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 form, throwing off their human guise.

Magic has returned to the world, and elves, dwarfs, orks, and trolls have assumed their true forms. Creatures of the wild have changed as well, becoming things of myth and legend. And technology has changed people, too. No longer mere flesh, many humans have turned to artificial enhancements called cyberware, and become more than human. Modern man is stronger, smarter, and faster. In the world of 2053, when the megacorporations want something done but don't want to dirty their hands, it's a showdown they need, and you they come to. Shadowrun, Second Edition updates, revises, and expands the popular Shadowrun game system. This new edition is fully compatible with most existing Shadowrun sourcebooks, adventures, and characters.