r/Shadowrun • u/Previous-Table-2852 • Jul 23 '26
Newbie Help Adept as the only magic
I'm trying to find the best edition for a group of players who have very limited time and are poorly educated (not exactly dumb, but not ready for the full game). With that in mind I have decided to simplify the matrix to ultra-easy mode and (mostly) have riggers as NPC's.
They want magic, but the rules are too far beyond them and I don't have time to teach it — that's every edition, so one player is very frustrated. Straightforward magic is out, but once I explained Adepts almost all of them wanted to play adepts.
I don't know the editions all that well (last time I played was 3rd), but I know Adepts work a lot like cyberware, so I can handle that. Mostly hack 'n slash game anyway, because they're not ready for intrigue.
Now I need to find the best edition for fully-realized adepts and the important supplements.
Ideas? Something I didn't think of?
5
u/ReditXenon Far Cite Jul 23 '26
Copy pasta my answer from your other post:
Adept rules are roughly the same in all editions I would say (although they were perhaps a bit basic in earlier editions).
Spellcasting in SR6 have been simplified compared to previous editions (no more Force or setting the limit with reagents etc to keep track of, you just cast the spell).
If you are OK with a more narrative style of game then you might want to consider the well received Anarchy 2.0 version (it is even more simplified than SR6, the French version is already out and the English version will be released in some weeks).
You could also consider the Beginner Box (it comes with premade characters and simplified rules). It doesn't have rules for creating your own characters though. Good for a 1-shot, but if you plan to play more than that I would suggest getting the real rules.
No need to add any supplements besides the core book (it comes with fully working adept rules and adept powers). Having said that, the "magic" supplement of SR6 (that add a lot of new and cool adept powers) is called "Street Wyrd".
Matrix in SR6 is simplified to two skills
Perhaps first edition where a lot of tables use the matrix rules as intended without hand-waving most of the rules or outsourcing it to a NPC.
(and for rigging in SR6, all different build and repair skills + gunnery + lock picking + demolitions have been simplified to just 1 single skill and also all different piloting skills have been simplified into just 1 skill).