11ShadowrunQuestions

(fornewplayers)

1 Whatcantechnologydoin2070?
Alotandalittle.Thebiggestadvancesareindataprocessingandunderstandingofthe humanbrain.Forthecomputers,this(a)meanscountlesslittlecomputerseverywhere.You canmessageyourfridgetoorderfoodinwhenitslow,youhavevoicerecognitiononyour comm(thenextevolutionarysteponfrommobilephones),yourcarcanfinditswayhome whenyoupassoutdrunkbehindthewheel.And(b)therealcomputersareabletorun incrediblyrealisticvirtualenvironmentsandinterfacewiththehumanbraininrealtime. ThelatteriscalledSIMsenseandisawayofoverridingthenormalsensoryinputofthe humanbody.Ithasmanywonderfulusesandafewreally,reallynastyones. Otheradvancesareinbiology,materialsscienceandpowerstorage.Theupshot?Biological andcyberneticalterationstothehumanbody.Theycangiveyouanewarm,theycan rebuildyourskull,theycanvatgrowadditionalgreymatterfromstemcellsandgiveyour brainanupgrade.Andeyes...youcangetsomereallycooleyes,thesedays. Buttherearen'tmanybigrevolutionsinscience.Noteleportersorlightsabres.Thethings thatarepossibleintheory2007/9,aresometimespossibleinpracticein2070.Butnoone's radicallychangedthetheoryyet.

2 Whatcanmagicdoin2070?
Noonereallyknowsforsure.Atleastnoonewho'stalking.Allthat'sdefiniteisthatmagic isdark,sinisterandpowerful.Mageshavebeenabletomanipulateenergytothrowfire,fly, turnfleshintostoneorcontroltheverywaypeoplethink.Thereseemtobelimitsthough. Therehavebeenconstraintsthoughnoonehasmanagedtoteleportorraisethedead. SpiritsandAstralProjectionarereal,however.

3 Iseverybodyhappy?
No.Really,no.It'sbadoutthere.Stayhereinyourlittlecorporateenclavewhereournice securityforceswillprotectourloyalemployees.Seemslikeeveryyear,thepolicelose controlofanotherpartofthecity.AndtheVITASplagues...whodidyoulosetoVITAS? Me?Justmysister.Iwaskindoflucky.Itellyouthis,it'sagoodjobtheMegacorpsarein charge.Ifitwasn'tforus,you'dbeleftwithwhatremainsoftheWorld'sgovernments tryingtorunthings.Theyhadtheirchanceandtheyfailed.Nowdon'tyouthinkyoushould begettingbacktowork?You'reproductivitywasdownthismonth,andyoureallydon't wanttobeblacklistedifyoulosethisjob.NotwithlittleTimmywantingschoolvouchers, eh?

4 Wheredidthemetahumanscomefrom?
Us.ItbeganwithUGEbackintheearly2010's.Childrenwerebeingborndeformed(asit wasthoughtbackthen).Somanyoftheminsomanypartsoftheworld,themedicalworld wasbaffledastothecause.Becausetheyfittedthestereotypessowell,itwasinevitable thatthemediadubbedthechildrenDwarvesandElves.Thatgotabout10%ofnewbornsin theearlyyears.Butitwasn'tanythingcomparedtowhathappenedtoseeminglynormal

childrenwhentheyhitpuberty(andsomeunfortunateadults).Goblinisationputpeople inprolonged,agonisingstateslastingfrommonthstooverayear.Andtheyemerged grotesquelychanged.Withdwarvesandelvessettingaprecedent,itwasinevitablethat wegotOrksandTrolls.thoughtheyhavescientificnames.It'sstillsettlingdownand evennow,ahumanchildwilloccasionallygobliniseatpuberty(everyparent'snightmare). Likewiseatrolloranelfwillsometimesgivebirthtoahumanchild.It'sgettingless frequentthough. Andeveryonefallsintooneoftheraces.Therearenohalfbreeds.Humanandorcgetiton, itcouldgoeitherway,butitwillbeoneortheother.

5 Who'sincharge?
TherearetencorporationsthatarecalledMegacorporations,ortripleAAA's.There's barelyagovernmentintheworldthatisn'tintheirpockets.MegacorpslikeRenraku, SaederKrupporAresruntheshow.Nationalgovernmentsremainforthemostpart becausethemega'sdon'twanttodealwithtakingoutthetrash.Buttherearenorealrules forthebigboys.Themanoeuvringandstrugglefordominancebetweenthemiswhatturns thegreasycogsoftheworld. Butperhapstherearealsootherpowersatwork.Lessobvious.Nolessdangerous.You'll learn.

6 HowmanyhitpointsdoIget?
About1015.Andyoudon'tgetmore.OneofthefundamentalprinciplesofShadowrun, andyouneedtogetusedtothis,isthatitiseasiertodishoutdamagethanitistotakeit. YoucanbethebestshotintheUCAS,youcanhurlafireballthatwillscorchthearmour offanAresCitymaster,butyouwillnever,evergetawayfromthefactthatifsomeone catchesyouintheopenwithanassaultrifle,youmightdie.Eventhebigplayersare vulnerable.Thatdragonmighthaveenoughmagicaljuicetolevelyourpartyinonego,but withtherightplanning(andaMediumMachineGun),asinglestartingcharactercould bringherdown.That'swhyShadowrunissofilledwithplotting,treacheryandstealth.It's partofthegame.(Andohyes,dragonsareverygoodatallthreeofthese).

7 WhoisHarlequin?
Anurbanmyth.Forgetaboutit.Justbecauseadeathgoesunexplained,there'snoneedto goinventingnightmares.Seriously,forgetit.

8 WhatdoShadowrunnersdo?
Itdependshowmuchyoupaythem.Theyrangefromcompetentprofessionalstogangers fromthestreet,butareusuallyacutabovethecommonman(orelsetheywontlastlong). Mr.Johnsonmighthirethemtostealaprototypeorsabotagearival'soperationor somethingelseentirely.Asdeniableassetstheycan'tbetracedtotheiremployer.

9 WhatcanIgetawaywith?
Dependswhereyouare.Ifyou'reinthebarrensthenyoucanprobablywalkdownthestreet withanassaultrifleinyourhands(butkeepaneyeoutforthelocalgangswhomighttake offence).TrythesamethinginBellevueandyou'llhaveheavilyarmedpolicealloveryou

inminutes.Likewise,whoyoupissoffprobablymattersmorethanwhatyoudo.Amurder inRedmondwillgetsomepaperworkfiled.Punchsomebodyricherthanyouandthey'll haveachipinyourheadfasterthanyoucansayprivatisedpoliceforce.

10 Whatmagicalcreaturesandplacesarethere?
Lotsofcreatures,someplaces.Justasinamanarichenvironment,somehumansexpressed aselvesordwarves,somefactionofanimalsbecamealteredversionsofthemselves.You wontseeunicornsgallopingdownthefreeway,butthezoomighthavesomedepressed lookingnagaandafewcorporatefacilitiesusebarghestsfortheirabilitytoperceive(and harm)astralforms. Thebigonesaredragonsandspirits.Theformerfortheirintelligence,magicalpowerand mostimportantlyofall,theirabilitytocommunicatewithmankind.Onehaseven establisheditselfasthemajorshareholderanddirectorofacorporation.Thespiritsbecause theycanbesummonedandcontrolledbymagicians.Theycomeinmanydifferentforms andwieldvariousabilities.Andsomespiritsarefreeofanymaster.Theseinparticular,are tobewaryof.

11 WhathappenedtoAmerica?
Abouteverythingbadyoucanimagine.Itisnomore.InsteadyouhavetheUnitedCanadian andAmericanStates(UCAS)andthey'vehadalotofterritorytakenfromthem.Backin theearly2000's,therewasgrowingpopularunrestduetoincreasingcorporatepowerand theeconomicwoesthathadbefallenthedebtriddenUSAalongwithgrowingfearatthe small,inexplicablephenomenathatwerestartingtohappen.Thegovernmentrespondedin theusualwayofgovernmentsthatseethemselveslosingcontrolandtightenedtheirgrip withstrongerlaws,harsherpunishmentsandreductionsincivilrights.Aterroristgroup, calledSAIM,motivatedbytheblanketseizuresofnativeamericanlandstruckatanuclear missilefacilityintheUSA.Thenativeamericanmovementingeneralhadbecome somethingofacausecelebrfortheanticorporateandantiestablismentfactionsandthe governmentdidn'tlikeit.Amongstthemanydissidentswhowerebeingrelocatedtore educationcentreswasincludedayoungmancalledDanialHowlingCoyote.Afewyears later,duringastorm,heledtheentireinmatepopulationofthecampoutintothenight. Guardsreportedthathewasglowingandthatbulletswouldnottouchhim.Forthenext yearhewastheUSA'smostwantedindividualwhilstatthesametimesupportforhimgrew inmanyquartersandwithallethnicgroups,fuelledbyhisoccasionalmediastatements againstthegovernmentandcorporations,andbyhisabilitytoeludetheverybestattempts tocapturehim.Withincidentsofbeingabletodemonstraterealmagic,nativeamerican shamans(thoughthisactuallyincludedconvertsfromanyrace),madeenormousgainsin popularisingnativeamericanbeliefsystems,includingabacktothelandethos.Scared, thegovernmenthitbackinallthewaysitcouldandthereisastrictmediaclampdown. DanialHowlingCoyoteissuesademandtothegovernmentoftheUSAtorelinquish controloflargeswathesofNorthAmericanterritorytohisNANCouncil.Thisistreated withderisionuntilMt.Redondoerupts,buryingLosAlamos.DanialHowlingCoyote broadcastsamessagefromanearbyreservationtakingcreditfor'invokingMotherEarth' andanentirebattalionofUSAFairbornecavalryissentafterhim.Nonesurvive.Thetruth ofwhatishappeningleakstothepublicdespitegovernmentcensorshipprovokingpanic andmorecivilunrest.Overthenextfewyears,repeatedattacksonDanial'sguerillaforces arefoiledandtheUSAisnowinastateofactualwarfareagainsttheenemywithinitsown borders.In2017,DanialleadswhathecalledtheGreatGhostDance.Fourvolcanosin

NorthAmericaeruptedsimultaneously,devastatingwholeregions.Facedwithanenemyit cannotfight,anddemandswithinitsownpopulace,theUSAnegotiates.Largeterritories arecededtoNANcontrolandotherpartsoftheUSAsecedeoftheirownaccord.After twohundredandfortyyearsofexistence,theUSAwasnomore.