 4 Vehicles & Mods 26
Background 5 Gear Summary 28
Race 5 Gear Packs 32
Shadowy Past 7 Street Grimoire 33
New Hindrances & Edges 7 Arcane Background (Magician) 33
Hindrance & Edge Summary 10 Arcane Background (Adept) 33
Setting Rules 11 Gamemaster Section 35
Astral Space 11 Magicyberpunk Themes 35
Contacts 11 Recommended Reading 37
Downtime 12 Shadowrun Eras 37
Fake SINs 13 Setting Rules 38
Lifestyles 13 Shadowrun Setting Advice 39
Rigging 15 Author Notes 40
Run Rewards 16 Critters & Threats 41
Matrix 17 Adding Monstrous Abilities & New Abilities 41
Wireless Matrix 19 Basic Oppo 42
Equipment 20 Runners 43
Cyberware 20 Threats 44
Cyberdecks 22 Contacts 46
Drones 23 First Runs 51
Running Gear 24 Character Sheet 54
Medical Gear 25

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Shadowrun is the near-future dystopian nightmare
prophesied by science fiction, with one small change
that ultimately changed nothing.

The klept stare down from their megacorp towers at a

world they have remade into a hellish game, dueling
other klept over who has the most money, the most
market share, the most toys. Those towers cast deep
shadows, shadows that hide the misery they create from
their eyes… but not from yours, because they are your
shadows.

You are a shadowrunner, someone that breaks the law -

their law - for hire. Maybe you do it for the money,
maybe for the rep, maybe to make a difference, or
maybe because you don’t see any other way to be.
Whatever the reason, you’ll probably die young, but
every second survived is one more screamed refusal to
submit.

Oh, that small change? Magic came back to the world a

couple of decades ago, jizzing a whole load of once-
fantasy races into the world, along with all the
supernatural drek you’d expect.

Fat difference it made. Wizards casting spells? Dragons

flying overhead? Some humans evolving into orks and
trolls, or giving birth to elven and dwarven children? All
that happened is they were absorbed into the system,
and in many ways magic’s return cemented the klept’s
grip even more firmly - especially since so many klept
now have wings and breath fire, though not all. Not. All.

As you navigate the shadows, remember these ancient,

but still applicable, words of wisdom:

“Watch your own back,

conserve ammo,
and never deal with a dragon.”

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Shadowrunners are more than just a set of numbers, but
you gotta know what your runner can do, as well as
who they are, before you can play them.
SPECIALTIES
There ain't any strict classes in Shadowrun, but Johnsons
look for runner teams that are well-rounded and can
handle whatever they might be paying for. Fixers will
match solo runners with each other to form ad-hoc
teams, but permanent teams formed by friends, allies, or
lovers are common.
Muscle are, just as the name implies, there to hurt
people. Every runner needs to know how to inflict
violence on others, but muscle are the ones who know
how to do it with both finesse and brutality. Fists,
machine guns, pistols, baseball bats with barbed wire...
Faces are the runners who can talk their way past the
security guard at the gate, charm the secretary at the
desk, convince the scientist to hand over the datacard
containing their life's work, and then bargain with Mr.
Johnson to pay 50% more as a danger bonus.
Cats are the techno equivalent of faces; specializing in
breaking into the most advanced security systems in the
world and taking what they need or want from inside –
or just the warehouse down the street for food.
Spellworms are a variable lot. While they can be any of
the above categories, most runner spellworms try to
leverage their magic into feats that can't be done with a
bullet or a lockpick: levitation, illusions, mind reading.
Others bend their powers inward to mimic – or even
exceed – what implanted cyberware can achieve.
Deckers use the Matrix as their playground, connecting
their brain directly to the virtual computer world and
making it theirs. This has its own unique dangers as well
as rewards.
Riggers take advantage of brain interface technology to
control vehicles directly – whether it be something as
large as a tank or chopper, or small as a pack of drones
being commanded all at once, or even as enormous as
an entire building’s security system.
Rockers, Reporters, and Investigators aren’t distinct
runner types on their own, but rather fall into one of the
previous specialties while pursuing an interest that may
not fall into a standard runner’s life – one that doesn’t
pay well unless you sell out.
TRENCHCOAT vs MOHAWK
Trenchcoat & Mohawk are the two extremes of running,
and most runners are close to one or the other, though
they do shift between them as they age. IF they age.
Mohawk could be summed up,
“Style matters more than
anything. Never forget the klept
are the enemy, even if you need
their money. Live fast and die
pretty – or at least loud.”
Trenchcoat could be summed up,
“Maniacs have emotion. Pros have
standards. Be polite. Be efficient.
Have a plan to kill everyone you
meet. How’s your 401(k)?”
The two do not like each other. Mohawks despise
‘Trenchies’ as sellouts, poseurs one step away from
punching a clock at a megacorp’s headquarters.
Trenchcoats view Mohawks with disdain, believing they
give real runners a bad rep - the true currency of the
shadows.
With that said, it rarely results in worse than insults.
Many Trenchcoats moonlight as Mr. Johnsons, subcon-
tracting Mohawks for runs where their attitude is an
advantage. Mohawks also serve as a training ground for
future Trenchcoats, with (some) who survive their first
years seeing how much more money you can get from a
Johnson when you DON’T pick’n’flick boogers at them.
STREET NAME
A runner’s handle is a mix of advert and rep; no one
expects someone named Hatchetman to be a decker, or
Fastjack to be a shaman. Picked carefully, it can make or
break a running career, but best not to agonize; any
name used well will get a good rep.
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 1. BACKGROUND
Shadowrunners don't just spring whole from the fungus
under Mr. Johnson's fridge (no matter how much he'd
like to think so). They all come from somewhere, and
that somewhere can give an edge. If a runner already
has any levels in a Skill, from Core Skills or Ancestries,
the Background raises it one level.
Corporates were raised as shaikujin - loyal to their
company first, even if they weren't Japanese. If you have
a corp background, what event led you to the shadows?
Do you want back into that welcoming, suffocating
embrace, or is that your worst nightmare?
Bonus: Persuasion d4.
Nationals were born as part of a nation (the UCAS,
NAN, Quebec, or other) and cared at least a little about
how their nation prospered. Are you committing crimes
against your nation now? Or did you leave your country
and are living somewhere else?
Bonus: Driving d4.
Streeters have belonged to the underworld from the
beginning - either as an urchin living on the fringes or as
a kid born into an organized crime family. Do you still
retain those ties to the beginnings, or have you cut
them off entirely? Do you run for fun, or just to get out?
Bonus: Streetwise d4.
Tribals aren't necessarily from the Native American
Nations – what they are is people raised in a spiritual
tradition almost archaic in a world made of ferrocrete
and chrome. With magic and spirits being real, now, it
brings a whole new level of involvement. Do you still
have those beliefs, or are they shattered? Is what you do
now part of it?
Bonus: Notice d4.
2. RACE
Humans are the most common race in the Sixth World,
but over the last forty years some were born as dwarves
and elves, while others went through a violent
expression of dormant genes called Goblinization that
evolved them into orks and trolls. Other versions of
these new races (such as dryads, fomori, oni, or
gnomes) exist, but are limited to small areas. Racism still
exists, but rarely has anything to do with skin or origin.
Who cares if that guy's skin is ebony (lovely color,
really), when that thing has hands the size of your head?
Human (Homo sapiens sapiens)
In all but a few select new nations with highly specific
immigration policies, humans make up at minimum 80%
of the population. This gives them the unspoken
advantage of simply being in the majority, but they also
receive the free Edge (SWADE p.16).
Elf (Homo sapiens nobilis)
Elves are tall, thin, beautiful, and have pointed ears –
just like the classic Tolkienesque elves. Some revel in
their resemblance to the fey creatures, and they are one
of two races to have their own 'language', Sperethiel.
Others despise the prejudiced, flighty stereotypes and
do their best to fit in and be 'normal' – whatever that is.
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE: Elves may reroll one failed
Persuasion roll per Scene.
GRACEFUL: They start with d6 Agility.
THIN: Elves begin play with -1 Toughness.
Dwarf (Homo sapiens pumilionis)
Dwarves are shorter than normal humans, broader, and
generally tougher than other races. They're also strong-
willed; once they set their mind to doing something, it
gets done. However, because of their size and build,
they find it hard to use human-sized gear.
TOUGH BUGGERS: Dwarves start with d6 Vigor.
STRONG-WILLED: They begin play with the Elan Edge.
STUNTY: Dwarves start with Pace 5 and with 20% less
money (4,000¥) to represent the increased cost of
buying or converting gear to their size.
Ork (Homo sapiens robustus)
Orks are larger, stronger, and uglier than most humans.
However, this stereotype also leads to society as a
whole rejecting them; some respond by trying to be
'good orks', others with anger and violence, and others
by withdrawing into orkish neighborhoods.
ORK SMASH: Orks start with d6 Strength.
BURLY GUYS: Add +1 Toughness.
OSTRACIZED: Orks have the Outsider (Minor) or Human
Poser Hindrance.
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Troll (Homo sapiens ingentis)
Trolls average nearly three meters tall, are close to two
meters wide, and have horns and bumpy plates under
their skin. They are also badly regarded by society as a
whole, but their size and appearance tends to dissuade
all but the most... dedicated... racists.
TROLL SMASH BETTER: Trolls start with d8 Strength,
and have Size+1 and Reach+1.
SUBDERMAL PLATING: Trolls begin play with Armor +2
representing their subdermal bone plates.
UGLY AND SCARY: Trolls have a -2 Persuasion Penalty,
but a +1 Intimidation bonus.
NOT BRIGHT: Smarts costs double to raise during
character creation and with Advances or cyberware.
NOT IN YOUR SIZE: Trolls start with 20% less money
(4,000¥) to represent the increased cost of buying or
converting gear to their size.

3. TRAITS
Traits are handled as per SW. Common Knowledge is
called Streetwise; Networking rolls can be handled by it
in addition to Persuasion and Intimidation.

4. EDGES & HINDRANCES

Shadowrun characters start at Seasoned by default; any
Edges that are Background canNOT be purchased with
advancements. This also means all runners draw from a
deck and consult the Shadowy Past Table (p.7).

The GM may decide this is a Street Scum game (where

your runners are young punks just getting started) in
which case you start at Novice as normal, or a High
Roller game (where they’re well established and
probably travel internationally) in which case you start at
Veteran but pull 3 cards for Shadowy Past.

Purchasing Hindrances works as normal, but use the

following list for what the points add.
For two points:
Raise an Attribute 1 die type
Choose 1 Edge
For one point:
Gain 1 Skill point
Gain 2 Contact points
Add 1,000¥ to your starting cash.

5. GEAR & CONTACTS

All runners start with 5,000¥, modified as usual by
Poverty or Rich – though those Edges and Hindrances
have no effect beyond modifying starting money. Gear
Packs exist to make this easier (p.32). Some Edges have
additional monetary requirements, and all runners are
required to purchase a Lifestyle – if they don’t, they

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 SHADOWY PAST
2: Busted! Start with the SIN (Criminal) Hindrance.
3-4: Injured! Add 1 Strain to your runner for , rather than just a fake one – a SINner, as the slang goes.
the cyberware that kept you alive.
5-6: Hunted! You crossed someone in your
past that wants to destroy you. Add Enemy
(Major) Hindrance.
7: Bad Rep! Deservedly or no, the shadows
don't like you. Start with Bad Reputation.
8: Nothing! You're clean, chummer.
9: Buddy! Add 1 point to your Contact starting
value.
10-J: Big Score! Add 1d6x500¥ to your starting
cash.
Q-K: Good Rep! Start the Streetwise Edge.
A: Great Gear! Start with Trademark Weapon or
Power Focus Edge.
Joker: Never deal with a Dragon. Like it or not,
the eye of a mighty Dragon is on you, and it may
interfere with your life at the worst moments - or
just when you need it.
start among the Unhoused.
Runners start with 5 Contact points that can be used as
detailed in the Setting Rules.
After character creation is done, any leftover money is
divided by 10, and add 1d4*100¥ to that total as your
starting cash. Runners are lean and hungry.
SINNER (Minor/Major)
Your runner has an actual System Identification Number,
As a Minor Hindrance, you're in the system as a regular
citizen; as a Major, your SIN has a criminal flag, either as
an add-on to your old SIN or a fresh SIN given to you as
a free gift upon arrest.
BACKGROUND EDGES
Arcane Background (Magician)
Requirements: Novice, Spirit d6
You can cast spells by following a Way of Magic, whe-
ther it be shamanism, wizardry, or more esoteric Way.
Consult the Street Grimoire (p.30) for more information.
Arcane Background (Physical Adept)
Requirements: Novice, Martial Artist
Rather than channeling your magical talent outward to
fling fireballs and mind probes, you channel it internally,
to increase your own natural ability to fight. Consult the
Street Grimoire (p31) for more information.
Bougy
Requirements: Novice
The “nobles” of Shadowrun are those in service to the
klept who own the system, or those who by luck and
skill have carved a niche for themselves. If you need
more examples, look under Lifestyle (as detailed in the

NEW HINDRANCES
Bad Reputation (Minor)
A runner with a bad rep is disliked in the shadows,
whether justly or unjustly. Take a -1 penalty to all
Networking rolls (SWADE p.133).

Dependent (Major)
You have family - adopted or otherwise - who would
not be alive without your income. A grandparent, a
spouse, a child... Each month, they cost you 1d6*50¥ in
addition to any other Lifestyle costs and other
challenges (“Mommy, why are you bleeding?”) By
definition these are not Contacts and may have no useful
skills to aid a runner.

Poser (Minor)
You want to be another race – either ork, human, or elf
– and have had basic cosmetic surgery so that you can
pass for one. However, you are NOT, and if you're ever
exposed when dealing with an NPC you have to roll on
the Reaction Table with 3d6, removing the highest, to
see what their new attitude towards you is.

7
Setting Rules). For the purposes of street-level
Shadowrun, buying this edge puts you into the bougy
Lifestyle, with all the privilege – and pain – that implies.

Bougy runners do not have to pay the monthly Lifestyle

fee, get a monthly income of 1d6*100¥ above this, and
may call upon (some) resources or minions of their
organization, but cannot take Day Jobs (as detailed in
the Setting Rules) and must spend a week every
Downtime cycle working as a bougy.

Chromed Up
Requirements: Novice
You were cybered heavily in your past, and not on your
dime; choose up to 6 Strain in Cyberware from the
Equipment chapter and a Major Hindrance.

Cyber Tolerant
Requirements: Novice
For whatever reason, you can tolerate much more
cyberware than the normal metahuman. Maximum
Strain is increased by +4.

Otaku/Technomancer
Requirements: Wild Card, Novice, Spirit d6, Hacking
d8, no Arcane Background
A Child of the Matrix needs no deck; treat your own
brain as an Alpha Cyberdeck with a rating equal to your
Spirit die, and your Hacking isn’t limited by the “deck’s”
Rating. You also get to call your SK’s sprites instead;
isn’t that awesome? Which one you are called depends
on whether it’s Matrix 1.0 or 2.x.
Sweet Ride
Requirements: Novice, Repair d6+
All riggers drive cars. You, though, you've got a ride
that is the envy of them all.
You have 5,000¥ to build vehicles (this includes any
accessories). If you have the Rich or Filthy Rich Edge you
apply the multiplier to this money as well, though short
of wanting an LAV or copter it isn’t necessary.
POWER EDGES
Alchemy
Requirements: AB(Magician), Veteran, Sorcery d8
You’ve learned how to capture one-off and temporary
spells in an object anyone can use. To create one, first
spend a Reagent, then make a Sorcery roll to cast the
Power. If it succeeds, you now have a Power that will
take effect when broken as though you had cast it with a
Success. You may have up to half your Spirit die in
readied Powers.
Focus (Power)
Requirements: AB(Magician), Seasoned, Sorcery d8,
2,000¥
You have purchased or created a power focus that helps
amplify your magical abilities. It takes the form of an
external item (traditionally it's wands, shamanic masks,
rings, or an athame dagger, but more modern-minded
mages have made commlinks and guns into power foci)
that you channel power through. This Edge gives a +1
to all rolls involving Sorcery as long as you possess the
item. If you lose it, you must spend one week of
Downtime looking for/crafting a replacement.
Improved Focus (Power)
Requirements: AB, Veteran, Sorcery d10,
6,000¥[Y]
As above, but gives a +2 on all Sorcery rolls.
Focus (Sustaining)
Requirements: AB, Sorcery d6, 1,000¥
Also called spell locks, these focus energy into
sustaining spells for a caster. This Edge allows you to
ignore a -1 penalty for maintaining a Power. Can be
taken once per Rank.
Focus (Weapon)
Requirements: AB, Fighting d8, 6,000¥
You have made or purchased a magical weapon –
melee only, no guns. When using the weapon, add +2
to hit and damage, it has +2 AP, and ignores
Invulnerability.

8
Mentor Spirit
Requirements: AB(Magician), Spirit d8
Each tradition has ideals, gods,
saints, or totems that it
venerates, and one of them has
reached down to touch your
runner personally. While it's
unknown if these spirits truly
ARE gods (or just creations of
your imagination) they still give
power.
When this Edge is acquired,
choose one Skill and one Power
that epitomize the Mentor
Spirit. The runner gets a reroll
with that skill; when using the
Power, any Success counts as a
Raise. Also, you can go into
Astral space and try to find the
Mentor Spirit to ask it questions
(treat as Divination).
However, interacting with the Mentor brings you closer
to them. Add one of the following Major Hindrances
that also emblemize the Mentor: Arrogant, Bloodthirsty,
Curious, Greedy, Heroic, Pacifist, Vengeful.
Way of the Burnout
Requirements: AB, Strain 3+, Veteran
Some spellworms get chromed despite the drag it
inflicts on their spellcasting. A fraction of those have
learned how to overcome the drag, at least somewhat,
and walk the Burnout Way. Halve all penalties due to
Strain.
PROFESSIONAL EDGES
Drone Captain
Requirements: Wild Card, Vehicle Control Rig
Whatever it is that makes you a Wild Card is extended
to your drones. You may spend Bennies on their rolls,
even when in Captain’s Chair mode.
Drone General
Requirements: Wild Card, Vehicle Control Rig, Veteran
You may have up to your Spirit in drones during
Captain’s Chair mode.
Novahot Decker
Requirements: Wild Card, Seasoned, Hacking d8
When some get dumped, you're just getting going. If
you ever run out of tokens during a Hacking attempt,
roll your Spirit. On a success, gain a number of tokens
equal to half your Spirit die.
Rocker
Requirements: Wild Card,
Performance d6
Rockers express themselves
through whatever art flows from
their fingers – and taking this
edge means you’re getting a
name for your art, be it graffiti,
music, fashion, or something
else. Because the only way to
get rich at rocking is to whore
yourself and sell out, not doing
so is an act of pure rebellion.
Once per scene you may reroll a
failed Performance or Persuasion
roll, and when doing a Day Job
during Downtime you roll two
dice instead of one.
SOCIAL EDGES
Friend of a Friend
Requirements: Seasoned
You know someone, who knows someone, who knows
someone. Once per adventure, you can create an 'on
the fly' contact who will help you for that run only. Roll
your Streetwise, modified by Reputation. Success
generates a Contact with Trait d8, Loyalty d4; each Raise
adds one die type to either Trait or Loyalty.
WEIRD EDGES
SURGE
A random mutation has changed you into a form very
different from what is seen as human, even these days.
Haley’s Comet passing close to Earth in 2061 is what
caused most SURGE cases, but sufficiently powerful
magic (or other factors) can do the same. Pick a Minor
Hindrance and a +1 Ancestral Ability from the Making
Ancestries section (SWADE p.18), or a +2 and a -2 to
represent a larger mutation.
LEGENDARY EDGES
Never Fade Away
Requirements: Legendary, Spirit d8
If you fail a roll, you may spend a Benny to succeed with
a Raise, or only succeed on an unskilled check. Usable
once per session.
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 HINDRANCES
Bad Reputation Minor -1 to Networking
Dependent Major 1d6*50¥ a month to care for, other problems.
Poser Minor Your
SINner Minor/Major You have a System Identification Number
BACKGROUND EDGES
EDGE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY
AB (Magician) N, Spirit d6 Cast spells as a Shadowrun mage
AB (Adept) N Augment body using magic
Bougy N Start career as a bougy
Chromed Up N 6 Strain of cyberware and a Major Hindrance
Cyber Tolerant N +4 Strain limit
Otaku/Technomancer WC, N, Spirit d6, Hacking d8, Hack the Matrix without a deck, just your brain
no AB
Sweet Ride N, Repair d6 Start with 5k¥ to build a vehicle
POWER EDGES
Alchemy AB(Magician), V, Sorcery d6 Prepare up to 50% Spirit in prepackaged Powers
Focus (Power) AB(Magician), S, Sorcery d8, +1 to all Sorcery rolls as long as you hold enchanted
2k¥ object
Improved Focus (Power) AB(Magician), V, Sorcery d10, +2 to all Sorcery rolls as long as you hold enchanted
6k¥ object
Focus (Sustaining) AB(Magician), Sorcery d6, 1k¥ Maintains a spell without -1 penalty
Focus (Weapon) AB, Fighting d8, 6k¥ Magic weapon with d8+2 damage, +2 to hit, AP2
Mentor Spirit AB(Magician), Spirit d8 1 skill gets a reroll, 1 Power counts Success as Raise, gain
one Major Hindrance
Way of the Burnout AB, Strain 3+, V Halves all Strain penalties
PROFESSIONAL EDGES
Drone Captain WC, VCR Drones can use Bennies in Captain Chair Mode
Drone General WC, VCR, Veteran Up to Spirit in Drones can be run in Captain Chair Mode
Friend of a Friend S Make a contact for the duration of one run
Novahot Decker WC, S, Hacking d8 If you get dumped, regen 50% of tokens after Spirit roll
Rocker WC, Performance d6 Reroll Persuasion and earn more money from Day Job
WEIRD EDGES
SURGE Pick Ancestral Powers and a Minor Hindrance from a
magical mutation
LEGENDARY EDGES
Never Fade Away WC, L, Spirit d8 If you fail a roll, spend a Benny to succeed with a Raise

10
Shadowrun uses the Gritty Damage, Languages, and No
Power Points, from SWADE. It also uses the following
setting rules, adapted from several sources (and my
own): Astral Space, Contacts, Downtime, Fake SINs,
Lifestyles, Rigging, Run Rewards, and The Matrix
ASTRAL SPACE
Astral Space is a plane parallel to the physical that
characters with the Arcane Background (Magician) can
access in one of two ways: Perception (opening one's
meat presence to the astral plane), and Projection
(removing one's spirit from the body and moving freely
through it). On the astral plane, living creatures possess
an aura, which can be read to assess the being's physical
and mental health, amount of cyberware, if a Power is
currently acting upon the being, or whether or not the
being possesses an Arcane Background.
When Percepting, a magician discards any Initiative card
higher than 9 (except Jokers), and all social interactions
suffer a -2 penalty. This is because the input from both
astral and physical can be confusing in combat
situations, and because Percepting makes one act oddly.
But you suffer no darkness penalties, as the glow of
auras around you light up the night. When Percepting,
add +2 to Healing and Notice rolls to represent your
ability to view the unseen undercurrents of an area.
Moving into and out of astral perception is an Action.
Some beings are Dual Natured, discussed later.
When Projecting, you are nothing BUT your mind; your
meat body is Incapacitated. Replace Vigor and Strength
with your Spirit die, Agility with Smarts, and Fighting
with Knowledge (Occult). The only objects that stay with
you are any Focus Edges you have purchased. You can
travel freely through any nonliving object, though you
cannot affect them, and any writing in the physical
world is gibberish. Only dual-natured beings, spirits,
characters astrally Percepting or Projecting, barriers
created by reagents, or Powers currently being
maintained can be attacked in Astral Space - for the last
two, treat the caster's Sorcery die as Toughness; a
Shaken result dispels the it but alerts the caster.
BACKGROUND COUNT
Strong emotions leave a residue on Astral Space, called
the Background Count. These can be temporary in
nature, such as those left by a violent murder or a
novahot rock concert, or more permanent, such as those
left by worshipers in the Notre Dame cathedral or
victims of Nazi death camps. Areas where nature or the
human spirit has been completely destroyed also have
background counts; toxic dump sites and cubicle farms
where individuality is stamped out are examples of this.
When casting powers in an area with a Background
Count, modify Sorcery rolls negatively by the
Background Count rating with one exception if: the
caster is aligned to the Background Count. Examples
would be a preacher in a church or a toxic shaman in a
dump. In this case, the aligned caster ADDS the
Background Count to all his Sorcery rolls - yep, a toxic
shaman is mighty dangerous on his home turf.
Background Counts are rated from 0-3, but only the very
most horrible (or wondrous) places go above 2, with 1
being the most common.
CONTACTS
In the shadows, “You are who you know” is not pithy
advice, but a fact of life. Chummers to vouch for his
skills and send jobs his way are the difference between
Joe Shadowrunner eating at the Space Needle or floating
in the bay with all his usable organs harvested.
All runners start with 5 Contact Points at generation,
11
which can be spent to purchase contacts and upgrade For each week of downtime, a runner may do one of the
their Trait and Loyalty. following activities. Note that the runner has to be
uninjured to engage in any of these; even having a
A contact's Trait is not only how skilled they are in their good time is hard to do when every movement tugs at
bailiwick, but how much power and influence they have two-hundred and thirty-seven stitches!
in their respective sphere. All contacts start with a d8 in
a relevant (helpful to the PC) skill, chosen by the player. AUGMENTATION: A runner can spend a week getting
Each point spent raises that one die type, until it reaches cyber-ware implanted and recovering from the surgery.
d12; at that point, they have branched out and gain, in Note that especially rare items may require the
this order: Friend of a Friend, Connections, Bougy. They Shopping & Fencing activity to find.
have other skills as determined by the GM.
BEING A BUDDY: A contact is more than just a random
A contact's Loyalty is how well they think of your runner assortment of numbers that you call when something
personally. Its die type is what's rolled when you ask for goes wrong and you need help; each is a person with
a favor beyond Simple Information, which is modified by their own lives, and if you don't spend time with them
Reputation and Charisma, as well as other factors. It to keep that friendship (or business relationship) intact,
starts at a d6 and each point raises it a die type. Failure they might forget. Failing to do this at least once in a
means they blow you off, and a roll of 1 reduces the game month means that each of a runner's Contacts rolls
Loyalty by one die type. their Loyalty; on a failure, the Loyalty drops one die, and
if a d4 drops than so does the contact. Sayonara,
As an alternative to this system, the GM may have chummer.
premade contacts at a given price, but the default allows
players to make their own. DAY JOB: This doesn't represent a 9-5, wageslave
existence (most runners would cut their throats before
Nobody does anything for free, however; consult the doing that!), but instead means the runner has decided
Contact Favor Table to get an idea of how much certain to do some jobs for extra cash. Could be something
favors will cost; whether it be buying lunch while you innocuous like unloading ships at the dock or more
schmooze or a straight cred transfer is based on your sinister like helping Adopted break legs on welshers. For
relationship. declaring this activity, the runner adds 50¥*d6 to their
stash for the week's work.
CONTACT FEE TABLE
FAVOR COST HAVING A GOOD
Simple info (anyone might know) 5¥ TIME: Everyone has
Specialized info (he might know) 10¥ things to do which
Sensitive info (might cause trouble) 50¥ make them feel great
Legal activity 50¥/day – even people who
Illegal, Untraceable Activity 100¥ kill in cold blood.
Illegal, Traceable Activity 500¥ When declaring this
Will Get Him Arrested For Sure 1000¥ activity, describe what
your runner is doing
DOWNTIME and subtract 50¥*d6
Runners don't spend their entire lives running; they have from the runner's
friends, sometimes family, want to enjoy their lives, stash. For doing this,
expand their abilities, and feel more like real people. you start the next
Everyone needs breaks, for healing if nothing else, and adventure with one
these rules are to represent that. additional Benny.
Each runner may only
Whenever a run ends, the GM either decides on a have one extra Benny
specific number or rolls 1d6 and divides the result by 2 saved up.
in secret; that's the number of weeks in game between
this run and the next. If the group's players agree, they SELF-IMPROVEMENT:
may spend more time than this in downtime, but no Getting better at what
more than two weeks. you do keeps you
alive. Using an

12
Advance requires one week of practice. The GM may
rule that you require a teacher in order to learn the skill,
which may need roleplaying or incur fees to your
teacher (as decided by your GM).
SHOPPING & FENCING: While normal items can be
obtained via a simple Streetwise roll, gear of Rare or
Yeah Right rarity often require more legwork – and
selling expensive (illegal) found items often require as
much work. You may spend a week of downtime to
make a Streetwise roll to either find a seller of what you
want, or a buyer. Note that a roll of 1 on either die
means that the authorities have caught wind and results
in an encounter as they attempt to arrest you.
FAKE SINS
The official Sixth World standard is that every person is
born a SINner and has a System Identification Number.
In practice, most shadow-runners are born outside the
system, or leave the system for personal reasons... but
that doesn't mean the system has left them.
Fortunately, Fake SINs are accessible to those with the
cash. It can be assumed, for game simplicity’s sake, that
your average runner has a SIN or two on call as needed.
If you would prefer more in-depth rules, here:
Buying a Fake SIN is simple: it's 250¥ for each die step.
A SIN d4 is 250¥, a SIN d8 is 750¥, and so on.
SIN Checkers start at d6 for street level and go up from
there depending on the security. If the Fake SIN rating
equals or exceeds the SIN Checker, then it passes. If it is
below that, make an opposed die roll between the fake
and the Checker; if the checker succeeds the ID is
blown.
LIFESTYLES
There are five Lifestyles that require a monthly payment
(or not, in one case). Each is loosely defined by the caste
system which has sprung up in the dystopia that is
Shadowrun. If you can no longer afford one Lifestyle,
you are demoted to the next lowest one, as there is
always room at the bottom.
The Unhoused:
"For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I needed
clothes and you did not clothe me. Truly I tell you,
whatever you did not do for one of the least of these,
you did not do for me."
- Matthew 25:42-45
Around 9% of the population have no permanent
residence and no steady income at all. They live in their
vehicles, squats, tent cities, or just migrate around the
sprawl trying to find whatever corner they can to shelter
from the rain. They are mostly SINless, as the threadbare
welfare programs for SINners are still usually enough to
stop them from falling this far. Generally, the unhoused
don't stay in this state long; either they climb back
upwards into the precariat or die from exposure,
overdose, and simple murder. The authorities don't see
much of a difference in cause of death, and bundle the
unhoused deceased into crematoria kept working day
and night.
Each week you must make a Streetwise roll or suffer one
Hazard chosen by the GM, and you have a -2 penalty to
Natural Recovery rolls.
Cost: Life ain't all bad; it's free.
The Precariat:
"The precariat is the first class in history to be losing
acquired rights - cultural, civil, social, economic, and
political."
- Guy Standing
The precariat make up about 30% of the population and
are split between the SINless futilely striving and those
with a national SIN who at least have THAT. Their
defining characteristic is under-employment and
economic precarity, juggling multiple menial jobs and
fighting to get enough shifts to make rent. Most of their
work comes from gig economy apps on their comms
and word-of-mouth casual work. Even those without
SINs have managed to purchase (or rent) a fake SIN that
will stand up to most scrutiny – all the better for the
bougies to exploit them.
You have a -1 penalty for Natural Recovery rolls, but can
often find ways to blend in almost anywhere, as the
precariat are invisible yet vital to the upper castes.
Cost: 200¥/Month
The Wageslave:
"Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to
wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but
does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law
binds but does not protect."
- Frank Wilhoit
The bulk of the population, 60% or so, are the
wageslaves: ordinary working stiffs. In a former time, we
would have called these “middle class”, and their
existence would be characterized as both safe and
comfortable from the outside. Inside? A constant threat
of statelessness if they defy their indentured servitude
13
underlies a wageslave's every second. The common
working pattern is “996” - 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week.
Many of them get by only by abusing advanced
stimulants and, for those lucky to afford it, sleep
regulator cyberware. Outside of work, they mostly self-
medicate with consumerism - sports, social media,
gaming, porn, shopping - to keep themselves anaes-
thetised and unable to threaten those above them.

But at least you have a nice, secure place to stay, a

place to park any vehicle you own without fear of it
disappearing within minutes, and the guarantee that the
police will show up quickly without a bribe.
Cost: 400¥/Month

The Bougy:
"The bourgeoisie compels all others, on pain of
extinction, to adopt the bourgeois mode; it forces them
to become bourgeois themselves. In one word, it
creates a world after its own image."
-Karl Marx
Bougies make up that famous 1%: corpo middle
management, organized crime made men, flunky
politicians, and others whose basic attitude is "I got
mine, now frag off." The difference between a wageslave
and a bougy-in-the-making is ambition: would-be
bougies will mouth loyalty to a klept's mission
statement, mercenary knights willing to do anything to
climb upward. Promotion's price is total moral compro-
mise, willingly flensing their humanity away on the
razor-sharp ladder out of the wageslave caste. In return,
they get a life of genuine comfort, an escape from 996,
and sometimes a taste of luxuries reserved for the klept.
But bougies have no stability either; they must tapdance
on the toes of would-bes trying to topple them while
aspiring to remove their higher-ranked bougies and
perhaps – perhaps! - replace one of the klept.

Gives +1 to Natural Recovery rolls, one extra Benny at

the start of a session, and often includes other benefits
such as temporary bodyguards or access to klept parties.
Cost: 1,000¥/Month

The Klept:
"And, for an instant, she stared directly into those soft
blue eyes and knew, with an instinctive mammalian
certainty, that the exceedingly rich were no longer even
remotely human."
- William Gibson, Count Zero
The klept are the one percent of the one percent, the
apex predators of capitalism. They are the CEOs,
kingmakers, dragons, oyabuns, stars, pakhans, socialites,
dons. Their wealth and power insulates them from the
law, and a line between legal and illegal behaviour does

14
not exist for the klept - unless one klept is using the law
against another as a weapon. Some are world-famous
and instantly recognizable, but many more are utterly
anonymous. You could pass one of them on the street
and never know, unless you noted their discreet and
lethal personal security squad. That brief shared reality -
the pavement under your feet, the sky over your head -
is the only connection between you and them. They
have as much in common with you as you do with a
shark or a virus.
Gives +2 to Natural Recovery rolls as well as other
benefits that you will never know for sure, for outsiders
only briefly taste the joys of klept status.
Cost: 5,000¥/Month and (usually) more.
rigger go into Passive mode if entering this mode.
CAPTAIN’S CHAIR MODE
A rigger using Captain’s Chair Mode receives input from
multiple drones at once – up to half the rigger’s Spirit
Die. He may give separate orders to each drone he’s
linked to as a single Action, but they use their listed
skills rather than the rigger’s.
SHAKEN, DAMAGED AND DESTROYED DRONES
During combat a drone may become Shaken – its
simple AI has become unstable and is treated as per
normal rules. When a drone takes a Wound, it becomes
inoperable (if a rigger is in ‘Active’ or ‘Captain Chair’
mode, he may spend Bennies to attempt a Soak roll).

RIGGING After the fight the rigger makes a Vigor roll for each of
Characters that interface directly with vehicles are known their inoperable drones. With a success the drone is
as riggers. They implant Vehicle Control Rigs (VCRs) so damaged and can be repaired given a suitable workshop
they can feel as though the vehicle IS their body or to and a successful Repair roll. With a raise the damage to
control multiple drones at once. the drone was superficial and can be fixed “in the field”
with a successful Repair roll. If the Vigor roll fails, the
DRONES drone is scrap.
Drones are small (1 to 3 feet long) remote-controlled
vehicles with a limited AI capable of making decisions
on its own, a fuel and ammunition supply capable of
keeping them active for the duration of a scene, and are
best thought of as Extras under the control of a player.
While anyone can control a single drone in Passive
Mode with a commlink, a rigger with a VCR may
become Incapacitated to run drones in Active and
Command Chair Modes, and may freely switch between
the two at the start of their turn.

DRONE ORDERS
Drones may be given simple (10 words or less) orders
to follow – “Shoot anyone that comes through the
door,” “Follow me,” “Fire at anyone shooting in your
direction.” It cannot handle complex orders such as “Fire
at the second red-haired person to enter the corridor.”
Giving an order is an Action.

PASSIVE MODE
The drone is left with only its software to determine
what to do; it will only communicate if an order is
activated or its fuel runs low and it returns to its base.
Drones in this mode use their listed skills.

ACTIVE MODE
The rigger controls a single drone or vehicle, replacing
her sensory inputs with its. This allows the rigger to use
their skills in place of the drone’s, as well as using their
Wild Die on all tests. Any other drones linked to the

15
 RUN REWARDS
When Mr. Johnson sits down at the table, it’s well-
known that he wants to pay as little as possible to the
scroffy runners on the other side of it. However, there
are well known standards for how much a run should
cost, and
The base payment of a run is 250¥ per runner, but this is
only for the very simplest of milk runs. That number is
modified in two stages:
1) By the opposition expected. Harder opposition
means more money. Do note that this is only
what the Johnson EXPECTS to be there… or tells
the runners that there will be.
2) By the karmic modifier. If it is a truly nasty piece of
work, such as murdering a little old lady activist
and spreading her pieces across the neighbor-
hood, that naturally costs more. If it’s helping the
little old lady shut down corp polluters, she can’t
pay as much… but you’ll feel good about it!
Feel free to lowball the price and make it up with XP
instead or to have other rewards the players can pick up
on the way. This is an adaptation of the Cash Rewards
table from SR5, p. 372.
If the run is kind, other rewards are encouraged – an
additional Contact or free piece of Gear, an extra Benny
to the entire group for the next session, possibly a
double Advance or Conviction token if they’ve done
something TRULY noble.
A contested Persuasion roll can be made by a runner;
each success and raise adds 1 to the first stage
multipliers.
Example: Mr Johnson hires the runners to infiltrate a top-
secret Aztechnology laboratory by moving through an
abandoned area of the Tacoma sewers to retrieve data
on a bioengineering project. It’s a run (*1), it requires
beyond normal stealth (*2), it’s a dangerous area in the
sewers (*3), and the target is Aztechnology so there is
bound to be powerful opposition (*4), the runners are
Seasoned (*5), so 250¥*5=1250¥. The face makes a
Persuasion roll and succeeds, for a total of 1500¥ each.
The various… unexpected obstacles… are not included
in that price. (Incidentally, that’s Shadowrun adventure
7301 DNA/DOA.)
CASH REWARDS
FIRST STAGE MODIFIERS
1 Just a standard run.
+1-4 For the highest Rank a runner has past
Novice.
+1 One or more Wildcards in the opposition
+1 Runners outnumbered at least 5 to 1 in a
planned encounter
+1 Runners risk public exposure or any kind
of raised profile
+1 Run requires extraordinary speed or
beyond normal stealth
+1 Run brings runners into contact with a
known dangerous area of the setting
(Bug City, a corp zero zone)
+1 Average opposition Skill is d10 or higher
+1 Run has heavy supernatural involvement
(multiple spirits, a corp mage)
+1 for each week or fraction thereof involved
in longer runs
KARMIC MODIFIER
*1 Run is neither vicious or helpful
*1.5 Run is extraordinarily cruel (human
trafficking, drug running, wetwork)
*0.5 Run is extraordinarily kind (hooding,
taking some 'dys' out of 'dystopia'
16
 THE MATRIX
The computer network in Shadowrun is known as the Matrix: a
vast virtual reality sea that can be dived into to find… well.. any-
thing. Going ‘turtle’ (keyboard and mouse) is not common; for
anyone interested datajacks allow people to experience it as
though it were reality. If for medical or other reasons augmen-
tation isn’t an option, one can also use external connections, but
it’s slower and the fidelity is lower – so not used as much.
However, when jacked in a person is helpless as all their senses
are overridden, so they count as Incapacitated.

At its basic level, the Matrix is an information outlet, allowing

anyone with access a Common Knowledge skill of d8. The GM
rolls this die in secret, however, and a failure results in misinfor-
mation – so easy to find online.

The Matrix divides into three eras: 1.0, 2.0, and 2.1. In 1.0, the
megacorps keep tight control over the Matrix by limiting every-
thing to physical connections, only allowing limited bandwidth
over wireless connections – barely enough to run a commlink.

In 2.0, after the second Crash, wireless networking was allowed

to flourish, and parts of the Matrix were allowed to trip into
reality via Augmented Reality (AR). Almost everything, from
razors to handguns, were made wireless in this era, and deckers
were as gods. But nothing is totally easy, and 2.1 has developed
defenses against the easy intrusions.

APPEARANCE
The Matrix is not a perfect virtual reality; the processing required
even in the future makes that impossible. Instead, it looks like a
video game, with higher power systems having higher polygon
counts. Low power systems will have a couple hundred making
up an icon (PS1), average will have a few thousand (PS2), with
high-powered systems having tens of thousands (PS3). The more
real it looks, the more dangerous it is. A decker’s icon is backed
up by a high-powered system, but can be sculpted in any form
the decker desires, from a glass samurai to a Volkswagen Beetle.

DECKING
Decking is illegally accessing computer systems through the
Matrix to manipulate them for the decker's purposes – there are
many legal uses for the Matrix. She could be looking to gather
information on a corporation or individual, attempting to deact-
ivate the alarms or cameras in a building, or trying to steal pay-
data for their bills. The decker links his brain directly to his
deck (a modified computer) via a datajack.

17
Despite the Matrix moving at the speed of thought, for
the purposes of gameplay each action a decker takes is
a standard round, drawing Initiative if in combat.
There are two possible systems outlined here: Simple
and Complex. Simple’s advantage is that it’s fast,
Complex’s advantage is that once the decker has won
(beating the system), no more rolls are required and the
system is theirs. Both have uses, and a GM could switch
between them as needed, using Simple for trivial
systems, Complex for the moments where maximum
tension is needed for the story.
COMPUTER SYSTEM RATINGS
Computer systems are rated by their Intrusion
Countermeasure Electronic (ICE) skill which ranges from
d4 to d12. Additionally systems are either Red or Green
– Red systems get a Wild Die. As an example, the
computer system controlling a vending machine would
have a rating of Green d4; it rolls a d4 to oppose
Hacking attempts.
SIMPLE DECKING
Whenever the decker attempts to make a system do
something illegally, make an opposed roll between the
decker’s Hacking skill and the system ICE skill. If the
decker succeeds, the effect
they want takes place, and
each Raise allows them one
more possible effect. If the
system succeeds with a Raise,
it dumps the decker from its
system. If either side rolls a 1
on either die, the opposition
gets one free success or raise.
COMPLEX HACKING
Rather than use complicated
diagrams to represent a
computer network, which a
single decker has to negotiate
while his companions just
watch, Savagerun rules use a
system based upon Mass
Battles rules from SWD.
Give the system a number of
tokens equal to its ICE skill.
Give the decker a number of
tokens equal to his deck’s
rating (see Equipment).
Each round, the participants
roll their relevant Skill and
Wild Dice. For each success and raise, they remove one
chip from their opponent’s pile – the system succeeds
by corrupting or expending the decker’s soft-ware, the
decker by destroying the ICE and taking control of
outlying system nodes.
If either participant rolls a 1 on either die, their
opponent gains a +2 bonus to all further rolls for this
engagement. The decker triggers a full security alert, or
the system exposes a hidden backdoor or flaw in its
defenses. Other non-system processes may also occur –
for example the security guards at a site may be
doubled if the decker rolls a 1, or their location may be
found with a team dispatched to capture them, or the
system may randomly expose valuable paydata.
If the system runs out of tokens, the decker has taken
control of it. He can manipulate it as desired, with each
task requiring a simple success on a Hacking roll and
taking one round. Examples of what the decker may do
include disabling alarms, turning off a camera or
discovering where a sought-after employee is housed.
If the decker runs out of tokens, the system’s ICE has
crashed his deck. The decker is immediately dumped
out of the system and suffers damage (see below).
SECKERS & KNOWBOTS &
SPRITES, OH MY
Aid can be obtained in this battle
– from security deckers (seckers)
on the system’s side fighting the
intrusion, or if the decker activates
a semi-autonomous knowbot (SK)
that can also do other processes.
This is treated as a normal
Cooperative Trait roll; seckers
have a skill equal to the system’s,
and the SK rating is equal to the
deck’s.
DAMAGE FROM A COMPUTER
SYSTEM
When a decker is defeated he is
forcibly dumped from the system
with potentially lethal feedback.
This feedback causes damage
equal to a roll of the system’s ICE
skill plus the number of tokens
the system has remaining.
The damage is applied as per the
Savage Worlds rules, except the
decker’s Spirit is used instead of
18
Toughness (for example, a d10 Spirit is treated as a
“Toughness” of 7). The decker may spend a benny to try
and Soak this damage using his Vigor die. If the decker
was attempting to hack a Red system, then the resulting
damage is applied as Wounds; if it was a Green system,
the damage is applied as Fatigue. Wounds caused by
decking never result in a roll on the Injury Table but can
cause a character’s death! Fatigue gained in this way is
recovered at the rate of one point per hour of rest.
WITHDRAWING FROM A COMPUTER SYSTEM
The decker may withdraw from the system at any time
(before or after he gains control) as an action requiring
no skill roll. However, if the decker later wants to
manipulate the system again, he must repeat the
hacking procedure given above – the damage is flagged
and repaired very quickly in real time without the decker
actively present.
DECKER VERSUS DECKER
If two deckers fight in the Matrix, they are actually
attempting to hack each other as though they were
systems, with all the rules as outlined above.
WIRELESS MATRIX
A wireless Matrix drastically increases the scope of a
decker’s abilities; no longer restricted to the computers
and its fiberoptics but able to influence the real world.
In game terms, this allows a decker to use their Hacking
skill to use Breaking Things (SWADE p.98), Disarm
(p.100), Support (p.106), or Test (p.108) against any
target nearby that is connected wirelessly to the Matrix.
This is resisted by the target’s Hacking. Breaking Things
deals damage to the decker’s Hacking+Smarts. The
decker may protect characters equal to her deck’s die
type from these negative activities if they are within 10
meters of her.
SIGNAL STRENGTH
If a decker tries to use the Matrix wirelessly, they suffer
a penalty similar to the Background Count rules for
Astral Space. Signal Strength varies from 1-3, and even
in the areas of greatest clarity is never less than 1.
Movement also causes problems as the decker moves
between signals; if the decker is traveling (such as being
driven around the city in an attempt to keep them safe),
it increases the Signal Strength penalty by 2.
19
All items in the game have one of five rarities,
determining how common they are on the street. Not
coincidentally, each of those gives a modifier to a
Streetwise roll when trying to purchase the item. They
are Ranked from Trivial (no roll needed), Common (0),
Uncommon (-2), Rare (-4), and Yeah, Right (-6). Simply
put, it's marked by TCUR or Y in [brackets] after the cost.
Cooperative rolls can be made.
The Nuyen has been devalued from its Shadowrun
equivalent, losing a zero (0) off most prices. Some items
(guns) which are more expensive are to account for the
legality of possession, forged permits, and so on -
though to be frank, this is to keep item prices in line
with core Savage Worlds items. If a Shadowrun specific
item is needed, simply knock off a zero to find the price.
At the end of this section are several Gear Packs listed
for players less interested in minutae shopping and
wanting to get straight into the action.
CYBERWARE
Advanced medical science can supplant tissue with
metal, biological, and electronic enhancements
collectively known as cyberware. In the setting there are
three ways to enhance a body non-magically – cyber-
ware, bioware, and even nanomachines in later eras –
but all of them use the same system outlined here.
Many of the enhancement items that Shadowrun players
are familiar with – Smartlinks, Bone Lacing, Muscle
Replacements, Enhanced articulation, and so on) are
instead referred to by the generic terms native to
Savage Worlds. For example, a Smartlink would be
Cyber(Shooting).
STRAIN
Cyberware is invasive. It necessarily replaces bone and
tissue, damages the connection between spirit and
body, and the (meta)human body has an upper limit.
Every piece of cyberware has a Strain rating. The
Maximum Strain of cyberware a character can place in
their body equals the average of their Spirit and Vigor
die type. If additional Strain is incurred, the user suffers a
level of constant Fatigue equal to that amount. No one
can exceed their Max Strain by more than two points
without dying... of course, there are rumors of so-called
'cyberzombies' but that can't be real, right?
Datajacks
A simple datajack is unremarkable in the 2050s or later;
it connects the brain to the computer directly. It allows a
person to browse the Matrix, experience simsense
chips, connect to one’s vehicle to drive hands-free, and
more. It costs NO Strain or nuyen to have a datajack.
Repairing Injuries & Cyberlimbs
Fixing permanent injuries with cyberware (or chopping
off perfectly good limbs for fun and profit) is possible.
Repairing an Injury costs 500¥ per Injury repaired.
Cybernetic limbs with no special functions are 1k¥ and
use 1 Strain, but give Armor +1 and 1 ‘free’ Strain. Vat-
grown “cloned” replacements for limbs are 1k¥ but
inflict no Strain. However Hindrances cannot be
removed through normal cyberware; it assumed that the
body rejects repair in some way if it is a Hindrance.
20
Adrenal Surge: The adrenal glands has been surgically
augmented. He receives +2 to recover from being
Shaken. This stacks with the Combat Reflexes Edge.
STRAIN: 2 COST: 2K¥ [R]
Armor: Subdermal plates have been placed beneath the
skin, granting +2 Armor. This stacks with normal Armor,
but not Heavy Armor (use the higher value).
STRAIN: 1 COST 2K¥ [U]
Cyber[Edge]: Take a Combat Edge or Leadership Edge,
ignoring all requirements except the requirement of
other Edges. This does NOT stack if the character already
has the Edge or gains it through Advances.
STRAIN: 2 COST: 2K¥ [U]
Cyber[Trait]: This represents a host of various devices
that enhance a Skill or Attribute, such as muscles for
Strength or a smartlink for Shooting. This can be
purchased up to 3 times for a single Trait, each time
costing NO extra Strain. The enhancement levels are:
1) +1 to all Trait rolls
2) 1 free Benny to be used with the Trait specifically
3) +2 to all Trait rolls.
STRAIN: 2 COST: 1K¥ [U]
Leg Enhancement: The character gains +2 Pace, halves
Falling damage, and increases his running die one step.
He also increases his jumping distances by 1”. Each time
this is taken after the first increases Pace by +2.
STRAIN: 1 COST: 2K¥ [U]
Lifestyle: This is a catch-all for anything that is cool (and
sometimes essential) to have. Lifestyle ‘ware can NEVER
give any in-game bonus to rolls; that’s covered by
Cyber[Trait] or Transhuman.
Examples: Body Resculpting (plastic surgery is simple,
gender changes are easy), Bomb (detonates on specific
condition), Commlink, Compartment (holds tiny object
like chip or monowhip), Datafilter (prevents short-term
memories going long-term), Recorder (can be video or
simsense), Skin Displays (moving tattoos), Your Idea
STRAIN: 0 COST: 500¥ [C]
Skillwires: Add or increase a skill a die type, but no
more than +4 steps in any one skill. Skill chips may be
swapped freely with no surgery. This is a free action, but
takes an entire round before the new skill is active. Extra
skill ships are tiny and weigh nothing.
STRAIN: 1 COST: 1K¥*Skill Bonus [U]
21
Transhuman: These modifications are like Lifestyle CYBERDECK
'ware, but allow the user to ignore normal limitations of Cyberdecks are practi-
humanity, for example by adding gills. In game, each cally necessary for
purchase allows a character to pick an Ancestral Ability decking – while it can
(SWADE p.18). Some require a recharge period of 1 day be done without one,
or a 100¥ refill. Available choices are: it's more dangerous,
Aquatic, Doesn't Breathe (recharge), Environmental and advanced (Alpha)
Resistance, Immune to Poisons or Disease, Infravision, versions are strong
Leaper, Low-Light Vision, Poisonous Touch (recharge), enough to run an SK to
Regeneration (Value 2 only, recharge), Sleep Reduction, help the runner.
Wall Walker
STRAIN: 1 COST: 1K¥*Value [U] Decks are rated Alpha
or Beta and have types
Vision Enhancement: Cybernetic eyes grant 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12. The
magnification (50×), thermal, and low-light vision. This type is how many
adds +1 to appropriate sight-based Notice rolls and chips a decker starts
eliminates illumination penalties if in the appropriate with on hacking
mode. Changing modes is a free action. attempts. Also, a
STRAIN: 1 COST: 2K¥ [U] decker’s Hacking skill is
limited to a maximum
Vehicle Control Rig: This allows a rigger to control a of to their deck’s
vehicle as though it was an extension of their body, at rating. If a deck is d6
the risk of suffering lethal damage. Riggers can choose and Hacking is d8, the
between 'cold' and 'hot'. Cold works as normal SWD; character rolls a d6.
using hot gives a rigger +2 on performing Maneuvers,
but any time the vehicle suffers a Wound the rigger A deck may be
must make a Vigor roll or suffer a Wound. This allows specially hardened by
the rigger to use the Drone rules (p. 17). the installation of
STRAIN: 2 COST: 3K¥ [U] additional firewall type
programs to prevent
Weapon, Melee: The character has retractable claws or hostile systems
blades attached directly to the bones in one forearm. interfacing with them;
The blades may be extended as a free and instant action, but the downside is
and cause Str+d6 damage. that it slows down ALL
STRAIN: 1 COST: 1K¥ [U] processes, not just hostile ones. Such programs act as
Armor against damage, and gives a -1 penalty to both
Weapon, Ranged: A concealed gun has been installed Hacking AND a system’s ICE roll for each point of
in the character’s forearm. Reloading is achieved by Hardening. Hardening can be turned off or on with an
removing a flap of fake skin and manually inserting Action. Every point of Hardening costs 10% of the
individual rounds. deck’s price.
STRAIN: 1 COST: 1K¥+cost of weapon [R]
A cyberdeck may be installed cranially for 200% of listed
Wired Reflexes: The character has enhanced their reflex price and 2 Strain; a decker may choose which they are
time to superhuman levels, allowing them to move using when they plug into the Matrix. Cannot be
faster than the eye follows. This can be purchased up to detected visually.
three times, which DOES cost the listed Strain each
time. The enhancement levels are: CYBERDECK TABLE
1) Discard all cards below 5 (does not stack with Quick) 4 6 8 10 12
2) Discard all cards below 8 Alpha 500¥[U] 1K¥[U] 2K¥[R] 4K¥[R] 8K¥[Y]
3) Draw an additional card that is not discarded, the Beta 100¥[C] 200¥]U] 400¥[U] 800¥[R] 1.6K¥[R]
character may act on that turn as well.
STRAIN: 2 COST: 2K¥ [R]

22
 DRONES * Construct: Drones
Drones come in three main categories - car, helicopter add +2 to recover
and boat - with four configurations in each - general from Shaken, take no
purpose, lightweight surveillance, armored attack, and additional damage
stealth micro. Each variant is identical to the general from called shots, do
purpose except where noted. There exist fixed-wing not suffer wound
aircraft drones, but their purposes are strictly military modifiers and are
and thus are not as useful to the typical runner. immune to disease
and poison.
One mount point is required for an SMG or smaller * Fearless: Drones
weapon; two are required for anything larger. never suffer fear
effects.
DRONE CAR UTILITY * Flight: Helicopter
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength drones have a Flying
d6, Vigor d10 Pace of 12”, with a Climb of 2”.
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6 * Hardy: A second Shaken result does
Pace:8; Parry:5; Toughness:7 not cause a wound.
Special Abilities: Gear: 1 mount point for a weapon.
* Construct: Drones add +2 to recover from Shaken, Cost: 300¥ [U]
take no additional damage from called shots, do not DRONE COPTER SURVEILLANCE
suffer wound modifiers and are immune to disease and * Flight 18”, Climb 3”
poison. * Notice d8
* Fearless: Drones never suffer fear effects. * No mount point
* Hardy: A second Shaken result does not cause a * Cost: 600¥ [U]
wound. DRONE COPTER ATTACK
Gear: 1 mount point for a weapon. * Flight 10”, Climb 2”
Cost: 200¥ [C] * Shooting d8
DRONE CAR SURVEILLANCE * Armor +2
* Pace 12” * 2 mount points
* Notice d8 * Cost: 1,200¥ [R]
* No mount point DRONE COPTER MICRO
* Cost: 400¥ [U] * Small
DRONE CAR ATTACK * Flight 8”, Climb 1”
* Pace 4” * Stealth d10
* Shooting d8 * Destroyed on a Shaken result
* Armor +2 * No Mount Points
* 2 mount points * Cost: 1,200¥ [R]
* Cost: 800¥ [R]
DRONE BOAT UTILITY
DRONE CAR MICRO Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength
* Small d6, Vigor d8
* Pace 4” Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6
* Stealth D10 Pace:10; Parry:5; Toughness:6
* No Mount Point Special Abilities:
* Destroyed on a Shaken result * Construct: Drones add +2 to recover from Shaken,
* Cost: 800¥ [R] take no additional damage from called shots, do not
suffer wound modifiers and are immune to disease and
DRONE COPTER UTILITY poison.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Strength * Fearless: Drones never suffer fear effects.
d6, Vigor d6 * Hardy: A second Shaken result does not cause a
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Piloting d6, Shooting d6 wound.
Pace:-; Parry:5; Toughness:5 Gear: 1 mount point for a weapon.
Special Abilities: Cost: 100¥ [C]

23
DRONE BOAT SURVEILLANCE 100”. Comes in normal and stealth varieties that can
* Pace 14” dissolve the rope after use, as well as with all the kit
* Notice d8 needed to safely ascend and descend.
* No mount point Cost: 200¥ [U]
* Cost: 200¥ [U]
DRONE BOAT ATTACK Jammerscanner: Never let it be said a megacorp won’t
* Pace 6” sell the problem and the solution – often on shelves
* Shooting d8 next to each other. Roll a d6 upon using this; on a
* Armor +2 success, within 6” it can either detect any kind of
* 2 mount points surveillance being used or disrupt the surveillance and
* Cost: 400¥ [R] destroy any bugs. However, constant use also disrupts
DRONE BOAT MICRO common electronics – such as cells – making them
* Small inconvenient for daily life. Cost: 300¥ [C]
* Pace 4”
* Stealth D10 Lockpicks: A runner who tries to pick a lock without
* No Mount Point these tools suffers a -2 penalty to his Lockpicking rolls. It
* Destroyed on a Shaken result comes in two varieties; physical picks cost 50¥ [R],
* Cost: 400¥ [R] electronic picks cost 500¥ [R].

RUNNING GEAR Outdoor Survival Kit: While extended camping isn’t a

Common gear that most runners may want to have in
their home or car; things like food and clothes they can
assume to have an ample supply of relevant to their
lifestyle.
Commlink: A voice-activated communications device
that can be worn on the wrist or held in the hand,
though wireless headsets mean you don't even have to
hold it to use it. It has a range of one mile on its own, or
can tap into broadcast channels such as cellular, satellite,
or internet services for near-infinite range. These days,
they also double as minicomputers, cameras, and almost
everything you could want. The ones runners use are
spoofed to prevent tracking and often discarded on a
regular basis.
Cost: 0¥ [T]
Grapple Kit: A grappling hook launcher which, after a
successful Shooting roll, attaches to a target within
regular part of a runner’s life, it’s good to be prepared.
Having this allows a runner to be relatively comfortable
in normal outdoor conditions (even a Barrens gutter),
and can be expended to ignore one level of Fatigue
from Hazards outdoors. It may be purchased multiple
times, though there may be carry limits as determined
by the GM.
Cost: 150¥ [C]
Personal Vision Enhancer: Takes the form of goggles,
sunglasses (many a runner wears their sunglasses at
night because they're really night-vision), or even
contact lenses in more advanced decades. These have
low-light amplification, limited magnification, and even
an image display when connected to a commlink or
internal memory.
Cost: 500¥ [C]
Reagents: Expendable enchanted items, the exact form
of which varies from caster to caster. Can be
used one of two ways by itself: to create a
barrier in the Astral Plane that lasts until dawn,
or to give +1 bonus if used before a Sorcery
test. A character’s Sorcery skill is the limit of
how many can be owned at any one time.
Cost: 50¥ [U]

Surveillance Kit: Comes with everything

needed to directly spy on someone, either up
close or from a mile away. Binoculars and
contact lenses with camera function! Shotgun
microphones! Creepy breathing not included.
Cost: 300¥ [U]

24
Surveillance Bugs: Bugs let runners monitor other
people, and come in audiovidual, Matrix, and tracking
varieties (determined when used). Each only holds 24
hours worth of recording, and is destroyed after they
finish transmitting or are retrieved and scanned.
Cost: 10¥ [C]
Tres Chic Clothing: Clothes outside a runner’s lifestyle
may be purchased; this allows the runner to (visually)
blend in with a given social strata but skill rolls may be
required to blend in socially. This may be added to
Armor Clothing at no cost.
Cost: 10% of Lifestyle [C]
MEDICAL GEAR
Docwagon Contract: A contract-holder is entitled to
emergency medical service provided by an armed
trauma response team in 10 minutes or less – or your
service is free! Do note that extended hospital stays or
reconstructive cyberware are not covered by your
contract.
Cost: 500¥/year [T]
Hazmat Suit: An impermeable coverall designed to
keep the user safe from NBC (nuclear, biological,
chemical) attacks, with a 4 hour internal air tank. Any
attack that hits will destroy the suit, exposing the user
to danger.
Cost: 300¥ [R]
Medkit: This is a field medical kit marketed to mercs
and shadowrunners the world over for quick healing.
Healers with this item ignore the -2 penalty for not
having basic supplies, and it also comes with an AI with
Healing d6 to advise ignorant users.
Cost: 100¥ [U]
Slap Patch: Containing a dose of a useful (or awful)
drug, these run in several distinct types. However, only
one can be applied within a Scene, and they are
expended on use. Anti allows a second Vigor roll to
ignore a Poison or Disease. Stim allows the user to
recover from being Shaken and ignore Sleep penalties.
Tranq contains Knockout Poison. Trauma allows a
second Vigor roll if Incapacitated.
Cost: 50¥ [C-U]
WEAPONS & ARMOR
This is an expanded explanation of several items that
have abilities which do not fit into the Notes section, as
well as add-ons available.
Generic names rather than specific ones are given for
weapons; with megacorp competition being what it is,
Renraku may produce a Browning Max-Power
equivalent called the Renraku Defender or Steyr (a fully
owned subsidary of Saeder-Krupp) may produce a rifle
that Ares might CALL a knockoff of their successful Ares
Alpha... but has been recognized in the EU to be legally
distinct.
Fitted Body Armor: For the VIP who needs low key
protection, (or the runner who needs to look like he isn't
one) this armor is like thin thermal underwear, and can
be worn under street clothing with no one the wiser!
Gives Armor +1, and only works for the purchaser. Cost:
500¥ [R]
Long Coat: This armor allows the concealment of
objects under its folds (usually weapons), and looks
snazzy too. Pistol-size and smaller weapons hidden
underneath it get a -1 Notice penalty.
Hidden Holster: This is fitted to a wearer and allows
them to carry pistol and knife-sized weapons with a -2
Notice penalty to observers. Cost: 100¥ [U]
Gyro-Mount: A harness that counterbalances and
reduces recoil from heavy weapons. It reduces the
Strength requirement to use a weapon by one die type,
and the autofire penalty is reduced to -1. Cost: 500¥ [R]
Ammo types: A gun can use more than just good
ol'fashioned lead bullets, and some are more useful to
runners than that. The cost listed after each type is the
percent of the price for a single clip's worth of ammo.
Standard: High-velocity lead. Cost: 5% [T]
Solid: Shotguns can use solid rounds, which removes
the range penalty to damage. Cost: 10% [C]
Explosive: Detonates on impact, causing +2 Damage.
Cost: 10% [U]
25

Gel: Also called 'stun', these deal nonlethal damage.
extras Incapacitated by it never check for death, and
Wild Cards never check for Injury. Cost: 5% [C]
APDS: Armor piercing rounds are the last resort of a
runner, considering the price, but sometimes you've got
to put something down. Gives AP+2 to the weapon.
Cost: 20% [R]
Laser Sight: Laser sights may be attached to any ballistic
weapon. The user gains a +1 bonus to Shooting rolls
against targets in Short Range unless using the
Automatic Fire Maneuver. If using a scope in
conjunction with the laser sight, the bonus is good for all
Ranges. Cost: 150¥ [U]
Scope: Scopes may only be mounted on rifles. When a
shooter uses a scope, she gains +2 bonus to Shooting
rolls against targets at Medium or Long Range.
Cost: 200¥ [U]
Suppressor: Suppressors impose a -1 penalty to
Shooting rolls while using the suppressed weapon. On
the plus side, characters within 5” of the fired weapon
(and not in line of sight) must make a Notice roll to
realize a weapon’s been fired. Those beyond 5” suffer a -
2 to this roll, beyond 10”, a -4. Beyond 20”, no roll is
possible unless the character is looking at the user. In all
cases, if someone is observing the shooter, the shooter
may make a Stealth roll (opposed by Notice) to hide the
use of the weapon, which incurs the usual multi-action
penalty.
Cost: 150¥ [R]
Flechette Pistol: This gun uses a solid plastic block as
ammunition, shredding it and propelling the shreds as
high-velocity rounds. All Armor is treated as +2 against
shots fired from it.
Grenade: Grenades come in standard, anti-armor,
flashbang, and smoke forms. Standard grenades do 3d6
damage in a Medium Burst Template. [R]
Anti-Armor: These grenades are ‘sticky’ when
triggered, clinging to a target after a successful Throw.
They do not have a Burst template, but are Heavy
Weapons with an AP of 4 and deal 4d6 damage. [Y]
Flashbang: These grenades flash with brilliant light and
stun with concussion. Characters within a Large Burst
Template must make a Vigor roll at -4 or be Shaken. [U]
Smoke: Smoke grenades are primarily used to provide
cover for advancing troops, or to blind a fixed position.
The Medium Burst Template remains in play for 2d4
rounds (4d4 in an enclosed area). All attacks through the
cloud suffer a -2 vision penalty. [U]
Minigun: A minigun that has seen a lot of action in
merc units and on the streets. It can be fired at half its
normal RoF when handheld and moving.
Monofilament Whip: This highly dangerous weapon is
favored by people who like flash and substance. It's a
single-molecule thick strand with a handle at one and a
counterweight at the other. When swung, a roll of 1 hits
the wielder.
Revolver: Old-fashioned weapon with a fringe benefit: If
it is used by someone with Cyber[Shooting] cyberware,
the user can load different ammo types in each chamber
and choose which ones to use on each shot for free,
rotating the cylinder via the link. Grenade Launchers
also can use this feature.
VEHICLES & MODIFICATIONS
Many vehicles use the abilities listed in SWADE p.82.
Fuel is not a concern in Shadowrun, to simplify
bookkeeping. Most vehicles are hybrid or electric,
though straight gasoline and diesel engines still exist as
megacorps would NEVER let a profit line die. However,
for purposes of the game, a vehicle will never run out of
fuel except in extreme circumstances.
Water versions of listed vehicles (Jetski instead of a
motorcycle, speedboat instead of a sports car) are
available at half the listed price; this is because in-game
they are less commonly used than land vehicles and
26
thus should ‘cost less’ from a game balance standpoint.
Acceleration and Top Speed are halved for water
vehicles, however.
Each modification lists a Cost and a Strain. Much like
cyberware and characters, a vehicle can only accept so
much modification; the maximum value is its
unmodified Toughness. To make this easier, extra
Armor is NOT included in a vehicle’s Toughness
value (as is standard in SW). If necessary, extra
Passenger capacity (the +x after the notation) can be
sacrificed to count as additional Strain.
This list isn’t comprehensive; the use of imagination is
encouraged in creating new options, though exotic
ideas are not guaranteed to be easy.
Anti-theft Device
Cost: Variable
Strain: 0
Anti-theft devices run the gamut from simple systems
that call the corpcops when messed with (200¥ U),
lethally electrocute potential thieves (500¥ R), or
explode in a Large Blast Template when meddled with
(500¥ R).
Auto(skill)
Cost: 200¥/point [U-Y]
Strain: 1 per Skill
This gives the vehicle one Skill from the following list:
Driving, Notice, Piloting, Shooting, Stealth. This allows it
to use the Skill if being treated as a Drone via a Remote
Control, or make a Cooperative Roll as per SWD if the
rigger is directly controlling it. The Rarity increases, with
a new roll required for each upgrade (d4 is U, d6-d8 is
R, d10-d12 is Y), though the Strain does not change.
Control Enhancement
Cost: 500¥/point [U]
Strain: 1/point, max 3
This includes any number of modifications to increase
the ability to control a vehicle at high speeds, such as
spoilers, air dams, or AI assistance. Each point adds +1
to the vehicle’s Handling.
Extra Armor
Cost: 100¥/point (Obvious) [U]
or 500¥/point (Hidden) [R]
Strain: 0 (Obvious), 1/point (Hidden)
The availability varies depending on whether the armor
has to be hidden or can be obvious. Obvious armor can
cause role-playing difficulties, as per the GM’s
judgement.
A vehicle can only add as many points of extra Armor as
its starting Armor value. The vehicle’s handling suffers
under all that extra weight. Driving rolls are reduced by
half the armor added (round up).
Fighting Position
27
Cost: 100¥/person [U]
Strain: 3
This accessory is basically a bunker on the vehicle,
meant to protect people shooting out – on the roof
from sandbags, out of the sides through gun ports, or
anything else that might make sense. A single fighting
position can hold up to three people, or two people if
the position includes a Weapon Mount.
Fighting Positions give those inside Medium Cover, and
also grant a +2 bonus to any rolls made to retain footing
atop a moving vehicle.
Heavy Duty Shocks
Cost: 100¥/wheel [C]
Strain: 1 for every 2 wheels
Heavy duty shocks decrease the risk of damage while
driving off-road and stabilize the vehicle for shooting
purposes. This modification gives a vehicle
1) The Four Wheel Drive (4WD) ability
2) Shooting from a vehicle thus equipped does
not incur the Unstable Platform penalty.
Nitrous Oxide
Cost: 600¥ [U]
Strain: 2
This system injects highly flammable gas from canisters
right into a wheeled vehicle’s engine. A driver may
activate it at the beginning of an action for free,
doubling his vehicle’s Top Speed, or to reroll the Test for
one Complication during a Chase. A canister contains
enough nitrous for six rounds, and refills go for 200¥.
Remote Control
Cost: 200¥ [U]
Strain: 1
This allows a rigger to directly control the vehicle as
though it were a drone, though he cannot give it orders
unless it has Autopilot, and it cannot fire weapons
without Autogunner.
Sidecar
Cost: 500¥ [C]
Strain: 2
A sidecar increases a motorcycle’s passenger rating by 1
but inflicts a –1 penalty to Driving rolls. For extra
mayhem, sidecars can also carry one additional Weapon
Mount at no penalty. Sidecars can only be mounted on
motorcycles.
Turbocharging
Cost: 500¥/point [U]
Strain: 1/point
This tunes the engine of the vehicle, raising its Top
Speed. Each point increases the top speed by 15 kph.
This cannot take a vehicle twice over its base Top
Speed.
Weapon Mount
Cost: Fixed: 250¥ + weapon [R]; Swivel: 750¥
+ weapon[R], Hidden: +250¥; Pistol-size 50%
Strain: 1 (Fixed), 2 (Swivel), +1 (Hidden), -1 (Pistol-size)
These accessories come in two varieties: Fixed mounts
and Swivel mounts. A Fixed mount, as the name
implies, is in a fixed position relative to the vehicle.
Usually this is forward, but stuffing a SAW in the trunk
can be a fine friend in a chase. This weapon can only
fire in the direction it is mounted, but since the fire
controls are usually wired to the driver’s steering wheel,
he can fire it once each round without incurring a multi-
action penalty. To make an attack, the driver rolls the
lower of his Driving or Shooting skills.
Swivel mounts can be as crude as a machine gun bolted
to a roll bar or as sophisticated as a motorized turret, but
usually require a passenger to serve as gunner. This style
of mount allows a weapon to be fired in any direction,
but still incurs the Unstable Platform penalty. If the driver
is rigging the vehicle use the Fixed mount rules allowing
them to fire the weapon without a gunner.
Hidden mounts are, as the name states, weapon mounts
that cannot be seen until deployed. This may be a fixed
mount hidden behind a van door, a remote control pop-
up turret, or anything else the imagination suggests.
These, as might be guessed, are highly valued by the
stealthy rigger.
Pistol-sized mounts are smaller, but can only take
weapons of SMG or smaller, just like drones.
Vehicles can only carry as many weapon mounts as their
Toughness divided by 4, rounded down.
28
 EQUIPMENT LIST
DRONE, CAR RUNNER GEAR WEAPONS & ARMOR
Utility 200¥ [C] Commlink 0¥ [T] Fitted Body Armor 500¥ [R]
Surveillance 400¥ [U] Grapple Kit 200¥ [U] Hidden Holster 100¥ [U]
Armored Attack 800¥ [R] Jammerscanner 300¥ [C] Gyro-Mount 500¥ [R]
Stealth Micro 800¥ [R] Lockpicks, physical 50¥ [R] Laser Sight 150¥ [U]
DRONE, COPTER Lockpicks, electronic 500¥ [R] Scope 200¥ [U]
Utility 300¥ [U] Outdoor Survival Kit 150¥ [C] Suppressor 150¥ [R]
Surveillance 600¥ [U] Personal Vision Enhancer 500¥ [C] AMMO
Armored Attack 1,200¥ [R] Regeants/Fetishes 50¥ [U] Standard 5% [T]
Stealth Micro 1,200¥ [R] Restraints 50¥ [C] Solid 10% [C]
DRONE, BOAT Surveillance Kit 300¥ [U] Explosive 10% [U]
Utility 100¥ [C] Surveillance Bugs 10¥ [C] Gel 5% [C]
Surveillance 200¥ [U] Tres Chic Clothing 10% [C] APDS 20% [R]
Armored Attack 400¥ [R] MEDICAL GEAR LIFESTYLES
Stealth Micro 400¥ [R] Docwagon Contract 500¥/y [T] Unhoused Nothin'
Hazmat Suit 300¥ [R] Precariat 200¥/Month
Medkit 100¥ [U] Wageslave 400¥/Month
Slap Patch 50¥ [C-U] Bougy 1,000¥/Month
Klept 5,000¥/Month
CYBERWARE LIST
Adrenal Surge [Once] Cyberlimb Vehicle Control Rig
STRAIN: 2 COST: 2K¥ [R] STRAIN: 1 COST: 1K¥ [U] STRAIN: 2 COST: 3K¥ [U]
+2 to recover from Shaken +1 Armor and 1 'free' Strain Enhances control of a vehicle and
gives access to Drone rules.
Armor Leg Enhancement
STRAIN: 1 COST 2K¥ [U] STRAIN: 1 COST: 2K¥ [U] Weapon, Melee
+2 Armor +2 Pace, +1 Running Die STRAIN: 1 COST: 1K¥ [U]
Str+d6 retractable implanted
Cranial Cyberdeck Lifestyle weapon.
STRAIN: 2 COST: 200% STRAIN: 0 COST: 500¥ [C]
Implanted version of stock Anything that gives no benefit to Weapon, Ranged
cyberdeck (p. 20) rolls STRAIN: 1 COST: 1K¥+gun[R]
Gun implanted in the forearm.
Cyber[Edge] Skill Chip
STRAIN: 2 COST: 2K¥ [U] STRAIN: 1 COST: 1K¥*Skill Bonus [U] Wired Reflexes
Gain 1 Combat or Leadership Edge +1 Die to existing skill or new skill STRAIN: 2 COST: 2K¥ [R]
1) Discard all cards below 5 (does
Cyber[Trait] Transhuman not stack with Quick)
STRAIN: 2 COST: 1K¥ [U] STRAIN: 1 COST: 1K¥*Cost[U] 2) Discard all cards below 8
Additional levels to the same Trait Purchase an Ancestral Ability, within 3) Draw an additional card that is
do not incur Strain. limits. not discarded, the character may
1) +1 to all Trait rolls act on that turn as well.
2) 1 free Benny for Trait Vision Enhancement [Once]
3) +2 to all Trait rolls STRAIN: 1 COST: 2K¥ [U]
+1 to Notice rolls, no illumination
penalty, counts as Scope.
CYBERDECKS
4 6 8 10 12
Alpha 500¥[U] 1K¥[U] 2K¥[R] 4K¥[R] 8K¥[Y]
Beta 100¥[C] 200¥]U] 400¥[U] 800¥[R] 1.6K¥[R]

29
 WEAPON LIST
MELEE WEAPONS Damage Cost Notes
Knife Str+d4 25¥ [T]
Great Sword Str+d10 400¥ [U] Parry –1, 2 hands
Sword Str+d6 100¥ [C]
Billy Club/Baton Str+d4 10¥ [C]Carried by most law-enforcement officials
Brass Knuckles Str+d4 20¥ [C]Brass knuckle users are considered to
be an Unarmed Attacker
Switchblade Str+d4 100¥ [C] -2 to be Noticed if hidden
Survival knife Str+d4 50¥ [C] Contains supplies that add +1 to 1 Survival roll
Monfilament Knife Str+d4+2 250¥ [R] AP2, Cannot be thrown
Monofilament Sword Str+d8+2 500¥ [R] AP4, also covers katanas
Monofilament Whip 3d6 500¥ [Y] AP4, Reach 1, 1 strikes wielder
PERSONAL ARMOR Armor Cost Notes
Armor Clothing +1 150¥ [T] Unremarkable on the streets
Armor Jacket +3 400¥ [U]
Armor Vest +2 200¥ [C]
Long Coat +2 300¥ [C] Conceals small weapons
SWAT Armor +6 3k¥ [R] +2 against NBC attacks
Milspec Armor +8 10k¥ [Y] +2 against NBC attacks.
PISTOLS Range Damage RoF Cost Shots MinStr Notes
Holdout 5/10/20 2d6 1 50¥ [U] 5 — -2 Notice
Light Pistol 12/24/48 2d6+1 1 200¥ [T] 10 — AP1, Semi-Auto
Revolver 12/24/48 2d8+1 1 200¥ [C] 6 d6 Revolver, AP1
Heavy Pistol 12/24/48 2d8 1 300¥ [C] 15 d6 AP1, Semi-Auto
Machine Pistol 12/24/48 2d6 2 200¥ [U] 20 — Auto
Flechette Pistol 12/24/48 3d6 2 400¥ [U] 30 — Auto, see text
SMGS
Basic SMG 12/24/48 2d6 3 300¥ [U] 30 — AP1, Auto
Milspec SMG 12/24/48 2d6+1 3 350¥ [U] 32 — AP1, Auto

SHOTGUNS Range Damage RoF Cost Shots MinStr Notes

Double-Barrel 12/24/48 1-3d6 1-2 150¥ [C] 2 d6 See SW
Pump Action 12/24/48 1-3d6 1 250¥ [U] 5 d6 See SW
Automatic 12/24/48 1-3d6 2 500¥ [R] 10 d6 See SW
RIFLES Range Damage RoF Cost Shots MinStr Notes
Hunting Rifle 24/48/96 2d8 1 300¥ [U] 10 d6 AP2, Semi-Auto
Assault Rifle 24/48/96 2d8+1 3 450¥ [U] 30 d6 AP2, Auto
Milspec AR 24/48/96 2d8+1 3 1.5k¥ [R] 40 d6 AP2, Auto,
Grenade Launcher
Sniper Rifle 50/100/200 AP4, Snapfire, HW,
2d10 1 1k¥ [Y] 14 d8 Scope
BIG GUNS Range Damage RoF Cost Shots MinStr Notes
Grenade 5/10/20 See text 1 50¥ [R] See text
Machine Gun 30/60/120 2d8 4 750 ¥ [R] 50 d8 AP2, Snapfire
Minigun 30/60/120 2d8 6 2k¥ [Y] 100 d10 AP2, Auto, See text
Disposable LAW 24/48/96 4d8 1 500 ¥ [R] 1 d6 AP4, HW, Snapfire
Missile Launcher 24/48/96 4d8 1 3k ¥ [Y] 2 d6 AP9, HW, Snapfire
Grenade Launcher 24/48/96 grenade 1 1k¥ [R] 4 d6 As Grenade

30
 VEHICLES
Vehicle Size Handling Top Speed Toughness Crew Cost
Scooter -1 0 60 kph 5 (2) 1 500¥ [U]
Dirt Bike 0 +1 120 kph 6 (2) 1 1k¥ [U]
Notes: +4 Toughness vs jumps; 4WD
Racing Bike 1 +1 180 kph 6 (2) 1+1 2k¥ [U]
Combat Bike 2 0 150 kph 7 (3) 1+1 2k¥ [R]
Notes: Fixed Weapon Mount (Front), weapon not included.
Sub-Compact Car 3 -1 60 kph 6 (2) 1+1 500¥ [C]
Compact Car 4 +1 150 kph 7 (3) 1+3 3k¥ [U]
Mid-Sized Car 4 0 150 kph 8 (3) 1+4 4k¥ [U]
Notes: Air bags; Anti-Theft (Calls Police), Luxury Features
Van, Passenger 5 -1 90 kph 12 (3) 1+10 4k¥ [U]
Jeep 4 0 90 kph 9 (2) 1+3 4k¥ [R]
Notes: 4WD
Pickup; Small 4 0 90 kph 10 (1) 1+2 3k¥ [U]
Notes: Cargo capacity is the equivalent of +4 Toughness
SUV/Limousine 5 -1 90 kph 12 (3) 1+7 5k¥ [R]
Notes: Luxury features; 4WD
Sports Car 4 +2 240 kph 7 (3) 1+3 6k¥ [R]
Notes: Air Bags, Anti-Theft (Calls Police), Control Enhancement (2), Luxury Features
Passenger Copter 7 0 210 kph 10 (2) 1+5 10k¥ [R]
Notes: Aircraft, VTOL, Climb –1, Amphibious +1k ¥
Small Jet 7 +1 540 kph 10 (2) 2+8 15k¥ [R]
Notes: Aircraft, Climb 1, VSTOL +2k¥, Amphibious +1k¥
Military Autogyro 2 0 90 kph 7 (3) 1 5k¥ [Y]
Notes: Aircraft, VTOL, Climb +3, Fixed Weapon Mount (Front)
Light IFV/APC 7 -1 60 kph 15 (5) 2+8 10k¥ [Y]
Notes: Amphibious, 4WD, Swivel Weapon Mount (turret), Heavy Armor +5k ¥, Hover +10k¥
MODIFICATIONS
Water Vehicle Fighting Position Turbocharging
Cost: 50% of list price Cost: 100¥/person [U] Cost: 500¥/point [U]
Strain: 3 Strain: 1/point
Anti-theft Device
Cost: Variable Strain: 0 Heavy Duty Shocks Weapon Mount
Cost: 100¥/wheel [C] Cost: Fixed 250¥ + weapon [R]
Auto(skill) Strain: 1 for every 2 wheels Swivel 750¥ + weapon[R]
Cost: 200¥/point [U-Y] Hidden +250¥
Strain: 1 per Skill Nitrous Oxide Pistol-size 50%
Cost: 600¥ [U] Strain: 1 (Fixed), 2 (Swivel), +1
Control Enhancement Strain: 2 (Hidden), -1 (Pistol-size)
Cost: 500¥/point [U]
Strain: 1/point, max 3 Remote Control Your Crazy Idea
Cost: 200¥ [U] Cost: ????
Extra Armor Strain: 1 Strain: ????
Cost: 100¥/point (Obvious) [U]
or 500¥/point (Hidden) [R] Sidecar
Strain: 0 (Obvious), 1/point (Hidden) Cost: 500¥ [C]
Strain: 2

31
 Machinegunner: Machine Gun (Gyro-Mount, Clips: 2
Standard, 2 Explosive), Grenades (2 Standard, 2 Smoke)
Grenadier: Grenade Launcher (13 Standard, 4 Smoke, 4
Anti-Armor)
Sniper: Sniper Rifle (Suppressor, Clips: 3 Standard, 2
APDS), Lockpicks (Physical)

STREET MAGE (Poverty Hindrance)

Requirements: Arcane Background, Focus (Sustaining)
Pump-Action Shotgun (Clips: 2 Standard), Lifestyle
(Precariat), Holdout Pistol (Clips: 2 Regular), Knife, Long
Coat, Commlink, Outdoor Survival Kit, 2 Reagents

DECKER
Cyberdeck Alpha d8, Cyberdeck Headware Beta d6,
Datajack, Dirt Bike, Long Coat, Machine Pistol (Laser
GEAR PACKS Sight, Hidden Holster, Clips: 2 Regular, 2 APDS),
None of these are set in stone; items can be dropped Lockpicks (Electronic & Physical), Lifestyle (Precariat)
and an equivalent amount of nuyen may be spent. For
example, a Pink Mohawk could drop the Racing Bike for
STREET SAMURAI
a Trait Bonus cyberware. Many of them also include
Requirements: Chromed Up, Strain Maximum 6
variants; the gear listed in those is added to the base kit.
Cyberware (Strain 6): Cyber[Level-Headed], Cyber[Rock
and Roll], Vision Enhancement, Cyberlimb
Dwarf and Troll characters will have to modify these
packages as well; either by spending points on extra
Racing Bike, Armor Jacket, Assault Rifle (Laser Sight,
cash or by removing items.
Clips: 2 Regular, 2 Explosive), Grenade (Smoke), Comm-
link, Slap Patches (Stim, Trauma), Lifestyle (Precariat)
BLACK TRENCHCOAT
Razor: Cyberweapon Melee, Machine Pistol (Laser Sight,
Sub-Compact Car, Milspec SMG (Suppressor, Laser
Hidden Holster, Clips: 2 Regular, 2 Explosive)
Sight, Clips: 4 Standard, 1 APDS), Light Pistol (Hidden
Gunsel: Cyberweapon Machine Pistol (Clips: 2 Regular,
Holster, Clips: 2 standard, 2 Gel), Grenade (Smoke),
2 Explosive), Monofilament Sword
Long Coat, Switchblade, Drone (Car Micro), Commlink,
NOTE: Cyberweapons are hidden in the Cyberlimb.
Grapple Kit, Jammerscanner, Personal Vision Enhancer,
Surveillance Kit, 2 Bugs, Medkit, Slap Patch (Trauma),
RIGGER
Restraints, Fitted Body Armor, Lifestyle (Wageslave)
Requirements: Rich
Vehicle Control Rig, Datajack, Drone Car Utility (SMG, 2
PINK MOHAWK
Clips Regular), Drone Coptor Surveillance, Sub-Compact
Racing Bike, Armor Jacket, Commlink, Lockpicks
Boat, Armor Vest, Machine Pistol (Clips: 2 Regular 1
(Physical), Personal Vision Enhancer, Lifestyle (Precariat),
APDS), Commlink, Lifestyle (Wageslave)
Lifestyle Cyberware
Sneaky Tank: Passenger Van (Hidden Swivel Weapon
Strength d6+: Assault Rifle (Laser Sight, Clips: 2
Mount+Machine Gun Clips: 4 Regular, Turbocharging
Standard, 1 Explosive), Heavy Pistol (Hidden Holster,
(2), Nitrous Oxide, Heavy Duty Shocks, Extra Armor
Clips: 2 Standard, 1 Explosive), Grenades (3 Standard, 2
(Hidden) (3), Control Enhancement (1)) +10 Passenger
Smoke, 1 Anti-Armor), Survival Knife
Capacity
Strength d4: Milspec SMG (Laser Sight, Clips: 2
Racer Hex: Sports Car (Hidden Swivel Pistol
Standard, 2 Explosive), Light Pistol (Laser Sight, Hidden
Mount+Milspec SMG Clips: 2 APDS, Heavy Duty
Holster, Clips: 2 Standard, 2 Explosive), Grenade
Shocks, Extra Armor (Hidden) (3), Anti-Theft
(Smoke) Survival Knife, Lockpicks (Electronic)
(Electrocution)), Medkit
Swarm Queen: Compact Car, 2 Drone Car Attack
HEAVY WEAPONS GUY
(Milspec SMG, 2 Clips Regular), Drone Copter Attack
Cyber[Shooting] 1, Revolver (Clips: 2 Standard, 2 Gel, 2
(Milspec SMG, 2 Clips Regular), Drone Boat Attack
APDS), Armor Jacket, Survival Knife, Commlink, Outdoor
(Milspec SMG, 2 Clips Regular), Drone Copter Micro,
Survival Kit, Medkit, Slap Patches (Trauma, Stim),
Drone Car Surveillance, Drone Copter Surveillance
Lifestyle (Precariat)

32
Some shadowrunners cut with
blades. Others cut with decks or
drones or wits. It's a rare fraction of
humanity that can cut with magic.
If you ask ten different mages how
they do magic, you'll get eleven
different answers. But they all
adhere to broad rules, even if each
type of magician (hermetic,
shamanic, psionic, wiccan, hougan,
wuxing, or any of the other
hundred or so known traditions)
has quirks.
By far the most common are
hermetic (who view magic as a
science that can be studied,
documented, and replicated by
those with the gift), and shaman
(who view magic as one more part
of life, in which everything is
connected).
Here are their rules.
Arcane Background (Magician)
Requirements: Wild Card, Novice, Spirit d6
Arcane Skill: Sorcery (Spirit)
Power Points: 10
Starting Powers: 3 + Conjuration
Backlash: Any time a Magician rolls a 1, he gains a
levels of Fatigue.
Available Powers: Barrier, Blast, Blind, Bolt, Boost
/Lower Trait, Burst, Confusion, Disguise, Dispel,
Empathy, Fear, Healing, Illusion, Invisibility, Mind
Reading, Protection, Puppet, Slumber, Sound/Silence,
Stun, Telekinesis
Special Rules:
Astrally Active: Magicians can Astrally Percept and
Project, as per page 11.
Essence: Cyberware reduces a magician's ability to cast
spells. Every 2 Strain (round up) gives a -1 penalty on all
Sorcery tests.
There are no restrictions on Trappings. The magician
may trade Conjuration for another
Power, but cannot learn it with
Advances.
CONJURATION
Rank: Novice
Power Points: 1-7
Range: Smarts
Duration: Until sunrise/sunset or
all services used
Conjuration allows the character
to create (or temporarily enslave,
or befriend) a spirit from the
Astral or beyond it.
Each Success and Raise allows the
magician to command one
service from the spirit; a single
Reagent (p.22) may be expended
to gain one additional service. All
services expire at dawn, though a
Reagent may be expended to
extend this one further day.
A character may only spend PP on this equal to 2 +
Rank. At 1 PP, a spirit with d4 in all Traits and 2 Skills
may be created that deals Str+d4 Damage, which has
the Spirit Ability (Critters & Threats, p.40). For each
additional PP spent Traits, Skills, and Damage go up one
die type, and another Skill can be added.
MODIFIERS
Powers - For 1 PP a Power or Ability may be added to
the Spirit’s statline, which can be chosen regardless of
Rank. It gains Sorcery equal to its other Skills.
Arcane Background (Adept)
Requirements: Wild Card
Starting Power Points: 5
Starting Powers: As purchased (see text)
Some magicians focus their powers outward. Others
focus it inward, to become the modern versions of
ancient martial artists and heroes of yore.
An adept spends his Power Points to buy abilities from
the following list of Adept Arts. Whenever an adept
33
buys the Power Points Edge, the PP can be used to
upgrade existing powers or buy new ones. The Adept
can have unspent PP, saved up for a new Power at a
later Rank.
For every point of Strain an Adept has, they lose one PP.
Wires and wizardry don’t mix.
ADEPTAL EDGE
Power Point Cost: 3
The Adept can choose one of these he does not have:
any Combat Edge, Ambidextrous, Berserk, Brave,
Charismatic, Chi, Danger Sense, Elan, Luck. He must
have the required Rank and Edges, but is otherwise
unrestricted.
CLOUD WALKER
Power Point Cost: 1/Rank
This Adept requires no wires to perform wire-fu. She
adds 2” to her vertical jump for each rank, 4” to her
horizontal, and can move up a wall at her Pace. She also
ignores Falling for up to her vertical jump distance.
HEIGHTENED SENSES
Power Point Cost: 1
One of the Adept's senses are super-sharp, or they gain
a new sense. Add +2 to Notice rolls using a heightened
sense, and possibly other Skills (such as touch enhancing
Thievery). Some possibilities to gain might be Astral
Perception, Low-Light vision, or blindsense within 3”.
KILLING HANDS
Requirement: Martial Arts
Power Point Cost: 2/Rank
For each Rank of this power, the Adept's Martial Artist
damage die goes up type in damage; also, they count
as magical weapons for ignoring Immunity. The Adept
may buy this once per Rank.
MISSILE MASTERY
Power Point Cost: 3
In the hands of this Adept, pens, bottlecaps, and
anything becomes a lethal projectile, dealing Str+d4 and
having a Range of 3/6/12. Other missiles deal +2
Damage.
MYSTICAL ADEPT
Power Point Cost: 3
This allows the Adept to choose one Power from this
list, with normal Rank restrictions: Bolt, Deflection,
Disguise, Fear, Healing, Invisibility. For the first purchase
of this ability add Sorcery d4 and 3 Power Points for use
casting this Power (if in a setting with Power Points), and
each new purchase adds +3 Power Points.
MYSTIC ARMOR
Power Point Cost: 2/Rank
For each level of this, the Adept gains 1 point of Armor,
cumulative with any other Armor the Adept is wearing.
The Adept may buy this once per Rank.
QUICKNESS
Power Point Cost: 3
This power gives the Quick Edge (SWADE p.40). At
Veteran, this Power may be purchased again, and the
Adept discards all cards lower than 8.
SUPERHUMAN ATTRIBUTE
Power Point Cost: 3/Rank
The Adept has increased an Attribute with their magical
ability. Add one die type to a chosen Attribute. Can only
be taken once per Rank.
SUPREMELY SKILLED
Power Point Cost: 1/Rank
The Adept has increased one of his Skills though
mystical means. Add one die type to an existing Skill;
this can increase a Skill beyond the linked Attribute.
34
This includes some of my thoughts on Shadowrun as
how it’s evolved over the... decades. I first picked up a
book in 1991 and never stopped loving this setting. I
wrote a section on Trenchcoat vs Mohawk; Magicyber-
punk’s themes; Shadowrun’s eras; some recommended
official sourcebooks to read and use; running the Setting
Rules; thoughts on some setting aspects; then finally
some design notes. Sorry if any of this sounds conde-
scending, but I’m trying to write as though you may not
know the setting.
NONE of these are strict rules. Your table is your own
business; I long ago turned in my FASA cop badge and
anyway they were more worried about busting people
who used Battletech’s floating TAC rule.
BLACK TRENCHCOAT VS PINK MOHAWK
These words are immediately familiar to any player as
defining the meta style of a Shadowrun campaign: is it
loud and flashy with lots of big booms and players get
away with stupid things, or is success defined by your
target never finding out you were there?
And consciously introducing them into the setting as
terms rubs some folks wrong. It may rub YOU wrong.
Feel free to discard the idea as you like and pretend
those five paragraphs don’t exist. But IMHO it has
world-building potential to explains why runners exist,
as well as give Shadowrun a ‘generic’ arc similar to
D&D’s "Explore dungeons for treasure and magic items
to get stronger and slay dragons and save the world."
Saying with intention, “Shadowrun is about cyberpunks
rebelling against the klept by breaking the law for
money, only to find they're just another pawn and being
forced to choose - sell out or rebel harder!" is more
compelling than scifi-heist’s, "Use gadgets to break the
law and hurt rich men at the behest of other rich men."
And I’m absolutely sure that this theme has no
relevance in today’s society at all.
I prefer a game that openly discusses any metagame in
its setting or rules; it clarifies the choice in playstyle,
makes it intentional rather than accidental, and allows
for playstyles to shift as the campaign does.
MAGICYBERPUNK THEMES
Shadowrun is unique for combining three distinct
themes into one: Magic, Cyber, and Punk. Keeping them
balanced is key to running a great Shadowrun game.
There is a distinction between the ‘scifi-heist’ theme that
Shadowrun became and the ‘magicyberpunk’ it began
as - much to its and our loss - and I hope this gives you
some food for thought.
CYBER
The key theme of a cyber setting is “Technology is a
malign force that demands sacrifice, yet takes more than
it gives.” Most scifi views technology at worst neutrally
and often with a positive bent. Cyber views it suspici-
ously at best and usually with a paranoid terror: as a
dark force that must be given what is precious for power
you don’t notice is consuming you. (Please like and
subscribe!) What do you feed it for success or stability...
your body? Your family? Your planet? You can walk a
line between using it and being used by it, but will you
notice when you cross that line? No if, when.
Magic itself can another malign force taking more than it
gives, as the blood mages of Atzlan, bug shamans, and
toxic shamans prove. If the Earthdawn connection had
continued, then Life Magic (willing sacrifice) would have
tied into this theme as well; some goals ARE worth the
sacrifice. But more on magic later.
Choice is the key word here: in a good cyber story, they
should make choices on what they sacrifice to for
success and what they don’t. Let adventures explore the
difference between those who would sacrifice
everything for tech versus those who think there are
more important goals. Remind them technology isn’t
their friend - it’s a dangerous servant and cruel master.
And hit them with the sheer monstrosity of those who
have sold themselves to its power.
PUNK
The central theme of a punk setting is "The Man owns
everything, and your choices are lick his boot or bite his
ankle." Opposing the dystopia is futile; it will lead to
failure or surrender. The house always wins. But you do
it anyway, because the alternative is worse than death:
it’s conformity.
35
Punk is more than clothes or music: it’s a withdrawal
from society’s norms, but not a passive one. You have
to SHOW the normies how they could live if they had
the balls to say “Fuck the system!” In real life, this often
ends tragically (the Ghost Ship fire comes to mind),
because punk is alluring but at its heart stupid.
In Shadowrun? Punk makes sense.
The system only works for the
klept. There is boiling hatred from
the precariat and the unhoused,
along with wage-slaves who may
bury their loathing with self-
medication but cannot remove it.
Even the bougy despise the klept
they serve for taunting them with
the existence of actual freedom
while enslaving them just like
everyone else. The food you eat,
the nonconformist shirts you wear,
the guns you fire - all of it funds the
klept as they burn the world for
their game.
And above all else, the klept made
the runners. Farmed them like a
sim game resource. Left certain
areas to rot and decay. Under-
funded the police. Funneled guns
and cheap cyber into the area, but
not directly; through gangs that have been allowed to
become deniable distributors. Placed targets - but not
valuable ones! - nearby to serve as training grounds.
Assigned media teams to produce anticorp memes for
consumption by locals.
And watched as beginners literally killed themselves
trying to fight "the Man." Maybe out of every ten punk
Mohawk runners, the klept get one real Trenchcoat to
graduate from the farm team into the big leagues. But
that’s the price of biz, and runners are too useful to NOT
have around.
Part of the story should be realizing that.
MAGIC
Magic is the discordant note. The key theme of a magic
setting is “Supernatural powers used by the right person
can change the world”, which may seem counter to the
other themes but remember: anyone can use it. Anyone.
In a world with bug spirits playing bodysnatcher, blood
mages using human sacrifices to gain power, and
terrorists enchanting nuclear weapons to bring about
Ragnarok, adding ‘magic’ to cyberpunk’ shows saying
“Anything is better than this” is foolish. They have no
idea how deep the abyss under them is. It can always
get worse.
And the players have the tools to fight those threats,
because as bad as the status quo is,
it beats the alternative.
Then, there are the dragons. Added
to cyberpunk, actual dragons make
such a strong metaphor for the klept
that I think Shadowrun is the best
cyberpunk setting. Also, FASA
created a wonderful portrayal of
how an intelligent predator race
whose only real threat are each
other would form a society. I
heartily recommend looking up the
Earthdawn Dragons sourcebook to
understand them better, which was
released online.
This theme also, thank the Maker,
diverts typical real-world racism
(which can be triggering) into
something that is more comfortable
but still allegorical by using ‘fantasy’
races. It’s perfectly OK to not use
this in your game, but it’s useful...
especially in games with actual racists to hopefully show
them how mistaken they are.
In every scene there should be something that could not
exist in a purely technological society, which might be
as mild as a sasquatch who can impersonate an entire
band by himself or hellhounds breathing fire as they
charge. Adding magic also lends well to potential
horror; the bodysnatcher insect spirits or the toxic
shamans are serious threats unique to Shadowrun.
ENJOYMENT
So Magicyberpunk is “Sacrifice yourself to technology in
a futile rebellion against the Man because the right
person can change the world – but it’s probably not
you,” huh? With all that misanthropy, how could one
enjoy this versus a good ol’ game of D&D?
My advice is to go 70% punk, with 20% magic. Let your
players blow up stuff. Kill corpcops and wage-mages.
Steal paydata and double-cross the Johnson by selling it
on the open market. Eat candy bars in front of a poor
store clerk, then drop the wrappers as they exit.
36
Then hit them with the dystopian 10%: A run that makes
them see all along they’ve been tools of the klept. That
the klept made them. And shooting a dozen klept
wouldn’t make a difference; the machine might hiccup
but it’d keep spinning on.
But you let them make small differences. Important ones
that they choose. Maybe they go Trenchcoat and sell
out. Maybe they fight some terrorists, magical or
otherwise. Maybe they start hooding, trying to make at
least their local slice of hell more livable. After all, it’s
magicyberpunk. They aren’t entirely powerless.
TTRPGs are unique in that they let you explore the
themes as though doing it yourself. Books and movies
are fairly passive experiences, and even the best RPG
video games are decision-tree formats where doing
things the programmers don't intend will often crash or
glitch the game.
RECOMMENDED READING
While I love all the Shadowrun books, one thing to keep
in mind is that transition from cyberpunk to scifi-heist
during SR 2e and 3e. Fields of Fire (7114) exemplifies
this best IMHO for its constant talk about being
‘professional’. They’re all worth reading, but I’d
recommend at least some of the following books to get
the setting’s feel: Sprawl Sites (7101) for random
encounters and street scum, Paranormal Animals of
North America (7105) for supernatural animals,
ShadowBeat (7109) for future pop culture, Cybertech-
nology (7119) for talk about cyberware, Threats (7121)
for a variety of possible foes, Portfolio of a Dragon
(7122) because it has so many plot hooks, New Seattle
(7126 or 10657) as an overview of the setting’s politics,
Magic in the Shadows (7907) for its broad overview of
how magic works from the mage’s point of view. For
the metaplot that ‘ended’ the first eras Renraku
Shutdown (7328), Year of the Comet (10650), and
System Failure (25014). I’m not as familiar with later
eras, but I do like the ideas outlined in Emergence
(26301), War! (26206), Jet Set (26452), Storm Front
(27000), Stolen Souls (27200), and Lockdown (27300).
SHADOWRUN’S ERAS
Fairly unique to Shadowrun is that it has an ever-
advancing in-game storyline AND that many of the past
metaplots have rich ideas to offer. Most RPGs which are
not static tend to jump the shark at some point or
another. One could easily grow bored of the themes in
one era and revitalize a group by exploring the ideas of
another. Many of them overlap each other in years, but
in themes they are distinct; this could allow a campaign
to shift from one to another during play.
CLASSIC SHADOWRUN 2050-2052
As the blurb on my 1e book says, "The world is ruled by
megacorporations, and you live in their shadows." The
Johnson hires you, you do the job, and you get double-
crossed at some point. The main themes are dystopia
caused by the klept’s constant shadow game, the incon-
gruity of magic existing alongside machine, and that no
matter how hard you struggle the klept always win.
INSECTS AMONG US 2052-2058
Insect spirits are infiltrating our species and could be
anyone, using the cover of the Universal Brotherhood
and anything else they can think of. The Johnson, the
target, or an unknown third party could be monsters
with inhuman agendas and powers. This era's most
dramatic moment is the siege of Chicago, but has many
horrifying possibilities before then as shadowrunners are
one of the few groups 'in the know' on insects. The two
main themes are wildly different: Creeping horror at the
idea of infiltration by alien beings, and blood-and-guts
action as you blaze away at bugs.
DUNKELZAHN’S WILL 2057-2059
From the moment he announced his candidacy to when
Lofwyr won the right to be the dragon's Loremaster, this
is an era defined by Big D’s will (in more ways than
one), and deserves to be an era in its own right. Doing
political runs during the election, doing runs for the
will's items, or getting involved in the great dragon's
contest, it's all from and because of Dunkelzahn. This
setting's main theme is actual hope for the future and
the world's institutions trying to crush that hope -
hooding for a klept who cared.
YEAR OF THE COMET 2061
As Haley’s Comet swings into perigee, it unleashes a
whole host of strange effects, amplifying mana. SURGE
causes unpredictable mutations; deposits of orichalcum
(normally only available via alchemy) spring up across
the globe; doomsday cults appear from nowhere;
volcanoes in the Pacific erupt; and Dunkelzahn’s brother
comes back from the deep Astral to claim Denver as his
own. The central theme of this era is the chaos caused
by extreme levels of magic, which (of course) gives
opportunity for runners to do some wild stuff.
THE AI WAR 2059-2064
From when Deus took over the Arcology to perform his
experiments to when he tried to recompile himself, he
was THE defining item of this era. So many things
circled around him and the things he represented that
calling this era the AI War seems right - the otaku are
37
important but not the center, and Winternight was
called in mostly because it's the polar opposite of Deus.
The central theme of this era is technology ruling
humans instead of being a tool, and the people who
oppose that so radically they're willing to destroy the
world.
POST CRASH 2065-2069
Wireless becomes widespread and common, and if
shadowrunners were ran in this era it'd be like Classic,
but with Wireless rules. It seems as though an uneasy
klept truce extended through these years, with no
world-shattering events lest the careful reconstruction of
the world be interrupted.
CRASH AFTERSHOCKS 2069-2072
The things created by the Crash, technomancers and
new AIs, are outed as existing - and that the megacorps
were hiding and brutally experimenting on these beings.
Themes for this would be the sudden terror of mob rule,
and that megacorps consider themselves truly above the
law - because they actually ARE. Still, who else ya gonna
work for?
THE DRAGON WAR 2072-2074
This era is defined by dragons not only reasserting what
they consider to be their 'rightful' place on top of the
food chain, but by their efforts against each other AND
humanity's denial that they are superior. The overriding
theme for this era is that conflicts which have simmered
for years in the shadows spilling into the light - whether
it be the extreme gang and drug warfare of tempo, the
Amazonia conflict, the dragon/anti-dragon warfare. The
placid truth of 'klepts rule the world and it sucks for
everyone else' is disrupted as the klept vie openly, and
runs usually involve destruction over discretion.
MONAD BODYSNATCHERS 2073-2080
AIs stealing someone’s body, erasing their personality
and rewriting it with their own – a shockingly
compelling idea. The overriding theme for this is
technology punishing mankind for its hubris; the AIs are
usually fleeing their comfortable Matrix home from
megacorps trying to dissect them, and the only ones
they can overwrite are those who have left themselves
vulnerable with too much implanted technology. It
reaches into space as well, with the Monads fleeing to
Mars and establishing a colony there, and has an
excellent deviation from standard Shadowrun fare and
into zombie apocalypse with the Lockdown campaign,
putting a unique Shadowrun technological twist on
something that your players might THINK they know,
and do NOT.
SETTING RULES
ASTRAL SPACE
Astral Space’s practical use for players is as recon; a
runner will Project to scout an area before breaking in.
How to handle that?
Most targets ALSO know that Projecting is an option,
and will defend themselves if they can afford it. Astral
forms cannot pass through living things, so ivy growths
are used to protect vital buildings. They may also
employ mages of their own, who use Summon Ally to
create spirits, or have paranormal critters (such as
hellhounds and barghests) that are Dual Natured as
guard dogs. Lastly, on the Astral everything is about the
sense of it, and nothing is legible. A runner might look
at a door sign and pick up the idea it’s “Important”, but
without being able to read wouldn’t know why it’s
important til they pass through and find a toilet.
BOUGY EDGE
Allowing players access to the bougy lifestyle might
seem to run counter to several Shadowrun themes, but
it is a goldmine of role-playing opportunities. First, if
they can make enough money to live comfortably, why
are they still running? For fun, or to get even more
money? It also means they may have a boss they have
to answer to, turf they have to defend, underlings they
have to watch out for… much grist for a GM’s wheels.
CONTACTS
Shadowrun games are enhanced with an active crew of
NPCs that the players can reach out to, which grow and
shrink depending on player actions. The games feel
most alive. While I have provided mechanics for
Contacts to be nothing more than a resource, I
encourage you to do more with them than that.
CYBERWARE AND PENALTIES
If you want to model the negative impact of cyberware,
use a lesser version of how Strain impacts magic: Every
4 Strain (or fraction thereof) gives a -1 penalty. This
could be used for a social penalty (people react badly to
cybered monsters!) and/or a penalty on friendly magic
(though unfriendly magic suffers no problems). You may
also have a result on the Injury table be to cyberware
rather than flesh, disabling it until repaired, though this
requires your judgment.
DEPENDENT
One of the darker possibilities. The basic idea is that the
dependent is mostly helpless, a child or elder. Don’t let
the dependent be threatened too often because that will
just tempt the player to let them be killed. If the
38
dependent IS killed, feel free to slap them with a Major imagination. If they’re not sure, suggest things like, oh,
Hindrance like Bad Luck. Have them be a minor cars and their tire pressure systems, or guns and their
annoyance, and occasionally give touching moments or owner verification software.
be actually helpful. “I made you dinner, Dad...”
And remember that opposition deckers can protect their
DOWNTIME comrades too.
Also key to making a game feel alive is to give your PCs
time to run around and go crazy between adventures. CRIME & COPS IN DYSTOPIA
The problem is that some go TOO crazy, and others who One of the first
are quieter get neglected. questions that most
thinking GMs ask is,
My advice on handling this is simple: Have timed turns. “How can cops
Give each player 5 minutes or so to describe what actually work in the
they’re doing during a week of downtime and to world of Shadowrun
roleplay with them a bit, and then move on to the next. if runners are going
It’s OK to be loose with this if the table is enjoying the around blowing stuff
interaction, but try to keep it moving. up?” and nudge
players into more
You can also put pressure by having the amount of time Trenchcoat style ad-
between jobs lengthen as work dries up; but that’s a ventures out of
campaign choice and shouldn’t be common. ‘realism’.
LIFESTYLE The fundamental dis-
While the Lifestyles all provide bonuses, they aren’t connect is that we
important mechanically – most groups are probably don’t live in a
going to have access to a caster with Heal and a Street dystopia and don’t
Doc to take care of damage, and the other benefits are understand it. Most
left vague to allow the GM latitude. reading this could, if
someone broke into their house, call the police and be
However, they are important to the themes of Shadow- relatively sure that an officer would be there within 15-
run discussed earlier. There exists a divide between the 20 minutes at most.
lowly precariat scum doing dangerous work for the
bougy and klept classes, and it should be at least In Shadowrun, cops exist in service not to the people,
mentioned every so often. but to the klept’s corrupt system. This has two
implications: they don’t work one bit harder than they
Having a lower Lifestyle is less safe than the others, and have to, but they will chase if paid enough.
should be emphasized in the kind of encounters they
have. The ancient SR1e Sprawl Sites book has a long list For the first… a cop will arrest a perp if they catch them
of random encounters, some of which are now in a crime (and aren’t offered a bribe big enough to
apocryphal but others are still well-suited for use. ignore it), or more likely shoot if the paperwork isn’t too
much trouble. But chase perps? Actively add DNA to a
If you want rules, during a Legwork or Downtime phase database and try to collate a crime profile along with a
pull a card from a deck. If it’s a face card, they have a description so that when they finally catch someone
random encounter based on the area their contact is in. they can charge them with everything instead of just
If they’re in a really bad area, pull two cards. "Carry Without a Permit"?
WIRELESS MATRIX "Waste of time," the bosses say. "Get your arrest count
This is a VERY difficult thing to arbitrate – what would up with quick easy busts, like stop-and-searching orks
‘realistically’ be connected to the Matrix, especially in a for BLTs," the bosses order. And the cop obeys, and grits
future that darkly mirrors our own where we connect her teeth in rage, but as the system grinds him down he
fridges and baby monitors to the internet? gives up. The next time someone breaks the law, she’s
got her gun in one hand and the other out in a “Hand
It could be ANYTHING. If you’re using these rules, I me a credstick to forget this” pose. Combined with
would advise encouraging your decker to use their

39
megacorp extraterritoriality making it hard to prosecute
for crimes done in their property, as well as the klept’s
burning need for shadowrunners to play their game,
runners can get away with a lot that simply seems
outrageous to our modern sensibilities.
And that makes the moment the cops are actually
CHASING PCs a unique and terrible one. It means a
klept hates them enough to put money into the
Policeman’s Ball fund with a description and a burning
desire to see them in jail or “shot resisting arrest.” This
won’t last forever, just until the klept’s money or
attention runs out, but while it’s going on…
Feel free to run your own cops more strictly, and
certainly in high security zones cops are probably not
bribable and WILL arrest and chase perps, at least til
they leave the area of higher security! In these cases
they’re already being paid by the klept.
SHADOW COMMUNITY SIZE
This is just my opinion, but a shadow community is
probably village sized with maybe 100-200 people, of
which maybe a quarter (25-50 are runners. The rest are
fixers, gear merchants, thugs suitable for muscle, info
brokers, fences, and hangers-on. That’s the size that
science has shown is most suitable for humans to keep
track of as personal, and the shadows are all about
personal.
A large city with lots of shadows may have several of
these shadow villages, but they’d only be loosely
connected with each other. The transitory nature of
shadow life means that its membership would be
shifting constantly, particularly runners. Runners have a
short average career lifespan, and new runners are
inducted on a regular basis. This has interesting roleplay
possibilities, as the more permanent members of the
shadows may actually look down a bit on runners as
disposable, or have longstanding feuds with each other
that runners might get dragged into innocently.
Migrating between shadow communities, such as from
one that is primarily Mohawk to one that’s almost
entirely Trenchcoat, adds more chances to roleplay.
Being accused of selling out for taking a job with a fixer
well known for working with top end-corpies, or
Trenchies slumming it in a Mohawk community to find
up and comers to hire for a diversionary run…
DEVELOPER NOTES
Here are some notes on my adaptation - the reasons I
made some mechanical decisions - as well as credits.
1) I have attempted to bring this in line with Savage
Worlds Adventure Edition, but I freely admit that I may
have missed much. However, Streetwise being a Skill
rather than an Edge is intentional. It’s integrated heavily
into the setting of Shadowrun as a whole, and into the
system as a result of wanting to stay true to that setting.
2) Shadowrun GMs will note the nuyen has been
devalued, losing a zero off (most) prices. This was done
for two reasons: To bring prices more in line with items
from the various SW rulebooks (allowing one to easily
reach into published material for new items), and to
simplify bookkeeping. Guns are still expensive as it
presumes the purchase of fake licenses that can pass
casual inspection, or removing identifying marks.
3) Generic cyberware rules have been taken almost
entirely from SW: Science Fiction, rather than adapted
from Shadowrun. I did this because I’m more comfor-
table working with a system designed by the game
developers where I can. That’s also why the Adept rules
are taken from SW: Superpowers (with a proscribed list),
and there is no distinction between Mage and Shaman
as even IN Shadowrun the only difference is in how
they’re played. However, because I actually want people
to buy the cyberware, I lowered the price from the
generic book to one more affordable.
4) Credit where it’s due: Daring Tales of the Sprawl by
Kevin Anderson is where I stole the idea of using the
Mass Battle system for decking, as well as the Drones.
u/penllawen on reddit is the genius who wrote the
Lifestyle versions listed here; they were too good NOT
to use. Everything else is either my work or taken
directly from the following SW Books: Fantasy
Companion, Superpowers Companion, Science Fiction
Companion, or Deadlands Hell on Earth Reloaded (for
the vehicles). Sorry Sprawlrunners author Manuel
“ManuFS” Sambs; I paid for your book and disagreed
with almost every design choice you made.
5) Shadowrun belongs to Catalyst Games Lab. All of the
art comes from FASA Shadowrun books and belongs to
its original artist or CGL; I would gladly attribute it if half
weren’t unsigned. If I had any delusion of selling this I
would immediately try to track down and lease as much
of it as I could, or beg permission – or delete it. I just
wanted the art which evoked the Shadowrun I
remembered – crunchy black and white and ziptone.
40
The shadows are dangerous, and not just because a
runner might trip on a rock and fall over – or a
landmine. This is divided into two sections: Monstrous
Abilities and adding them to existing templates, and the
statlines of common enemies.
ADDING MONSTROUS ABILITIES & POWERS
Most Shadowrun paranormal critters are just that:
paranormal. Already existing creatures that have magical
abilities. A Barghest is the Dire Wolf template with the
Fear Power, Dual Natured, and Sorcery d6, for example.
So I won’t detail all of them; simply reading one of the
Paranormal Animal entries should let you convert one.
But there do exist unique Abilities to the setting, which
can be also added to existing templates.
DUAL NATURED
This ability allows a creature to see into the Astral and
the normal world at the same time, and affect both sides
as though it were present. A Dual Natured critter is
treated as if always Percepting (p.14), with no penalties.
HMHVV
Human-MetaHuman Vampiric Virus is an excuse to
recycle fantasy monster statblocks that are close to
humanoid. An HMHVV victim has two traits:
• They resemble mythical monsters such as vampires
• They must feast on metahumanity in some way,
though can go for a week without if needed.
After that, they are highly variable, as there are multiple
strains; one strain causes straight vampirism in humans,
another causes humans to turn into feral zombie-like
ghouls. It is possible for intelligent HMHVV victims to
NOT kill their prey, but it is difficult and many no longer
see the point. It’s not like they’re human any more.
HMHVV has a low transmission rate, low enough that
PCs should never be infected.
INSECT
Insect spirits are literal bodysnatchers, called from some
far plane beyond the Astral by foolish, power-hungry
shamans or a Queen the shaman summons (who then
usually eats the shaman).
Insect spirits have two different versions (Fleshform,
Trueform) that divide into three castes (Worker, Soldier,
Queen).
A Fleshform has spent days merging with a meta-
human, sometimes so perfectly there is no outward sign
but more often acquiring insectoid traits such as faceted
eyes or mandibles or chitinous hide. It can be any
normal metahuman from this chapter, but add one step
to all Attributes and may have other abilities, depending
on their insectoid traits if any.
A Trueform has no body, look like large versions of their
insect type, are summoned using the Conjuring Power
(with minimum d8 Traits) and the Abilities:
• Fear. Human sized bugs are terrifying.
• Spirit.
• Weakness (Insecticide). Weapons coated in it do
normal damage, and just spraying it is 2d6 damage.
Workers are not fighters, Soldiers are (increase all
combat Skills by one die, with Frenzy and Block), and a
Hive will usually have one Queen (p.45).
SHAPESHIFTER
In Shadowrun, shapeshifters such as classic werewolves
or weretigers are different in one way:
They’re animals that can change into human, not the
other way around. While they are as intelligent as any
metahuman, they are not human, and their motivations
may be alien. Though some are drawn to the human
world, others prefer to stay in the wilderness and work
to protect it with cunning granted by both forms.
41

They add one step to all Attribute dice in both human
and animal form, many are Wildcards, and have the
following Abilities:
• Dual Natured. Their auras always show their animal
form, unless they are magicians.
• Regeneration, Fast.
• Resilient or Very Resilient.
• Transformation. They can spend an action to
transform between their two forms. This doesn’t
transform any gear carried.
• Weakness, Silver. This prevents their regeneration.
SPIRIT
A spirit is a being that exists primarily on the Astral or
further reaches, but can manifest itself on the physical
plane if it chooses or is commanded. A spirit has the
following abilities:
• Dual-Natured.
• Ethereal. They may not be seen unless someone can
see on the Astral.
• Invulnerability. It is immune to all non-magical
attacks.
• Manifestation. It must create a body to appear on the
physical plane as an Action.
• Travel. While on the Astral, it can travel near instantly.
• Weakness. As a spirit, it’s weak to Spirit – an attacker
can use their Spirit die in place of any Damage roll, and
if using a melee weapon can spend a Benny to add that
to the Damage roll.
TOXIC
Hideously dangerous perversions of nature and magic, a
toxic being is so warped by the Background Count of a
domain that it gains a twisted strength. But toxic power
is dangerous, and not to be trusted or used save by
madmen. Blood magic (metahuman sacrifice) also falls
under this category.
Toxic casters fall into two categories: Avengers (who try
use the power to strike against those who made the
toxic domain), and Poisoners (who revel in it and
spread the poison further). They typically conjure Spirits
to fight for them, but sometimes warp critters – or
befriend those already warped by the toxic domain.
Toxics gain the following equal to the Background Count
of their domain, whether or not they are in the domain:
• Armor
• A bonus to Fighting rolls
And:
• Very Resilient
BASIC OPPO
These are non-Wildcards that are generally chumps, but
some are stronger chumps than others – there’s no
difference between a ganger and a high-level mafiosi
torpedo but for who’s backing them and what kind of
gear they’d be given.
Enhance higher threat Basic Oppo, such as leaders, by
adding Resilient or relevant Edges, increasing skill dice,
or upgrading their armor and weapons.
BODYGUARD
Their job is to take the bullet, knife, claw, or whatever
else that’s aimed at their paying customers – usually a
borgy or klept slumming.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d8,
Vigor d10
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice
d6, Shooting d8
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (12)
Edges: Martial Artist
Special Abilities
• Interpose. If an attack is aimed at a friendly target
within 1, the bodyguard may take the hit instead.
Gear. A heavy pistol and an armored jacket, as well as
cybernetic armor – they’re not suicidal.
CIVVY
Just an ordinary civilian in the world of Shadowrun. So
always armed, paranoid, and ready to dive for cover.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, Strength d4,
Vigor d6
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d4, Notice d4, Persuasion
d6, Shooting d4, Stealth d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 (6)
Gear: A holdout pistol, switchblade, armored clothing.
COPS, STREET OR CORP
Law Enforcement working for a corp – whether it’s corp
law or national law they’re enforcing, they will pursue
you for as long as it isn’t too inconveniencing or take
bribes to look the other way. Unless someone higher up
has given orders to the contrary.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6,
Vigor d8
Skills: Athletics d6, Driving d6, Fighting d6, Intimidation
d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Streetwise d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (9)
Edges: Double Tap
Gear: Heavy Pistol, Baton, Armored Jacket, Restraints,
Mid-sized Car (Armor +3, Turbocharging +2, Control
+1). Patrol car has a Shotgun (Pump Action) and 6 Flash
Grenades.
42
COPS, SWAT
The heavy hitters of the enforcement world, called in as
full 10-man squads in APCs or helicopters when things
go wrong for the cops – or right for shadowrunners.
They don’t appear instantly; reaction times may be as
short as a minute to half an hour, depending on the
location they’re being called to.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8,
Vigor d8
Skills: Athletics d6, Driving d4, Fighting d6, Intimidation
d6, Notice d6, Shooting d8, Streetwise d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6 (12)
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Rock and Roll, at least one with
Command
Gear: Milspec Assault Rifle, Baton, SWAT Armor, 3 Flash
Grenades. One has a Sniper Rifle (and is in a good
position). Further backup in the form of a Spirit
summoned by a cop mage, or even a mage astrally
projecting, may be added.
GANGER (KOBUN, TORPEDOS)
Gangers are the thugs either working in small-time thrill
or go-gangs, or at a higher level for more organized
crime like the Yakuza or Mafia. Some may shift skills
around – a go-ganger may have Athletics d4 but
Driving d6 for example.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6,
Vigor d8
Skills: Athletics d6, Driving d4, Fighting d6, Intimidation
d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d8
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (8)
Gear: Machine Pistol, Knife, Armor Vest.
Martial Artist
Strength d8, Athletics d8, Fighting d8, Frenzy,
Monofilament Sword, Resilient
Enforcer
Agility d8, Shooting d8, Rock and Roll, Basic SMG
RUNNERS
Runners are almost always Wild Cards, even the
ones who’ve gone beyond Black Trenchcoat into full
Black Hat. Perhaps being a Wild Card makes you
inclined to shadowrun, perhaps it’s the karma of
becoming a runner. Feel free to use some of these
without the Wild Card ability, but with Resilient, for
tougher opposition that doesn’t get Bennies.
Corps use them sparingly, and only to solve serious
problems – which sometimes may be the player
characters. However, the players may also hire them. If
the team hires NPC runners, they do NOT come with
any Bennies, but retain their Wild Die.
Deckers and Riggers are not described, as most of their
services take place either remotely or through
drones/vehicles. Assume they have a d8 in their
relevant Traits minimum, and the stats of a Civvy
otherwise.
If you want to make a runner a specific race, just add the
relevant stat modifiers – and these are not set in stone,
as no two runners are the same. Many also have gear
not listed; this is simply combat-relevant items.
GUNSEL
The heavy weapons guy of a team, who kills with guns.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8,
Vigor d6
Skills: Athletics d6, Driving d4, Fighting d6, Intimidation
d6, Notice d6, Shooting d8+1, Stealth d6, Streetwise d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 (9)
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Cyber[Level-Headed], Dodge,
Marksman or Rock’n’Roll
Gear: A Machine Gun or Sniper Rifle, 6 Grenades,
Survival Knife, Armor Jacket with Body Armor, several
pieces of cyberware (accounted for in statline)
RAZOR
A razor kills things close and personal, but doesn’t
ignore guns just because they’re less fun.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8,
Vigor d6
Skills: Athletics d6, Driving d4, Fighting d8, Intimidation
d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 5 (9)
Edges: Block, Level-Headed, Dodge, Sweep or Frenzy
Special Abilities
• Wired Reflexes (2) Discard all cards below 8.
Gear:, Monofilament Sword, Heavy Pistol, Armor Jacket
with Body Armor, 2 Grenades (Standard), 2 Grenades
(Smoke)
FACE/CAT
Two sides of the same coin; they represent the
nonviolent side of the shadows, but are also capable of
violence.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4,
Vigor d6
Skills: Athletics d4, Driving d6, Fighting d4, Notice d6,
Shooting d6, Streetwise d8
Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 (7)
Face: Spirit d8, Gambling d4, Persuasion d8, Stealth d4,
Taunt d6, Charismatic,
Cat: Agility d8, Athletics d8, Electronics d6, Stealth d8,
Thievery d6. Thief
Gear: Light Pistol, Milspec SMG, Long Coat, Grenade
(Smoke), Medkit
43
SPELLWORM
Magicians are deadly in different ways, often using their
spells to bypass obstacles rather than just kill – that’s
what the SMG familiar is for.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d4,
Vigor d6
Skills: Athletics d4, Notice d6, Occult d8, Persuasion
d6, Sorcery d8, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 3; Toughness: 5 (7)
Edges: Sustaining Focus
Special Abilities
• Powers: Bolt, Conjuration, Disguise, Healing, Mind
Reading, Telekenesis
Gear: SMG, Long Coat, 3 Reagents
Wage Mage
These spellworms prefer regular paychecks and real food
to reheated Nutrisoy and soykaf. Replace Disguise and
Telekinesis with Dispel and Barrier, and their corp bosses
will usually give them the hardest Armor they can wear.
Street Shaman
These spellworms prefer helping people to killing them,
existing in tune with the streets. Replace Bolt and
Telekinesis with Boost/Lower Trait and Slumber.
PHYSAD
While there are many adepts who use their powers for
things like sports, shadowrunner adepts tend towards
the ninja or kung fu master realms – and can kill you
quick four different ways.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8,
Vigor d8
Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d6,
Notice d6, Stealth d8
Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6 (9)
Edges: Block, Brawler, Martial Artist, Quick, Danger
Sense
Special Abilities
• Killing Hands 2 – d8+d10 magical damage
• Missile Mastery
• Cloud Walker 2
Gear: Armored coat, 8 Knives, 3 Grenades.
THREATS
Threats exist on a level above; lethal forces that can kill
even normal runners easily. Some entries in this list have
no stats, describing some of the ‘big bads’ of
Shadowrun.
CYBERZOMBIE
Cyberzombies do not exist. Even the deepest shadows
only whisper of their existence, and most disbelieve it.
No one could ever replace the flesh with metal so
thoroughly that little is left but a brain and maybe a
spinal cord. Even if they did, the monster created would
die before too long as its soul disassociated from its faux
body. But… the whispers never stop...
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength
d10, Vigor d10
Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10,
Shooting d10+1
Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7 (20)
Edges: Improved Arcane Resistance, Level-Headed,
Nerves of Steel, Improved Rapid Fire, Rock and Roll
Special Abilities
• Construct. Add +2 to recover from being Shaken,
ignore one level of Wound modifiers, don’t breathe, and
are immune to disease and poison. Wounds must be
mended via the Repair skill.
• Very Resilient.
• Wired Reflexes 3. Discard any card below 8, and draw
an additional Card to act on that turn.
Gear: Minigun, Grenade Launcher, Milspec Armor, and
more metal than a Detroit classic car.
DRAGON
Dragons in Shadowrun are ancient beings that have
formed a society around one principle: They are apex
predators that only need fear each other, yet have to
work together sometimes to fulfill their duty. An
individual Dragon will claim a domain – terrain, a
megacorp, something similar – and have created
elaborate rules to avoid directly fighting each other
despite how much they want to.
As for how they feel about metahumans…
How would you feel if mice suddenly started
demanding your cheese and attacking you in the middle
of the night? You might kill them, or you might teach
them tricks and share some fragments, but they could
never be your equals. You live so much longer than
they, and see the world in a way they never could.
44
There are three broad varieties of dragon known:
Western (the European winged scaly type known and
beloved), Eastern (the sinuous, wingless type known in
Asiatic quarters), and Feathered (coatl type from Central
and South America). Each are as strong as each other,
however, with only minor differences.
Use the stat block from SWADE, but many Dragons are
also powerful spellcasters.
DRAGON, GREAT
Great Dragons do not get declared Great by others –
they declare themselves Great, and dare the other
Dragons to question their judgment. So they have to be
an order of magnitude stronger than ordinary Dragons,
or else be attacked just for the outrageous declaration.
Use your imagination for the statline, but at minimum
they should have Sorcery d12 and know all spells, with
many minions who can fight with them. Greats are
forces of nature that can outfight modern armies.
KLEPT
The klept use the Civvy stat block, unless one has made
a hobby of combat in which case they are much better
geared than any shadowrunner.
However, they have money. Infinite money. In a world
where that can rent you a dozen assassins, buy off an
entire country’s court system, erase someone’s
existence, and then once you’re done with the horrible
1-3 daily grind hop on your Virgin Islands jet to fuck the
preteen slave of your sexual preference.
Not all are that evil, to be sure, and many spend long
hours managing their fiefdoms. But power corrupts, and
absolute power corrupts absolutely. The only thing
keeping them in check is other klept, and the only thing
they agree on is that they like the world the way it is.
MONADS
The basic principle of a Monad (or Headcase) is this:
They were once AIs on the Matrix, born from when
Deus was splintered. They overwrote the personality of a
body connected to the Matrix and moved into it. Some
were chased from the Matrix, others did it by accident,
and a few did it intentionally. They only appear very late
in the setting, and should be a mystery element rather
than an opposition – is your contact acting strange? Is it
because he’s a Monad now? Are YOU becoming one?
Statwise many are just normal people – aside from a
hight aptitude for the Matrix – though high Strain makes
it easier to overwrite someone which can provide a
tough opponent if necessary.
SPIRIT, INSECT QUEEN
Once, these were human. Now,
they are no longer so, and birth
an endless stream of insect
spirits to snatch the bodies of
humans for their mysterious
goals.
Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts
d8, Spirit d10, Strength d12,
Vigor d12
Skills: Battle d8, Fighting d6,
Intimidation d8, Notice d6,
Occult d8, Sorcery d8+3
Pace: 2; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8
(10)
Edges: Block, Command,
Fervor, Improved Nerves of
Steel, Level-Headed, Lucky,
Hold the Line, Tactician
Special Abilities
• Armor +2. Thick, blubbery flesh protects the Queen.
• Fear (-2). Horrifying Cronenbergian monstrosity.
• Invulnerability. Immune to non-magical attacks.
• Powers. Barrier, Blast, Conjuration, Deflection, Dispel,
Mind Reading, Telekinesis
• Size 2 (Huge). Squat, hideous things that have plainly
grown from the ruin of a human.
• Weakness (Insecticide, Spirit). As per the normal
Spirit, Queens can be fought by sheer will over muscle.
Gear: None.
SPIRIT, FREE
Most conjured spirits don’t stick around our plane; they
have their own life to live. An extremely rare fraction do
for reasons of their own, and are called Free Spirits.
Some like metahumanity (Anima), some like messing
with metahumanity (Trickster), others despise it
(Shadows).
Free Spirits are highly variable, but generally start with a
Conjuration spell and gain in power from there as they
siphon off bits of people’s karma, willingly given or
taken. Almost all are magicians, and many use Alchemy
to lend power to their friends or slaves.
Conjuration can call them, but doing so requires
knowing the Free Spirit’s true name, which needs much
Occult research and knowledge of the spirit itself… and
doing so only guarantees it comes, not obeys.
45
Here is a list of premade Contacts for players to choose
from; note that this is mostly for a street-level game. The
number in parentheses is how many points they cost to
buy based on their abilities.
POLICE
Cops know the value of keeping their ears to the
ground, and so they’re quite willing to have a few
‘friends’ that they might be shooting at one night and
drinking with the next. They won’t break the law for
you, but they might tip you off if a klept has put out the
word (and money) to have you pursued.
NAME: Koren Thark (2)
TYPE: Lone Star Lieutenant
A good ork who knows that
sometimes runners aren't the
worst thing out there. But he’s
still a cop, and the law is his life
– even if he can’t seem to get
promoted.
NAME: “Wild” Bob Munroe(1)
TYPE: Lone Star Beat Cop
A fan of classic hardware who
likes to display it on the beat –
some say it was because he
loved his bike more than his
wife that she left him. Still, he's
a senior beat cop who knows all
the local dirt.
NAME: Karen King (2)
TYPE: Knight Errant Lieu-tenant
A no-nonsense woman who is
on her way up through the ranks
of KE – it only took her two
years to make detective. Right
now she’s in charge of making
Lone Star look bad, and KE look
good.
FIXERS
Fixers are the people who know people - everyone from
the Johnson who's hiring to the merc looking for some
cash to the ganger selling some AK-98's that 'fell off the
back of a truck' to a fence for that Rolls-Royce Phaeton
limosine you happened to 'acquire' last run. Most of
them have some speciality or other, but they don't mind
overlapping – fixers live for business.
NAME: Cat Who Walks Through
Walls (3)
SPECIALITY: Auburn
Proof that you can take the runner
out of the shadows, but you can't
take the shadows out of a runner,
Cat lived to see his forties and is
an expert in getting info to the
people who need it... for a price.
NAME: Cog (3)
SPECIALITY: Puyallup
A mysterious man who hires for
those who want their runners to
be noisy, violent, and messy - and
supplies quality ergonomic job-
related equipment for same
engagements (read: big guns).
NAME: Eve Donovan (3)
SPECIALITY: Tacoma
Another former runner who
suffered major injuries, her left
arm and leg are cybernetic. She's
spent a long time building up a
good, solid rep in all of Seattle,
not just Tacoma.
46
 ORGANIZED CRIME
Organized criminals are just that: syndicates, yakuza,
mafiosi, or even gangs that have been around long
enough. While they all have unique cultures, they tend
to share a few ideals: respect for the elders, pay your
dues, and above all else don't (get caught) rocking the
boat.
NAME: Shiro Usaka (4)
TYPE: Mizutachi Oyabun (junior)
A young man to be an oyabun,
Usaka is ambitious but incautious.
Still, he has built up an excellent
information network and is
powerful locally.
NAME: Andrew Musai (2)
TYPE: Mizutachi Kobun
An efficient kobun who manages
three times the territory of other
kobun fairly – and has to, since
he’s half-gaijin and in order to
thrive in the Yakuza MUST be
better than anyone fully nihonjin.
NAME: Fairi Fuchiya (1)
TYPE: Mizutachi accoun-tant
Though she's not much in the
muscle, she knows almost all of
what the Mizutachi-gumi are up
to; anyone younger than her she
likes is treated as an adopted
grandchild.
NAME: Jason O'Malley (4)
TYPE: Mafia Sottocapo
He is here because the Don of
Seattle trusts him; not to WIN
against the Yakuza but hold their
influence down at least a little.
He’s quite easygoing for a
mobster of his age (or maybe
because of it?), and even a bit
progressive.
NAME: Eiko Ricci (2)
TYPE: MafiaCaporegime
Despite being an elf, a woman,
and having a Japanese name,
she's proven herself to the
sottocapo and is on her way up.
Very loyal to him and the Mafia,
in that order.
NAME: Corrino “Razor” Bigio (1)
TYPE: Mafia Soldato
He hates that he can't seem to
get any promotions, but the truth
is he's not worth promoting.
Partly because he’s a jerk, and
partly because he has a VERY big
mouth.
OTHER SHADOW TYPES
Lots of people exist in the shadows who aren’t runners;
most of them provide services to runners which aren’t
strictly legal or they aren’t strictly allowed to do so.
NAME: Doc Hak’n’Cutz (2)
TYPE: Street Doc
Used to be a real doctor, but the
combination of hospital politics
and corp competition drove him
out of legitimate practice. He
keeps quiet, he knows people,
and he also does good work.
NAME: 'Rat' Vanian (1)
TYPE: Fence
Named for his packrat habits
rather than talking to the cops,
Vanian knows how to get some
yen for any high-tech that a
runner can lay hands on.
NAME: Mr. What (1)
TYPE: Armorer
A short, round man whose
personality is jolly, especially
when discussing the latest bang-
bang for sale, Mr. Who owns a
small gunstore named "What's in
Here?!" with a secret basement.
NAME: Icelady (1)
SPECIALITY: Talismonger
An Amerind firebrand who
knows how to get magicians the
goods they need, Icelady is also
very well-versed in the music
scene of Seattle.
47
 NAME: Doc Raven (1)
TYPE: Mechanic
f something goes wrong with
your car (say, a few dozen bullet-
holes) or if you just wanna make
it go FASTER, Doc Raven is the
man to go to. He'll grumble
about you dinging up his babies,
but he'll do the job right.
NAME: Ricky Rodent (1)
TYPE: Snitch
A nasty little man, his high voice
is rumored to be an after-effect
from a castration. But his
information about the gutters is
next to none, and if you chip in
an extra fifty nuyen he might not
tell anyone else what YOU asked
about…
NAME: Julian Barnes (1)
TYPE: Smuggler
Julian has the connections to get
things into – and out of – the
Tacoma docks and across the
world. He always seems to have
a good supply of stuff that ‘fell off
the boat’, too.
SHADOWRUNNERS
The people just like you. It's good to know other
shadowrunners, in case you need to hire some backup
or just a bit of knowledge.
NAME: Bonecrack(2)
TYPE: Street Samurai
A cold-blooded bastard, even for
a samurai. He'll do anything for
the right price. Save a kidnapped
child or kill a little old lady, it's all
the same to him, but damn if he's
not good at what he does.
NAME: Erik Vernon Dreyfuss(2)
TYPE: Wannabe runner. RICH
wannabe runner.
Most wannabes end up as spare
organs, but there's something
about Dreyfuss the Doofus,
something lucky. Plus, he's rich,
though his mommy only allows
him to buy gear for himself.
NAME: Double Vision(2)
TYPE: Dwarf Rigger (van)
Short, crass, horny, annoying
habit of listening to last century's
music, has never touched a
woman without money
exchanging hands, but damn can
he drive. Great for backup in his
heavily armed van, Cold as Ice.
NAME: Silver (2)
TYPE: Cat
Either a very skinny dwarf or a
very short woman, Silver is
known for her ability to break into
anywhere and steal almost
anything... for a price.
NAME: Rat Dancer (2)
TYPE: Combat Shaman
Hire Rat Dancer, hire her boys –
she’s been running for almost
two decades and has an
extensive list of kids and
grandkids who all work for her.
But she can’t seem to give up the
biz.
NAME: Quietus (2)
TYPE: Assassin
A elf who loves karaoke,
cooking, and blowing the brains
out of others in exchange for
money. He has a thing about not
killing innocents, to the point that
several clients have ended up
dead for lying to him.
NAME: Warlock (2)
TYPE: Decker
A good decker, but he’s…
unlucky. Oh, not when he’s
HIRED, but whenever he thinks
he has a big score it falls through,
and sometimes gets into drek
neck-deep.
48
 GANGS DECENT CITIZENS
There are three local thrillgangs in your area: the Yes, there are ordinary, nice people whose lives touch
Yojimbo (with a Japanese motif, but the Yaks hate these the shadows for whatever reason – mostly because
guys), the Shamrocks (who have an Irish bent; many of many of them aren’t decent, or because they’ve retired
their parents were expatriates from Tir na'nOg), and the from the shadows, or because they are working to make
Royal Reapers (who fancy themselves to be bigger than the world a better place.
they are). NAME: Christian Heum (1)
TYPE: Charitable Teacher
There are two local go-gangs, but only one of them is Runs a free school in the Barrens
sane enough to have a contact with: the Zoku care only to find and teach the children
about their motorcycles and their 'dos. The Libras are who might otherwise never find
crazies inflicting 'judgement', usually against SINners. out their true gifts; sadly, many of
them turn to running instead of
There are much larger gangs such as the Ancients (an finding legitimate employment.
all-elf go-gang), but they tend to have their in-house
assets and rarely hire outside their own gang.
NAME: Ren Martindale (1)
NAME: Daimyo Rouge (2) TYPE: Freelance reporter
TYPE: Yojimbo gang boss A 20th-century reporter in the
A woman who grew up in the twenty-first, Ren has made his rep
gang, she's harder than the steel on being able to investigate
of her actual katana – and isn't ANYTHING - and do it well.
afraid to show it.

NAME: Loli Lovely (1)

TYPE: Klept rumormonger
The child of Seattle's richest
NAME: The Leprechaun (2) madame, who supplies escorts of
TYPE: Shamrock gang boss all sorts to the most powerful
Rumor has him as a magician of people, Ms. Lovely is somewhere
some kind, but others just say between 11 and 14 physically,
he's nothing but a leprechaunman either 18 or 21 according to her
and is as lucky as the being he's well-faked IDs, and has all the
named for. jaded world-weariness of a forty-
year old Vietnamese whore.
NAME: King Jamon (2)
TYPE: Royal Reaper gang boss NAME: Gregory Lamb (1)
Has ambitions to expand his TYPE: Matchsticks Bartender
gang's turf and influence – and He's tried being a shadowrunner
has the smarts, the guts, and the twice, failed both times, and he's
sheer sociopathy that might be bitter about it. Still, he knows
required to do so. people, and keeps his ear to the
ground.
NAME: Josie (2)
TYPE: Zoku gang boss NAME: Patrick Bambra (1)
Beautiful and fun loving, under TYPE: Private Detective
her leadership the Zoku have Two meters tall topped by a
become an almost-benign force freckled face and a shock of curly
that hire themselves out for red hair, no one would pick him
escort or security missions with a for a private dick. But he’s good
bit of street in their presentation. at his job. Just don’t laugh too
much at the bolo tie.

49
NAME: Weird Paul (1)
TYPE: Store Owner
Owns probably the best
electronics store in the Tri-city
area, along with a bunch of other
weird, tasteless drek. However,
he is obnoxious toward anyone
that doesn’t immediately like
what he likes.
NAME: Madeline “Maddy” (1)
TYPE: Activist
Maddy works with a half-dozen
policlubs in the Puyallup area,
coordinating their efforts to help
the Unhoused or barely housed.
She is well known and well-loved
in the area, and always has an
open ear.
NAME: Abigail Verner (1)
TYPE: Corp Secretary
Works for the CEO of Fuchifax,
she’s got a solid grip on the pulse
of what’s going on with corps.
Her only weakness is a deep
addiction… to real chocolate.
NAME: Trixie (1)
TYPE: Fortuneteller
Trixie is a lady that’s been around
for decades, and runs an eerily
accurate fortunetelling business
out of her shop – strictly by
reference only, no walk-ins.
NAME: Julie (1)
TYPE: Club Owner
Owner of Club Chiarascuro, a
trendy nightspot in Auburn that is
growing more popular, with
people traveling all the way from
Bellevue and Seattle to be seen
and obscene there.
NAME: “Adopted” (1)
TYPE: Underworld 93 Splatter
“Adopted” is the new son of the
Underworld 93’s owner; the
owner’s identity is a mystery but
“Adopted” doesn’t hesitate to
throw out trouble-makers quickly.
Why splatter? Because he throws
you hard enough that you don’t
bounce.
NAME: Robert Two-Feathers (2)
TYPE: Salish-Sidhe Chieftain
Likes to claim he doesn’t so
much ‘run’ his little clan than
‘make sure it doesn’t blow up
from the inside’, Twoie isn’t
adverse to a little smuggling, as
long as you don’t try to poach on
his territory.
NAME: Jimmie Maddox (1)
TYPE: Cabdriver
Jimmie does more than drive cab;
he works for several limo services
and knows who is going where
and how often. He also listens to
the other drivers and jokes about
a union, though he adds, “But I’d
look bad in cement sneakers.”
NAME: /Lightsaber noise\ (1)
TYPE: Sasquatch Showman
Bigfeet have magic; what they
don’t have are vocal cords that
can reproduce words, just noise.
This guy is a lovable stage
performer, and is popular up and
down the ‘plex with the bougy
and klept clubs.
NAME: Sal (1)
TYPE: Street Kid
Sal lives on the street. ON your
street. And prefers it that way to
jandering with slotted ‘rents
thinking they’re anje. Sal keeps
their orbs on the zappinin’s, and
if someone’s wiz they’ll trade
more than hoi’s. You ka?
50
This is a set of one sheets meant to highlight the three
themes of Shadowrun: Magic, Cyber, and Punk. I would
run them in the order presented, though that is of
course your choice.
CYBER
Shapeshifters normally feel a connection to their animal
kin. But not Ektkyens (Tooth Thief in Salish), who’s quite
willing to lure wolfpacks to poisoned meat so she and
her gang can strip the fur off and sell them for the
human drugs and alcohol she’s grown to love but
requires so much of because of her regenerative powers.
The Johnson gets in touch through a contact in law
enforcement, smuggling to Native American Nations, or
with the NAN directly.
FUR IS MURDER...
The third thing you notice is his probably brand-new
cyberarm, moving with a jerkiness that implies he’s still
getting used to the implant. The second thing you
notice is that he looks like he dove head-first into a
shredder machine and barely came out the other side.
But the first thing is the soft uncured buckskin and
shamanic talismans he’s wearing which shows enough
actual wear that they’re probably authentic, rather than
pinkskin glitz.
He introduces himself as Jonathan Scouts-Ahead, a
sheriff for the Salish-Sidhe Nation. He tells the runners:
1) The job is to hunt and destroy a poaching gang who
run their operation out of the Puyallup Barrens, though
they slip the border into Salish-Sidhe territory to hunt
wolfpacks.
2) Their scheme is to poison the wolves, which is bad
enough, but that the poison is strong enough that it kills
carrion feeders and lasts for weeks in the ecosystem.
3) The gang is led by a shapeshifter named Ectkyens,
and that she’s the reason he’s down a wing and unable
to finish the hunt – though he also lacks jurisdiction in
Seattle and can’t interest Lone Star in doing it for him.
Hence, shadowrunners. He also has no idea where they
are, except “Puyallup Barrens”, which is pretty big.
LEGWORK
The first thing the runners will probably do is look up
shapeshifter weaknesses; and yes, silver does the trick.
Getting a clip of silver ammo or silver edging a weapon,
however, costs 100% of the weapon’s normal cost – it’s
expensive and currently in style with the klept.
The next thing they need to do is find the location,
which is a hotel on the fringes of the ash wastes of
Puyallup. When Mount Raineer erupted during the Great
Ghost Dance, a piece of ejecta hit it and shattered the
second floor, but the first is still functioning. Let them
succeed with drones tracking vehicles, or asking spirits
to look, or inquiring of appropriate contacts.
...BUT SO AM I
There is 1 Ganger (p.43) in the lobby for every runner,
with an equal amount sleeping in rooms, though they
are armed with Hunting Rifles. One is an Enforcer with a
Milspec Assault Rifle and Resilient. There is always one
on watch, hiding on the second floor. There are several
parked offroad SUVs in the front lot as well.
The real threat is Ektkyens, however, who is a Wild Card
Wolf Shapeshifter. Use the Dire Wolf (SWADE p.181)
and the Razor (p.43, minus cyberware) for her stats.
Currently she is NOT blissed out on novacoke, and on a
commlink call in the back room when the runners move
in. If the fight is going badly for her (ie, when she finds
out the runners have silver), she won’t hesitate to retreat
and abandon her minions.
PAYOUT
The run has a *3 multiplier base. They also may gain
Scouts-Ahead as a contact if they find Ektkyen’s
commlink and find that her customer was Emily
Shiawase, who is a klept of the family running the
Shiawase megacorp.
If Ektkyens lives, she’ll remember who broke up her little
ring and take it personally. Would YOU want a vengeful
drug addict werewolf after your ass? Neither would I.
CYBER THEME
This run is ‘Cyber’ because Ektkyens has decided that
she loved the drugs technology created enough to
literally kill her own relatives and skin them.
51
 PUNK
The klept fear one thing over all else, even death: no
longer being among the klept. Marianne Hobart is a 60
year old lady who has just discovered that her prenup
let her husband take everything in the divorce - aside
from a truly pathetic 4 grand a month and their vacation
home in Aruba - and she won’t live in such squalor. So
she hires the runners to break into her husband’s office
and steal the million or so in genelocked credsticks they
embezzled together as a marital hobby.
The Johnson gets in touch through a contact with high
society, or a fixer, telling them to go to a condo in
Bellevue and to please be on their best behavior, as a
personal favor? There’s a lot of money at stake.
WANT A COOKIE, DEARIE?
They’re ushered in past security and into an elevator to
the fiftieth floor.
As the door swings open, I drek you not, you’re literally
greeted by the smell of fresh-baked cookies. A kindly
voice calls from beyond the living room that’s twice the
size of your current squat by itself, “Oh, make
yourselves comfortable, I’ll be right out.”
As you plop into the various deep-cushioned couches, a
bar drone rolls up and offers you a drink from its
dispenser. About thirty seconds after that, the little old
lady you assume is your Johnson steps out from the
kitchen, complete with an apron and a heaping plateful
of cookies.
It’s all a farce, by the way; normally Marianne presents
about mid-30s but she had a makeover to her ‘natural’
age, hoping to create sympathy pangs in the runners.
After all, she’s not LYING; so what if the cookies only
took 30 seconds with the kitchen she has? And she IS in
her 60s. And she IS getting robbed in the divorce.
Tell it from her point of view, that she’ll be left destitute
if they don’t help her steal the money her husband
embezzled, and she IS going to pay them a lot because
she has two unique conditions:
“I’d really like it if you didn’t hurt any of the poor
employees who were so recently working for us. It’s not
their fault George is a bastard! Also, dearies, you have to
bring me with; the safe is genelocked and so are the
credsticks.”
LEGWORK
The office is on the 20th floor of a 25 story skyscraper in
downtown Auburn and her husband is CEO for a Fuchi
subsidary called Fuchifax, who creates and distributes
memes, media, and fauxnews for their parent corp. They
don’t own the whole building, mind, just part of it.
MONEY, MONEY, EVERYWHERE
Marianne’s old passcodes were wiped out in the
divorce, of course, so how the players infiltrate it is up
to them – though if they go noisy and kill people,
Marianne will cluck and deduct money from them.
The security is medium-low, as nothing done here is of
critical importance. The surveillance is hooked to the
Matrix, there are only 5 security guards for the whole
building with another 5 janitors slowly cleaning the
floors, though the first floor is locked off every night and
1 Barghest (use Dog/Wolf SWADE p.181, but with
Sorcery d6 and Fear) per runner is allowed to roam.
The real challenge comes when they get to the office –
not because of anything there, but because when
Marianne opens the safe and hands a duffel to the player
with a “Hold it open for me, dearie,” as she tosses
platinum credsticks worth 10 grand apiece into the bag,
for a total of about a million nuyen. Make it clear to the
runners just how much money is going in, and that they
can touch not one nuyen of it, as it’s genelocked to her
and requires a bank’s equipment to unlock.
If they do threaten her, she drops her act. “If you hurt
me, I’ve got a bond with two local fixers to have you
killed – not that you’d last long in the biz for betraying
your Johnson when she’s done nothing but be straight
with you. I haven’t lied once, I don’t need to.”
After they drop her off outside her condo, she hands
them their payment with a smile and, “Oh, you’ve been
such good kids, perhaps I’ll hire you in the future.” This
is a lie, as she is leaving Seattle forever and it’s doubtful
they’d recognize her when she goes back to the age she
prefers. However, who knows what the future may hold
for the runners...
PAYOUT
In many ways, this is a pure milk run. It only has a base
*2 multiplier, but she’s a nice lady and the runners
HAVE been perfect little tools – er, helpful boys, so
she’ll toss in the *1.5 multiplier for nasty work.
PUNK
This run is about reminding the players that the klept
own everything, including them; and even if they do act
sweet and kind it IS an act.
52
 MAGIC
A local street gang’s boss named Fallout has discovered
something horrifying: He is a shaman, and his totem is
Cockroach. He fought against it for a while, but
surrendered to the insidious whispers and is turning his
gangers into insect spirit hosts.
The Johnson is a street-level contact, one that knows the
players. A gang leader would be preferable, but it could
be anyone who has a vested interest in making the
streets a little less horrifying.
WORSE THAN DEATH
Sitting next to [CONTACT] is a skinny boy, maybe
fourteen or fifteen, who’s shivering and won’t meet
anyone’s eyes.
“This kid came in and was begging for my help. Says his
boss has gone-”
The kid screams as a cockroach scurries across the table,
throwing himself violently away from it and onto the
ground. “It’s the boss! The boss made my bloods into
them, and almost did it to me! I got away, but… but…”
At that, you see the back of the kid’s leg, where part of
the flesh has been replaced by a chitinous shell.
[CONTACT] meets your eyes and says, “I can’t pay
much, but we gotta do something about this or we’re all
bug chow.”
If the players aren’t in the know, have the contact say,
“You ain’t heard about bug shamans? Creepy fraggers.
They take people and put spirits in them, take ‘em over,
twist ‘em into monsters. And sometimes you can’t tell
who’s a bug on the inside, they don’t all end up like
that. No way of saving ‘em when it’s done, either.”
LEGWORK
Let the runners call contacts for info on insect spirits,
though only those who have knowledge of the magic or
shadowrunning will know anything. Have one of them
suggest that insecticide can harm even the true spirits,
or if you want to be easy have the Johnson tell them.
RUNNERS CHECK IN, BUT DON’T CHECK OUT
The kid gives directions to the gang’s secret hideout,
which is a defunct gas station in a bad part of the
sprawl. However, it’s more than just the surface
building, as the shaman has had his cockroach spirits
burrow tunnels underground to hide his nest.
The gas station itself is guarded by 1 Fleshform Insect
(p.41) Ganger (p.43) for each runner. One will try to flee
to the burrow’s entrance in the manager’s office when
the fight begins to warn everyone.
The tunnels have three major rooms: a barracks room
that has 1 Fleshform Ganger for every 2 runners either
asleep or if alerted is empty (and reinforcing the
Queen’s chamber), a nursery guarded by 1 Trueform
Worker Insect Spirit d8 (p.41) for every 2 runners which
also contains several pods where other gangers are
undergoing conversion, and the future Queen’s room.
The gangers in the pods may or may not be saved,
depending on how you and the players react.
The Queen’s room is still under construction, as it’s a
major ritual to summon a queen, but he has 1 Trueform
Soldier Insect Spirit d8 for every 2 runners, as well as 1
Fleshform Ganger for every 2 runners. He himself is a
Wildcard Spellworm (p.44) with Mentor Spirit, Bolt,
Illusion, Protection, Puppet, and Slumber. Mentor Spirit
has picked Protection as the bonus Power.
PAYOUT
The run itself has a *4 modifier base, but as it’s ‘hooding
(as in Robin Hood) the payout is *0.5. Several days later,
however, a shaman who calls himself Many-Names will
approach the team’s spellworm – or leader if there is no
spellworm – and offer a favor as thanks for ending the
nest before a Queen was summoned. “Break this bone,
and I will reach out to you – I’m afraid that I keep losing
my commlink.”
However, read the following to one of the players:
As you’re walking down the crowded street to buy
some kaf, a voice sounds from behind you, one that
sounds as though it was generated not by a throat but
by some kind of insect rubbing its hairy limbs together,
“We have seen what you did to our brothers, and we do
not forgive you.” You whirl around, but there’s too
many people on the concrete, all of whom look…
normal?
Or do they? Does that one have bug eyes? Is that one
hunching over because of a carapace under its ill-fitting
suit? Who said that?
MAGIC
The bodysnatching horror of the insect shamans is
presented here to show that magic is not good by itself,
and that even a dystopia could get worse if the players
do nothing.
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