The Inside Scoop on Gaming

When FASA started working on a third edition for Shadowrun, I was apprehensive to say the least. I own most of the books for the line, and I didn't relish the possibility for having to start all over with buying the basic books. Like many "new" editions, they were just minor rules fixes and a lot of the same material repackaged. Then, the third edition book came out. It wasn't the same old stuff, but a new spin on an old favorite. I knew, however, it was too good to last. The recently re-published Shadowrun Companion was exactly what I feared would happen. There were some minor rules changes. These changes were necessary to bring this book into line with the new rules, but these changes were not enough to justify a new $15 book.

Don't get me wrong. I liked the Third Edition Companion. It fixed a lot of the problems that I thought the Second Edition Companion created. A lot of the cheesy merits and flaws have been eliminated. For example, almost all of the magical edges have been eliminated. Another good point is that since the Second Edition Companion was published, merits and flaws have been popping up in books like "Rigger2" and "Cyberpirates." This brings all of the merits and flaws back into one book. Another addition which some players will find interesting is that rules for playing a ghoul have been added. There's also been an expansion of gamemaster material. In addition to guides on how to write a plot and the archetypical plots, there's also a chart giving a Gamemaster guidelines on how much to pay the runners for their effort. Its very handy for a beginning Gamemaster, but a little redundant for the experienced GM.

Overall, I liked the Third Edition Companion. However, I wished FASA would have gone about it differently. What should have happened was a "updater sheet" in the back of the Third Edition main book. They could have still published the new Companion, but with a label saying "owners of the Second Edition Companion and Third Edition main book do not need to buy this book." FASA did this with the first edition "Street Samurai's Guide" and the Second Edition main book. In the end, if you don't own the second edition Companion, this is a must buy. If you own the Second Edition Companion, you might want to pass on this book.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Shadowrun Companion (Revised)
Author: Mike Mulvihill Category: game Company/Publisher: FASA Line: Shadowrun Cost: $15 Page count: 135 (including index) ISBN: 1-55560-380-7 Capsule Review by Brian Gambrell on 05/02/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Conspiracy	When FASA started working on a third edition for Shadowrun, I was apprehensive to say the least. I own most of the books for the line, and I didn't relish the possibility for having to start all over with buying the basic books. Like many "new" editions, they were just minor rules fixes and a lot of the same material repackaged. Then, the third edition book came out. It wasn't the same old stuff, but a new spin on an old favorite. I knew, however, it was too good to last. The recently re-published Shadowrun Companion was exactly what I feared would happen. There were some minor rules changes. These changes were necessary to bring this book into line with the new rules, but these changes were not enough to justify a new $15 book. Don't get me wrong. I liked the Third Edition Companion. It fixed a lot of the problems that I thought the Second Edition Companion created. A lot of the cheesy merits and flaws have been eliminated. For example, almost all of the magical edges have been eliminated. Another good point is that since the Second Edition Companion was published, merits and flaws have been popping up in books like "Rigger2" and "Cyberpirates." This brings all of the merits and flaws back into one book. Another addition which some players will find interesting is that rules for playing a ghoul have been added. There's also been an expansion of gamemaster material. In addition to guides on how to write a plot and the archetypical plots, there's also a chart giving a Gamemaster guidelines on how much to pay the runners for their effort. Its very handy for a beginning Gamemaster, but a little redundant for the experienced GM. Overall, I liked the Third Edition Companion. However, I wished FASA would have gone about it differently. What should have happened was a "updater sheet" in the back of the Third Edition main book. They could have still published the new Companion, but with a label saying "owners of the Second Edition Companion and Third Edition main book do not need to buy this book." FASA did this with the first edition "Street Samurai's Guide" and the Second Edition main book. In the end, if you don't own the second edition Companion, this is a must buy. If you own the Second Edition Companion, you might want to pass on this book. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 3 (Average)

Shadowrun Companion (Revised)