Shadowrun
- Genre: Cyberpunk-Fantasy
- Core focus: Genre mix, crime
- Complexity: Very high
- Languages: German, English, French, Spanish
Shadowrun combines a dystopian future version with fantasy elements into a sort of urban-fantasy-cyberpunk setting. It takes place in a world of 2080 where corporations rule the world, magic has returned, and classic fantasy beings like elves, orcs, or dragons exist alongside cyborgs and hackers.
You mainly take on the roles of “shadowrunners” in the form of mercenaries, spies, or criminals executing dangerous missions in a society marked by power struggles and monitoring.
What makes Shadowrun special is the mix of technology and magic. Players can hack decks, control drones, fight as street samurais with cyber implants, or travel astrally as mages. This combination offers many different roles, play styles, and stories – from sneaking and diplomacy to high-tech battles and magical duels.
Shadowrun is known for its extremely detailed and complex rules. It also uses a dice pool system (only D6), in which the number of dice reflects the character’s ability. Additionally, it features three deep subsystems for magic, hacking, and cyberware, all of which can exist and be mastered in parallel.
In contrast to D&D, which takes place in a classic medieval fantasy world, Shadowrun is an urban sci-fi-fantasy setting with a strong focus on politics, social inequality, corporations, and covert operations. Instead of exploring dungeons, shadowrunners usually plan heists, sabotages, or escapes, where creativity, teamwork, and preparation are often more important than sheer brute strength.
