The complete GenCon Shadowrun release rundown

GenCon is approaching exactly like a speeding train, and we here at Shadowrun central are ready to be run over. It’s going to be a whale of a con–from seminar updates about the tabletop line, Shadowrun Returns, and Shadowrun Online, to dozens of sold-out games, to seven new products, we’ve got a lot going on.

Wait–did I just say seven new products? Yes. Yes I did. The complete rundown follows, but if you want the entire update on Catalyst’s GenCon products, including fabulous games like Leviathans and Balance of Power, a new book to go with the ENnie-nominated Cosmic Patrol, and new BattleTech products, you should head over to the Catalyst Game Labs site.

Here’s what we’ll have for Shadowrun:

Shadowrun: Shadowrun 2050, Historical Setting Sourcebook [$44.99; hardback, full color]

Chrome eyes. Computers called “decks.” Big hair, big cyberlimbs and bigger guns. It’s Shadowrun in the year it all started. Take a step back to Shadowrun’s roots with Shadowrun 2050, a book that combines Fourth Editionrules—the smoothest, most accessible rule setShadowrun has ever had—with the setting that first made the Sixth World a legend.

Shadowrun 2050 has everything players and gamemasters need to dive into the grimy beauty that kicked off one of the greatest roleplaying settings of all time. With information on how to adapt Fourth Edition Matrix, gear, and magic rules for the 2050 setting, as well as in-universe information about the powers of the world, what shadowrunners will be up to, and who they’ll be running into, Shadowrun 2050 puts a new twist on the classic setting.

Captain Chaos. Maria Mercurial. The Laughing Man. Sally Tsung. JetBlack. Hatchetman. Nightfire. And the Shadowland poster who just called himself The Big “D.” These people and many others are waiting for you in the year that started it all, a setting brought back to life with new, full-color artwork showing the chrome, dirt, neon, and darkness that was in the heart of Shadowrun when it started and remains at its core today.

Shadowrun: The Clutch of Dragons, Deep Shadows Sourcebook [$29.99; soft cover, B&W]

Never, ever deal with a dragon. Shadowrunners have heard that dictum so often, they frequently say those words in their sleep. But what the aphorism forgets to tell you is this—what if you don’t have a choice?

The tension between dragons has been growing, and the big lizards are throwing every weapon they have at each other, including shadowrunners—especially shadowrunners. Extractions, industrial sabotage, theft, wetwork—there’s plenty of jobs in all those areas, and dragons are finding ways to get reluctant runners to work for them. Maybe they’ll hide their involvement in the run, or maybe they’ll bribe the runners with large piles of nuyen or blackmail them with their past activities. Or maybe they’ll just tell the runners they have a simple choice of working for them or being eaten.

Whatever tactics they choose, the dragons are going to be active and aggressive, and if runners want to survive, they better be on their toes. They need to know who the draconic players are, what they’re up to, and what might happen to them if they fall into a dragon’s grip. They need to be ready for anything, because when dragons go at each other, the world shakes, the earth beneath them burns—and far too often, shadowrunners die.

The Clutch of Dragons provides the information gamemasters and players need to involve draconic plots in their games, from profiles of individuals dragons, their plots, and their lairs to information about the latest efforts to build anti-dragon weapons. This is a critical reference for any players who want to test their skills against the machinations of dragons—or who want to see just how much trouble they can survive.

Shadowrun: Runner’s Black Book 2074, Core Rulebook Expansion [$39.99; hard cover, full-color; Limited Edition: $49.99]

Asking a shadowrunner if they really need another gun is like asking someone if they need all that oxygen floating around them. Are you ever going to use all that air? Maybe not. But you’re sure as hell not going to be one of those suckers who’s going to be caught short.

Runner’s Black Book 2074 is about options, giving runners more choices of guns, weapons, vehicles, and other gear so that they can build a load out that suits them. Whether they want bleeding-edge gear built for those fighting the world’s latest wars or classic vehicles that have stood the test of time—or old crap they can get for cheap—Runner’s Black Book 2074 has what they need.

Collecting gear from digital products Gun H(e)aven 2, Used Car Lot, MilSpec Tech 2, and Euro War Antiquesalong with exclusive material for this book, Runner’s Black Book 2074 contains full-color illustrations, detailed descriptions, and complete game statistics for each item. It’s an essential resource for runners looking to do some shopping—or to learn more about the guns that might be pointed at them in the near future.

Shadowrun: Sprawl Sites: North America, Game Aid [$19.99; 16 page B&W booklet, 8 color maps]

The Sixth World is full of dark alleys, twisted corridors, and hidden locations for nefarious activities. Shadowrunners and 16th century explorers both know the same truth—the difference between death and survival when entering a hazardous area may be a good map.

Sprawl Sites: North America presents eight full-color maps that can be used in a variety of sprawls, making it simple for gamemasters to call up a number of different locations when they need it. From a luxury hotel to a collection of blocks in an urban barrens, from a shopping mall to a trideo studio, the collection includes maps that can be used in many different situations. The maps are double-sided, with a key on one side, making them useful as both a guide for players and a reference for gamemasters. The package also includes a booklet providing details on security and other personnel found in the location, along with plot hooks to help involve these spots in your game.

Shadowrun: Elven Blood, Missions Compilation; convention only [$14.99; soft cover, B&W]

Shadowrunners have a lot of rules, and each and every one of them can be overruled by the proper amount of nuyen. So when shadowrunners talk about “never trusting an elf,” that’s more of a bargaining position than anything else.

Luckily for them, some elves have plenty of scratch they can use as a persuasive tool. And for the tasks they have in front of them, they’re going to need it. There’s money waiting for runners if they’re willing to venture into elven territory and take on a host of odd jobs. Jobs like: Tracking down reagents from cranky critters. Messing around in the affairs of Tír royalty. Dealing with a number of different punks and thugs, none of whom like you. And intervening in a leadership challenge of the most powerful elven street gang there is.

Elven Blood is a compilation of five different Missions that have been written to premiere at summer conventions. They can, however, be played by anyone. Whether you’re playing at a con, in a game store, or in the comfort of your own home, Elven Blood has an adventure for you. Taking you from the mean streets of Seattle to the wild lands of Tír Tairngire, Elven Blood offers exciting and inventive adventures for all Shadowrun fans.

Shadowrun: Weapon Cards (Guns.V1); convention only [$9.99; deck of cards]

Designed to make game play simpler, more colorful, and more fun, Shadowrun Gear Cards contain pictures and stats for a whole range of items, making it easy for players and gamemasters to reference their stats at the game table while also bringing the Sixth World to life through full-color art for each piece of gear. This deck contains 54 guns for use inShadowrun, selected from a range of Shadowrun, Twentieth Anniversary Edition products. Deal them out and start shooting.

Shadowrun: Gear Cards (Drones & Vehicles.V1); convention only [$9.99; deck of cards]

Shadowrunners do a lot of things, but one thing they don’t do is sit still. There are places to go, people to shoot—they need the right vehicles to get them there, and the right drones to take care of business when they arrive. This deck has 54 drones and vehicles cards, with a full-color picture and complete stats, that make it easy for players and gamemasters to reference stats at the game table while illustrating what they’re driving, piloting, or riding. With selections from a range ofShadowrun, Twentieth Anniversary Edition products, this deck will prepare you for some serious moving violations.