The Year is 2050

The Blending of technology and human flesh began in the late 20th century. Interfacing the human mind with computers was just the first step. Implants that "jack up" reflexes and cybernetic replacements followed quickly. Then came the Awakening. A five-thousand-year lull in the flow of mystical energies subsided, and Magic returned to the world. Elves, Dwarfs, and Trolls assumed their true forms, throwing off their human guise.

In the world of 2050, the megaplexes are monsters casting long shadows. As shadowrunners, that's where you live, in the cracks between the giant corporate structures. When the megacorps want something done but they don't want to dirty their hands, it's a Shadowrun they need, and they come to you. Though your existence is not acknowledged by any governmental or corporate database, the demand for your services is high. You might be a technomancer, sliding like a whisper through the databases of giant corporations, spiriting away the only thing of real value-information. Or perhaps you are a street samurai, an enforcer for hire whose combat skills and reflexes make you the ultimate urban predator. Or perhaps a Mage, one with an ancient gift, the ability to wield and shape the magical energies that now surround the Earth. And that's exactly the kind of firepower you'll need if you get hired to make a Shadowrun...