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Posted by: JM Hardy Feb 25 2012, 11:31 PM

Our latest enhanced fiction product, Another Rainy Night (http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28_187_241&products_id=2949, http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=99839), is now out, with an original story by Patrick Goodman and rules and stats to support the material. Here's the dirt:

BLOOD RUNS RED

Every day in the Sixth World people die in a thousand different ways. Every day blood is spilled. Every place that rain falls, it washes away some of the red that stains the streets.

Eliminating every killer in the Sixth World is as impossible as drying up every raindrop in a storm, but Thomas McAllister doesn’t want to get rid of all of them. Just one. He’s been on this killer’s trail for a while, and he knows he’s getting closer. The only question is if he’ll be able to handle getting as close as he’s about to be, or if his blood will join the stream that regularly flows into the gutters of the sprawls.

Another Rainy Night is part of Shadowrun’s enhanced fiction line. It contains an original short story, along with game information to use elements of the story in your game, including stats for the major characters and new gear introduced in the story. Gamemasters and players can do more than become immersed in the fiction—they can make it a part of their gaming world.

Another Rainy Night is for use with Shadowrun, Twentieth Anniversary Edition.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 26 2012, 01:36 AM

Looking forward to talking about it, too, when reviews start coming in.

EDIT: I would have just edited the opening post, but I didn't make it, so I can't. Another Rainy Night is now available for the http://www.amazon.com/Shadowrun-Another-Rainy-Night-ebook/dp/B00F70LZ52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379599633&sr=8-1&keywords=shadowrun+another+rainy+night and the http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadowrun-patrick-goodman/1116908932.

Posted by: snowRaven Feb 26 2012, 01:39 AM

As I said in that other thread, the game info looks good:

New ammo, new aerosol weapon, and new 'special' weapon for dealing with certain creatures...

Looks good, though I'll get back to it once I've read it =)

I'm kind of missing a section with ideas on how to use the characters in our own campaigns (like a plot hook or whatever), but once I've read the story that may change. We'll see.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 26 2012, 01:43 AM

Well, I think you'll get a good idea on how to use the characters once you read the story. If the lack of a "Plot Hooks" section turns out to be a problem...well, it's my fault. I was looking more at making the NPCs useful than in finding a way to turn the story into an adventure, so I really didn't even think about writing a "Plot Hooks" section. So if that's a problem, then mea culpa.

I think the story itself will stand up just fine without it.

Posted by: Yerameyahu Feb 26 2012, 01:48 AM

They're hiding gear in the fiction? :o

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 26 2012, 02:01 AM

Part of the mandate for the "Enhanced Fiction" line was, well, enhancements, game info and stats relevent to the story in question. I'm not sure, given that, that "hiding" is the right word. Any time you see "Enhanced Fiction" (and if I have my way, there's going to be more), there's going to be some crunch at the back. Usually, with my stuff, it's going to be NPCs, but if there's relevent gear from the story that isn't statted elsewhere, then I'll toss that in, too. In the case of Another Rainy Night, there's four NPCs, some specialty ammo, and the Ford Americar (making its SR4 debut).

So, I guess the short answer is, "Yes, we're hiding gear in the fiction," though I don't think it's quite as simple as that.

Posted by: TwoDee Feb 26 2012, 02:46 AM

Ooh! I've been wanting to find some stats for an Americar in SR4. One of my players has playing a legacy character imported from SR3 and was disappointed that he couldn't keep his Americar.

Posted by: CanRay Feb 26 2012, 02:47 AM

Gear, NPCs, Magic, Technomancer stuff, Mentors, Adventures, Bubba The Love Troll... All the good stuff with some fiction added on from what I understand.

Posted by: snowRaven Feb 26 2012, 11:05 AM

I read the story this morning, and I must say I like it. I like it a lot.

As I expected, the story does provide ideas for using the characters - and even ideas for an adventure for my campaign (using one of the other 'incidents'). I guess a case can be made both for having a short 'GM suggestion' and not having it. As it stands, the book is wholly approperiate for players and GMs alike, which is always nice. Me expecting something directly useful for a run is probably the 'fault' of 99 Bottles, anyway.

The fiction, npcs and extra gear make it well worth the purchase, I think. If Another Rainy Night is indicative of future Enhanced Fiction, I'll be quite happy!

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 26 2012, 02:38 PM

I'm glad you enjoyed it. There are more stories planned in this series, if the overall reaction is good. I've also got another piece that I'm working on now that's mostly completely unrelated to ARN. I have a certain standard I set for myself, so I think that (at least for my work) this should be somewhat indicative.

Again, thanks for reading it. I'm glad you liked.

Posted by: Larsine Feb 26 2012, 04:50 PM

Sure he could keep it, it's not like Lone StarKnight Errant it going to hunt you down for not using official vehicles. I've have loads of characters having made up equipment... Everything else is made up by somebody in any case.

Posted by: CanRay Feb 26 2012, 08:52 PM

Exactly! Anyhow, isn't a Mercury Comet just a more luxury edition of a Ford AmeriCar anyhow?

And CGL does not have rabid attack rules lawyers roaming the wastelands of RPGdom looking for people using non-canon stuff.

Posted by: snowRaven Feb 26 2012, 08:55 PM

Not officially, anyway...

Posted by: CanRay Feb 26 2012, 08:58 PM

Well, of course, this is Shadowrun. Deniability is key!

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 26 2012, 09:03 PM

I know the answer to this one, but it would be impolitic of me to say.

We don't? Then who did I just pay off...?

Posted by: Method Feb 26 2012, 09:38 PM

Patrick, you're my hero.

The Mercury Comet is all well and good, but there is something about the Ford Americar that is just classic SR.

I was already planning in buying this one, but now it's a done deal.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 26 2012, 09:43 PM

Just wish I'd been able to get you some art for the thing, but alas, it was not to be. Maybe next time.

Let us know what you think of the story once you've read it.

Posted by: JanessaVR Feb 27 2012, 05:22 AM

Hiya, Patrick.

I have - naturally - purchased this, but I'm afraid I have no intention of reading it just yet. You see, I unfortunately have to take an overnight trip to Detroit (of all places) this Friday, coming back Saturday, and I think this will make excellent reading for the plane trips. So, if I come back alive (not a given - I mean, yikes, Detroit), then I'll be happy to give you a review this Sunday.

Thanks for writing it, though - good timing for my trip.

Posted by: bibliophile20 Feb 27 2012, 07:14 AM

Remember, make friends with the tail gunner on your convoy.

Posted by: CanRay Feb 27 2012, 04:44 PM

Trunk Monkeys are your friends!

Posted by: Method Feb 28 2012, 03:23 AM

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=xGPVD2Fdh0k

Posted by: CanRay Feb 28 2012, 03:32 AM

http://youtu.be/8avOiTUcD4Y

When The War On Terror was in it's early days, rear gunners called themselves "Trunk Monkeys" after these commercials.

EDIT: Supposedly. I wasn't over there to confirm.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 28 2012, 06:37 PM

And now, for some shameless self-promotion: A http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_reviews_info.php?&reviews_id=68583&products_id=99839 of the story at DriveThru. I was told that I should share the money quote, which I will considering how well it deals with certain issues of self-doubt I felt about the story going into this process: "The story is well-written, actually better than some of the older SR novels published by FASA...."

I am enormously gratified by this.

Posted by: Tymeaus Jalynsfein Feb 28 2012, 07:15 PM

Congratulations Patrick. Looking forward to getting this one when I have the opportunity to do so.

Posted by: almost normal Feb 28 2012, 10:24 PM

As much as I love SR art, it seems in this case that it bumped the price up to levels I don't feel comfortable paying. I'd rather have just the story.

Posted by: JanessaVR Feb 29 2012, 12:06 AM

You don't feel comfortable paying a whole $5 for a book? You may have picked the wrong hobby.

Posted by: snowRaven Feb 29 2012, 12:12 AM

Posted by: almost normal Feb 29 2012, 05:35 AM

For comparison, unwired is full of rules, gear, fiction, pictures, qualities and tables. 200+ real pages with a hardcover for 35.

If you feel comfortable paying 55 dollars for an electronic version of the same book, that is, the average cost per page of the pdf, then perhaps you should be more wary of how you spend your mothers income then worrying about my taste in hobby.

Posted by: JanessaVR Feb 29 2012, 05:58 AM

Please do at least 10 seconds of research first before making wild, grossly unsubstantiated claims. Unwired is available http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=57425 from DriveThruRPG for $12, not $55, as you can plainly see.

As for my "mothers income," which incidentally should read "mother's income," I'm a 40-year old Developer DBA / Programmer and I moved out the house shortly after graduating high school at 18 and worked my way through college. My income is my own.

More to the point, if you would care to notice, this thread is about Another Rainy Night, not Unwired, and retails for $4.95 at DriveThruRPG http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=99839.

Do try to pay attention.

Posted by: almost normal Feb 29 2012, 03:18 PM

Surprising no one, you missed the point once more. ARN is 5 dollars for 19 pages. If inflated to the pagecount of Unwired's 207 pages, you come out to about 55 dollars.

Interestingly enough, everyone in the world besides you values having a real book in their hands as opposed to computer code, and the prices are matched accordingly. Arsenal, for instance, going for 35 dollars in dead-tree and 12 dollars for the pdf out of the Battleshop. Using your bizzare viewpoint that PDFs are worth more, That'd put Unwired's pdf cost at about 102 dollars.

It's fun using numbers!

Have fun pointing out spelling and grammar errors, though. It lets everyone watch you dance around the issue, while having the fun side effect of making you look like an asshat.

Posted by: Redjack Feb 29 2012, 03:22 PM

Disagreeing is one thing. Devolving to personal attacks is not debating and any merit of your points are lost in the process.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 29 2012, 03:23 PM

How about we take the math issues to another thread? Also take the personal attacks. I'd like to talk about my story, not price-per-page stats.

Any questions about the content of ARN?

Posted by: almost normal Feb 29 2012, 04:01 PM

I apologize. From what I read in the previews, I liked your sense of pace and style. If it was a novel, I'd purchase it.

Posted by: Redjack Feb 29 2012, 04:37 PM

I think that comments about the page count are a valid criticism, but there is no need to drive it into the ground. Here is my take:

Not fully sure what to expect, I took the plunge and plunked down my $5.00. My first impression was the same as some other critics: I was a little put off at a page count of 19, including cover, etc. Comparing that to a 383 page pdf novel I just bought for $10, I expected more story. This will cause me hesitation to buy future enhanced fiction products. The story? I liked it a lot. It was a nice change with a good flow. The write ups for the characters were good and obviously reflective of someone familiar with the system. While I will not use them, they could hold value for a one shot run. As noted by an earlier poster, some implicit plot hooks would be a nice feature. I liked the return of the Americar and the special weapons were a nice addition also.

My Review:
3/5 Artwork: The artwork was nice, but honestly the pieces included did not match to the story, except in the character section.
5/5 Story: The story was good. Really liked it.
4/5 Additional Features: Characters, equipment was relevant and reasonably well written. Why not add plot hooks to round it out?
3/5 Overall Value: Page count was incredibly short for the price. The quality of the story is the saving grace here.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 29 2012, 04:52 PM

Okay. These are all things I can, more or less, do something about in future endeavors. The next story in this cycle will be a little longer, and I can definitely add a section with plot hooks, etc., in future EF pieces that I do.

I'm very chuffed that you liked the story. Thanks!

Posted by: NiL_FisK_Urd Feb 29 2012, 06:16 PM

I have a question about the really expensive pepper sprayer - what skill do you use for hitting a target? Exotic Ranged Weapon: Aerosol Despenser? Or does it grant an Auto-Hit?

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Feb 29 2012, 06:52 PM

Like other bracer weapons, it uses Exotic Ranged Weapon (Bracer). I thought I'd mentioned that in the stat line, but I didn't and it got past me. The skill is in McAllister's stat block, though.

Basically, you're rolling to see if you triggered the thing too soon or too late, since the area of effect and range are all basically the length of your arm.

Posted by: Pepsi Jedi Mar 1 2012, 03:13 PM

As a side note, the company needs to say how many pages are in the PDF's. I've noticed the last 4 or 5 have not, and this has popped up. I had to come on here and ask about Safehouses and this one too had no page count on the writeups. I think this is intentional. They're hiding just how small the items are, and that's a bit dishonest.

If it's a little thing, that's fine, but tell people. The way it's advertised it's kinda like a full sized book with some stats of main things. I ALMOST bought it till I saw it was 19 pages including cover and such. I can't quite justify an 18 page story at $5. I'd like to read it, but it's like a micro-transaction that's not so micro. If it was 50 pages.. Maybe. But I think I'm going to have to vote with my dollar here. $5 for 19 pages of a digital product is.... well yeah.

Posted by: Critias Mar 1 2012, 03:43 PM

What distributor are you looking at, where the page count isn't clearly listed?

At drivethrurpg -- http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?cPath=4543 -- you just have to mouse over any selected title and it tells you Author, Artist, Review Rating, Page Count, and price, all even without clicking on the individual page for the item in question. Then if you do go to the specific page for that particular item, the total page count is right there on the side of the page, along with all the other vital info.

Posted by: snowRaven Mar 1 2012, 04:41 PM

Well, to be fair, It doesn't say anything about page count in the BattleShop. It probably should.

However, in comparison to other SR4 titles I think it's fairly obvious what a buyer can expect in terms of size, and comparing to other rpg pdf products I don't feel that SR is overpriced. True, enhanced fiction may not have the same 'value for money' as pdf's aimed solely to rules or adventure, but personally I feel that 'Another Rainy Night' is more worth the purchase than several of the other pdf-only products - for instance the comparably priced 10 Jackpointers, which is nearly twice the page count.

Then again, I like short stories and I'm something of a completionist...

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 1 2012, 05:02 PM

ARN's story was almost longer, but I made a conscious decision to actually finish the damn thing before I started embellishing it...and when I had and I read it, I thought it was pretty solid at that length. So rather than pad things out, I chose to hone what was there. That's really not my natural length, though, so I was very surprised with how well it came out.

"Father to Son," which I'm working on now, will probably be a bit longer than ARN just because of the nature of the story; there are several flashbacks, for instance. It'll take a little more time to develop things. After the good experience I had with ARN, though, I'm not forcing a word count. We'll see how it turns out.

I do want folks to understand that I do understand the problems some of them are having with the page count for this. Some of it is my fault, some of it's not, but I do understand why some people aren't going for this.

Posted by: Critias Mar 1 2012, 08:13 PM

To clarify: I didn't mean to sound argumentative or anything, I just genuinely was wanting to know where he was looking. I tend to go to DriveThruRpg for all my pdf goodies lately, so I'm not terribly familiar with the layout of whatever other options there are. I wasn't trying to accuse him of being disingenuous, and if I came off that way I really do apologize, I was just asking.

Posted by: Pepsi Jedi Mar 1 2012, 09:25 PM

No worries.

There is no emotion, there is peace.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 1 2012, 11:04 PM

I have a request. If you've purchased Another Rainy Night, whether it be from http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28_187_241&products_id=2949, http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=99839, or http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=99839, please do me a favor. Go back to the site you bought it from and give it a rating. You don't have to write a full-on review of the thing (though if you want to, you're welcome to do so). But give it a rating. Those numbers help other people find the product, or give them an idea of what to think of the product, and help them figure out whether or not they should buy the thing.

Thanks again for your support.

Posted by: snowRaven Mar 2 2012, 09:31 AM

We can give ratings on BattleShop? I've missed that completely.

Looks like I suddenly have a lot do...

Edit: Ahhh - it's attached to 'write review'. I'll do one of those then =)

Posted by: Fatum Mar 2 2012, 04:08 PM

Weaponized shavings for 150 bucks per dose (for simplicity's sake, 1¥ is about the same as 1$ in its cost...)?! Are those red wood shavings or what?

Posted by: faustaff Mar 2 2012, 05:21 PM

While on the topic of the Viper ammo, is there a reason why it is only +2 to impact armor instead of the regular +5? Or does that somehow explain the high cost? I did enjoy the story and characters.

Posted by: Nemo Mar 2 2012, 06:06 PM

When Thomas und Lydia Shake Hands at their first meeting, Thomas feels an induction pad in Lydias palm. According to her stats she has a regular wireless smartlink, not one of the old smartlinks with induction pads.

Since there are 15 attacks in the various North-Am captials and only 11 succed, this is an plot hook. It would have been helpful to know, which of this attacks will be used in future publications and which will not be detailed. If a gaming group will tie in one of these attacks, a story collision between the player group history and the canon history could be avoided.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 2 2012, 07:36 PM

Thomas is a traditionalist and uses ash wood. It's a relatively rare commodity in the strip-mined, deforested Sixth World. There's also the fact that there's some processing that goes into the "toxin" form. This isn't just sawdust off the floor of your high school wood shop; it's ground down to a very fine powder, and when you start working it down like that, there aren't a lot of applications for it. Limited supply, limited demand, limited target market...high prices.

Glad you liked the story.

The wooden sliver rounds are a specialty ammo, and I used the same format used in Arsenal for specialty ammo. The DV and AP modifiers shown for the ammo are modifiers for the base DV and AP of the weapon. So you take the +2 AP of the ammo, and add it to the stock +5 AP of the Viper, you wind up with a +7 AP. This is reflected in Thomas's stat block.

The cost is indicative, as I mentioned above, of the rarity of wood in the Sixth World. Also in the fine workmanship required to make the slivers to the proper tolerances to work properly in the weapon.

She was cybered before the stupid notion of wireless cyberware and smartlink systems even existed. (Thomas's smartlink, for the record, is wireless; he's yet to pay for that particular bit of foolishness, but I'm sure it's coming.) There's some handwavium involved in modeling older characters; I used what was available to me to simulate her cyberware and her gear, and then added handwavium and honestly hoped no one would notice. The SR4A rules, as written, assume no one had any sort of augmentations prior to Crash 2.0, and got all of their modifications out of the blue one day after 2070; its ability to model characters who have some mileage on them is horrendous, IMO (I do not speak for Catalyst Game Labs here, just for me).

None of her stuff is wireless; all her cyber is DNI, and her weapons (and their systems) require physical contact to interface with her cyber systems. This is by design.

All that said, I ask the following with all sincerity and no irony or snark whatsoever: Tell me where to find some of these "old" systems you believe I should have used? I really would like to know.

The lack of a "Plot Hooks" section has been noted, and will be addressed in future products (at least ones for which I am responsible).

The Halloween attacks (all of them took place after midnight local time on 31 October 2073) took place in the following cities (for those who don't know all the North American capitals or are just too lazy to look them up): Atlanta, Bellingham, Cara'Sir (Portland), Cheyenne, Denver, Edmonton, Havana, Honolulu, Quebec City, Sacramento, Santa Fe, Saskatoon, Seattle, Tenochtitlan, and Washington FDC. They failed in Denver, Honolulu, Sacrament0, and Tenochtitlan. The would-be killer in Tenochtitlan was killed; the other three failed assassins escaped.

Yes, that means that there was someone else in Denver while Teresa was hanging out there.

Posted by: Tymeaus Jalynsfein Mar 2 2012, 08:51 PM

Hey Patrick...

For Old Cyber Systems, just use the Essence cost for the Old 3rd Edition Systems. Seems to work out pretty well.
As for Costs, well, I would use the current prices with a small Increase/Discount (maybe 10% either direction depending upon your POV) due to being Obsolescent.

Posted by: Nemo Mar 3 2012, 10:58 AM

@ Patrick Goodman

Thank you very much. That helps.
Regarding the old Smartlink, in my gaming group it can be used with the SR3-Essence-cost and it's limitations and benefits. It is a houserule but it works.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 3 2012, 03:34 PM

De nada.

That pretty much meshes with what Tymeaus Jalynsfein said up there. I can probably make that work. Thanks to the both of you!

Posted by: snowRaven Mar 3 2012, 04:07 PM

While it's not a full old smartlink system, in Runner's Black Book/Gun Haven there's mention of Smartlink Fiber Optic Cables, Data Translation programs, and the Vintage + Incompatible qualities for weapons

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 3 2012, 05:24 PM

For reasons which currently elude me, I failed to do a Predator III writeup. When I do that, I'll be sure to include the appropriate qualities for the weapon.

Posted by: snowRaven Mar 3 2012, 05:47 PM

I could've sworn that the PIII was in Gun Heaven, but I just went to look and it wasn't.

Posted by: CanRay Mar 3 2012, 11:38 PM

The Predator III just had the old fashioned looks again, and the Smartgun Link-II system (With rangefinder and other fiddly bits.). IIRC, at least.

Posted by: CanRay Mar 6 2012, 01:54 AM

Just thought of something Patrick...

Why did the vampire not sparkle?

Posted by: SincereAgape Mar 6 2012, 02:03 AM

Patrick, great story. I haven't enjoyed a piece of SR fiction that much since House of the Sun. A few questions regarding the story, characters, and equipment.

1. Is Thomas Mcallister a character that you have played before in any SR edition? And if so, is he one of your main characters. The same question goes for Lydia, Teresa, and Alice.
2. Do the wooden based ammo rounds only apply to the Ares Viper Silver Guns or can one also construct anti-vampire rounds using normal based ammunition or add it to something like EX Explosive Rounds?
3. When a vampire gets hit by the wooden silver rounds or the weaponized saw dust does it prevent them from being able to use mist form?


Thanks in advance.

PS -- Wouldn't mind seeing a part II to this story sometime in the near future.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 6 2012, 05:33 AM

Um...wow. That's high praise.

People keep saying things like that, my head's going to get bigger.

Thank you.

Thomas was a relatively minor NPC in a long-running SR3 campaign I ran. When I was starting the piece on the Infected that I did for Running Wild, I needed a voice, and I said, "Well, he's got some experience...I'll make up some more backstory and use him!" Prior to taking center stage in RW, he was not what I would describe as one of my main characters. He's fun, though, in a very dour and serious way.

Lydia didn't exist as a character prior to the beginning of work on this story. She has some similarities to a friend of mine, who's a cop in real-life.

Teresa likewise did not exist, per se, until I started work on this story. I've known about her for a lot longer, though; she's mentioned (though not by name) in Running Wild, which I first wrote back before SR4 even hit the shelves.

Alice was first mentioned in Spy Games, though just by name. I consulted with the character's creator, and was basically given free reign to develop her as I chose. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no threats against me for how she was portrayed....

The wooden flechette rounds, as I envisioned and presented them, could be used for any weapon that fires flechette ammo. I don't see why you couldn't construct wooden slugs with the same basic properties. Slug rounds probably wouldn't be quite so expensive since the machining wouldn't have to be quite so painstaking. I'd imagine they have the same AP and DV mods as the wooden flechettes, though.

Adding the wood to an EX-EX round...I don't think that would work, personally.

If I read the rules for Allergy correctly, yes, they do. I'd have to double-check, and it's late, so I'm going to say yes for now, and reserve the right to retract that later if it turns out I misread something.

Neither would I. It's one, maybe two, pieces down in the pile I'm working on at the moment. CGL has started talking to me about the possibility of the next one, too, which is a very gratifying feeling.

Thanks again for your kind words.

Posted by: CanRay Mar 6 2012, 06:07 AM

Don't worry, I'll insult you enough to keep you humble. And hopefully not too much that you start beating me with my own cane. Wooden rounds have existed IRL a few times, and are banned from the military by the Geneva Convention (The same rule that prevents soft lead rounds and hollowpoints, BTW.). Ironwood is one of the most common type of wood I've heard used for the bullets, and they would effectively function like Flechette Rounds, only with wood rather than metal. Possibly even less armor penetration as they're not metal like regular bullets are and still able to penetrate somewhat. Shotguns could load slugs or buckshot (Flechette in the rules) depending on how you set it up, and cased (shotgun shells) are probably the best way to go about this. (I've often thought of using an old nun's rosary beads in a shotgun shell against Hollywood "Hurt by Holy Things" vampires.).

If used against a non-vampire, and damage has been performed, First Aid and Medicine tests would be made at a major disadvantage as they splinter and go everywhere, and only "might" be picked up by an x-ray machine. They'll also fester (organic material) and infection is quite frequent. (There's a reason why they're banned.).

Before weird looks are thrown at me, I started thinking of Vampire Plans after I got bored with Zombie Plan #16.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 6 2012, 08:19 PM

Hope you survived your trip to Detroit, Janessa. I await your verdict on the story and the value of the package as a whole. (I am taking notes, for those of you interested.)

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 6 2012, 08:31 PM

Okay, some of the art issues are, well...they're my fault. I felt bad that there wasn't a lot of art in the story and I went trolling through old books to find some mood pieces of Denver, or vampires, or other stuff.

The opening piece...well, I know there's not a troll in the story, and the picture is of a clear night and not a rainy one, as the title implies. But it is a picture of Denver, as found in Spy Games, and I suggested it to the art director. There is surprisingly little in the way of re-usable art in the Denver box. I know this; I looked through the whole thing, hoping to find a diner scene. Or rain. No dice.

The other full-page piece I found in Threats, from the "Vampire Conspiracy" section. While not specifically a pic of Teresa, it was close enough for government work as far as I was concerned, and it just oozed atmosphere to me. The troll pic I kinda regret, just because there aren't any trolls in the story. The Karl Waller piece with the vampire chick licking the katana? I campaigned for that one.

I love Peter Tikos' work, and the pic he did of Thomas was a great counterpoint, considering how serious he is in the story. The others I'm a little iffy on, especially Lydia's. They're good pictures, but they really weren't quite how I envisioned the characters. I chalk that up to artistic license, though; Peter's got his own take on things, and I feel overall that I was really lucky to get his art into my first solo piece.

Posted by: Murrdox Mar 7 2012, 02:54 PM

I pretty much agree completely with Redjack's review. I think I'd only give the Additional Features a 2/5, simply because there are only 3 character write ups and a couple additional pieces of equipment. Not that the write-ups aren't good quality, it's just that I'd give Arsenal a 5/5 in this regard, and giving this 19 page PDF a 4 seems generous.

I agree that plot hooks and location write-ups would be welcome additions to future installments, similar to what we see in the Dumpshock Datahaven.

The short story was enjoyable. If it went on for another 5-10 pages to resolve the cliffhanger at the end, I think it'd have been a better value.

I see the promise of this product enough to keep my eye on future installments.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 7 2012, 03:55 PM

There are actually four NPC write-ups, not three, but I do see your point.

Thanks for the comments. The cliffhanger actually leads to at least two more stories, perhaps more. Resolving it all at once might not have worked as well. We shall see.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Posted by: Paul Mar 7 2012, 04:16 PM

I have to pick up my copy yet-work has been just plain off the hook the lately (So much for if we give them taser's everyone will just stop trying to kill each other...), so when I get a minute I'll snag it and try to give a coherent review, or input.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 8 2012, 02:58 PM

I look forward to it, Paul.

Posted by: Method Mar 9 2012, 05:29 AM

Alright, I just finished ARN and since I'm procrastinating anyway I thought I'd share my thoughts.

First, I wanted to note that I purchased ARN despite a self-imposed moratorium on buying SR pdf's. Basically I'm trying to focus my limited gaming dollars on filling out my neglected dead tree collection, and the recent pdf releases (while entertaining) just don't have enough bang for my buck (especially when they get released in dead-tree compilations like RBB anyway). But I wanted to support Patrick, since I have enjoyed his past contributions to the game and to Dumpshock, and I appreciate his willingness to engage his critics. I hope more of his colleagues in the freelancer pool will join suit.

[As an aside I also bought Safehouses and Way of the Adept (albeit quite some time ago). CanRay and Critias deserve similar recognition].

Now on to the good stuff:

As a stand alone piece of SR fiction, I like it very much. The story is compelling and well written, and I especially like how un-stereotyptical the featured characters are. I also enjoy Patrick's narrative style (which is of course more subjective). However, what is most impressive about the fiction is that it shows an understanding of the world and solid grasp of the underlying game mechanics (important things that have been lacking in some recent products). He presents great narrative descriptions of things like spell effects and AR sculpting without breaking the forth wall or slipping into metagame terminology. Plus everything in the fluff is consistent with the crunch (at least on cursory review... the pre-wireless smartgun aside). While I think this is important for all SR fiction, it seems even more so in the context of enhanced fiction. I hope anyone who aspires to write enhanced fiction for SR is taking notes.

The crunchy bitz are well written as well. I like that Patrick didn't take this as an opportunity to make sweeping changes to the rules or introduce a bunch of crazy gear- the items and accompanying rules are just right to support the story, and I don't get the sense that its the other way around. I agree that some detailed locations and maybe maps would have been useful. With a few such added items, the stat blocks for Thomas and Lydia could have been used as PCs and the story could have been easily converted to a one-shot for use as an introductory adventure or on those nights when only 1-2 people can make it to a game. This brings up a few musings I had about the potentials and pitfalls of enhanced fiction but I'll save those for another day.

The art was, well... terrible. Sorry to say it, but I'm (apparently) not a fan of Peter Tiko's. As others have said, the recycled art, while nostalgic, didn't fit the piece very well. I would have loved to see a piece depicting the final fight scene... ah well.

And last but not least a question for Patrick: dog tags? Thomas doesn't seem like the military type?

Posted by: Critias Mar 9 2012, 05:45 AM

[aside]

Thanks. Hope you dug it! We're working on at least one similar book, albeit aimed at a different archetype, and just for what it's worth, we are making it a little bigger (while still aiming for the same low price tag). No real word yet on the Options books being assembled into a dead-tree book, but we're adding more crunch to this next one to try and make it plenty appealing. Hopefully we'll continue to corrupt you away from your "no pdf" rule.

[/aside]

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 9 2012, 01:10 PM

He's not. I never said they were his. They were his dad's, though I don't think I mentioned that particular detail in the stat block (though I probably should have). He's also got his sister's class ring in his list of trinkets.

Speaking of whom, I really need to finish statting her out....

Glad you liked the story, Method.

Posted by: Method Mar 9 2012, 01:55 PM

I figured as much.

BTW I wrote that review in kind of a neutral third person in case I need the text for any online reviews.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 9 2012, 02:07 PM

Well, get thee back to your purchase site and post it and your rating! What's your hold-up, dude?

Posted by: Shortstraw Mar 9 2012, 02:41 PM

Wait Patrick as author + vampires in plot ≠ crocodile tanks involved?

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 9 2012, 02:46 PM

Why would there be croc tanks? I like vampires...that don't sparkle. This one doesn't.

Posted by: Shortstraw Mar 9 2012, 03:02 PM

Real infected should be almost impossible to kill and since killing them with fire is traditional you would need something that makes large amounts of fire.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 9 2012, 03:20 PM

Some Infected are immune to fire. Head shots are good, though, especially if the Infected in question is looking the other way....

Posted by: CanRay Mar 9 2012, 06:05 PM

"How'd you kill that Japanese Vampire? Have another bamboo dagger blessed by a Shinto Priest?" "Wood chipper." - Supernatural

Posted by: snowRaven Mar 9 2012, 08:04 PM

Well, by RAW all you need is a Stunbolt...

Even better if they are tied down and immovable! (and not capable of Mist Form, of course...)

Posted by: CanRay Mar 9 2012, 08:13 PM

Fire may not kill them, but it'll give them a REALLY bad day!

EDIT: Monofilament Chainsaw and Bodily Dismemberment, only way to be sure.

Posted by: Shortstraw Mar 10 2012, 12:15 AM

Immunity to fire just means they get some armor all that means is you need more fire.

Posted by: Method Mar 10 2012, 04:17 AM

Ha! That should be a sig!

Posted by: Shortstraw Mar 10 2012, 10:28 AM

It would be poor form to quote myself.

Posted by: JanessaVR Mar 15 2012, 08:56 PM

Ok, it’s a bit late, but life has been more than bit traumatic lately. As promised, Patrick, my review:

It may interest you to know that, like the story’s protagonist, I too was on plane to Denver when I read it and wondering whether I was dressed warmly enough for the trip. Also like the protagonist, I really didn’t want to take the trip, but I had to. However, I was just changing planes to go to Detroit, he was hunting vampires (be vewy, vewy quiet), so it could have been worse.

Your modern Van Helsing seems to have his share of experience and creativity (both good things for vampire hunting), and you had the good sense to make him a magician as well; I honestly don’t know why anyone plays anything else in Shadowrun, well, ok, someone has to play the technomancer so you have matrix support as well. At any rate, hunting the Infected is no occupation for mundanes, so that was good. That said, I seriously wonder why he has no sense of smell – this is easily correctable by 2073, and is almost certainly covered by his health plan, as he’s a (presumably) tenured university professor.

In general, it was short, but I liked it. As you mentioned to me late last year, I did indeed enjoy this story and its portrayal of vampires. It was satisfying seeing the Infected portrayed as the sadistic monsters they truly are – evil, twisted cannibals who enjoy killing and torturing people just because they can and they enjoy it. Truly a welcome antidote to the touchy-feely “the Infected are cute, cuddly teddy bears and our caring friends!” garbage that infests SR4 at present. The only thing I would have changed is to call in more backup before confronting a vampire in her lair. At night. With only a mundane for backup. When she knows you’re coming. And it’s a trap.

I look forward to future installments, though I’ll echo previous reviewers and say that it certainly should be a bit longer next time. Keep up the good work – go monster hunters, go.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 15 2012, 11:07 PM

Sometime this afternoon, http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/99839/Shadowrun%3A-Another-Rainy-Night?cPath=4328 went "Silver" over on DriveThruRPG. Thanks to everyone who's gone out and bought it...and if you haven't, what the heck's keeping you?

Posted by: snowRaven Mar 15 2012, 11:18 PM

Congratulations

I didn't buy it on that site though, I always use the battlestore

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 15 2012, 11:33 PM

Wherever you bought it, you're helping it pay for itself. It's just easier for me as a writer to see that little badge at DriveThru.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 16 2012, 01:26 AM

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself with the story.

Abraham Van Helsing was a vampire hunter; he spent his time trying to kill them. Thomas...not so much. Yes, he was in Denver hunting one down, but it's not his life's pursuit; curing them is. He's after Teresa because she made it personal. He felt like he was responsible...and there's at least 23 murders on this particular spree that he feels responsible for, as well. God only knows how many she killed before.

So, Thomas and Van Helsing do have some things in common, but he's really not Van Helsing's modern-day successor. Martin de Vries is...sort of. We'll leave out the man's utter hypocrisy for the time being...he's one of the most pre-eminent hunters out there. He will probably not be in After Midnight (I need to come up with a better title once more of it's written), though the Guild probably will be.

I know Lydia's going to have a lot of reading to do.

I'm not entirely certain I agree with this statement, but that's neither here nor there at the moment.

It wasn't affordable when he was a kid growing up, when the accident happened, and by the time it was affordable, he had Awakened. Even relatively minor surgery has a risk of jacking with one's Talent, and he's personally just fine without it. He's been without it for...damn, something like 35 years. He's long since adapted.

Not all of them are sadistic. I'll grant you that, in most senses of the word, they're all monsters, but they're not all sadists. Teresa was, certainly, and Mr. Big may or may not be; he's certainly ruthless. Ms. Deacon, while not a vamp, is pretty ruthless. Most of my characters are far from sweetness and light, I think, but they're not all cast in blacks and whites. Even the monsters are gray. Sometimes a nice, deep charcoal gray, to be sure, but gray nonetheless.

Nothing's as simple as it appears, and I'm hoping my writing gets that across.

He knew her weakness. And sometimes, you just gotta play the cards you're dealt. Lydia did go on record as to the fact that it was stupid.

And Lydia may be just a mundane, but it's not nearly the death sentence you portray it to be. Mundanes outnumber the Awakened by a substantial margin (among the human population, something like 99 to 1).

Posted by: JanessaVR Mar 16 2012, 01:58 AM

Well, it's true the Awakened have get to their meatshields somewhere. Was it Ars Magica where warriors were a stat for magic-users? Heh.

Posted by: Shortstraw Mar 16 2012, 11:14 AM

I would like to see Metagenic Improvement: Posse

Posted by: Paul Mar 23 2012, 06:09 PM

I'll be snagging my copies finally this weekend. As soon as I find my wallet and update my DTR account. Damned habit of not carrying anything on my person except my CCW, and a pen. (And a cuff key of course....)

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 24 2012, 08:28 PM

They don't require you to carry some ID along with the CCW?

Posted by: Critias Mar 24 2012, 08:30 PM

You'd think the CCW license, at least, would be a good idea.

But then, I only know about Kentucky and Texas. For all I know, Michigan hasn't got 'em.

Posted by: Paul Mar 25 2012, 01:48 AM

Heh, yeah I always carry my departmental ID.

Posted by: CanRay Mar 27 2012, 11:38 PM

I thought your belt buckle worked as ID in the US?

Posted by: Paul Mar 27 2012, 11:45 PM

Apparently today I had kick me written on me somewhere. And bite me. And spit on me in attempt to spread your contagious disease. And punch me....Needless to say things didn't work out for at least one party involved. There was an increased level of the possibility of someone, somewhere having their feelings hurt.

Posted by: snowRaven Mar 28 2012, 12:00 AM

That's only in Texas.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 28 2012, 03:31 PM

Actually, it's also valid in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, and parts of Arizona and Louisiana, if memory serves.

They got the idea from us, though.

Posted by: Method Mar 29 2012, 12:30 AM

I don't know about belt buckles but the CCW in Wyoming is a valid photo ID, and is essentially the same as the driver's license except for different wording and a watermark of a pistol. In fact, if you renew them at the same time, the state uses the same photo on both. People who don't know better seldom notice the difference.

I once needed duplicate photo ID for a federal background check related to work, but all I had was my DL and CCW. I handed these to a clerical dude and he ask "Why do you have 2 driver's licenses?"

Posted by: CanRay Mar 29 2012, 08:10 AM

So, Patrick, when do we meet this "Bella" chick all the vapid tweens are talking about?

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 29 2012, 01:11 PM

As soon as I find a sufficiently satisfying way to mow her down.

Posted by: CanRay Mar 30 2012, 01:41 PM

Can't be done. You can only do it once, after all.

Cyberpunk: Encouraging ultraviolent positive female role models who look sexy since http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/8200000/Daryl-Hannah-as-Pris-in-Blade-Runner-blade-runner-8242812-1109-1600.jpg.

Posted by: Shortstraw Mar 31 2012, 06:00 AM

Flame tank with a flail?

Posted by: Paul Mar 31 2012, 01:43 PM

I just bought my copy of this and Safehouse's, so now to read them!

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Mar 31 2012, 02:22 PM

Looking forward to your review, Paul!

Posted by: Paul Apr 2 2012, 01:45 AM

I'm pretty pleased with Another Rainy Night. I just finished reading it, and I was happy to see how it was all put together. The fiction piece it starts off with was enjoyable to me, and more importantly held my interest. (A lot of stuff is fun, but can't keep my attention for long.) I liked the feel of the fiction. It felt right to me, and I enjoyed how it mixed the old and the new. I also liked that while the story introduces, pretty clearly, a bigger organization of some sort-it stays small. The main characters can't stop everything, and hell barely make it through. I like that personally.

The game rules section seems clearly written to me-I'll be honest I really liked the Character portraits, something that's actually been pretty decent in several recent books. The equipment seems to fit the game world, and I like the overall concept.

The only complaint I can even come close to leveling is one piece of artwork (Page 13) reminds me of something in another book. But frankly if that's all I have I'm pretty pleased with spending the price I dropped on this. (Damn cheap.)

All in all I give this product a thumbs up, and recommend it to anyone who's looking for a reason to stay with, or get into SR4. Thanks folks.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Apr 2 2012, 02:23 AM

I'm glad you liked it. *preens*

The artwork on page 13 is a re-used piece that originally appeared in "The Vampire Conspiracy" in Threats.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Apr 17 2012, 02:44 PM

And I recently figured out who as I began work on "Sail Away Sweet Sister." This one's turning out to be tough to write, though Thomas's ex-wife is turning out to be a very interesting piece of work....

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Apr 17 2012, 02:57 PM

It occurs to me that I never gave due credit here. The spell effects are all mine, but the AR descriptions, especially the sculpting descriptions, were added on whole-cloth (or at least embellished greatly) by Jason during the editorial phase of things. I kinda glossed over them in initial drafts, to be honest, and for reasons which elude me to this day I kinda continued to slip past them. If it's AR and it's wrong, it's probably my fault.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Apr 2 2013, 03:09 PM

It's my birthday. If you haven't already, you should go get a copy of Another Rainy Night at either the http://www.battlecorps.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28_187_241&products_id=2949 or http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=99839. Please rate it and leave a review! If you've already bought and read it, then leave a review to help send traffic to the story.

Thanks for your kind indulgence!

Posted by: DMiller Apr 3 2013, 05:43 AM

Happy Birthday Patrick!

I've been meaning to buy a few more SR books recently, I think I'll add ARN to my list.

Posted by: CanRay Apr 3 2013, 06:33 AM

I have taught you well, my apprentice. *Evil Sith Lord Smile*

Posted by: Backgammon Apr 3 2013, 12:50 PM

Well well, we have the same birthday!

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Apr 3 2013, 03:38 PM

I'm so sorry.

Besides, we really don't; we're a day (and a lot of years) apart there.

Posted by: Critias Apr 3 2013, 03:59 PM

The family resemblance made me think y'all might be long-lost twins.

Posted by: Backgammon Apr 3 2013, 04:27 PM

Oh yeah, I see, you're the 2nd. Says so on your profile. You post was dated the 1st, that's what made me think you were an April Fool too

What we can probably all get behind is my traditional birthday ceremony: I drink about 20 ounces of hard liquor to get smashed, then watch Blade Runner.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Jun 26 2013, 06:57 PM

Thread necromancy!!

With the sequel to ARN underway, I've begun work on translating characters from 4th to 5th editions (the book is currently set to be dual-statted). In the time between story-writing sessions, a lot came out, including Shadowrun 2050, and as someone suggested, I reworked Lydia Bowden's cyberware. I'm going to submit that and an SR4 version of the Predator III and see if we can't get the PDF updated and reissued so that everyone can have the corrected stats.

I'm also making sure I have a plot hooks section.

Anybody else still wants to talk about this, or speculate about "Sail Away Sweet Sister," I'm all ears.

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Sep 19 2013, 02:41 PM

ARN is now available for the http://www.amazon.com/Shadowrun-Another-Rainy-Night-ebook/dp/B00F70LZ52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379599633&sr=8-1&keywords=shadowrun+another+rainy+night and the http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadowrun-patrick-goodman/1116908932. Links can also be found in the second post of this thread for ease of discovery, and the BattleShop and DTRPG links in the opening post are still valid.

Posted by: Voran Sep 20 2013, 01:39 AM

I confess when I first started reading the adventure narrative, I was confusing the character with Bull

Posted by: Patrick Goodman Sep 20 2013, 01:38 PM

When I first started working with this character, and first introduced him back in Running Wild, I had no idea what the character Bull's actual name was. The writer Bull and I occasionally have a chuckle about it.

Posted by: CanRay Sep 20 2013, 09:33 PM

And the rest of us tease the hell out of them!

On the bright side, at least there are two different spellings, unlike Kane's Kat and Kat O'Nine Tales (TV Tropes mistook the two to be the same person.).

Posted by: Sendaz Sep 20 2013, 10:06 PM

nm