Playing Shadowrun with ChatGPT

I read an article by a guy who used ChatGPT4 as the dungeon master for a solo compaign for Dungeons & Dragons. Just him and ChatGPT. The chatbot fully played the role of a human dungeon master! It sounded really fun and I decided to try it out, but since I love Cyberpunk very much, I decided to try his approach with Shadowrun instead of Dungeons & Dragons. It went really well.

For dice rolls, I typed "dice" into Google search, which brings up a die-rolling interface.

What follows is a preview of the transcript of the game as it played out in ChatGPT. The full transcript is available on ChatGPT, but probably only visible for me.

Italicized text are my prompts. Everything else is the response from ChatGPT.

The transcript

> You’re no longer a normal friendly assistant. You are now my Game Master for a brand new Shadowrun based campaign of your choosing. Your only player is me. You will be my GameMaster. You should tell me what to do, including when my die rolls are needed. Ask me questions as needed, for example, who my character is and the result my die rolls. Other than that, what you can’t do I do for you, you will act fully as the DM and run the game.

Shadowrun Campaign: Neon GhostsShadowrun Campaign: Neon Ghosts

Setting:

The year is 2083, and the sprawl of Neo-Copenhagen hums with the glow of neon and the constant hum of drones patrolling the skyline. The Great Euro War ended years ago, but the scars still show—corporate power dominates, magic is an accepted but feared force, and the Matrix is more real than ever. Crime, espionage, and corporate sabotage fuel the underbelly of the city.

The Hook:

A fixer named Kasper "Ice" Jørgensen, an old-school ex-Decker turned corporate ghost, has reached out to you for a job. Word is, a high-level Renraku researcher went missing last night, and multiple corps are scrambling to find them before their secrets hit the streets. Ice offers you a fat paycheck, but there’s a catch—he’s not the only one looking for this missing scientist. You’re walking into a battlefield of runners, bounty hunters, and corporate strike teams.

First Steps:

Before we dive in, let’s get your character sorted out.

Who are you?

What’s your name and street alias?
- Metatype (Human, Elf, Dwarf, Ork, Troll)?
- What’s your role? (Decker, Street Samurai, Rigger, Mage, etc.)
- Any cyberware or bioware mods?
- What’s your background?
What got you into the shadows?
- Who do you trust?
- Who wants you dead?
- What gear are you packing?
Weapons? Armor?
- Hacking gear? Magic foci?
- Vehicles or drones?

Roll 3d6 for starting cash (we’ll adjust for your backstory). Once we’ve got your character set, we’ll drop you straight into the neon-lit chaos of the run.

>My name is Vangelis "D34DB33F" Choralakis. I’m a human decker. Give me a few cyberware mods fitting for a beginner level character. My background is that my parents were robbed by hackers, so I grew up in poverty and I vowed to learn hacking to defend myself in the future. I managed to take out the gang who robbed my parents and now the gang wants me dead. I trust my university friend Sofie "Meta" Bertelsen. Give me some weapons, armor, hacking gear and vehicle fitting with my modest background.

Character Sheet: Vangelis "D34DB33F" Choralakis

Metatype: Human
Role: Decker
Background: Grew up in poverty after hackers ruined his family. Trained himself in the art of hacking and managed to take down the gang responsible—now they want him dead. Trusts only his old university friend, Sofie "Meta" Bertelsen.

Cyberware Mods (Beginner Level)

You’re just starting out, but you’ve got some solid enhancements:

Datajack (Alpha-Grade) – A neural interface with an encrypted connection to your cyberdeck. Essential for any serious decker.
Cybereyes (Rating 1) – Enhanced vision with low-light and thermographic modes, perfect for spotting drones or hostiles in the dark.
Neural Booster (Rating 1) – Slightly accelerates your thought processing, helping with both hacking and real-world reflexes.
Skinlink – You can interface with your gear just by touching it, reducing the chance of getting traced over wireless.
Basic Wired Reflexes (Rating 1) – Just enough to give you an edge in a fight, letting you react faster than most normies.

Weapons & Armor

Since you come from a modest background, you’re not rocking corp-grade gear yet. You’re scraping together second-hand but reliable tech.

Weapons:
- Ares Predator V (Semi-Auto Heavy Pistol) – Classic, reliable, packs a punch.
- Defiance EX Shocker (Taser) – Because sometimes, it’s better to take them alive.
- Survival Knife – You’re not a street samurai, but you know it’s better to have it and not need it.
Armor:
- Armored Jacket – Looks like a casual street coat, but reinforced against bullets and blades.
- Ballistic Mask – Custom-painted in digital camo with your alias "D34DB33F" flashing on the HUD.

Hacking Gear

You’re not rolling in Nuyen, but you’ve put together a respectable rig:

Cyberdeck: Renraku Tsurugi (Entry-Level Deck)
- Firewall: 3
- Processing Power: 5
- Program Slots: 3
- Preloaded with Exploit, Signal Scrubber, and Decryption programs.
Programs:
- Exploit – Helps you break into hosts faster.
- Signal Scrubber – Reduces wireless noise, perfect for running silent.
- Decryption – Speeds up cracking encrypted data.
AR Gloves – For interacting with AR elements without using DNI.
Trodes (Backup) – In case your cyberdeck is fried and you need a cheap way to jack in.
Data Tap – Allows you to jack into hardwired connections if the wireless is too dangerous.

Vehicle

You can’t afford a flashy ride, so you’ve got a cheap, modded scooter:

Yamaha Rapier (Used Model) – Lightweight, fast, and modified with hidden compartments for smuggling data chips or a pistol. It’s not a combat bike, but it’ll get you out of a bad situation.

Contacts

Sofie "Meta" Bertelsen – University friend and fellow hacker. Works part-time as a Matrix security analyst for a mid-tier corp. Occasionally helps you out with gear and intelligence—but she won’t go fully illegal.
Kasper "Ice" Jørgensen – Fixer who occasionally hooks you up with runs. You owe him one after he bailed you out of a botched data heist.

Starting Cash Roll

Roll 3d6 × 100 to determine how much spare Nuyen you have left for supplies.

> I rolled 9×100.

Starting Cash: 900¥

You’re not exactly rolling in Nuyen, but you’ve got just enough to cover basic expenses and maybe a small upgrade or two.

What You Can Do With 900¥

Keep it for daily expenses (food, bribes, fuel, minor gear maintenance).
Buy an extra hacking program (most basic ones are around 250-500¥).
Upgrade your commlink (a decent one costs around 800-1,200¥).
Purchase some disposable fake IDs (rating 1-2 IDs cost around 500-1,000¥).
Grab some extra ammo and explosives (APDS rounds, flashbangs, etc.).
Invest in a backup burner phone (cheap commlinks go for 200-300¥).

Let me know if you want to spend it or save it before we jump into the game.

The Job Begins

Neo-Copenhagen, 2083.

A light drizzle falls, neon signs reflecting off the wet pavement as you sit inside "The Blue Screen", a hole-in-the-wall hacker bar hidden behind a defunct hardware shop. The air is thick with cigarette smoke and the hum of silent data exchanges.

Your fixer, Kasper "Ice" Jørgensen, leans in over the table, a steaming synth-coffee in one hand, an old-school datachip in the other.

"Big job, D34DB33F. High risk, high reward. A corp scientist from Renraku vanished last night, and every fraggin’ faction in the city wants him. If we find him first, we get paid. If we don’t, someone else will—maybe someone who wants us dead. You in?"

Next Move

Do you accept the job? If so, do you ask for more details (like pay, targets, etc.), or just take the gig?
Do you want to prepare anything before heading out? Maybe dig into Matrix rumors, check with Meta, or scout the area?
Do you want to spend any of your 900¥ before starting?

> I accept the job. I want to check the Matrix for rumors and tell Meta about it. I’ll spend some of my 900¥ on useful software for the job.

The Job Begins: Renraku’s Ghost

Kasper grins when you accept.
"Knew you’d say yes. Listen, I don’t have all the details yet, but here’s what I do know. The guy’s name is Dr. Erik Tanaka—some hotshot Renraku researcher. He went missing last night, and people are already sniffing around. Some say he ran, some say he got grabbed. Either way, if he’s got data in his head, someone’s gonna get rich. Let’s make sure it’s us."

He slides over a datachip. "Basic dossier. Not much, but it’s a start. You got six hours before this gets really messy. Make ‘em count."

Matrix Search: Finding the Buzz

Before you go chasing ghosts, you hit the Matrix to see what the noise is about.

Roll to Search the Matrix

Make a Computer + Intuition test (Threshold 3).

Your Dice Pool:
- Computer (5) + Intuition (4) = 9 dice
- You can spend Edge for rerolls if needed.

Let me know your roll results.

Calling Meta: A Friend in Security

While the Matrix search runs, you ping Sofie "Meta" Bertelsen on an encrypted line.
She picks up after a few seconds, her holographic avatar flickering to life—a pixelated fox wearing AR glasses.

"D34DB33F? What’s up? You usually only call when there’s trouble. Which means… you’ve got trouble."

How do you approach this?

Straight to the point: "Renraku lost a scientist. What do you know?"
Cautious: "Just got a job, but something smells bad. Need your help digging."
Deceptive: Pretend it’s unrelated to avoid suspicion.
Other approach?

Spending Your 900¥

Since you want more software, here are some solid options:

Stealth (500¥) – Helps you stay hidden while hacking.
Sneak (400¥) – Reduces chance of detection when probing a system.
Browse (250¥) – Speeds up Matrix searches.
Decrypt (500¥) – Breaks encrypted files faster.
Hammer (600¥) – Lets you hit enemy programs harder in cybercombat.
Analyze (300¥) – Detects hidden traps and ICE in the Matrix.

How do you want to spend your money? You can mix and match.

> I’ll buy Sneak and Analyse.

Updated Loadout: Software Purchased

Sneak (400¥) – Reduces the chance of being detected when probing a system.
Analyze (300¥) – Detects hidden traps, ICE, and security threats in the Matrix.

Remaining Nuyen: 200¥

Matrix Search: Rolling for Intel

Go ahead and roll Computer (5) + Intuition (4) = 9 dice to see what you uncover.

Threshold: 3 successes
You can spend Edge if the roll is bad.

Let me know your results!

Calling Meta: What’s Your Approach?

She’s waiting for your reply. Do you:

Be direct? Ask her straight-up about the missing scientist?
Be cautious? Ask about general Renraku activity first?
Be deceptive? Try to get info without revealing what you’re up to?
Something else?

Let me know both your Matrix roll and your conversation choice!

> I roll 6 successes in the matrix search. I ask her directly, we are old friends.

Matrix Search Results: 6 Successes (Critical Success!)

You go deep into the shadows of the Matrix, crawling through backdoor forums, hacker crypts, and ghost sites where rumors surface before the corps can scrub them. Here’s what you uncover:

Dr. Erik Tanaka was working on something big for Renraku—something related to neural interface AI and memory extraction tech. That kind of tech can be used for uploading consciousness or extracting deep-locked secrets from unwilling minds. Major black-market applications.
Someone definitely grabbed him—but it wasn’t Renraku. A few encrypted chatter threads suggest an unknown extraction team hit his apartment last night. The attackers weren’t corp-branded—either black ops or another runner team.
A bounty has been posted—100,000¥ for his safe return. It’s anonymous, but big fixers in the city are pushing it. Renraku itself hasn’t made a public move yet, which is weird. That means they’re scrambling internally—or worse, they’re covering something up.
Last known location: His Neo-Copenhagen high-rise apartment in the Nyhavn district. There’s Matrix chatter about unusual security lockouts and a data blackout in the area. Could be Renraku damage control… or someone trying to keep others out.

Talking to Meta (Direct Approach)

You decide to be upfront with your old friend.

"Renraku lost a scientist, Meta. Dr. Erik Tanaka. What do you know?"

There’s a long pause. Then, Meta’s pixelated fox avatar flickers, her voice lower and serious.

"Frag, D34DB33F… That’s way above your pay grade. I shouldn’t even be talking about this."

You wait, letting the silence work in your favor. Finally, she sighs.

"Okay, listen. I saw some weird lockdown requests coming through Renraku’s internal channels last night. Something hit their internal security hard. Almost looked like a data breach, but they’re not treating it like a normal hack. I’d bet my deck they’re trying to cover up something major."

"I don’t know who took the scientist, but I can tell you this—Renraku’s security isn’t on full alert, which means they know something the rest of us don’t. Either they’re in control… or they’re scared."

She hesitates. Then, in a lower tone:

*"You didn’t hear this from me, but if I were you? I’d check the apartment first. Whatever happened there is ground zero. But if you see *Renraku Red Samurai on-site? Run. You don’t get a second chance with those guys."

Next Moves

You’ve got a clear lead:

Dr. Tanaka’s high-rise apartment in Nyhavn. The scene of the extraction.
A 100,000¥ bounty floating in the shadows.
Renraku is suspiciously quiet.

What do you do?

Head straight to the apartment? Could be dangerous, but it’s the best place to get answers.
Try to find out who posted the bounty? Could lead to more clues—or more enemies.
Look for the extraction team? You don’t know who they are, but they might still be in the city.
Something else?

Also, do you want to prepare anything before heading out? (Gear check, backup plans, allies, etc.)

> I head to the apartment. I tell Sofie to watch her comms in case I need urgent help. I bring my gun and armor, but pocket my facemask in order to not raise suspicion.

To be continued…