Urban Shadows 2E is a game of supernatural struggles in the shadows, where vampires and mortals alike are Powered by the Apocalypse.
Urban Shadows, now in its second edition, is a game that takes place in the supernatural shadows of the modern world. It’s a premise that you know and love – assuming you’re the kind of person who knows and loves “urban fantasy.” Basically, there’s a secret world of supernatural beings. They’re both darker and sexier than you might expect.
Naturally, these organizations struggle against each other. It’s very much the kind of thing you run into in the World of Darkness, Anne Rice’s Vampires universe, the Vampire Diaries, the Dresden Files, or the Mercy Thompson series. It’s the same vibes you’d get from a game like Vampire: the Masquerade, Mage: the Ascension. Changeling: the Dreaming, or Hunter: the Reckoning, but all rolled into the Powered by the Apocalypse rules framework.
And if you’ve ever played a game, you know that the term can mean a lot of different things. But you’ll find familiar conventions here. Characters have playbooks that relate to specific supernatural concepts. You’ll roll 2d6 + a Stat and you’ll measure success in categories of 10+, 7-9, or 6-, and all the other bells and whistles. But you could be a vampire, a fairy, a mortal, or a wizard while doing so.
Urban Shadows 2E – Now Available On DriveThruRPG
Urban Shadows 2E is out now in digital form on DriveThruRPG, where it has rocketed up the bestseller list. At press time, it was sitting at #2. However, if you want a physical book, the official “street date” is March 6th, I believe.
In the 2nd Edition ruleset, there are new playbooks, streamlined rules, and, most exciting to folks hoping to get into the intriguing side of it – there are new mechanics for backroom deals and faction play, so you really can run your city like a playground.
“Urban Shadows is an urban fantasy tabletop roleplaying game in which mortals and monsters vie for control of a modern-day city in a political battleground layered just under the reality we think we know. Vampires, faeries, hunters, and wizards fight to carve out a piece of the streets and skyscrapers, ready to make deals with all those who have something to offer.”
What’s in the Book
Inside you’ll find a ton of stuff to live out your supernatural dreams. Including:
- 12 unique character playbooks, each tuned to put your characters at the center of an urban fantasy story driven by allegiances, debts, and status
- 4 supernatural Circles—Mortalis, Night, Wild, and Power—whose nightly politics fill the city with dramatic twists and intriguing NPCs
- Clearly defined mechanics that push the fiction forward every time a player rolls the dice, advancing your group’s tale at every turn
- Detailed advice for the Master of Ceremonies, the player running the game, including 2 city guides—Chicago and Santiago—packed with story hooks
- All-new mechanics for backroom deals and faction play that make the nightly politics of the city real for players and NPCs alike
The question remains, though: Will this satisfy in a way that something like the World of Darkness doesn’t? It certainly offers a different take on the classic genre. If you love the framework of PbtA and the collaborative gameplay the ruleset encourages, you may well find a new game perfect for running your dark nights of masquerade-like intrigue.
Either way, you can check it out now on DriveThruRPG – and in stores on March 6th.
Slink in the shadows, struggle for power, you know the drill!
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