Shadowrun Dragonfall – Quick Tips and Tricks for New Players

This guide is here to explain simple RPG rules, introduce you to the world of Shadowrun, and assist new players as they create characters and start their first missions.

Welcome to Shadowrun Dragonfall

If you’ve chosen to delve into Shadowrun Dragonfall, you probably already know that RPGs are Role Playing Games. Maybe you’re drawn to this title because of its unique setting, recommendations, or your experience with tabletop gaming. This guide was crafted with beginners in mind, but I believe it contains valuable insights for everyone.

Eerst en vooral, we’ll explore the world of Shadowrun Dragonfall. In an alternate timeline, Earth is a dystopian realm ruled by corporations. These mega corporations possess the same power as nations, engaging in warfare and amassing armies. Environmental and radioactive disasters caused by terrorists and industrial accidents plague the world. Global tensions run high, leading to the rise of authoritarian regimes and the collapse of legitimate governments. Aanvullend, nieuw, highly lethal diseases emerge, spreading rapidly.

Around the turn of the 21st century, a surge in magical activity begins. Latent bloodlines awaken, ushering in the sudden appearance of fantasy races worldwide. Elves and dwarves find themselves living alongside frightened humans. Dragons also emerge, providing some explanations for these events, although they guard many secrets and hoard wealth and power. The traditional identities of Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America become unrecognizable due to internal conflicts with magic-endowed Native American tribes and the successful assassinations of prominent leaders.

Vervolgens, cybernetics and monstrous races such as goblins, orcs, and trolls enter the picture. Raging riots, plagues, and natural disasters result in the loss of hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars. Rebuilding will require decades. The death toll in a span of approximately 20 years exceeds a third of the population. The remaining fragments of Canada and the USA unite to form a new entity known as the United Canadian and American States (UCAS). Mexico is replaced by Aztlan, a corporate nation that practices blood magic through sacrifice. The North American continent now hosts several independent states, cities, and Native American nations alongside the UCAS. The collapse of the internet is attributed to a severe computer virus.

A few years later, humanoids infiltrate the matrix, and the Confederated States of America declare their secession from the union. A vampire virus surfaces, giving rise to multiple variants of the undead. New blood sports gain popularity, and cybernetics find their way into baseball. Russia becomes embroiled in a 20-year war with Ukraine, causing instability in Europe. These events set the stage for the occurrences in Shadowrun Returns, which take place in Chicago.

Shadowrun Dragonfall throws you into the heart of anarchist Berlin, starting with a daring heist. Dus, how do you want to play this game? How will you approach it? Let’s see if this guide helps you make that decision.

RPG Mechanics Used in Shadowrun

In Shadowrun Dragonfall, the game relies on Attributes, Vaardigheden, Action Points, versnelling, and various modifiers to figure out your likelihood of success and how successful you are. It’s all about balancing your resources and tackling Skill challenges. Some challenges are straightforward, either you succeed or you don’t. Others are more intricate. A basic test might involve hacking into a terminal without the right password, while a complex one is about your chance to hit and the amount of damage you can inflict. At its core, the system is quite simple: you roll dice to meet a specific target number to hit, and then you roll for the damage. Nu, let’s begin with Attributes and Skills, and we’ll revisit these concepts throughout this guide.

Attribute Basics

Here are the Attributes and their associated Skills in Shadowrun Dragonfall:

Lichaam:

• No related skills.

Kracht:

1. Close Combat:
   • Melee Weapon
   • Unarmed
2. Throwing Weapons

Quickness:

1. Ranged Combat:
   • Pistol
   • SMG
   • Shotgun
   • Rifle
2. Slimmigheidje

Intelligentie:

1. Biotech
2. Decking:
   • ESP Control
3. Drone Control:
   • Drone Combat

Willpower:

1. Spell Casting
2. Chi Casting

Charisma:

1. Spirit Summoning:
   • Spirit Control
2. Conjuring

To make your character better in Shadowrun Dragonfall, you’ll use Karma points. At the game’s start, you can either choose an archetype with recommended attributes and skills or craft your unique character. When you create a custom character, all your attributes start at 1 and are adjusted based on your chosen race. I highly recommend creating custom characters.

You can increase skills up to the level of their parent attribute or skill. Bijvoorbeeld, Quickness is the parent attribute of Ranged Combat, and Ranged Combat is the parent skill of Rifle. When you want to boost an attribute or skill, you’ll spend Karma points equal to the level you’re advancing to. Bijvoorbeeld, raising Quickness from level 1 om te nivelleren 2 costs two Karma points. To reach level 3 in Rifle, you’ll need to increase Quickness to level 3 for three Karma, then upgrade Ranged Combat three times to level 3 for six Karma, and finally enhance Rifle three times to level 3 for another six Karma. In totaal, this will cost seventeen Karma points. The cost may vary based on your chosen race.

Now that we’ve figured out how to enhance the Rifle skill, let’s discuss how attributes and skills impact your chances of success. Quickness and Ranged Combat determine your basic chance to hit, while the Rifle skill affects the damage you deal. We’ll cover other modifiers in future sections.

When it comes to hacking into a terminal, you’ll need to invest in Intelligence and Decking. Many skill checks specify a minimum required attribute or skill level for success. If you meet or exceed the minimum requirement, you succeed. While these checks might seem straightforward, they can link to other challenges. Bijvoorbeeld, you might need Decking level 3 to log in to the terminal, Decking level 5 to disable security turrets, or even venture into the cyberspace matrix to access secret files.

Equipment and Cyberware

In Shadowrun Dragonfall, outfits and cyberware are crucial for enhancing your attributes and skills while remaining adaptable with your Karma points. Different gear may have attribute or skill prerequisites for you to use it. The likelihood of a rifle hitting its target and the amount of damage it deals largely depends on the specific rifle you wield. You might opt for an old AK with no requirements, a cutting-edge smart-linked Heckler and Koch that demands a data-jack and several points in the Rifle Skill, or a massive minigun that necessitates investment in the Strength attribute due to its size.

Rifles come with an ideal range band. Bijvoorbeeld, an assault rifle like the AK will be less effective against distant targets. Anderzijds, a sniper rifle is less effective up close but excels at dispatching foes from a distance. Smart-linked firearms offer improved accuracy compared to their standard counterparts, but their damage and range remain the same. Some guns feature different firing modes, and you may need to develop the Rifle Skill to use them. The choice between single fire, burst, and full auto modes will affect your hit probability and the number of shots you take. It’s also worth noting that every gun consumes ammunition and must be reloaded when the clip runs empty. This adds another layer of consideration when evaluating success and degree.

Temporary Modifiers

In Shadowrun Dragonfall, you can benefit from temporary bonuses provided by spells, drugs, and cyberware, primarily in combat situations. These bonuses can boost your hit chance, as seen with spells like “Doel,” or provide you with extra Action Points, allowing you to take more actions. Nu, we can delve into the topic of altering your environment and target to further enhance your chances of success.

Your Targets and the Environment

Calculations in Shadowrun Dragonfall are influenced by various factors unique to each target. In our ongoing example, the Quickness attribute and Dodge skill directly affect the chance to hit in physical attacks, while armor provides a fixed reduction in damage taken. The Body attribute further reduces damage received, and cover decreases both hit chance and damage. Armor also reduces damage, and individuals can use environmental effects like smoke grenades to further lower hit chances.

There are several ways to overcome these challenges. Let’s start with cover. Eerst, it’s important to note that cover is directional and less effective as the angle of fire becomes steeper. To circumvent an opponent’s cover, try flanking them to catch them out of it. If flanking isn’t an option, consider using stun grenades to disrupt their cover. When a target loses all of its action points due to negative effects, they become stunned, losing their cover bonuses and the ability to act on their next turn. Eindelijk, if you can’t strip your target’s action points, using a Close Combat attack (including thrown weapons) will knock enemies out of cover.

Volgende, let’s discuss how to overcome armor. Eerst, employ weapons with higher damage, and be sure to upgrade your equipment as your characters progress. You can also remove armor in a few ways. Some attacks bypass some or all armor, such as the FN HAR rifle, which ignores 2 points of armor. Some attacks shred armor, either reducing it permanently or for a limited duration. Spells like “Strip Armor” are effective for this purpose. Ten slotte, prioritize your targets and focus on them. Prioritizing means taking out the softer targets first in most cases. Why waste all your characters’ action points on a heavily armored enemy when there’s a fragile one just a short distance away? If you find yourself in a difficult environment, move out of the line of sight, then set up an ambush. The AI often breaks cover and runs right into it, providing you with an advantage.

Laatste gedachten

All the tools at your disposal are technically available to your enemies as well. Surviving as a Shadowrunner requires courage, cleverness, teamwork, and a bit of luck. Don’t hesitate to make use of your consumables. Drugs can provide you with the skills and action points needed to conquer a tough opponent effortlessly. Med kits can patch you up before, during, or after a battle, and winning is easier when you don’t drop to 0 gezondheid. Fetishes can offer you a disposable distraction (tank) to divert enemy attention. Perhaps most importantly, remember you have a crew. Build synergies, support each other, en, Natuurlijk, give some love to Dante, he’s a good boy.

I haven’t covered everything, like what “essence” is. But as you play the game, I’m confident you’ll figure it out. I didn’t feel it was necessary for this guide.

I’d like to extend my thanks to the team at Harebrained Schemes for bringing this setting to life. While I haven’t played the tabletop version, I’ve enjoyed reading through the rules of some of the older editions. This game has made an intriguing setting and system much more accessible to all.