What Shadowrun Edition Should I Choose

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- 17 minutes read - 3565 words

One of the most common questions we get on the various Shadowrun Subreddits is what edition is right for me and my group? Think is unfortunately always answered with the obvious “It depends”. I’m going to hopefully lay out all the information to make the choice for you and your group. Each edition has a lot to offer and gives a completely different feel to your game. Let’s see where your group falls. This will be a living document, so as I find some better examples and feedback on how best to explain some editions.

If you decide to buy some books based on this review, please visit my bookshop page!

We will examine the systems under the following aspects. This should help you understand what that system is like and how best to present the system to your group.

  • Dice System
    • This is how generally things are resolved when conflict is brought up. Just realize ALL shadowrun Editions are crunchy, but your level of crunch is definitely changed as you continue on the edition journey.
  • Character Creation
    • How characters are made and how difficult it is to make them. Also roughly how long it took me to make a character in this system.
  • Matrix System
    • All Shadowrun games have a “Matrix” or “Hacking” system. This gives us the ability to do cool heists and the likes.
  • Magic System
    • How magic works, feels, and its general power level (Which changes pretty drastically throughout editions)
  • Metaplot Snippets
    • What the current world is like and how it changed since the last edition. As well as roughly what “years” that edition covers.
  • Notes
    • Some edition changes have some kind of strangeness that comes with it. I’ll try to best describe how it will affect your game.

1st Edition Shadowrun

VTT Support: None that I could find unfortunately, if you DO have some, please let me know!

Dice System: Skill or Attribute against a TN set by the GM modified by gear modifiers and situational modifiers. Also includes pools generated by Highest Skills in some categories. Weapons and damage code is different from any other system. It is changed in 2nd edition to be universal and stayed in 3rd.

Character Creation: Priority Chart very similar to 2nd Edition. Races and and magics require higher priority in order to play a magical meta human, you will be giving up all of your highest priorities to do so.

Matrix System: This is the original Wired Matrix edition. Systems are complex and are difficult to do on the fly but are a world unto themselves. It does require a bit of planning and does take away from the “scene” at hand to have them run in a separate world than the rest of the runners, but it does add quite a bit to the atmosphere to do so.

Programs have ratings, Cyberdecks are expensive and in general the decker will need hard cash to progress. It is still a very fulfilling system to play in!

Magic System: Mages are power houses and dangerous beyond belief. Spells hit like trucks and drain can be dangerous.

Metaplot Snippets: Between 2050 and 2055. Everything is fresh and new! The world has been changed forever by the return of magic and by the invention of cyberware and the digital world known as the matrix. Dragons have returned and the supernatural is now actively walking down the street. Also the universal brotherhood is actively recruiting! Some say they are a cult but no one knows for sure.

Notes: This was the first shake at the system and there are some growing pains. Combat has a bit more crunch due to how some weapons work and in general you will have to do some looking up or get yourself a DM screen in order to run combat smoothly, but you will definitely feel powerful in this edition and with how Karma works in these previous editions 1st - 3rd. Advanced characters will begin to feel like they can do some crazier things with more of a safety net. They art and the extras source books for 1st edition however on the HIGHEST quality I’ve ever seen in a TTRPG. Most are in character manuals or catalogs that your character could potentially own. It feels in universe and the attention to super tiny minor details is astounding. Most older GMs will STILL use those books for flavor over newer ones.

2nd Edition Shadowrun

VTT Support: Roll20 Discussion

Dice System: Skill or Attribute against a TN set by the GM modified by situational modifiers. Also includes pools generated by Highest Skills in some categories.Skills can be broad in SR1 & 2. So the dice pools can be VERY small sometimes. This edition introduced the Skill Web which many folks may have heard of. It allows for calculating how difficult using one skill for another is when you don’t have a specific skill. So Electronics to Computers and vice versa. It does sometimes lead into some strangeness at massive target numbers. All and all, it’s not a bad way of doing it.

Character Creation: Character creation is done with the priorities Table. Character Builder Web App

Matrix System: This is part of the “Wired” matrix editions. That being said, radios and wifi are still a thing, it’s just missing the AR as described in 4th Edition and on. Deckers connect with Cyberdecks and use their programs in a small “dungeon” crawl of a system. This has the advantage of being extra deep in that the system can have literal hidden doors and passages that the decker can naturally stumble upon. As well. ICs in this system are usually created directly to the system itself.

The disadvantage here is that creating systems on the fly isn’t easy. You end up having to build an impromptu map but without some foreknowledge of the run and the system you want to design, it will end up feeling rushed or overly small.Though I do have a tool I made specifically for designing and laying out these systems (Matrix Builder). You could however design several systems ahead of time and just add bits here and there needed for the specifics of your run. That might be something worth while doing and creating for those in need! Something i’ll take a crack at some day (if i do, i’ll link it here)

Magic System: Magic in 2nd Edition is still very powerful. Mages can one shot people easily though drain does hit a bit harder in this edition than it does in later editions. Once the Mage initiates however, they unlock super mode. It allows them to have dozens of meta magic at their command and the power climb is sudden!

Spell locks are also something lost in the future that were used for a good deal of kind of ‘wacky’ things in fiction (A ton of Vampires had spell locks that alleviated their allergy to sunlight for instance). This did allow people to make some pretty cool stuff without having to dump TONS of their karma (Which is to say trade their character advancement) into making some spells semi permanent.

Metaplot Snippets: Between 2055 and 2060. A dragon is voted in as president and is promptly assassinated in a way that no one can either explain or understand. Strange things are brewing on the Renraku Arcology as kids rumored to have been “born in the matrix” are beginning to be found in the Matrix. Something awful is on the edge of Astral Space and urban legends of monsters are sprouting up all over the place as magic is beginning to be more normalized. Also yes, the UB was in fact a cult and what they have done will shock people for centuries to come.

Notes: A lot of the growing pains of the system have been hammered out by the time 2nd edition hit its 11th printing. It is one of the most popular editions for Shadowrun and its for good reason. Combat feels quick and deadly. One thing that will be a bit shocking for people is that people with high initiatives can take multiple actions before others can even go once. Mages WILL be powerful across the board and will get super charged after their first initiation. Matrix gets overhauled to what will eventually become SR3’s Matrix with the release of Virtual Realities 2.0, so it’s the only system with the potential for 2 different styles of matrix in the same system. This is sadly the last edition where the source books feel so close to being in universe. It was beautiful while it lasted.

You can also see Ben from Pink Fohawk’s take on why second edition is best edition. This is on the RPG Goblin Youtube Channel.

3rd Edition Shadowrun

VTT Support: Roll20 Discussion

Dice System: Skill or Attribute against a TN set by the GM modified by gear modifiers and situational modifiers. Also includes pools generated by Attributes being added and averaged. Skills with pools can definitely get large in this edition. Combined with TNs that move up and down, it’s super cool to see how things that seem impossible become very easy with the right gear/cyberware/magic. This is the final edition of variable Target Numbers.

Character Creation: Priority System and later Build Points. This makes building characters a breeze once you understand the table and how to make your choices. Build points drastically slow you down of course, but allow for much different style of characters.Generally characters can be made in an hour or so, but it’s really enjoyable to do so. Mages are infinitely faster to make than anything that requires heavy amounts of gear or cyberware. I will say this edition gives the widest berth in allowing you to do just about anything you want. Standard characters however are VERY powerful. So be prepared for characters to be throwing grenades and automatic weapons and such when it comes down to it. NSRCG Character Builder Download - Character Builder Web App

Matrix System: The Matrix in this edition is wired and wireless, though AR isn’t as they described in later editions of Shadowrun. Deckers use Cyberdecks in order to dive into the fully virtual world in order to affect the world, such as opening doors, turning off security things, etc. This also allows Deckers to be useful in securing communications, eavesdropping on communications and in general securing teams.

Matrix systems in general can be generated on the fly (Matrix Generator), but does require some deeper knowledge to make work quickly. This can usually be done side by side with runners on the ground allowing for “Overwatch” of a crew. This is in my opinion one of the most satisfying aspects of 3rd Edition. It does mean in some circumstances that the Decker can come in remotely, but it can easily be forced to be boots on the ground.

Matrix gear is VERY expensive, but can be used for incredible storytelling. Along with it being abstracted enough that you can super easily generate systems without much foreknowledge. I have some explanations of how this system works more in depth: Matrix Example: Doc Wagon, Matrix Example: Grid Guide

Magic System: Magic is calmed down some from 2nd edition. Drain is made slightly weaker across the board, spells are also weakened in some areas. That isn’t to say mages have lost their ability to one shot characters, it’s just a bit harder. The power climb is also a lot more of a stair climb than a rocket to the top. Instead of unlocking all of your potential after the first initiation, it unlocks a chosen part of it each time you initiate.

Metaplot Snippets: Between 2060 and 2070. Most of the metaplot in 3rd edition is deeply tied to the Matrix. The Renraku Arcology shutdown shocks and horrifies the world as nearly 100,000 people are wiped out in some horrific and horrible ways people can barely understand. Something is brewing in the Matrix that will eventually lead to Crash 2.0 which is the beginning of 4th Edition. A comet arrives and radically changes the world again the same way the original return of magic did as well Ghostwalker the dragon returns to life and to Denver where it sets itself up as the ruler of the land.

Notes: This is my favorite edition. Combat has been slightly refactored to make multiple passes for high init’s powerful but not as deadly as it was in 2nd edition. The Matrix feels great and it’s possible to do a lot of stuff on the fly if you use the generator. It does have some serious crunch however and does lean into customization for everything to an obsurd degree. Some things are wildly unbalanced but you can see them coming and stop it usually.

4th Edition Shadowrun

VTT Support: None that I could find unfortunately, if you DO have some, please let me know!

Dice System: Attribute + Skill as a dice pool against a static TN of 5 & 6. This dice pool is modified by situational and gear modifiers. This is the first big departure from the original systems. To me you end up losing roughly half the system to not having variable target numbers. It is suppose to speed up the game, but to me it does lose a lot of the thrill of shooting for those huge target numbers.

Character Creation: This is now all done with build points. It does take a bit longer than priority systems of old, but it does allow for greater fluidity in characters. It takes roughly 3 hours to make a character by hand the first time. With a character builder you can do it very quickly Chummer4e Character Builder Download

Matrix System: This is the beginning of the “Wireless” matrix. That is to say where hosts become less important and “things” in the real world has a wireless signal that can be targeted by Deckers. Deckers still have a kind of deck called “Commlinks”, which are basically like modern smartphones. These can be used to directly attack things you can see in “Augmented Reality Space”.

Decking is now less of a mini game of its own right and becomes just another action someone can use in combat. It does make Deckers (now called Hackers) feel a lot less special and they tried hard to ensure everyone uses the AR matrix. At this point programs still have ratings as well which I think is a plus at least!

They introduce Technomancers (in previous editions known as Otaku) and basically remove all of the penalties or troubles Otaku have to make super powered “Magic Deckers”.

Magic System: Magicians got pretty heavily powered down in this edition. No longer does just being awakened mean you are a full powered mage. Magic has to be purchased like all other attributes which means mages have to spend some of their character gen points on buying magic instead of gaining it for free. It also means higher force spells (more powerful spells) are a bit harder to come by without wiping yourself out. Spells are no longer measured in force you know that at. You either know them or you dont and can cast them at any force with some limit.

Metaplot Snippets: Between 2070 and 2075. After the big Matrix Crash, everything has changed. Basically everything from the first three editions gets turned on its head. A lot of the megacorps get rearranged, destroyed or empowered. The big storyline in this edition is magic coming back to a more fuller strength (Artifacts being found) and AIs beginning to come into being in the Matrix with more frequency.

Notes: This is the first edition with wireless matrix and they REALLY pushed that everyone should be connected to the matrix at all times. The change to the system where they set flat TNs across all dice was what ultimately turned me off. You lose so much of your system by removing the TN adjustments. It does speed up the game quite a bit to have flat TNs but it still kind of hurts me.

5th Edition Shadowrun

VTT Support: Foundry

Dice System: Attribute + Skill as a dice pool against a static TN of 5 & 6. This dice pool is modified by situational and gear modifiers.

Character Creation: We have the glorious return of the priority table. Still expect it to take several hours to make a character by hand if you are brand new to the system. With a character builder you can do it very quickly! Chummer 5e Character Builder - Omae Character Builder

Matrix System: They have kept Commlinks around but changed things around to make things a bit more streamlined. Programs no longer have ratings and give flat bonuses when they are used. To me this is kind of a big step back because it ends up removing good programs and makes everything more or less the same.

They also added “Tags”, a new thing where you need to buy in order to tag stuff you own for AR use. Otherwise it’s another level of obstruction. Also ICs are no longer your biggest problem. Instead GoD (Grid Overwatch Division) are looking for people hacking and when you hack you can gain a kind of heat that if they notice they will come down on you and kick your butt instead out.

Magic System: The major change in magic is how draining spells are. The drain hits a bit harder due to how they changed the math. Otherwise still have mages having to buy magic points and such.

Metaplot Snippets: Between 2075 and 2080. AIs are now taking over bodies and possessing the living. A kind of nanotechnology virus with sentience.

Notes: Fifth edition is the 2nd edition of the new style. A lot of issues that came up with the changes made in 4th edition have been smoothed out and streamlined. When it comes down to it, if less crunch and more streamlining is what you are looking for, this really has done it. They also added “Limit” which caps the amount of successes you can achieve on a specific test. This was (I believe) an attempt to make ratings on gear and attributes make a bit more of an impact as Limit is adjusted by Gear Rating or Attribute ratings.

6th Edition Shadowrun

VTT Support: Foundry 6 Eden, Foundry-LW, Roll20

Dice System: Attribute + Skill as a dice pool against a static TN of 5 & 6. This dice pool is modified by situational and gear modifiers.

Character Creation: Priority Table. Still expect it to take several hours to make a character by hand if you are brand new to the system. With a character builder you can do it very quickly! Omae Character Builder

Matrix System: The introduction of Cyberjacks is in this edition. Commlinks are only part of the connection you need. Everyone needs these kinds of mega computers in their head to do what they used to be able to do naturally in order to keep up with the “Technomancers” which are essentially magical matrix people.

Magic System: Drain is tweaked again in this edition, now its a bit easier to soak drain than it was in 5th.

Metaplot Snippets: 2080 and on.

Notes: This had a very rocky launch and it’s one of the few new editions I’ve played a few sessions of. It felt just like a rehashing for 5th edition from what others had said but with major changes in the matrix requirements. An introduction of “Edge” for combat was entered here. You basically make successes and build up Edge to be spent on your turn for various combat things.

The major advantage of 6th edition is how many free adventures there are for it. With Missions being pretty much a biweekly release of new stuff to play. You can find the link here.

Shadowrun Anarchy

VTT Support: Foundry

Dice System: Attribute + Skill + Modifiers at TN 5 or 6. So standard system since 4e. They have something called “Shadow Amps” which basically are bonuses your character can have in order to help them survive in the shadows. These represent items, cyberware, etc to help push your archetype forward and make your character good at those specific things.

Character Creation: Flat attribute, skills and amp points. Everyone gets the same amount of everything, so it’s more of how you spend it than things matter what you prioritize.. They have reduced how drastically choosing some options limit your character. For instance, usually choosing something like being a troll or elf reduces the rest of your choice because its such a high probability (Especially in 1st and 2nd edition). They reduced how powerful those races are in this edition. So it gives you an edge, but isn’t overwhelmingly powerful.

Matrix System: Same as 5th Edition.

Magic System: Same as 5th Edition

Metaplot Snippets: Any timeline, though they do have Commlinks but call them Cyberdecks. So it’s a bit confusing all the way around. Otherwise it’s pretty much set in 5th edition’s timeline.

Notes: This is pretty much a narrative focused 5th Edition. The players have a rather limited width their characters can be and advancement is also kind of limited. The introduction of plot points is rather interesting, allowing players some amount of narrative control that makes sense with their character.