Shadowrun at a Glance
Four ideas carry most of the game. Each part of the guide builds on them.
Dice Pools
Roll a handful of d6s, attribute plus skill. Every 5 or 6 is a hit; more than half 1s is a glitch.
Limits
Your Physical, Mental and Social limits cap how many hits count, unless you spend Edge to push past them.
Magic and the Matrix
Mages and adepts draw on the Awakened world; deckers and technomancers fight in the wireless Matrix.
The Run
Meet the Johnson, do the legwork, make a plan, and survive it when the plan falls apart.
The Guide
The rules first, then sample runners, then the GM pages and playing solo.
Getting Started
The Rules
Game Mechanics
Dice pools of d6s, hits on 5 and 6, limits, glitches, Edge, and building a runner with the Priority system.
Archetypes & Roles
Street samurai, deckers, mages, faces, riggers and more: what each brings to the team.
Magic
Spellcasting and Drain, traditions, adepts, the astral plane and spirits.
The Matrix
Deckers and technomancers, cyberdecks, marks, hosts, IC and the Overwatch Score.
Contacts & Lifestyle
Connection and Loyalty, fixers, lifestyles, SINs and life in the shadows.
Runners
Character Examples
Worked runners and how a balanced team fits together.
84 Sample Runners
Ready-made runners for every role, to play as written or borrow ideas from.
150 Runner Names
Street names and real names for every metatype, plus how runners pick their handles.
For the GM
Planning a Run
The shape of a run: the meet, legwork, the plan, the run itself and the fallout.
Urban Sprawl & Street Life
The Seattle sprawl, its districts, gangs and the people who live in its shadows.
Advanced Campaigns
Long campaigns, reputation, dragons and megacorp politics, and runners who become legends.
Playing Solo
Tools
Use these at the table.