Alright chummers, the Shadowrun 1st Edition reprint is here, bringing back the 2050s in all their 80s/90s glory.
In its 1st edition, Shadowrun captured a world that was staring down the barrel of technology and corporate greed run rampant. It asked players to imagine a world where corporations carved out their own kingdoms as the world grew more fractious and divided. All in a future dominated by the looming uncertainty of ever-encroaching technology. Plus also orcs and dragons and elves and magic.
Sadly, the real world has only ever given us the dismal corporate dystopia and ever-encroaching technology. But hey, maybe one day a dragon will show up. Until then, we can bathe in the nostalgia of a Shadowrun 1st Edition reprint, now available from Catalyst Game Labs.
Shadowrun 1st Edition Reprint
This is 1st Edition back before the lo g-developed metaplot. Before Technomancers were codified. When malevolent AIs were just rumors in certain corners of cyberspace. Back when you had to decide just what kind of lowlife you were going to be. And whether or not you would spend some of your previous starting cash on a vehicle or if you’d be showing up to firefights on public transportation.
This is the world of the 2050s. A world just waiting for you to pick up the old school riles and play with it. It’s surprising how well it holds up. Sure, it’s not the slimmest rules system ever developed. But there’s not a whole extra layer of cruft to decide if you want to engage with it or not.
The reprint could very well be your ticket to discovering the Sixth World. Only a vision of the Sixth World from decades ago, both in the game and in our world:
In the world of 2050, the megaplexes are monsters casting long shadows. As shadowrunners, that’s where you live, in the cracks between the giant corporate structures. When the megacorps want something done but they don’t want to dirty their hands, it’s a Shadowrun they need, and they come to you. Though your existence is not acknowledged by any governmental or corporate database, the demand for your services is high.
You might be a Technomancer, sliding like a whisper through the databases of giant corporations, spiriting away the only thing of real value—information. Or perhaps you are a Street Samurai, an enforcer for hire whose combat skills and reflexes make you the ultimate urban predator. Or perhaps a Mage, one with an ancient gift, the ability to wield and shape the magical energies that now surround the Earth. And that’s exactly the kind of firepower you’ll need if you get hired to make a Shadowrun…
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Even if you are perfectly happy with the 6E Shadowrun rules, it might be worth the trip down memory lane to dig up inspiration that got people into the game in the first place. The past is a country you can never visit. But with things like this, you can still get the occasional postcard.
Canonically, Shadowrun 1E was the first rpg that let you play an internet troll!
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Writer, Editor, Texas Native, and now Tex-Pat, Adam covers all things Tabletop Gaming. Which includes Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, D&D, Board Games and everything else that involves dice, boards, cards and a table.
A hobbyist, player, and collector of miniatures and games, Adam’s current obsession are his Death and Chaos Armies for Age of Sigmar, his Blood Angels and Tyranids for 40k, an expanding collection of Marvel: Crisis Protocol minis, and his ever growing Arkham Horror: The Card Game Collection.
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