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An alternate mapping system for an alternate movement system. (Originally published at Stuffer Shack, September 12, 2017) Shadowrun: Anarchy is the narrative-heavy, shared-storytelling, alternate ruleset for Shadowrun. Among other differences, it has a non-traditional, abstracted movement system that lends itself to “theater of the mind” style encounters -- more-so than a lot of other RPGs. The GM and players don’t need to know how many meters/squares away a shooter is; she i

A re-imagining, re-sorting, and re-balancing of NPCs in Shadowrun: Anarchy. (Originally published at Stuffer Shack, February 22, 2017) In a review of Catalyst Game Labs' Shadowrun: Anarchy, I pointed out that the cast of NPCs published therein were best used as inspiration for your own cast of NPC threats. There were issues with balance, utility, and playability that needed to be resolved before I pit them against my players. In this article, I submit to you the set of NPCs t

A review of Catalyst Game Labs' Shadowrun: Anarchy. (Originally published at Stuffer Shack, December 22, 2016) It’s been a few months since Shadowrun: Anarchy’s release and now the hard copy is available as well. I got my hands on the PDF immediately, after much anticipation. The game, which is rules-light, narrative focused, and set in the same rich Shadowrun setting, was the game I had been waiting for (for 25 years). This overview is going to be strange; it will be a scath

A collection of Shadowrun: Anarchy resources, house rules, and musings. I have been playing Shadowrun for over 25 years and have come to a point in my gaming career that low-prep, narrative-heavy, rules-light role-playing games fit my needs and the needs of my gaming table. Enter Shadowrun: Anarchy. Since its release, I have been active in advocating its play-style, championing its philosophies, and creating house rules and options where I find it incomplete or unsatisfying.