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Preface

Vanilla Shadowrun™ rules are complicated. Not knowing whether the game is sufficiently balanced, I doubt the amount of complexity is needed for the game to be enjoyable. 6^th Edition was supposed to simplify the rules, but was rushed and arrived broken beyond repair. On my search for a simpler version, I discovered Shadowrun Anarchy. Establishing its own, far simpler, rule set, Shadowrun Anarchy also draws lots of parallels to 5^th Edition.

This project establishes the homebrew rules for my game sessions. The rules are loosely based on Shadowrun Anarchy and subject to change. There is neither fluff nor lore here, just mechanics; everything else is found in the official books.

Turns and Narrations

Each Turn, every player has a chance to play out and describe their character's actions, along with other elements of the story going on around them. These descriptions are called Narrations, and as the game progresses these Narrations build on each other and form the story of the game. [SRA]

The Turn Order is situation dependent and may be adjusted by spending Plot Points. If push comes to shove, compare characters A + E Attributes to determine who goes first.

Tests

6-sided dice are used to determine the outcome of certain actions. A pool of dice is rolled and Hits are compared against a threshold stated in parenthesis or determined by the GM. Tests against other characters are rolled as an opposed test, where the opposition sets the threshold for the actor. To speed things up, the GM may use a fixed threshold instead of rolling for the opposition.

• Dice pool: The dice pools for actor and opposition is determined by Attributes, Skills, Amps, and modifiers
• Hits: ⚄ and ⚅ count as Hits
• Net Hits: Hits exceeding the threshold are referred to as Net Hits
• Glitch: When more than half the number of dice rolled come up as ⚀, something bad happens in addition to the regular outcome of the Test. Glitches cannot happen on defense Tests.
• Critical Glitch: When a Glitch happens while not achieving a single Hit, something devastating happens.

Repeating Tests

Most Tests can be repeated for an accumulative -2 modifier.

Extended Tests

Some Tests take far longer than a moment and therefore require the character to invest time. An Extended Test accumulates Hits over multiple rolls to meet a given (high) threshold. Extended Tests cannot last forever; at some point, characters reach the limit of their abilities. Each roll beyond the first suffers an accumulative -1 modifier. When they run out of dice before meeting the threshold, the Test either fails or needs to be continued at a later point. A fixed time interval is spent along with each roll. [SR5]

Glitches during an Extended Test nullify all Hits of the current roll. A Critical Glitch can only occur on the first roll, in which case the task fails spectacularly.

Teamwork Tests

Outside combat, characters can work together to overcame various obstacles. A Teamwork Test is done by selecting a leader who will do the majority of the work. Other characters assist by rolling a corresponding Test. Each Hit scored by the helpers grants a bonus die to the leader's dice pool. The number of bonus dice is limited by the leader's Skill (or higher Attribute).

Rounding

All divisions are round down unless stated otherwise.

Plot Points

Plot Points are tokens that can be redeemed for special effects. Both, players and the GM, have the ability to spend Plot Points. When a Plot Point is spent, the spender hands the token to the opposition.

• Players begin the game with 2 Plot Points each and may be awarded more points by the GM
• Players may have a maximum of 5 Plot Points
• Players can only spend one Plot Point at a time
• The GM starts with 1 Plot Point, but can generate Plot Points for players as needed
• The GM may not use Plot Points to directly aid or hinder a player
• GM can only spend 1 Plot Point per Turn
• GM can spend a Plot Point to influence the Turn Order

Examples for special effects players can spend Plot Points on:

• Go first, bypassing the current Turn Order
• Move further without sacrificing an action
• Heal 1 🄿 or 🅂 (see Health)
• Gain 1 Edge Point
• Take a hit for another character in close proximity

Character Stats

Attributes

E Edge

Edge is a special Attribute that represents a character's luck. Characters start each day with a number of Edge Points equal to their E. They can spend an Edge Point in one the following ways to augment a roll.

• Before roll: +1 die and ⚃ also counts as a Hit
• After roll (no Glitch): Reroll all dice that did not come up as Hits
• After roll (Glitch): Nullify a Glitch or turn a Critical Glitch into a Glitch

Essence

Essence determines how natural your character is. Essence starts at 6 for all characters and is reduce by certain unnatural Amps like Cyberware. For every full point of Essence lost, an accumulative -1 modifier is added to magic- and healing-related Tests.

• Cyberware: -1 Essence
• Bioware: -0.5 Essence

Skills

• Strength:
  • Athletics: Running, jumping, swimming, …
• Agility:
  • Close Combat: Armed & unarmed melee combat, …
  • Projectile Weapons: Bows, throwing weapons, …
  • Firearms: Pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, and rifles
  • Heavy Weapons: Machine guns, assault cannons, missile launchers, …
  • Vehicle Weapons: Vehicle-mounted guns, drone-mounted guns, …
  • Stealth: Sneaking, palming, and pickpocketing
  • Escape Artist: Escaping bindings, shaking a tail, …
  • Pilot (Ground): Cars, trucks, bikes, tanks, drones, …
  • Pilot (Other): Boats, planes, …
• Willpower:
  • Sorcery: Spellcasting, ritual spellcasting, enchanting, and counterspelling
  • Conjuring: Summoning & banishing spirits
  • Astral Combat: Astral/spirit combat; Astral plane only
  • Survival: Wilderness survival, navigation, …
• Logic:
  • Biotech: First aid, medicine, and cybertechnology
  • Hacking: Computer hacking and cybercombat
  • Electronics: Computer hardware & software
  • Engineering: Mechanics
  • Tracking: Physical tracking, Matrix tracking, shadowing, …
  • Tasking: Summoning sprites, threading complex forms
  • Knowledge Skills
• Charisma:
  • Con: Con artistry, acting, performance, etiquette, …
  • Intimidation: Influence, interrogation, torture, …
  • Negotiation: Bargaining, diplomacy, …
  • Disguise: Camouflage, cosmetics, costuming, …

This list is not exhaustive. New Skills can be added on the fly as the GM sees fit.

Most Skills can be used even when a character has not invested a single point into them. Such untrained Tests simply roll the associated Attribute.

Perception is not a Skill, roll L + W for a Perception Test. (L + W) / 3 can be used for passive Perception.

A character can specialize in certain aspects of a (trained) Skill (e.g. Pistols of the Firearms Skill). A specialization grants a +2 modifier to associated Tests.

Qualities

Qualities are additional character traits that come in positive and negative forms. Characters typically start out with 2 positive and 1 negative Quality.

Amps

Every more-human-than-human improvement to your character is handled as an Amp. Ranging from cybernetic implants (Cyberware) to Spells, to Cyberdecks, etc.

Health

Health is represented by Condition Monitors, which come in two forms, Physical and Stun. Each Condition Monitor consists of a number of boxes (🄿 / 🅂). When you take damage, you cross out the corresponding number of 🄿 or 🅂 boxes.

• Characters have 8 + S / 2 (round up) boxes of 🄿
• Characters have 8 + W / 2 (round up) boxes of 🅂
• For every 3 crossed-out boxes per Condition Monitor, an accumulative -1 modifier is added to all Tests
• When all boxes on one Condition Monitor are exhausted, the character becomes unconscious
• Stun damage carries over as Physical damage once the Stun Condition Monitor is exhausted
• When a character receives Physical damage after the Physical Condition Monitor is exhausted, they must make an S + E (1) Test, increasing the difficulty each time they receive damage. If they fail the Test, the character is dead.

Characters can be healed using appropriate equipment in combination with a Biotech (2) Test, and/or with magic.

• Each Net Hit on the Biotech Test heals 1🄿 or 1🅂
• First Aid can only be applied within 1 hour
• Biotech and healing magic can each be applied only once per combat encounter

Armor

Armor reduces Physical and Stun damage. Each armor box 🄰 can consumes 1 point of damage. Physical damage destroys armor in the process — Stun damage does not.

• Armor cannot be restored during combat
• Armored clothing cannot be combined
• Attacks that have n Armor Penetration (AP) ignore n🄰 when dealing damage. Ignored armor remains intact.
• Attacks featuring Armor Avoidance (AA) make Net Hits count as Armor Penetration instead of bonus damage

Armor Plates are what makes armor consume damage. Armor Plates can be replaced to restore damaged armor.

• 1 Armor Plate corresponds to 3🄰
• Armor Plates are universal and can be exchanged between different armor

Device Rating

Devices and gear commonly feature a Device Rating indicating its level of quality. The Device Rating is used as threshold and Attribute(s) for Tests.

Combat

Actions

A character can take either 2 Simple Actions or 1 Complex Action, in addition to their Bonus Action. A general limit of one attack action per Turn is imposed. Though, certain Amps allow you to exceed this limit.

• Simple Action: Fire weapon (projectile / firearm), draw holstered weapon, pick up / put down / throw object, observe in detail, command spirit, …
• Complex Action: Fire weapon (heavy / mounted), melee attack, interacting with the matrix, going in / out of VR, cast spell, summon, astral projection, …
• Bonus Action: Drop object, drop prone, speak, quick draw, …

Characters can freely move 5 meters, spend a Simple Action to move 10 meters, or spend a Complex Action to sprint 20+ meters. Sprint entails an Athletics check where each Hit grants you 1 additional meter of movement.

Attack & Defense

A + Skill vs. A + L

• Net Hits result in additional points of damage
• Unarmed Combat inflicts S / 2 Stun damage

Firing Modes

Some weapons come with additional firing modes that augment your attack.

• Burst Fire n: Increase damage by n for each die removed from the dice pool.
• Full Auto: Attack multiple targets in close proximity by distributing your hits among them.
• Suppressive Fire: Force targets to hide behind cover or drop prone. Each target defends with L + W. Distribute your hits among targets in close proximity. The attack does no damage. Suppressive Fire can only be reused after 2 turns.

Hacking

L + Hacking vs. L + Firewall

• VR grants a +2 modifier to all related Tests
• Matrix Stun damage always applies to the Cyberdeck's Condition Monitor
• Matrix Physical damage is applied to the decker as Stun damage when in VR (armor is ignored), to the Cyberdeck otherwise

Technomancers

• Use L + L for Matrix Defense
• Sprites can be summoned with the Hacking Skill
• Only 1 Sprite can be summoned at the same time
• Technomancers deal L points of damage when attacking a Sprite directly

Vehicle / Drone Combat

• Vehicles / drones use A + L of the driver to defend
• VR grants a +2 modifier to all related Tests

Spells

• Attack Spells typically state how to defend
• Only 1 Spell can be sustained at a time
• Damage from Astral Combat is applied as Stun damage

Spirits

• Only 1 spirit can be conjured at a time
• Spirits are armored against non-magical attacks (mundane Armor Penetration is ineffective)
• Attack Spirits using W + Close Combat ignores armor and applies unarmed damage

Conditions

• Sprinting: +3 to ranged Defense Tests
• Prone: -3 to Defense Tests within melee range, +3 to Defense Tests beyond melee range, movement halved
• Cover: +3 to Defense Tests beyond melee range (directional)
• Full Cover: +6 to Defense Tests beyond melee range (directional), breaks line of sight
• Dazed: Character can only take one Simple Action per Turn
• Shocked: Character can only take one Bonus Action per Turn and can't move
• Bleeding: Character takes 1 P damage per Turn (armor is ignored). Biotech (1) Test can be used to stop the bleeding and apply a bandage (takes 2 Turns).
• Burning: Character takes 2 P damage per Turn. Flames can be put out by dropping prone (Bonus Action) and using a Complex Action.

Guns, Lots of Guns

This section establishes the base values for most gear. Specific items and modifications are added over time.

Weapons

Range modifiers are state as loose categories from melee range to far. A – means that the weapon cannot be used at this range.

Weapon Mods

• Smartlink: +2 dice modifier on attacks

Armor

Spells

• Confusion:
• Levitate:
• Stunbolt:
• Heal:

Positive Qualities

• Indomitable [Spell]: Reroll up to 2 dice.
• Fame [Location]: +2 dice modifier on the very first social test against the target.

Negative Qualities

• Addiction: Cumulative -1 dice modifier to all tests for every 12 hours of deprivation.

Books

While Shadowrun Anarchy serves as the base for this variation, 5^th Edition Core Books still provide a lot of interesting content. Mechanics and gear can be adapted to work with this version. 6^th Edition Core Books provide even more content. However, their mechanics might better be ignored.

Source Books describe various aspects of the world; Plot Books tell the story of Shadowrun. Adventures & Missions provide resources for running the game. The Gear section gives you even more equipment beyond what's in the Core Books.