What system to play Shadowrun "setting"?

Jan 18, 2023 1:54 pm
By that I mean:
Many people are saying that 6th edition(the newest one?) is overly complicated. I heard similar voices about the earlier versions. I tried to read QuickStart rules for 5th(or was it 4th...? ) and 6th edition... and they really seemed like too complicated for their own sake. There is this Shadowrun: Anarchy version, tried to analyze it too... but also was put off somehow. And it's not that I have problem with complicated rules in general, as I play Vital Lacerda boardgames or like what Infinity RPG provides. So there is probably some merit to the claim that original Shadowrun rules "aren't the greatest" ones - at least it seams like to me. So, my question is:

What ruleset would you use or are using to play in Shadowrun setting other then "original" ones? Can be everything - not very well known hacks of other systems(I think I have seen something like that for Genesys?) or other system that would be easy to adjust for the setting? Or some exotic not well known system in general.

Do you think one could make a good hack of Year Zero Engine(my recent interest) for this setting? Cyberpunk 2020 or Red would be any good(not having any magic and races)?

I would like to exclude from the discussion: very general and simple system like FU, Reitus and so... it's cyberpunk after all: we need some crunch, but in reasonable dose - I think:)
Last edited January 18, 2023 2:02 pm
Jan 18, 2023 2:21 pm
@witchdoctor is preparing a Shadowrun campaign that uses the White Wolf Chronicles of Darkness engine, I believe (the ruleset powering Vampire the Masquerade, etc)
Jan 18, 2023 3:27 pm
Dr_B is correct, as usual. I'd been looking at converting ShadowRun into another system and finally hit on Chronicles of Darkness as a great compromise. The systems really aren't mechanically that different but the CofD ruleset changes the dynamic in an interesting way and is so much smoother and more elegant than any edition of official SR rules.
I'm planning on a mid-February launch for the game. I'm still fiddling with Magic and the Matrix but should have that ironed out by then.
Jan 18, 2023 8:52 pm
That's very interesting! Will you accept some players for it? Or you are already full? Also: are you planing to publish your work somehow?

Lastly:
witchdoctor says:
The systems really aren't mechanically that different but the CofD ruleset changes the dynamic in an interesting way and is so much smoother and more elegant than any edition of official SR rules.
I presume that includes the Anarchy variant too?
Jan 18, 2023 10:53 pm
Anarchy is a PbtA variant, or similar to it, I think... I'm not super familiar with it but I know it's rules-lite.

I haven't opened the game yet so it's definitely not full. I'm looking at maybe mid-February for opening it up (post Valentine's Day) so if you're interested, I'll keep you in mind if you're interested.
Jan 18, 2023 11:15 pm
I am interested! Sing me up for this:)
Jan 19, 2023 12:46 am
I played 6th edition online at GameholeCon in the fall, and loved it. The initial document was a hot mess of poor editing, but the game is solid enough and played wonderfully even with a team of newbies.
Jan 19, 2023 12:48 am
Anarchy isn't PbtA, but is rules-lite. Uses the Cue system. The best port I've seen is the one Genesys one you mentioned. I think it is actually too big and detailed (something like 600 pages) but the Genesys rules system works very well with Shadowrun.
Jan 19, 2023 7:58 am
Qralloq says:
... The initial document was a hot mess of poor editing ...
Has that improved? I have not looked at it again since that initial, disappointing release.
Jan 19, 2023 12:56 pm
vagueGM says:
Qralloq says:
... The initial document was a hot mess of poor editing ...
Has that improved? I have not looked at it again since that initial, disappointing release.
I don't think so. The rules were so fundamentally broken I don't know how they could fix it without a new edition. It's definitely the prettiest edition though!
Jan 19, 2023 1:01 pm
There is also a Fate hack for Shadowrun, if you wanna have a look: https://www.mithriltabby.com/shadowrun/
Jan 19, 2023 1:41 pm
gnomius says:
There is also a Fate hack for Shadowrun, if you wanna have a look: https://www.mithriltabby.com/shadowrun/
Thanks. But I still can't get my head around this "Fate system"... Nay good recommendation of short to the point introduction why it is so good system, how to use it and why I should try it?
But I will look into it. I presume it's only on webpages, there is no PDF for this?
Jan 19, 2023 3:22 pm
A TinyD6 game, MINIMA UMBRA - A TINY D6 SHADOWRUN GAME, was started up by Agent 026 over on tavern keeper. He had started a conversion but I don't thick it was finished at the time and the game died during the wait.
It looked interesting and as rules light as TinyD6 is it should work with a bit more effort
Jan 20, 2023 8:59 am
runekyndig says:
I have played a Blades in the dark adaptation to Shadowrun
Looks amazing. How it went? Will you use for the next Shadowrun campaign/adventure?
Jan 20, 2023 9:27 am
Pedrop says:
runekyndig says:
I have played a Blades in the dark adaptation to Shadowrun
Looks amazing. How it went? Will you use for the next Shadowrun campaign/adventure?
We had a good game with several missions. This adoptation worked really well as Blades has mechanismes that handles heists adventures very well. Shadowrun are often some sort of heists where MrJohnson asks you to break into to X and steal Y

It would be my suggestion for future Shadowrun games
Last edited January 20, 2023 9:27 am
Jan 20, 2023 9:39 am
Psybermagi says:
A TinyD6 game, MINIMA UMBRA - A TINY D6 SHADOWRUN GAME, was started up by Agent 026 over on tavern keeper. He had started a conversion but I don't thick it was finished at the time and the game died during the wait.
It looked interesting and as rules light as TinyD6 is it should work with a bit more effort
Interesting... as it is like folding complexity 10/10 game into game that is 2/10 - but I guess when rules are so simple you just say what you want to do and check if your PC managed to do that? Not too much more? But I always felt that cyberpunk should have some crunch.... in rules.
Jan 20, 2023 12:53 pm
Pedrop says:
... you just say what you want to do and check if your PC managed to do that? Not too much more? But I always felt that cyberpunk should have some crunch.... in rules.
Yeah it was pretty simple. I've never actually played shadowrun though I did do some cyberpunk back in the 90s. I remember resource tracking bring pretty important.
There are some TinyD6 options that could up the crunch to maybe 5/10.
Jan 20, 2023 8:51 pm
Quote:
Nay good recommendation of short to the point introduction why it is so good system, how to use it and why I should try it?
I haven't tested this myself in an actual game yet, but looks promising. Reasons to try it would include the same reasons to try Fate in general: if you want a narrative game, that gives some narrative power to the players to have their say in the world and the game (not as much as PbTA, but definitely more than traditional games). It's in the rules-lite/medium crunch spectrum.

And what I love about Fate is that you can slot in ANY piece of rules you find missing very easily. :-)

You don't like the magic system, or want to add options to the existing one? You got it. Want a more deadly combat system? Easy peasy. Hacking rules, vehicles, character options... Everything uses the same baseline and it's easy to tweak thanks to the Bronze Rule.
Jan 20, 2023 11:51 pm
There's a setting for the Savage Worlds system called Sprawlrunners that I hear is basically Shadowrun with the serial #'s filed off.

Cy_Borg is supposed to be pretty good, a cyberpunk spin on the popular Mork Borg.
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