| Game Type: RPG (Shadowrun) Supplement
Authors: Elissa Carey, Eleanor Holmes, Adam Jury and others
Publisher: Wizkid Games / Fanpro
Format: 8x10 Paperback, 144 pages
Price: $24.99
Reviewer: Logan L. Masterson If you're jacked in to SR3 (Shadowrun Third Edition), you need this data. The Sprawl Survival Guide has all the knowledge you'll need to make in Seattle or any other plex in the UCAS or elsewhere. The book, a nicely perfect-bound volume, covers lifestyle, setting and background material of use to Runners and game masters alike.
Game developers have picked up the old saying "the devil's in the details" and nobody says it better than the authors of this book. We all know how much flavor and panache good setting material can add to a roleplaying game, and this book has tons of it. But, if you're looking for rules, charts and other drek, look elsewhere. This book isn't devoid of rules, but they're certainly not the central theme. The theme is theme.
The first chapter, Life in the Sixties, covers every element of life in the 2060's. From shopping to sleeping, big brother to bagmen, everything you need to get the feel of Shadowrun's semi-apocalyptic world is right here. The sociology of the Shadowrun world is covered in enough depth to really give you the idea without boring you to tears. Furthermore, it gives readers relevant information, not just random page-filler as one expects from some developers these days. The information in this chapter is directly useful to runners, as it details the everyday minutia that most people miss, from home security to parking tickets. Hey, who knew that marriage was secularized when the UCAS formed?
It's A Small World, chapter two, covers travel and world culture. Of the former, let's say that nothing has changed. Well, almost nothing. Of the latter, the book provides plenty of interesting details—the kind of details that can spring into massive runs in faraway places.
Chapter four is Life on the Run, and details the world of the SINless (that's you, Chummer). Contacts, meetings, tactical research the run itself are covered in depth, giving players a real edge over the unprepared.
The final chapter covers the rules—all 26 pages of them. It's got gear, new Edges and Flaws, and a killer system for detailed lifestyles! With the new system, you can customize your character's pad to have an enormous garage and no kitchen or make it a tiny hole in the wall with an entertainment system to geek for.
Overall, the book is well laid out, detailed and fun to read, keeping with the traditional Shadowrun style. So slot your credstick and get in the know, chummer—don't hose this one up. Logan L. Masterson, 8-6-03 | |
