Magic in the Shadows

One of the things that has always impressed me about the Shadowrun game is how well magic, cybertechnology, and mythical creatures are integrated into the setting. The design team has done a very good job of ensuring that nothing exists in a bubble. This trend continues with Magic in the Shadows, a must have supplement for Shadowrun gamers.

Magic in the Shadows opens with a discussion of magic and how it relates to religion, medicine, and society as a whole. Kenson does a good job of briefly giving the reader a good idea of a mage's place in society. Even better is a section on how mages view magic, which discusses everything from voodoo to psionics to Norse magic. Essentially, the magic rules are the same for every mage type, but each mage's personal beliefs add some color and detail to the game without bloating the rules.

The rest of the book is given over to new rules, including skills, new spells, insect spirits and other threats, and more. What I like best about this book is that it does not simply pile more detailed rules onto the Shadowrun magic system. Instead, this book gives players and GMs plenty of new tools to use in their campaigns. One of my favorites is the rules for initiation. Basically, mages can join or form groups that pool their resources in order to gain greater access to magical power. The cool part is that the group can create a set of strictures for members to follow and, if they succeed in tapping into the power they seek, the group gains an avatar that can help, defend, or mislead them. What I really like about this is that this option is open to characters not just NPCs. I like the idea of putting this options into players' hands, and it highlights why I like this book: it gives players tools to expand and deepen Shadowrun, not simply more rules to learn. The chapter on summoning and binding spirits follows the same pattern: it gives mages lots of really cool options to play with.

If you read my review of Shadowrun Third Edition you'll recall that I found the game system a bit bloated. I don't like dealing with rules where the work needed to use them does not translate into added depth or utility in a game. Magic in the Shadows fits my idea of a good rules supplement: the sweat and brainpower spent to digest it is more than worth the added depth and cool gaming options you'll get out of this book. There's nothing in here that is essential to running a Shadowrun game, but that won't stop you from wanting to add it in.

The Verdict

Overall, I really like what Steve Kenson has done with this book. Shadowrun players will enjoy the wealth of new options available, while GMs will find a treasure trove of new weapons and obstacles to throw at their players. This book is packed with great ideas and well worth its $20.00 cover price.