Author Archives: jhardy

We have errata documents going out for distribution for the two core rulebooks released over the summer, Run & Gun and Street Grimoire. As with other errata documents, these are living works, and will be added to and adjusted as new errata are approved. They also focus on substantial changes rather than typos, and they at present do not include clarifications of some rules–those will be in FAQ documents to be shared in the future. Run & Gun errata can be found here; Street Grimoire are here. Hope you find the documents useful!

It’s a fine day to play Shadowrun! But then, I always think that. Today’s an especially good day, though, because you can get the Shadowrun: Dragonfall Director’s Cut. What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s a standalone version of an expansion to Harebrained Schemes’ critically acclaimed Shadowrun Returns computer game that was even more critically acclaimed than the original. How critically acclaimed? Well, people said things like this:

“This is a developer that understands and loves their source material, which very evidently comes out in their work. Consequently, Shadowrun: Dragonfall is another home run for the up-and-coming studio.” —Hardcore Gamer

“The writing and story remains the same high quality from the main game and feels a bit more cohesive from Dead Man’s Switch; that story took a lot of twists and turns but Dragonfall feels more focused by giving you a personal connection right from the start. If you enjoyed your first taste of Shadowrun, then Dragonfall should be an immediate purchase.” —Destructoid

“I’m going to remember Dragonfall for a long, long time. When the topic of great RPG stories comes up, I’ll mention it in the same breath as Dragon Age or Knights of the Old Republic.” —PC Gamer

You get the point. So the good news is, if you want to jump right into Dragonfall, you can, and there’s extra content added. It’s got five new missions, new endings, revamped combat, and more!

Now, if you already bought Dragonfall, I’m going to assume you’re already playing the new stuff, because the update is completely free. Just go get it! If you don’t have it–well, the best campaign released for the best Shadowrun computer game of the millennium is just sitting there, waiting for you.

We here at Shadowrun HQ are patient and persistent bunch, and one of the things we have been the most patient and persistent about is getting new Shadowrun novels into the hands of readers. It’s been a long process, beset by many obstacles and delays, but the journey that started when John Helfers and I first convened a “Save Shadowrun Fiction” meeting at Gen Con many years ago has now come to the ending we always wanted: A new Shadowrun novel is out! And better yet, it’s the first in a whole line of planned novels! Fire & Frost is the title, and you can get it in print, ePub, and Kindle-compatible versions at the Battleshop, or just the electronic versions (in one tasty package!) at DriveThruRPG. You can also check the listing at BarnesAndNoble.com (where it’s available for Nook or in print–and be sure to check the review already posted with the print listing). Wanna know what it’s about? Check it out:

The Coldest Shadows

Arcano-archaeologist Elijah knows that digging into the past can be its own reward—or peril. When he’s hired to find an ancient map purported to lead to a mysterious location at the bottom of the world, his professional curiosity is more than roused. But his quest to simply get his hands on the map is more dangerous than he expected—even for a shadow runner.

He and his own team of runners—including everything from a goblin rigger to a troll street samurai—follow a murky trail that takes them from the ruins of Chicago to the jungles of Amazonia. Along the way, they discover that they’re not the only ones looking for this map—and that it may lead to a treasure even greater than anyone could have known. Elijah and his crew plan to get both the map and to its riches first—assuming they survive the very dangerous road trip to get there…

Gen Con is coming up later this week, with all the products and activities that entails, but we have a few things for all Shadowrun fans out there, whether you’ll be attending the con or not. First, we have the latest Mission, SRM 05-03: Gone Long Gone (Battleshop, DriveThruRPG), giving runners another chance to dive into the peril and danger of Chicago’s Containment Zone. Here’s the full summary:

The Deadly Now

This isn’t your first run in Chicago. You may not know every street corner and alleyway, but you know the sprawl well enough that when someone tells you they’ve got a job that “should be easy”—well, it won’t be. It never is. So when you’re offered some money to go retrieve personal items left behind in a pharmaceutical office back before the whole town went to hell, you know you’re going to be dealing with more than dust and a few rats. Once you venture into the Containment Zone, something—probably more than one thing—is going to try to kill you. Not in some vague future, but right now. But you know that about Chicago. You’re ready for something to come after you, and you know that part of the fun is finding out just what it is.

SRM 05-03 Gone Long Gone is the latest Shadowrun Mission set in the deadly sprawl of Chicago. Playable in a single night, but able to be stretched out over multiple sessions if that’s what the gamemaster wants, this is a fun adventure for teams just starting to learn how to get around the city, or for those who have gotten their hands dirty in the sprawl several times over.

SRM 05-03 Gone Long Gone is for use with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition.

Then we have a new Enhanced Fiction story, Nothing Personal (Battleshop, DriveThruRPG, Amazon), from the author of The Vladivostok Gauntlet. With a distinctive narrative voice, it tells the story of a particularly bad day for Mr. Johnson, and what he has to do when he has to rely on a whole different set of skills than he normally uses. Full details ahead:

Johnson Meets Street

Mr. Johnson. You know the name. You probably know the face—smooth, implacable, professional. He’s got the nuyen and resources you want, and he knows it. He may not have your skills, but he doesn’t care. That’s what he has the nuyen for—so he can buy yours. He’s corporate through and through, and you can’t ever forget that, because if you do, that’s when he sells you out for the good of his corp. But he’ll stay professional, of course, right up until the moment he slides the knife smoothly into your back. He’s useful, that Mr. Johnson, but every time you meet him, every time you have to deal with his double-crosses, his condescending put-downs, his smug superiority, you wish that the day would come when the tables were turned, when he was forced out on the street with nothing but his wits and street skills—whatever those might be—to keep him alive.

Well, good news. Sometimes wishes come true, even in the Sixth World. Mr. Johnson is about to meet the street, and you’ve got a ringside seat.

Nothing Personal is enhanced fiction for the Shadowrun universe, with game stats for some of the major characters included in the document or available at www.shadowruntabletop.com. The stats are for use with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition; the story is for everyone!