The Shadowrun Supplementals

February 18, 2024 - 3 minutes read - 488 words

On January 1st, 1992 we were given Shadowrun in its second form. Now revised with an attempt to bring the systems together and resolve some rules disputes, this gave us the form Shadowrun would exist in for some time. In 1997 Adam Jury rounded up some articles and put together the first Shadowrun Supplemental. This was a collection of articles written by players and Game Masters about topics they wanted to see in their games. Things they wanted to share with the world at large of Shadowrun players.

It was a time of rogue designers and people making incredible things. The Dumpshock forums were full of life and full of ideas coming out every day that a lot of us watched curiously, waiting to be inspired. I believe the Shadowrun Supplemental represented what a lot of us playing Shadowrun wanted to see in the world. A zine (When’s the last time you saw that word?) for fans by fans written in a digital world where anything is possible.

This plays deeply into my own emotional feelings about the internet. Back before the days of Google. There was a mystery to it. It wasn’t a known or searchable place. You had to know someone who tipped you off to a site. You had to join a Webring, a mailing list, etc. to find your peers. The world of Discord is incredible, don’t get me wrong. We can share things in a way we never have before, but it does lack that mystery and sense of exploration we used to get when we found something very few people knew about.

When trying to get my own hands on this, I discovered most of it was only on Archive.org. They of course do amazing work, but I don’t want this flame to ever stop burning. Part of the reason I made this site was for this exact reason. Preservation of media like the Supplemental in the form you would have found in all those years ago. All of these incredible creators deserve to be immortalized for their work and contributions. So for as long as I can hold the torch, I will put them here for everyone. Until someone else takes up the torch when I can no longer hold it.

If you still hold a spark [An issue I don’t have listed here], please reach out to me. I know there are several I don’t have and want to preserve.