Solo Shadowrun: What Edition, What Aids, and What Tips? Options

[CornWhiskerTea]

First, Hello everyone! This is my first post, and well, I found about Shadowrun a few years ago; I quickly fell in love with the setting, from corporate CEO's being literal dragons to drones, spirits, and magic co-existing.

After having a bit of free time and finally deciding to play, I decided that due to IRL reasons (work, schedule, finding people, etc) - that I would love to start a game of Shadowrun....Solo.

Now, I fully realize that Shadowrun is a game where you can't do everything, but most runs require almost every aspect of the game.

So far, I've decided to "wing" some aspects of the game, like saying "Oh, my fixer gave this job for me, he'll take a bigger cut but I'll accept it" , while ignoring other aspects of the game - like if I'm a decker, sitting out on the magic-related jobs.

Sure, I'll not be able to enjoy "Every" aspect of the game, but that's something I'll fully embrace - I like getting my face slammed into the dirt, and if my nerdy character gets in a firefight? Well, he'll get banged up, but I won't feel bad about it.

The question I want to ask is "which edition to go for". I'm primarily thinking of 3rd Edition vs 5th Edition, for the following reasons.

3rd Ed. seems to have the most solo resources - more specifically, I'm looking to play either a decker or an Otaku, specializing in matrix runs and paydata using the matrix and paydata generation rules found in the 3rd Edition Matrix book. This is a huge boon for me, as all other editions of SR seem to either lack this random table feature, or are "suspended" by SR3.

However, SR3 doesn't quite have a smooth character generator (I've had to install a virtual windows XP inside my computer just to get NSRCG running), and it has little internet support compared to more modern editions.

5th Ed. has a great character generator program, and also has huge internet support, which means I can talk about the game and get answers, suggestions, and more far more easily. But it doesn't seem to have random tables that allow me to put a "solo run" on the fly, and for now, I'm unaware of any supplement or Holostreets stuff that does so.

In terms of "crunch", I'm fine with both systems - while the dice pool of 5th Edition come to me as more intuitive versus the various pools of 3rd, it's not a hill that I'll die on.

So...I'd be happy to hear anyone and everyone's opinions on what I should pick out for Solo-ing SR, and if there's any other resources I should go for. TIA, and happy day!

[Lionesque]

FWIW, NSRCG runs just fine on Win11 for me.

As for running solo: I'd stick with the mundane, just for simplicity's sake. But I wonder why you skip over 4th ed.? I *think* that 4th might be a little easier to solo, because it kind of allows 'multiclass' play more than the other editions, AFAIK. Also (dead horse incoming:) 5th ed. is a dumpster fire.

[CornWhiskerTea]

FWIW, NSRCG runs just fine on Win11 for me.

As for running solo: I'd stick with the mundane, just for simplicity's sake. But I wonder why you skip over 4th ed.? I *think* that 4th might be a little easier to solo, because it kind of allows 'multiclass' play more than the other editions, AFAIK. Also (dead horse incoming:) 5th ed. is a dumpster fire.

I know, it's my computer that's the problem. And I have no idea why - it might be an operating system issue, it might be language issues, but for now I've found a solution and I'm going to stick with it.

I was probably planning to play a decker, or Otaku / Technomancer - basically, something Matrix - y - as that would allow me to do runs "offline" and offset a lot of the "problems" with solo play, like not having enough skills for combat (or bodies), talking with Mr. Johnson, etc. Of course those are fun and valid too, but having too much stuff to makes up makes it hard on myself too.

4th Ed....well, I haven't exactly thought of 4th Ed. If there are random matrix generation tables, or stuff like that that allows me to simply roll for stuff so I can run a matrix run relatively solo, then I'll pick up 4th instead of 3rd, as I like the dice pool system more. But if there isn't.....I dunno, compared to 5th, 4th has a bit less internet "talk" attached to it, and if I'm going to play an edition with relatively low solo playability, I'd prefer an edition with more internet/community support, so to speak.

[Bodak]

What do you mean by "solo Shadowrun"?

I could envisage that as you GMing a session and also playing a single character in it with no other players, running all the NPCs and PCs yourself. There are a lot of adventures / modules you could go through that way, getting really immersed in the old lore. Or do you mean that a game with one GM and one player character played by a separate player would fit your RL restrictions?

Where on the spectrum of Trenchcoat & Mirrorshades all the way up to Pink Mohawk are you aiming for? I have not played SR5. I did play SR4 and it felt very X-Men superhero to me with really powerful PCs. If Pink Mohawk is your gig, I think it will deliver. SR3 is I think more gritty and lethal so if Trenchcoat & Mirrorshades appeals, that's where it's at.

Community is important. There are still plenty of SR2/3 grognards here and on Discord but this forum is far far quieter now than it was even ten years ago sadly.

If you were to want to play a SR3 character who can do it all, I would recommend a Mystic Adept (Priority A, Path of the Magician from Magic in the Shadows). You can take Adept Powers like Kinesics to ease Social interactions. You can Initiate and take Centring to lower TN penalties in almost everything. You can take Counterstrike and Improved Skill Polearms to mow through melee opponents and Astral Combat with your magical armour. You can squeeze a lot of Cyberware and Bioware into 1 Magic Loss (Smartlink 2, Datajack, Enhanced Articulation, Trauma Damper would be my priority). You can get spellcasting and conjuring so that you've got Spirit Concealment to aid your Stealth skill and Invisibility spell, for example. You can get all the sensory enhancements via Adept Powers. You can get Astral Projection via Metamagic, and Cognition and Attunement are great. All your incoming Karma goes to feed your advancing skills and powers, meanwhile your incoming Nuyen gets invested in a fantastic cyberdeck. Then you're using your magically charged Computer skill against Centring-lowered TN penalties in the Matrix. Being awakened as a Decker/Rigger is particularly convenient because at any point you can Astrally Perceive to check on the surroundings and safety of your meatbod without interrupting your Matrix / remote incursion. Once you've stockpiled a large amount of Good Karma you don't know what to use on, you can summon for yourself a Familiar Spirit and give it a bunch of skills like Stealth, Car, Build Repair Electronics, etc. (its Attributes being equal to its Force means it can be quite formidable at, F6+) so now you're playing two beings and one of them can serve as a Power Focus, materialise behind doors to unlock them for you, snake a fibre-optic cable through the airconditioning duct and plug the far end into a server rack, continue B/R overnight for you, use computers via AR (MitS.99, under Search), act as your remote eyes and ears via Sense Link with no need for encryption, bodyguard your meat while you Deck, etc. etc. My point being, lots of options.

If you haven't already played it, I definitely recommend Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall. It's available from GOG. It does not use SR mechanics, but when it comes to "solo playing Shadowrun" it's the best, most faithful immersion I've found so far to the setting and general premise. Shadowrun Returns: Dead Man's Switch is OK if you're familiar with the novels (particularly Burning Bright and Lone Wolf) but otherwise it presents as quite incoherent. SR Hong Kong is not worth considering and seemed inferior in every way, to me.

[CornWhiskerTea]

What do you mean by "solo Shadowrun"?

I could envisage that as you GMing a session and also playing a single character in it with no other players, running all the NPCs and PCs yourself. There are a lot of adventures / modules you could go through that way, getting really immersed in the old lore. Or do you mean that a game with one GM and one player character played by a separate player would fit your RL restrictions?

By "Solo Shadowrun" I mean playing the game by myself, with me playing the role of GM and my character. I envision to have a single PC, due to logistical reasons (managing multiple characters is hard), realistic reasons (knowing the entire SR3 "game" is hard right now), and due to immersion (one character means I can focus and relate more to him).

I know Shadowrun is a game where one individual can't really rambo through "all parts" of the job by himself, so I'm envisioning a matrix-y character since 1: the rules in the SR3 Matrix, the Nullsheen matrix generator, and others allow for a "solo" run where your objective is to jack in, grab as much paydata, and jack out, with a lot more variety than the "the goons need to be killed" run, without much thinking on my part as the random tables provide enough variety.

Additionally, the challenges of playing someone who was "far" from the shadows and lacks "basic skills" like shooting, bluffing, patching someone who's bleeding from gunfire wounds, etc....sounds like a great character development arc.

Where on the spectrum of Trenchcoat & Mirrorshades all the way up to Pink Mohawk are you aiming for? I have not played SR5. I did play SR4 and it felt very X-Men superhero to me with really powerful PCs. If Pink Mohawk is your gig, I think it will deliver. SR3 is I think more gritty and lethal so if Trenchcoat & Mirrorshades appeals, that's where it's at.

Community is important. There are still plenty of SR2/3 grognards here and on Discord but this forum is far far quieter now than it was even ten years ago sadly.

I....think it's a bit more in the Trenchcoat & Mirrorshades, especially since I'll be playing a matrix character and IRL, people who hack corporations and replace the welcome page with profanity-laced humiliation tend to end up in prison. I' m not skirting to one side, but if I had to pick a side it's going to be trenchcoats.

As for the community, I'm simply thankful Dumpshock forums is still alive. I still have a lot of questions - from character generation tips, to if you can be a rigger/decker or a otaku/decker "hybrid", and if so, what's better, etc, etc, etc - and this site is basically a huge data haven, with lots of great questions, analysis, points, tips, etc. I still think this is the best place to ask for SR2/3 and "old edition" stuff in general.

If you were to want to play a SR3 character who can do it all, I would recommend a Mystic Adept (Priority A, Path of the Magician from Magic in the Shadows). You can take Adept Powers like Kinesics to ease Social interactions. You can Initiate and take Centring to lower TN penalties in almost everything. You can take Counterstrike and Improved Skill Polearms to mow through melee opponents and Astral Combat with your magical armour. You can squeeze a lot of Cyberware and Bioware into 1 Magic Loss (Smartlink 2, Datajack, Enhanced Articulation, Trauma Damper would be my priority). You can get spellcasting and conjuring so that you've got Spirit Concealment to aid your Stealth skill and Invisibility spell, for example. You can get all the sensory enhancements via Adept Powers. You can get Astral Projection via Metamagic, and Cognition and Attunement are great. All your incoming Karma goes to feed your advancing skills and powers, meanwhile your incoming Nuyen gets invested in a fantastic cyberdeck. Then you're using your magically charged Computer skill against Centring-lowered TN penalties in the Matrix. Being awakened as a Decker/Rigger is particularly convenient because at any point you can Astrally Perceive to check on the surroundings and safety of your meatbod without interrupting your Matrix / remote incursion. Once you've stockpiled a large amount of Good Karma you don't know what to use on, you can summon for yourself a Familiar Spirit and give it a bunch of skills like Stealth, Car, Build Repair Electronics, etc. (its Attributes being equal to its Force means it can be quite formidable at, F6+) so now you're playing two beings and one of them can serve as a Power Focus, materialise behind doors to unlock them for you, snake a fibre-optic cable through the airconditioning duct and plug the far end into a server rack, continue B/R overnight for you, use computers via AR (MitS.99, under Search), act as your remote eyes and ears via Sense Link with no need for encryption, bodyguard your meat while you Deck, etc. etc. My point being, lots of options.

Thanks for the information! Sounds like SR is a bit more lenient on magic-machine-man "multiclassing" than newer ones. But if you can play a magician rigger-decker, then can you just play a "rigger-decker" or a "Otaku-rigger"? Which one synergizes better with the rigging part?

If you haven't already played it, I definitely recommend Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall. It's available from GOG. It does not use SR mechanics, but when it comes to "solo playing Shadowrun" it's the best, most faithful immersion I've found so far to the setting and general premise. Shadowrun Returns: Dead Man's Switch is OK if you're familiar with the novels (particularly Burning Bright and Lone Wolf) but otherwise it presents as quite incoherent. SR Hong Kong is not worth considering and seemed inferior in every way, to me.

Haven't played the computer game series yet, but I'll deffo try it out! Thanks for the detailed reply as well.

[Bodak]

me playing the role of GM and my character.

Additionally, the challenges of playing someone who was "far" from the shadows and lacks "basic skills" like shooting, bluffing, patching someone who's bleeding from gunfire wounds, etc....sounds like a great character development arc.

Excellent! Your idea for getting a boffin into Shadowrunning reminds me of the datasteal fencing scene in The Matrix:

Choi: Something wrong, man? You look a little whiter than usual.
Neo: My computer, it… You ever have that feeling where you’re not sure if you’re awake or still dreaming?
Choi: Mm, all the time. It’s called Mescaline. It’s the only way to fly. Hey, it just sounds to me like you need to unplug, man. You know, get some R and R. What do you think, DuJour? Should we take him with us?
DuJour: Definitely.
Neo: No, I can’t, I've got work tomorrow.
DuJour: Come on, It’ll be fun. I promise.

Prior to that point, Thomas Anderson is a one-trick pony with no social skills. But by taking that risk and going out clubbing and letting Trinity gnaw on his earlobes he began investing karma points into shooting, bluffing, first aid, etc. And your PC could too!

I still have a lot of questions - from character generation tips, to if you can be a rigger/decker or a otaku/decker "hybrid",

Sounds like SR is a bit more lenient on magic-machine-man "multiclassing" than newer ones. But if you can play a magician rigger-decker, then can you just play a "rigger-decker" or a "Otaku-rigger"? Which one synergizes better with the rigging part?

You can play a magician-rigger-decker, yes, but there's a price to pay.

1. otaku/decker "hybrid" I suspect this cannot be done for the same reason one couldn't play a hermetic/shaman, but I admit I have not more than glanced at Otaku rules once since they released. I think you pick either to operate the Matrix using your deck and utilities, or you operate the Matrix using your savant superpower.
2. Otaku-rigger I don't see why not, but others on the board will know a lot more on this than I do.
3. rigger-decker this works fine. The decker just needs a datajack inside and a cyberdeck outside (Maths SPU + Encephalon + Cerebral Booster help). The rigger needs a datajack and a VCR inside and a RC deck outside. So they coexist just fine. Decking makes plenty of money and rigging costs plenty of money so this synergises well. Decker requires few skills (slightly more if you build your own hardware and software) but rigger requires a lot (Electronics, Vehicles, Build & Repair) so I'd recommend getting Skillwires (with Chipjack and Expert Driver) for at least the B&R skills. You can't use Activesofts while rigging but you can use Knowsofts (eg Navigation) while rigging. You can use Activesofts when decking (consistency?) and indeed an Expert Driver's dice contribute to your hacking pool, so that's worth considering. When decking and when rigging your body is vulnerable. The only nominal gotcha for a rigger-decker is that Matrix p28 (Riggers and the Matrix) says anybody with a VCR implanted gets so overwhelmed in the Matrix their TNs are at +1 and their Hacking pool (when hot ASIST) is at -VCR rating. They can avoid both these penalties by turning their VCR off as per M&M p48 (Cyberware triggers) either mentally (a Free action) or physically (a Simple action) at no extra cost (Essence or Nuyen). Since the VCR's legality is 6P-N (and Smartlink is 5P-N) and it's unusual for runners to buy permits, it's probably good to have these augmentations turned off anyway, as standard operating procedure outside incursions, to improve Concealability vs Cyberscanners by +4 (as per SR3.301: Reflex trigger). The rigger-decker could take Vehicle Empathy and Natural Hardening Edges. Jack Itch for extra challenge. Consider Strato9 (R3.176) in chargen (with Engine Customisation [1] (R3.125) 1725Y to provide Load for Vehicle Armour [5] (R3.131) 6250Y with Nonconductive [5] (CC.53 to defend against SR3.324, SR3.197, MitS.52) 1000Y and Smartlink Integration Kit [2] (R3.139) 900Y 1CF). Consider Prairie Cat (R3.164) once in play. Enhanced Articulation helps decking (all the illustrations of deckers show that they are operating their deck with their fingers on the keys and the fibreoptics in their jack).
4. magician-decker works well. All the karma fuels the magician side (spells, foci, initiation) while all the nuyen fuels the decker side (decks, utilities). Magic rating is reduced by Essence loss + half Bioware index. And the only cyber a decker needs is a datajack (or trodes if you're a wimp). Since you're already OK with losing 1 point of Magic, you can then fit in excellent Bioware (Trauma Damper, Pain Editor, Cerebral Booster 2 are all worth considering). You can geas your Magic loss but Magic Loss Checks and Initiation make it not worth it. To get surgery-based Essence reductions at character generation you need to take the relevant "reduction" Edge from Man & Machine p150 as outlined on MM.148 (eg a 2-point Edge reduces cyberware impact by 5%). Magicians who are Decking (Mat.28) or Rigging (R3.28) suffer none of the penalties rigger-deckers do due to the whole magic-and-technology-don't-mix thing (consistency?). If you have a Sustaining Focus, Physical spells that affect a user's Intelligence or Reaction will impact the user's attributes and dice pools in the Matrix. (Mat.28)
5. magician-rigger is harder. This is because riggers require a VCR, VCRs cost a lot of Essence, and Magic is equal to Essence (ignoring geasa). It can be done. You could prioritise magic and go rigger-lite with a VCR [1] (maybe upgrade it in play to a betaware VCR [2]). Or you could augment until your Magic is down to 1 and then rely on a Power Focus [2] in order to scrape by magically until you can Initiate a few times. An alternative to the Force 2 Power Focus would be a Force 3 Ally Spirit bought with your Spell Points (MitS.111, SRC.15) with Sense Link and First Aid. If you're smashing your Essence down to 1, that cuts your Astral Projection time down; in which case downgrade from Priority A full magician to Priority B aspected (no Astral Projection) for 35 Spell Points (instead of 25, making your Ally Spirit Force 4). Get Enchanting. Eventually, you'll be able to create the Abomination. Then you can dikote your Ally spirit and have ^@NO CARRIER with it. For this purpose I recommend the MkGuyver Robot [3] (R3.178) within chargen or the Ares Guardian (R3.177) later on. If you have a Sustaining Focus, Physical spells that affect a character's Intelligence or Reaction impact a rigger's Reaction and Control Pool. (R3.28)
6. magician-rigger-decker yes, with all the perks and limitations of the above. Probably best to pick magic or rigging as your bread and butter with the other as your side gig. I would pick rigging as primary and use magic to make my drones Invisible (spell) and Concealed (spirit) as an Urban (MitS.16) Spider Shaman (MitS.157). Then a few months down the line once you've earnt enough from your runs to afford to buy a rating 7 or 8 cyberdeck, I'd then branch out into that gig. This is easier than stretching chargen money to include a cyberdeck and then later on in play getting a VCR installed. And you can't retroactively add magic.
7. magician-otaku hybrid: no. Incompatible Priority values.

Haven't played the computer game series yet, but I'll deffo try it out!

Since you have set up a Windows XP VM for NSRCG you certainly have the skillset to run an emulator to play the old SNES or Genesis SR games too. For their era and engineering limitations they're fantastic. They have some (minesweeper-esque) Matrix running.

"Decker" ( https://sourceforge.net/projects/decker/ ) might also appeal.

I think the main computer game to avoid is Microsoft's FPS which exhibited just how little they care that they don't value the SR IP they purchased.

[Kagetenshi]

otaku/decker "hybrid" I suspect this cannot be done for the same reason one couldn't play a hermetic/shaman, but I admit I have not more than glanced at Otaku rules once since they released. I think you pick either to operate the Matrix using your deck and utilities, or you operate the Matrix using your savant superpower.

I don’t see any reason why this wouldn’t work as a strictly mechanical possibility, but it does seem very redundant and not particularly useful: you have two ways of accomplishing the same thing and they aren’t even that different insofar as they don’t offer fundamentally different pathways to accomplishing that thing, what blocks one will probably block the other. I suppose the closest analogy I might make is to specializing in both the Ares Predator and the Browning Max-Power—they offer some tradeoffs but you pay a lot more than just picking one and sticking to it for pretty marginal returns.

Otaku-rigger I don't see why not, but others on the board will know a lot more on this than I do.

The biggest problem here is the Otaku’s forced chargen poverty—it’s impossible to start with a VCR, a Rating 1 Remote-Control Deck will take up 100% of your starting Resources, so on and so forth. Absolutely everything needs to be done after chargen. Also, Otaku are going to be very hard-pressed to fit vehicle skills into their starting lineup, and their channels and complex forms and whatnot will eat up karma they earn. If you give an otaku a couple million nuyen (or even one at no Street Index) and a big wad of extra karma they can make this work, otherwise it’s a pipe dream.

rigger-decker this works fine. The decker just needs a datajack inside and a cyberdeck outside (Maths SPU + Encephalon + Cerebral Booster help). The rigger needs a datajack and a VCR inside and a RC deck outside. So they coexist just fine. Decking makes plenty of money and rigging costs plenty of money so this synergises well. Decker requires few skills (slightly more if you build your own hardware and software) but rigger requires a lot (Electronics, Vehicles, Build & Repair) so I'd recommend getting Skillwires (with Chipjack and Expert Driver) for at least the B&R skills. You can't use Activesofts while rigging but you can use Knowsofts (eg Navigation) while rigging. You can use Activesofts when decking (consistency?) and indeed an Expert Driver's dice contribute to your hacking pool, so that's worth considering. When decking and when rigging your body is vulnerable. The only nominal gotcha for a rigger-decker is that Matrix p28 (Riggers and the Matrix) says anybody with a VCR implanted gets so overwhelmed in the Matrix their TNs are at +1 and their Hacking pool (when hot ASIST) is at -VCR rating. They can avoid both these penalties by turning their VCR off as per M&M p48 (Cyberware triggers) either mentally (a Free action) or physically (a Simple action) at no extra cost (Essence or Nuyen). Since the VCR's legality is 6P-N (and Smartlink is 5P-N) and it's unusual for runners to buy permits, it's probably good to have these augmentations turned off anyway, as standard operating procedure outside incursions, to improve Concealability vs Cyberscanners by +4 (as per SR3.301: Reflex trigger). The rigger-decker could take Vehicle Empathy and Natural Hardening Edges. Jack Itch for extra challenge. Consider Strato9 (R3.176) in chargen (with Engine Customisation [1] (R3.125) 1725Y to provide Load for Vehicle Armour [5] (R3.131) 6250Y with Nonconductive [5] (CC.53 to defend against SR3.324, SR3.197, MitS.52) 1000Y and Smartlink Integration Kit [2] (R3.139) 900Y 1CF). Consider Prairie Cat (R3.164) once in play. Enhanced Articulation helps decking (all the illustrations of deckers show that they are operating their deck with their fingers on the keys and the fibreoptics in their jack).

The synergy is indeed good (though once you hit the point of writing your own programs you have more friction, what with it cutting into your vehicle-upgrading time) but the gotcha is bigger—the rigger must install a Reflex Trigger for 13k¥ and 0.2 Essence because VCRs are not by default cyberware that is capable of being activated and deactivated (and because the section in Matrix says that’s what you have to do).

magician-otaku hybrid: no. Incompatible Priority values.

That can be worked around by using point-build or making an aspected magician, the bigger obstacle is that the rules state that Otaku characters do not assign any priority to Magic and may not spend any Build Points on magic either: “no otaku has ever displayed any magical ability whatsoever.”

~J