Shadowrun Shadow Points: What They Are and How to Use Them
By Catalyst Game Labs Store | Published: 2026-10-25
Category: How-to Guides
Learn what Shadowrun Shadow Points cards are and how to use them to enhance your Sixth World game. A practical guide for players and gamemasters.
Quick answer
Shadowrun Shadow Points is a deck of 30 location cards that help gamemasters and players quickly add security details, entry points, and hidden dangers to any scene in the Sixth World.
Why use location cards instead of improvising
When your shadowrunners break into a Lone Star station, a private club, or a secret lab, the gamemaster needs to know what security they face, how they can get in, and what unexpected threats lurk inside. Shadow Points cards deliver that information in a compact, ready-to-use format. Instead of pausing the game to invent details, you draw a card and have a defined challenge ready. The trade-off is that the cards provide a fixed set of locations and security profiles, so if your campaign requires a very specific building layout, you may need to adapt the card's description or combine it with your own notes.
How to use Shadowrun Shadow Points cards
- Draw a card when the team plans a break-in: When the players decide to enter a location that isn't fully detailed in the adventure, draw one Shadow Points card. Read the location name and security details aloud (or paraphrase them to keep the mood). Common mistake: drawing multiple cards at once and overwhelming the scene. Stick to one card per location unless the table agrees to combine two for a more complex setup. One card per location keeps the challenge focused.
- Use the card's entry and security info to set the scene: Each card describes specific entry points (doors, windows, vents) and security measures (alarms, guards, cameras). Use these to describe what the characters see and hear. Checkpoint: If the card says 'alarmed door,' note that the team must deal with it before attempting entry. Don't skip this step—players often assume a door is unsecured unless told otherwise. Read the card's entry and security details to set expectations.
- Reveal hidden dangers when the team investigates: Some cards include secret lab equipment, guard patrols, or other hazards. Reveal these only when the characters get close enough to notice. Common mistake: announcing all dangers at once, which removes the element of surprise. Let the danger emerge naturally as the team moves through the location. Reveal hidden dangers gradually for better pacing.
- Adapt the card to your campaign: If the card's location doesn't exactly match your adventure, change the name or tweak the security level. For example, a 'private club' can become a 'corporate lounge' or 'smuggler's den.' Checkpoint: keep the mechanical details (alarms, guards) as written so the challenge remains balanced. Changing the story is fine; changing the difficulty can break the encounter. Reskin the location but keep the security stats intact.
Product details
- Shadowrun: Shadow Points: Contains 30 Location Cards covering security, entries, and dangers for places like a Lone Star station, private club, and secret lab. You can quickly add credible obstacles to any break-in scene without pausing the game to invent details, keeping the action moving.
Shadowrun: Shadow Points
