GM resource
Pacing for Shadowrun 6th Edition
Keep scenes moving and spotlight balanced. Shadowrun 6E pacing stays sharp when scenes end on a decision, not a dice result. Shadowrun 6E rolls d6 dice pools: Attribute + Skill dice, counting 5s and 6s as hits against a threshold. Glitches (more than half the dice showing 1s) complicate even successes, and Edge lets you reroll, add dice, or bend outcomes.
Checklist
- Cut to the interesting part: skip travel and downtime unless it's the scene.
- End a scene the moment its question is answered, even mid-conversation.
- Let the dice drive escalation instead of narrating around a bad roll.
- Rotate the spotlight every scene so no one goes two scenes without a turn.
Common pitfalls
- Scenes that continue after their question is answered
- One player dominating consecutive scenes
- Combat that outlasts the tension that started it