Shadowrun 3rd Edition RPG [Paperback]

Fanpro (Author)

Book Description

Series: Shadowrun | Publication Date: September 2003

Where Man Meets Magic & Machine The year is 2060. Magic is as real as the mean streets of the mega-sprawls. Corporations call the shots while nailing each other through covert operatives in cutthroat competition. Flesh and machines have merged - the street samurai with his smartguns and impossibly fast reflexes, the decker who can plug his own brain into the worldwide computer network, the rigger who links his mind to his vehicle and takes hairpin turns at fantastic speeds. And you're a part of this wired world, where corporate skyscrapers glitter over the dark shadows they cast. You live in those shadows. You're a shadowrunner - a street operative. You may be human or troll, dwarf or elf. You may throw fireballs, pull out your trusty Uzi or slice through computer security with a program as elegant and deadly as a stiletto. No matter what, you get the job done. You're a shadowrunner - a professional. You don't just survive in the shadows - you thrive there . . .! for now. Shadowrun, Third Edition is a complete rulebook for gamemasters and players. It contains all the rules needed to create characters and ongoing adventures set in the popular Shadowrun universe. Shadowrun, Third Edition updates, revises, expands and clarifies the rules from previous Shadowrun rulebooks. It is compatible with previous versions of Shadowrun and with previously published Shadowrun source material.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Fanpro; 3rd edition (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3890646603
• ISBN-13: 978-3890646602
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,867,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the cost, December 7, 2006

By 

Andrew Campbell (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadowrun, Fourth Edition (Hardcover)

I'd like to mention a few downsides and upsides not covered in other reviews. I've had the book for a couple months now, and own Street Magic as well -- I'm eagerly awaiting other supplements!

The stories and examples are well-written, both to give important information to the reader and just as fiction. The book paints a good picture. A gamebook that you can read over and over (while finding out what you need to know) is a big plus.

Yes, the die-rolling system in this book is much like White Wolf's latest series. I hate what White Wolf did with it; it's bare, unevocative and unrealistic. I cringed when I saw it in Shadowrun 4th Ed., but after two months of use, I can say that Shadowrun's is enjoyable. It's easier to adjust, easier to figure odds. Modifiers listed in the book all make sense. And the system is definitely an improvement over 3rd edition.

I haven't had any trouble with using the die-rolling system in combat. I think removal of the "pools" from previous editions is less realistic overall, but not drastically so, and anyway we're talking about a world with dragons, AIs, and biotech that can't feed the planet but can turn people into killing machines. =)

The index is well-written. I have a degree in library science -- I'm a finder of information professionally -- and I'm more than a little partial to a rulebook that actually helps me look up rules. Also, the book is well-made physically -- unlike, say, GURPS 4th edition it won't disintegrate in your hands.

There's not much of a gameworld update -- everything having gone wireless is pretty much the limit of what this book describes. That's fine by me, since that one thing was (to my mind) a major lack in previous editions. Also, the one major change is important to many other aspects of the game, like combat, control of robot drones, and team communication.

There are minor typos throughout the book that aren't addressed in the errata. Whatever; the meaning is clear even with them there, and I say that as a nitpicker.

I rate very little at five stars (didn't even give that to the book my girlfriend wrote, and I've got a vested interest there!) ... Shadowrun 4th Edition definitely deserves it.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Critical Review of Shadowrun 4th edition, October 15, 2005

By 

Justin DeLap "Tank" (Columbia, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadowrun, Fourth Edition (Hardcover)

I have been involved with Shadowrun since 1990 and am considered something of an expert as well as a semi-obsessive collector of all things Shadowrun.

Here are my two cents.

The flavor/style/background of this product ties in directly with the past editions of shadowrun. However,the rules have been fundamentally reworked.

RULE CHANGES (Technical Information): The element of chance has been increased dramatically due to the fact that all target numbers are set at 5+ (on a d6 die). Modifiers are subsequently incorporated by adding/taking away dice for the test. Tests utilize not only skill ratings (in dice) but attribute ratings (in dice) rolled together for tests. Damage is now a standard number of "condition boxes" which changes according to opposed test results. Skills and attributes now have absolute maximums. Most individual differences in the past editions of the game (Shaman vs. Mage conjuring abilities, Bioware Body index vs Cyberware Essence, Hacker (Decker) vs. Rigger, etc...) have been made equivalent and simplified). The Matrix rules have finally been made at least semi-playable (after years of laughable attempts) These were most of the significant changes made in this edition.

MY OPINION: I have mixed feelings about this new edition. The new matrix / augmented reality rules improved this unplayable ruleset quite a bit (although they force most characters to utilize the computer interface whether they like it or not). After playtesting the new combat system, I was a bit dissappointed. The increased element of chance and +/- die modifier system produces combat with uncertain results. (i.e. Gamemaster difficulty in scaling encounters) Character generation is more enjoyable due to the ability to heavily customize characters. The reduction of all character augmentations (spells, adept abilities, cyber and bioware) to the same set of rules/modifiers was somewhat of an improvement.

Overall I would say that I am ambivalent about this new edition. It will be interesting to see if FanPro produces quality supplements for 4th edition in the future, given the simplification of the rulesets.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shadowrun 4th edition, new rules, same good ol' shadowy fun, October 19, 2005

By 

Clayton Comrie - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadowrun, Fourth Edition (Hardcover)

I've been playing Shadowrun since 3rd edition and had gotten the rules on that down to about a dozen solid pages of rules adjustments and tweaks. So a new version was something I was hoping to see fix a lot of things. Yet to truly try it out, but so far it looks nice. Feels a lot like the Story Teller system from White WOlf in basic looks (fixed TN, amount of dice mods, # of success based, min. number of success based, attribute + Skill). But it still manages to keep the shadowrun feel alive, with a lot of gear adjusting what you can and can't do. (Though so far it looks like you need do with less then 3rd, where you could easily fill a full page with just gear from bullets to cyber implant routers). Some of that still exists (4 items are needed to get the matrix(computer network) overlay, the computer, it's OS (?!), some sort of image device like glasses, and then an image link on that device. Though some things have been streamed down, and the wireless helps a lot. Overall the biggest change is the new wireless matrix, which at first felt a little fishy and has a few holes. Not anywhere enough time has passed from a major economic and social disaster to suddenly have a massive wireless network pop up in 5 years, even if it is replacing the damaged computer networks. Using the wireless computers for ID feels... kinda risky too. THe origin of Technomancers (sort of, living wireless computers) is kinda fishy, but it works. The art is in my opinion a vast improvement too. Magic seems to have gotten a streamline... though the Turn to Goo spell already gives me shivers... So far I'm really liking it, a very 1984 twist given to Shadowrun, where vast amoutns of data about anyone quickly collect and Big Brother is everywhere. If you liked Shadowrun before, I'd say give it a look atleast. If you haven't, you might like what you see. if you haven't ever read shadowrun, it's a good introduction with everything you need to play.