Shadowrun

From Shadowrun Wiki

Shadowrun is a cyberpunk-urban fantasy cross-genre role-playing game, set in the years 2050-2070 following a great cataclysm that has brought magic back to the world, just as it begins to embrace the marvels (and dangers) of technologies such as cyberspace, omnipresent computer networks, genetic engineering, and the merger of man and machine called cyberware. Despite its departure in some respects from the "mainstream" cyberpunk genre, Shadowrun is perhaps the best-known and most popular RPG for this genre outside of R. Talsorian Games's Cyberpunk 2020 [1].

Contents 1 History 2 Setting 3 System 4 Influences and links 5 Spin-offs 6 See also 7 Sources

[edit] History

See Shadowrun history

[edit] Setting

See Shadowrun setting

[edit] System

See Shadowrun system

[edit] Influences and links

Shadowrun was retroactively linked to Earthdawn, and is set in the "Sixth World", where Earthdawn is the "Fourth World" and our modern-day Earth is at the tail end of the Fifth World. Such links are not necessary for play, but they allow crossover potential.

The concept of the "Worlds" is directly linked to the ancient Mayan belief that the world is renewed every five thousand years. In point of fact, the ancient Mayan calendar will restart in December 2012.

Shadowrun is influenced by the writings of William Gibson (particularly Neuromancer), although less so than the Cyberpunk 2020 role-playing game.

In December 2005 Robert Boyd from Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland robbed a lingerie shop at knifepoint in Belfast while wearing a blonde ladies wig. During his trial Boyd stated he was playing Shadowrun, specifically the role of criminal elf Buho, at the time and may have "blurred reality and fantasy". Two jurors believed his story, but ten did not and he was convicted of robbery in March 2007.

[edit] Spin-offs

See Shadowrun spin-offs.

[edit] See also

• Shadowrun collectible card game
• Shadowrun Duels – Action figure combat in the same setting.
• Earthdawn - Set in the same world as Shadowrun but many thousands of years in the past.
• Echo Chernik - Shadowrun interior and cover artist.

[edit] Sources

This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Shadowrun. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Shadowrun Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.