[rcaugust]

Reasonably new to SR (not to RPGs though) and am always tempted by a box set- is the Runner's Toolkit worth buying?

Come to think of it, is it worth picking up the Beginner's Box? The Pathfinder Beginner's Box is worth getting however long you've been playing- great maps, pawns, brilliant rulebooks etc. Is SR's similar?

Any advice gratefully received- trying to decide what to buy on payday!

[AJCarrington]

For me, yes...but I'm a collector as much as anything else...

You might also want to consider the digital option...Digital Tools Box...where you get both.

[rcaugust]

Thanks! I might buy the PDF but it's never as good as having the box-set in your hands...I'd be much richer if it was!

[AJCarrington]

Oh I hear ya

Just wanted to through that out there as you get all the content for $20...then can make the call re physical versions. As well, I believe that there is a discount in the PDF for the physical product, but only valid at CGL...likely cheaper online.

[Sphinx]

The SR5 Beginner Box is mainly for younger, beginning role-players. It has some ready-to-play character sheets and a copy of the Quick Start Rules (which you can download for free from the Catalyst website, http://www.shadowruntabletop.com/game-resources/). I don't care for the QSR, because they oversimplify and even ignore some key mechanics (like drain), which can cause confusion later.

The SR5 Alphaware Box is much better. There are expanded versions of the character sheets from the Beginner Box. There's a set of spell cards and gear cards, which can be neat props at the gaming table. There's a poster map of North America. There's a "Rules of the Street" booklet that includes an abridged set of rules that makes a handy table reference. It has gaps, but (unlike the QSR) at least it doesn't directly contradict the core rules, so it remains relevant and useful. And there's also an excellent mini-campaign booklet called "Plots and Paydata," which outlines a series of six shadowruns designed for beginning players and GMs. Highly recommended.

[ScytheKnight]

As someone who's been running my players through Plots and Paydata I can attest that they are a great introduction to Shadowrunning. Each run in the game focuses on a different kind og job you could be doing in the shadows and gradually introduces players to legwork as well as questions about how trustworthy Mr. Johnson is.

It's been rather amusing though as Plots and Paydata is built around 1-4 pregen characters... and I've been running about 6 Missions characters through so it hasn't been much of a challenge (fights are over in less than a combat round) but it has been fun and given my players more of an idea what the world and game is like.