Post by Eric Farrington on Nov 9, 2020 17:06:30 GMT
I played lots of 2nd and 3rd Edition Shadowrun in my youth. Cyber-punk was a thing for me and my cohorts back in the day. However, I have to admit the allure and edge of Cyber-punk has worn off on me since my youth. Similar to how my former carbonite hard love of Star Wars has pretty much died. Despite no longer being on the razor's edge of love, I was pretty excited to see Osprey Games release Reality's Edge as I had long thought about cyberpunk on the tabletop.
I have to say, this is a hefty tome. It is one of Osprey's hardback books, and it is a thick one! 320 pages of the bleeding edge of cyber-punk game design. The opening 8-10 pages do a great job of setting the cyberpunk scene for those who are not familiar with the genre. The Lexicon is also a plus, even if I think it is missing a few choice words or two. The art of the Sprawl does a good job of setting the right feel too. I think some of that card Infinity terrain from their boxsets will go along nicely for this game too.
To set the scene for you, chum; the world is run by the Mega-corps. At the gleaming tops of their spires and arcologies is a different world. A world of luxury and power.... but at the cost of your freedom. The company? They own you. Down the food chain is employees and salarimen who work to drive the Corporate profits in return for a piece of stability, security, and a some infotainment. Then there is the street, that is where the real meets the far-too real. In the street, the bulk of humanity struggle to make the pain go away through sims, pharma, and base entertainments. The Street is where you are alive..... until you aren't. The Street is a dangerous place.
You play as a Showrunner, a person who has a powerful patron; and in return for their patronage you offer blood, sweat, tears, but mostly blood. You do the jobs in the Street that those in the Spires won't do. You get your hands dirty for them, so they can play their little corporate power games. In exchange you get some script and maybe a chance at being made a permahire. That is when you ascend from the Street to the stability of the employee cadre. Salary, health benefits, and more awaits. No more gig work for you. All you have to do is get a good rep, keep your patron's hands clean, swipe it from the Man, and crack copious amounts of skulls along the way.
The Showrunner assembles a team of operatives to help him carry out his corporate backed crime spree. They each offer unique skills and abilities that must be used appropriately. You are their best shot at a warm bed, a full belly, and all the sims they could want. The Showrunner just has to hold them together long enough to get the job done. The Showrunner and their operatives are your "team" on the game table.
Now that we have some idea of where Reality's Edge is, let's chrome up and hit the Street....
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