|
|
iShadowrun setting |
|
|
 |
Return to the begining |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
i1 - Races |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
i Main article: Shadowrun races |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iCharacters in Shadowrun can be humans, orks, trolls, elves |
|
|
|
iand dwarves, as well as certain diverging subspecies (known |
|
|
|
ias metavariants) such as gnomes, giants, minotaurs, etc. |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
i2 - History |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
Main article: Shadowrun timeline |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iThe emergence of magic, the outbreak of the VITAS plagues |
|
|
|
i(Virally Induced Toxic Allergy Syndrome), the Computer Crash |
|
|
|
iof 2029 (caused by a complex and nearly unstoppable computer |
|
|
|
ivirus called "The Crash Entity"), the Euro-Wars, in which |
|
|
|
ithe western-European countries once fought off an invasion |
|
|
|
ifrom neo-communist Russia and then a pan-Islamic invasion |
|
|
|
ilike that of 800 years ago, and the fevers for independence |
|
|
|
iof Amerindian tribes, Chinese provinces, etc. left the world |
|
|
|
igovernments tumbling and falling. With the fall of the |
|
|
|
iexisting political structures, megacorporations emerged as |
|
|
|
ithe new superpowers. |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
i3 - Nations |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iAs the world endured the string of state changing events and |
|
|
|
iconflicts, the political landscape fragmented and reformed. |
|
|
|
iIn North America, for example, some nations broke apart and |
|
|
|
ireformed, as was the case with the Confederated American |
|
|
|
iStates and the United Canadian and American States; others |
|
|
|
ibecame havens for specific racial or ethnic groups, like the |
|
|
|
icouncils of the Native American Nations or the Elvish |
|
|
|
iprincipality of Tír Tairngire; and some, like the California |
|
|
|
iFree State simply declared independence, or became defacto |
|
|
|
icorporate subsidiaries like Aztlan to Aztechnology. Despite |
|
|
|
ithe new role of megacorporations, many nations still hold |
|
|
|
iconsiderable sway through economic, social and military means. |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
i4 - Corporations |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
i Main article: Shadowrun corporations |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iThe monolithic "enemies" of the Shadowrun world (borrowing |
|
|
|
iheavily from cyberpunk mythos) are the Corporations, dubbed |
|
|
|
i"Megacorporations", "Megacorps", or simply "megas" or "corps" |
|
|
|
ifor short. Megacorporations in the 21st century are massively |
|
|
|
iglobal, with all but the smallest corps owning multiple |
|
|
|
isubsidiaries and divisions around the world. They are the |
|
|
|
isuperpowers of the Shadowrun universe, with the largest |
|
|
|
icorporations having far more political, economic, and military |
|
|
|
ipower than even the most powerful nation-states. |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
i5 - Science and technology |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iDespite the Crash which caused much data corruption, technology |
|
|
|
iadvanced at a tremendous rate. Cyberware, technical implants, |
|
|
|
iand Bioware, genetically engineered implants which enhance a |
|
|
|
iperson's abilities, emerged. |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iOriginally, direct neural interface technology enabled humans |
|
|
|
iand metahumans to directly access computers and the Matrix, the |
|
|
|
iglobal computer network restructured after the 2029 Crash. |
|
|
|
iAccess to the Matrix was accomplished by "deckers": individuals |
|
|
|
ithat have cyberdecks which are futuristic equivalent to modern day |
|
|
|
ilaptop computers. These interface machines are connected to the |
|
|
|
ibrain through a Datajack generally located at the temple or |
|
|
|
ibehind the ear. The "deck" would then be plugged into a port that |
|
|
|
iis connected to the Matrix at large. The Matrix was originally |
|
|
|
ibased on ideas by William Gibson and the cyberpunk literary genre. |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iIn Shadowrun 4th edition, the Matrix rules have changed, thanks |
|
|
|
ito the setting's constant evolution and a drive to match real |
|
|
|
iworld technological developments. After the second Matrix crash in |
|
|
|
i2064, Matrix technology was moved away from the wired network |
|
|
|
iand led into a wireless technology. This technology was |
|
|
|
ioriginally proposed in the early 2060s by Transys Neuronet and |
|
|
|
iErika, now part of NeoNET. |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iThe most noticeable difference between the Matrix in the 2070s |
|
|
|
iand the earlier editions is the widespread use of wireless |
|
|
|
itechnology. Communications and Matrix access is done through a |
|
|
|
iPersonal Area Network (PAN), managed through an individual's |
|
|
|
iCommlink, a combination personal computer/cell phone/PDA/wireless |
|
|
|
idevice that hooks into the Matrix through wi-fi nodes placed in |
|
|
|
ievery city's infrastructure. |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iThe other major difference in the Matrix of the 2070s is the use |
|
|
|
iof Augmented Reality, where a person hooked to the Matrix through |
|
|
|
itheir Commlink has their vision imprinted (through direct neural |
|
|
|
iimplants or special glasses) with the same files and images that |
|
|
|
ione would see on a computer desktop. This allows many users to |
|
|
|
istay on the Matrix constantly while walking around in normal space |
|
|
|
i(though the traditional full-immersion Virtual Reality is still |
|
|
|
iaccessible). |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iCyberdecks are obsolete, so "deckers" have once again become |
|
|
|
i"hackers". In addition, the otaku of previous versions (deckers wh |
|
|
|
idid not need decks to access the Matrix) have metamorphed into |
|
|
|
itechnomancers, who have an innate connection to the Matrix and are |
|
|
|
icapable of entering into a wireless network with no special equipm |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iThe use of the term 'Matrix' in the Shadowrun game to refer to an |
|
|
|
iimmersive virtual world predates its use in the popular feature fi |
|
|
|
iThe Matrix. In Shadowrun, the Matrix is not a simulation of realit |
|
|
|
ibut rather is the global communications and information network th |
|
|
|
iis a successor to the internet. |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iIn 2075 the Matrix was again modified by megacorporations, renewin |
|
|
|
ithe need for cyberdecks. Very quickly Hackers returned to being de |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
i6 - Magic |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
i Main article: Shadowrun magic |
|
|
|
i |
|
|
|
iThose able to actively interact with the magical energies of the |
|
|
|
iSixth World are known as “awakened.” An awakened character's power |
|
|
|
iin magic is linked to their Essence statistic. Because of this, |
|
|
|
imost magically active individuals attempt to avoid cybernetic |
|
|
|
ienhancement, which lowers Essence. |
|
|
|
___________________________________________________________________ |
|
|
|
Gophered by Gophernicus/3.1.1 on n/a/n x86_64 |
|