The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Man and Machine: Cyberware, the new sourcebook for the Shadowrun (SR3) game line, finally does what Shadowrun fans have been waiting for since its first edition: a complete text on every type of techological implant in the SR3 universe and the rules to use them. It includes cyberware, bioware (not seen since 1st edition), chemistry, and newly explained nanotech, gathering material from the Cybertechnology, Shadowtech, Lone Star, Corporate Security Handbook, and Street Samurai Catalog, among others. In the same vein as Virtual Realities 2.0, Rigger 2, and Magic in the Shadows, it can truly be said to be the definitive Shadowrun book for cybernetics and the like.

The book begins with Cybertechnology - roughly 40 pages defining cyberware, listing every type in the SR3 world, and providing rules for their use. While each item is well described and well explained rules-wise, there are relatively few new items - ones that haven't already been seen in the aforementioned sourcebooks.

Next is Cybermancy, a short section detailing the interesting magic / machine process of creating cyborgs. It concisely but effectively explains the who's, what's, when's, where's, why's and how's of cybermancy. In general, it's the same information found in the previously published book Cybertechnology.

Biotechnology is detailed in the next 20 pages. Like the first chapter Cybertechnology, it lists every type of bioware, defines just what it is and updates and expands previous rules on the subject. Again, while it does this very well, there isn't much in the way of new kinds of bio-implants.

A breath of fresh air in terms of creativity is provided in the Nanotechnology chapter. Bascially a new subject to Shadowrun, the book tells all about the microscopic machinery that can monitor your health, repair damaged tissue and cyberware or destroy it. It gives clear rules for it can and can't do, how it use it in game terms, and the major players involved its creation / application. This section does a good job of making this new part of SR3 interesting while still keeping good game balance - no overpowering characters are going to be created using nanites.

A section on Chemistry rounds out the "goodies for characters" area of Man and Machine. It emcompasses chemicals for security use, shadowrunner use, and magical compounds. It explains everything well and has complete rules for creating, getting addicted to - and recovering from - various chemicals. It seems FASA decided to sidestep any controversy by naming their street drugs things like "burn" "nitro" and "novacoke."

The final two chapters of the book are "Damage and Healing" and "Surgery," which are fairly self-explanatory. "Damage and Healing" revises rules on critical hits and cyberware and bioware damage, and offers ideas on consciousness and scarring. Nothing too interesting, though the rules are simple, make sense, and can be included easily into your SR3 game. "Surgery" gives GM and players an idea of hospital care in the 2060's, how to find a chop shop to implant your toys, and rules on different surgery types and rolls needed. It seems a bit overkill to me, having rules on the success of surgeries a character might have, but the rules make sense.

Now, here's the tough part: is this a good book?

The Good Side = It plainly and simply tells all about all the rules and details of how cyberware operates within the Shadowrun world and and the SR3 rules. Especially for people new to Shadowrun and/or just those who never bought Shadowtech and Cybertechnology, this was essential to the game line. The writing is clear and direct, and the rules revisions and clarifications for previouly incomplete or confusing items like cyberlimbs and tactical computers are well done. After reading this book, I don't imagine myself having any of the questions that have come up in the past regarding character creation of cybered shadowrunners, use of cyberware in play and the damaging and repair of cyber- and bio- ware.

The Bad Side = For everything this book has rules-wise, it lacks it completely in atmosphere. Nowhere to be found is the fictional character "online chatrooms" that accompanied previous efforts in the Shadowrun line. Those discussions gave me tons of adventure ideas and concepts to use in my game, not to mention showing my players many neat tricks to try with the pieces of cyberware. But most of all, the fictional parts of the other books made for interesting reading. This book is all straightforward, to-the-player talk that doesn't give any kind of feel to the game in question. while reading it, I don't get into a feel of the Shadowrun universe; I feel like I'm learning something from a computer game manual or something. A well-written, complete and clear manual, but a manual nonetheless. While the "in-game" text was probably removed to fit in as many rules and items as possible, it just made the book frankly a bore to read. another major complaint I have with Man and Machine is the general lack of new cyberware and bioware and the lack of quality of the stuff that is original. Having owned both previous cyber- and bio- ware books, the gadgets in are all-too-familiar. And while some new gear is solid (kevlar bone lacing, Jolt-Alert systems, climbing claws), others are simply laughable. Cybertails, dog legs, venom sacks, and place anywhere (yes anywhere) cybereyes? Cyberware should be dark and exciting, not superhero silly. The back of the book says it offers "more than 200 new pieces of gear..." Unless they mean in comparsion to the basic 3rd edition rulebook or some pages fell out of mine, that's simply not true.

Wrapup = This is a hard book to score. On one hand, it does what I think it set out to do: create a definitive cyberware book for SR3, one that updates old sourcebooks and allows every player to find every rule and explanation they need concerning implants. Its clearly written and explains everything directly. On the other (substantial) hand, it's a fairly dry read that offers virtually nothing in terms of roleplaying ideas or atmosphere into the Shadowrun world of 2061. It also re-presents the same material already found in old books as a signifcant amount of its page count.

For new players, Shadowrun diehards, or anyone else needing more rules on this material and don't have Cybertechnology or Shadowtech, i give it a big thumbs up. For casual players or anyone more interested in the Shadowrun world as a place to roleplay in than a place for "cool toys," i give a major thumbs down.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Man and Machine: Cyberware
Author: R. Boyle, M. Gotthard, E. Holmes, M. Mulvihill, S. Wiers Category: game Company/Publisher: FASA Corporation Line: Shadowrun 3rd Edition Cost: 20.00$ Page count: 160 ISBN: 1-55560-363-7 SKU: 7126 Playtest Review by Alex Knapik on 12/02/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Superhero	Man and Machine: Cyberware, the new sourcebook for the Shadowrun (SR3) game line, finally does what Shadowrun fans have been waiting for since its first edition: a complete text on every type of techological implant in the SR3 universe and the rules to use them. It includes cyberware, bioware (not seen since 1st edition), chemistry, and newly explained nanotech, gathering material from the Cybertechnology, Shadowtech, Lone Star, Corporate Security Handbook, and Street Samurai Catalog, among others. In the same vein as Virtual Realities 2.0, Rigger 2, and Magic in the Shadows, it can truly be said to be the definitive Shadowrun book for cybernetics and the like. The book begins with Cybertechnology - roughly 40 pages defining cyberware, listing every type in the SR3 world, and providing rules for their use. While each item is well described and well explained rules-wise, there are relatively few new items - ones that haven't already been seen in the aforementioned sourcebooks. Next is Cybermancy, a short section detailing the interesting magic / machine process of creating cyborgs. It concisely but effectively explains the who's, what's, when's, where's, why's and how's of cybermancy. In general, it's the same information found in the previously published book Cybertechnology. Biotechnology is detailed in the next 20 pages. Like the first chapter Cybertechnology, it lists every type of bioware, defines just what it is and updates and expands previous rules on the subject. Again, while it does this very well, there isn't much in the way of new kinds of bio-implants. A breath of fresh air in terms of creativity is provided in the Nanotechnology chapter. Bascially a new subject to Shadowrun, the book tells all about the microscopic machinery that can monitor your health, repair damaged tissue and cyberware or destroy it. It gives clear rules for it can and can't do, how it use it in game terms, and the major players involved its creation / application. This section does a good job of making this new part of SR3 interesting while still keeping good game balance - no overpowering characters are going to be created using nanites. A section on Chemistry rounds out the "goodies for characters" area of Man and Machine. It emcompasses chemicals for security use, shadowrunner use, and magical compounds. It explains everything well and has complete rules for creating, getting addicted to - and recovering from - various chemicals. It seems FASA decided to sidestep any controversy by naming their street drugs things like "burn" "nitro" and "novacoke." The final two chapters of the book are "Damage and Healing" and "Surgery," which are fairly self-explanatory. "Damage and Healing" revises rules on critical hits and cyberware and bioware damage, and offers ideas on consciousness and scarring. Nothing too interesting, though the rules are simple, make sense, and can be included easily into your SR3 game. "Surgery" gives GM and players an idea of hospital care in the 2060's, how to find a chop shop to implant your toys, and rules on different surgery types and rolls needed. It seems a bit overkill to me, having rules on the success of surgeries a character might have, but the rules make sense. Now, here's the tough part: is this a good book? The Good Side = It plainly and simply tells all about all the rules and details of how cyberware operates within the Shadowrun world and and the SR3 rules. Especially for people new to Shadowrun and/or just those who never bought Shadowtech and Cybertechnology, this was essential to the game line. The writing is clear and direct, and the rules revisions and clarifications for previouly incomplete or confusing items like cyberlimbs and tactical computers are well done. After reading this book, I don't imagine myself having any of the questions that have come up in the past regarding character creation of cybered shadowrunners, use of cyberware in play and the damaging and repair of cyber- and bio- ware. The Bad Side = For everything this book has rules-wise, it lacks it completely in atmosphere. Nowhere to be found is the fictional character "online chatrooms" that accompanied previous efforts in the Shadowrun line. Those discussions gave me tons of adventure ideas and concepts to use in my game, not to mention showing my players many neat tricks to try with the pieces of cyberware. But most of all, the fictional parts of the other books made for interesting reading. This book is all straightforward, to-the-player talk that doesn't give any kind of feel to the game in question. while reading it, I don't get into a feel of the Shadowrun universe; I feel like I'm learning something from a computer game manual or something. A well-written, complete and clear manual, but a manual nonetheless. While the "in-game" text was probably removed to fit in as many rules and items as possible, it just made the book frankly a bore to read. another major complaint I have with Man and Machine is the general lack of new cyberware and bioware and the lack of quality of the stuff that is original. Having owned both previous cyber- and bio- ware books, the gadgets in are all-too-familiar. And while some new gear is solid (kevlar bone lacing, Jolt-Alert systems, climbing claws), others are simply laughable. Cybertails, dog legs, venom sacks, and place anywhere (yes anywhere) cybereyes? Cyberware should be dark and exciting, not superhero silly. The back of the book says it offers "more than 200 new pieces of gear..." Unless they mean in comparsion to the basic 3rd edition rulebook or some pages fell out of mine, that's simply not true. Wrapup = This is a hard book to score. On one hand, it does what I think it set out to do: create a definitive cyberware book for SR3, one that updates old sourcebooks and allows every player to find every rule and explanation they need concerning implants. Its clearly written and explains everything directly. On the other (substantial) hand, it's a fairly dry read that offers virtually nothing in terms of roleplaying ideas or atmosphere into the Shadowrun world of 2061. It also re-presents the same material already found in old books as a signifcant amount of its page count. For new players, Shadowrun diehards, or anyone else needing more rules on this material and don't have Cybertechnology or Shadowtech, i give it a big thumbs up. For casual players or anyone more interested in the Shadowrun world as a place to roleplay in than a place for "cool toys," i give a major thumbs down. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average)