 Must have sourcebooks, I feel like spending money |
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 Aug 9 2006, 05:25 AM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 984 Joined: 15-June 06 Member No.: 8,717  |
What Shadowrun sourcebooks must every GM obtain?
I have the SR3 BBB, Corporate Shadowfiles, NAGNA, NAGRL, SoNA, Loose Alliances, Runner Havens, and the SR4 BBB. I need more material to help me get 'running in perpective. I still feel like I'm doing things wrong (like law enforcement and corp influence) and would love examples like in Runner Havens that I can model my own SR cities after. I really don't want to run in a major canon city only to see it change in a source book later, so I'm fleshing out the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metroplex. Any suggestions? |
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Aug 9 2006, 05:50 AM
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#2
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 984 Joined: 15-June 06 Member No.: 8,717 |
Okay, is the Sprawl Survival Guide worth buying? Sounds like it covers some of the things NAGRL covers. Would buying it be redundant?
What can I expect from the Corporate Security Handbook? Does it cover how corps usually run their security, or just how they cover their ultra-secret reasearch labs? |
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Aug 9 2006, 05:51 AM
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#3
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,213 Joined: 10-March 02 From: Back from the abyss. Member No.: 2,316 |
I could look but i think there is some stuff in Smuggler Havens about the twin cities. Thats a good book, Target UCAS and Shadows of North America cover north american cities. The lonestar source book was fun to read and nice to have.
EDIT Its been a while, but Im pretty sure it describes tons of things about security. Things that most people wouldnt consider, like terraforming the land to creat a more defensive adn asthetic look to yoru compound, zero-zones making sure your chain link fences have openign too small for dwarves to use, but tall enough for trolls to not easily step over. Its a good book also. |
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Aug 9 2006, 06:26 AM
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#4
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
SSG covers a much wider variety of stuff than NAGRL did. |
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Aug 9 2006, 07:41 AM
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#5
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
SSG is a fantastic book. One of my faves. It's definitely on the "must have" list.
Get Lone Star if you don't have it. It pops up on Stiggys and Ebay, and sometimes Amazon (although for more money usually). Renraku Arcology: Shutdown is a great read, even if you never run it. I'm a terrible person to ask, since my actual answer to "what sourcebook" tends to be "all of them". |
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Aug 9 2006, 08:15 AM
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#6
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,314 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Lisbon, Cidade do Pecado Member No.: 185 |
SSG is a good, well-rounded buy.
For security and policing stuff (SR3 rules) you may want to track down the old Corporate Security handbook (which covers all you've mentioned and then some), SOTA64, and the amazingly hard to find Lone Star sb. |
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Aug 9 2006, 08:55 AM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 143 Joined: 28-August 05 Member No.: 7,631 |
Sprawl Survival Guide is a good book. It's got a lot of flavor in addition to the rules for lifestyles.
Rules-wise, I've always found Cannon Companion and Man & Machine indispensible. The BBB always seemed to seriously lack for gear. Flavor-wise, Shadows of _______ books, New Seattle and State of the Art books all have really interesting things in them. |
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Aug 9 2006, 09:03 AM
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#8
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Great, I'm a Dragon... Group: Retired Admins Posts: 6,699 Joined: 8-October 03 From: North Germany Member No.: 5,698 |
Yeah, the Shadows of books are really nice, so is Target: UCAS and New Seattle.
Threats 1 and 2 are cool for getting opponents beyond the usual range of either megacorp or crime syndicate. The lesser are featured in the Underworl Sourcebook, which is a nice read and offers a lot of good information. And Cyberpirates! It's simply cool. :) |
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Aug 9 2006, 07:36 PM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 984 Joined: 15-June 06 Member No.: 8,717 |
I went ahead and bought Corporate security, Cyberpirates, Threats 2, Prime Runners, and some others I can't remember.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'm not done buying so more input would be great. Keep it coming. :D |
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Aug 9 2006, 07:39 PM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 314 Joined: 25-February 06 Member No.: 8,307 |
Ummm, do you have Cannon Companion, Man & Machine, and Magic in the Shadows?
Those are the key ones for me, and then the SSG, and Target:Wastelands. Some of the 2E books are still good for flavor though, like ShadowTech and the Paranormal Animals of XXXX books. |
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Aug 9 2006, 07:56 PM
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#11
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,026 Joined: 23-November 05 From: Seattle (Really!) Member No.: 7,996 |
That depends on which edition he's running. They are essential for SR3 nearly useless for SR4, at least they are nearly useless without lots of conversion work. I'd second the Sprawl Survival Guide as a good pick, as well as Lone Star and The Corporate Security Handbook. The Shadows of Series and the older Target: Series are good for settings. |
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Aug 9 2006, 08:06 PM
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#12
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 16,954 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Shadowbeat. I'm not familiar with Corporate Shadowfiles, but if it doesn't overlap too much I'd suggest Corporate Download. Renraku Arcology: Shutdown is an excellent buy. So are Matrix and Rigger 3 Revised.
I also suggest the Horrors sourcebook. Single best sourcebook I've seen so far for any game ever. ~J |
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Aug 9 2006, 08:11 PM
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#13
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,032 Joined: 6-August 04 Member No.: 6,543 |
You must have SONA and SOA...
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Aug 9 2006, 09:24 PM
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#14
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,556 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle Member No.: 98 |
Bug City had to be one of my favorite SR setting books of all time. Such a messed-up place.
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Aug 9 2006, 10:29 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 984 Joined: 15-June 06 Member No.: 8,717 |
Note: I run SR4
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| Guest_MK Ultra_* |
 Aug 9 2006, 11:54 PM
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#16
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Guests |
In this case I´d suggest, not picking up the older gear books. Also, Matrix, Magic in the Shadows and other rules-heavy books are not that usefull. Street Magic will substitute MitS, for example. Get the pdf or wait for the hardcoppy. Runner Havens seems cool at first glance. Still New Seattle (or the old Seattle SB) are nice for some more detailed information if you are playing in seattle (New Seattle also includes guidelines for police response that are probably still valid in SR4). the Sprawl Survival Guide as many suggested, is still very usefull with SR4 and the lifestyle rules from this book are easily converted and enhance flavor dramatically IMHO. Target: Matrix was one of my favourit flavour-books and I think it still gives some good hints even though there was no AR back then. If you are looking for GM aids to built people, places and adventures, Mr. Johnson´s Little Blackbook and the old Sprawl Sites might be helpfull, though all the sample characters´ stats are outdated off cause. If you are interested in corporations, the corporate download gives more intell on the big ten (still cross instead of horizon) and focusses less on general corporate stuff then shadowfiles. Depending on where you want to set your champaign, Sadows of .. or Target: .. books will be usefull. If you like exotic environments like undersea, space, deserts, etc. Target: Wastelands is very cool. |
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Aug 10 2006, 01:48 AM
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#17
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,213 Joined: 10-March 02 From: Back from the abyss. Member No.: 2,316 |
Isnt the Horrors source book an Earthdawn book? A pretty hard to find and exspensive one at that. I had to dig through a bunch of discount sites and finally got one on ebay for almost twice cover price. The SOTA books are great books as well, Ill miss them most. I really dug the 2064 one I think it is, mostly because I have been wanting to play a merc campaign for a long time and the gear introduced was pretty cool. Like DUNE. lol |
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Aug 10 2006, 02:06 AM
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#18
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 498 Joined: 31-May 02 From: All the way in the Back to the Left. Member No.: 2,800 |
Shadowbeat rocked like 12 week old socks. :silly:
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Aug 10 2006, 02:15 AM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 984 Joined: 15-June 06 Member No.: 8,717 |
I just bought these books on Amazon, all used.
Cyberpirates Virtual Realites Target : Awakened Lands Prime Runners Threats 2 Corporate Security handbook I really hope the last one goes over general corp sec standards the way Coporate Shadowfiles went over general corp management. With all the recommendations for SSG, I think I might have to buy it. What's this Underworld Sourcebook about? |
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Aug 10 2006, 02:31 AM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 498 Joined: 31-May 02 From: All the way in the Back to the Left. Member No.: 2,800 |
Corporate Security Handbook was basically rehashed in SOTA 2064.
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Aug 10 2006, 02:35 AM
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#21
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,213 Joined: 10-March 02 From: Back from the abyss. Member No.: 2,316 |
Underworld source book is just that, it explains all the major players in the underworld, the mafia, yakuza, triads, soulpa rings, then less groups like go gangs, street gangs narcotrafficantes, and I think the Vory v zaknoe (russian mob). We play a lot ion our group with organized crime so it was very usefull mostly for groups that are wholely SR material and the families that are wholely SR canon. And poiinting out the Vory, I hadnt heard of them before that book. |
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Aug 10 2006, 02:40 AM
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#22
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Chrome to the Core Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,152 Joined: 14-October 03 From: ::1 Member No.: 5,715 |
Bug City, though it's outdated in SR4. Lots of stuff happens in game-time that changes Bug City dramatically.
Universal Brotherhood, if only for mean nasty ideas and an incredibly awesome plot hook. If your players have never dealt with bug spirits, prepare for lots of squicky moments. Honestly, I love running bugs. You can only do it so often until it becomes "oh, more bugs. Get out the Raid, boys!" Until then, however, it can have the players on the edge of their seats for sessions on end. |
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Aug 10 2006, 07:49 AM
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#23
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Great, I'm a Dragon... Group: Retired Admins Posts: 6,699 Joined: 8-October 03 From: North Germany Member No.: 5,698 |
It's for ED, yes. But as said, one of the best-written and most atmospheric sourcebooks ever written. |
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Aug 10 2006, 01:08 PM
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#24
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
SOTA 2063, actually. |
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Aug 10 2006, 05:18 PM
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#25
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
And it's still a great book to have, so don't worry about having picked it up.
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