Today we are going to dive into the first chapter in Shadowrun 2050. If you missed Part 1 be sure to check it out first.
The first chapter is appropriately named The Knife at Your Throat. This is a rundown of the various facets of 2050 life that might end up getting you killed. An excellent place to begin. The chapter is broken up into three parts which each break down their own little slice of Shadowrunner life. All of this is written within the framework of a file that has been posted on the infamous Shadowland. That means Shadowtalk. Shadowtalk has always been the most entertaining part of any Shadowrun fiction for me and I am glad to see it return in just the way I remember it.
For those of you unfamiliar, this means that the text is broken up with commentary written by some of the famous characters from the fiction. For those of you that remember this well, you won’t be disappointed. Captain Chaos, Fast Jack, Argent, Hachetman and even Big D himself all comment somewhere within the first chapter.
Ok. Let’s dive in.
So let’s start with the first of three sections titled: Things That Can Kill You. This breaks down the idea that in the Sixth World everything is out to get you. What we get is a short write up on tons of different aspects of Shadowrun life. Examples include: Homes, Safehouse, Environmentalism, Avoiding the Law, Security Zones/Ratings, Gangs, Crime Syndicates, Policlubs, Governments, Corporations (The Big Eight), Digital & Magical Threats and, of course, Dragons.
Now the list itself is pretty good. In fact, I would be hard pressed to say that they hit each of the major linchpins of the setting and gave them each a fair shake. The problem? None of this information is very detailed. At first this bothered me a bit. I was having fun reading about all these various subjects and immediately was going down memory lane, systematically unlocking all Shadowrun fluff that has been locked away in there for years.
That’s when I realized that things were probably kept brief on purpose. Just from a word count standpoint it doesn’t make sense to cover any of these subjects at any great length. Especially since the old material could make a book out of each one. I had to remember that Shadowrun 2050 assumes that you have a current copy of the 20th Anniversary rulebook. Within you will find a timeline for the setting that will go over The Awakening, The Crash and everything else.
So Shadowrun 2050 is making some key assumptions here. One is that you have access to and have read the 20th Anniversary rulebook and that you are familiar with the setting and its history. The other assumption that you were once familiar with the things presented here and taking a trip down memory lane. I think both of these assumptions are valid considering the target market for such a book. After all there is so much material in the back catalogue that they couldn’t possibly do it justice in a new volume like this one.
On the other hand it might leave someone new to the setting wanting to learn more about any and all of these subjects and how they were in the 2050’s. No problem there. Most of the back catalogue (if not all of it) has been converted to PDF and is currently on sale at DrivethruRPG.
The second section is titled Ka-Power List: 2050. This section is who’s who for 2050 pop-culture. They cover all the bases and give write-ups for Euphoria, JetBlack, Neil the Ork Barbarian and Maria Mercurial as well as others. This section does a decent job of hinting at the style and importance of pop-culture to the Sixth World in 2050 as well as it being an avenue for Shadowrun business. Again the Shadowtalk really makes this a fun read. It makes you realize that Shadowrunners are people too.
The final section of chapter one has the fun title of The Neo-Anarchist’s Guide To Pissing Off Lone Star. I found this to be a really fun series of pages. It’s one Runner’s guide on what to do when you get caught by the police. It’s not the end of the world and is something most teams have to deal with from time to time. It gives you tips on laying low after a run, the various restraints used by Lone Star (and tips on how to break out of them), an example of each of the 3 standard Lone Star vehicles (with advice on breaking into/out of them) and a list of the top 5 myths surrounding the Lone Star legal procedure entitled: Truth or Drek. Fun stuff.
So I thought the chapter was a good start. I’d like more details but I realize that most of what I was looking for already existed in the back catalogue and is easily accessible. Next week I’ll be back after I read The Darkest Shadows. It has more detailed information on Seattle, Chicago and Hong Kong in 2050.
I'm curious. Does any of the writing seem tongue in cheek, or do they seem to be taking the retro setting seriously? My reservation with a supplement like this is sort of the point your making about how much of it isn't fleshed out because all of the information you actually need to run a 2050s game already exists in the source books from that era (which are nearly all available for download on DriveThruRPG or Battlenet).In other words, what does this add to the game, apart from being a fun romp down memory lane for the old grey beards like us? Does it compile much of this info? Does it spend much time teaching you how to use SR4 rules to make old-school Matrix runs (I realize you may not have read this section yet).
ReplyDeleteAnd honestly, as "neat" as advice on how to escape Lone Star (how quaint, GO KE!!) restraints may be, what the DREK does that have to do with RPing in 2050? The SR gamer doesn't really need another treatise on how to lay low after a run, or essentially how to be a Shadowrunner, do they? Honestly, each core set deals with this question, and several supplements as well (The Sprawl Survival Guide being my personal fav).
I can appreciate the run down on each of the old legendary characters, as many people might not get all of the references to them in the SR4 books. But didn't Catalyst publish a book that did just that called Street Legends??
Nevertheless, I'm sure the artwork is cool...
@TheMadadh So far it seems like they are taking the retro setting seriously. After only digging into the first chapter, it offers a general rundown of what the shadows of 2050 were like. The shadowtalk and rumors about the corporations hint at things that happen later in the setting, like the Fuchi / Novatech stuff. It offers those brand new to the "past" almost an adventure hook or sorts. Or details they can flesh out for their world. It serves those well versed in the fluff a reminder of where this is all headed.
ReplyDeleteBut how much does this add to the game for those that already knew it was there? I'm not sure. Going in you have to assume that this will be a retread of a lot of material. The rules conversions seem to high on the list for fans. The main draw of the book might be that alone. I'll see for myself soon.
I thought the Lone Star write up was good because in 2050 the tech was around but a lot of the precincts didn't have the budget. So letting player and GM alike know that getting handcuffed with honest to god old fashioned handcuffs is something they still did back then. Mag-locks and the like were reserved for the special customers. It also goes about how most cops on the beat have never run into a Mage and their "Mage Hood" is probably still in the package and will need to consult the instructions to put it on (giving you an opportunity to spring loose).
Unfortunately I lost touch with the game after 4th edition. I'm not familiar with what kind of content was released in the last few years, including Street Legends. Again, the info presented seems to be just enough for someone to digest and make due with or if they so choose seek out the other resources to get more "official" details.
Honestly that sectioned painted a different picture of Lone Star than what I was used to seeing. I liked it and some different scenarios involving police came to mind.
I'm hoping to tackle your other questions when I get to the chapter on characters and the rules on the Matrix and Magic.