 Which books are loaded with awesome?, Y'know, hypothetically. |
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 Oct 2 2007, 07:08 PM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 225 Joined: 13-July 07 Member No.: 12,235  |
Hey there folks, I've recently been lucky enough to be offered one Shadowrun book of my choice, from the list of all Shadowrun books ever. Obviously, I want to make a good selection, so I thought I'd come and see which books you all think are particularly impressive. Now, I just started playing SR as of fourth edition, but I am well aware that there are awesome books from times past, especially (it seems to me) third edition.
In the course of browsing the forums I've seen lots of books mentioned in a favorable light - System Failure, Cybertechnology, Mr. Johnson's Little Black Book, Corporate Shadowfiles (or something corporate), and the like. And forgive me if this has been discussed before (to be honest, I think it has), for my search-fu is weak. But if you all feel like chiming in with what your favorite book is (and really, who doesn't like talking about their favorite stuff), I'd appreciate it. :D |
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Oct 2 2007, 07:14 PM
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#2
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
Actually, on the Awesomeometer, I'd have to give SR2 books a huge leg up on SR3. And if Shadowbeat was technically SR1 (can't remember at the moment), then it gets higher marks too. And this from an avowed SR3 junkie. But given that anything pre4 is just fluff and background if you now play 4, I'd have to say look hard at SR2 stuff.
Specific recommendations from me, in no order: - Shadowbeat - Lone Star - Cybertechnology (actually, if there were an order, this would be 1 or 2; one word, name really: Hatchetman) - Seattle Sourcebook (original) - Portfolio of a Dragon (Dunk's will; chock full of badass) Those are currently on my "every Shadowrun player should read these" list. My list changes now and then. Actually, there have been a few threads on just this over the last couple of years, so if you can find those you'll probably get a ton of ideas. Edit: Also, for your reference, here's the list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Shadowrun_books edit edit: Oops, you said you had tried searching. Missed that. :grinbig: edit edit edit: A few threads that may or may not help: http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=16699 http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=14096 http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=11423 http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=9407 K, now I need to work. ;) |
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Oct 2 2007, 07:52 PM
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#3
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
I'd probably replace Lone Star with Fields of Fire. but nice list. |
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Oct 2 2007, 07:59 PM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 225 Joined: 13-July 07 Member No.: 12,235 |
Everyone seems to love Hatchetman. To be fair, there are clearly a lot of really awesome characters from Shadowrun's past. Poor Captain Chaos. Here's hoping he isn't lost to the digital void. Wasn't there a book that talked about the economy of the Sixth World? That sounded pretty cool, but then, I'm an econ major.
Edit: And apparently people like the Lone Star book? And the campaign around the Renraku Arcology stuff sounds cool, for the same reasons System Failure does. Those threads do help, Eidolon, thanks. I actually remembered reading one of them previously, but I couldn't find it again now that I need it. Still, people like talking about awesome stuff; who else has a favorite book? Edit Edit: And now with KK's chiming in I'm hearing a lot of stuff about Shadowbeat. What is that, and how is it awesome? |
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Oct 2 2007, 08:06 PM
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#5
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...I have to concur with eidolon, particularly on Shadowbeat.
I am also partial to the London Sourcebook which I feel is some of the best location fluff I have read. I am still using it as a reference for the "everyday" details of UK life and society. There is another little used ('cept by me of course) source which is in the back of Paradise Lost module. It details the Kingdom of Hawai'i pretty well (better than Shadows of Asia). And it's true, Haole's can't surf. Bug City is a totally badass setting and fairly dear to me as I grew up in that podunk town called Milwaukee just to the north and made numerous trips to Chicago. |
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Oct 3 2007, 04:05 AM
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#6
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 718 Joined: 10-September 05 From: Montevideo, in the elusive shadows of Latin America Member No.: 7,727 |
I really liked Mr Johnson's little black book; but I Gm, so maybe I am biased. It nevertheless includes lots of nice ideas; same goes for Sprawl Survival Guide -which is better for players, IMHO.
I also loved the Tir Tairngire sourcebook, it opened my eyes to the mystery underlying shadowrun's metaplot. Lot's of run ideas, too. Of course, for practical gaming purposes it would be really handy to get the SR4 BBB if you don't own a copy, Augmentation or SM are cool too, but you are probably getting those anyway, so I encourage you to delve into the past... Cheers, and happy hunting! Max |
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Oct 3 2007, 05:27 AM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 225 Joined: 13-July 07 Member No.: 12,235 |
Yeah, I have the BBB sitting on my shelf, and I can get Street Magic or Augmentation any time, but the old books, those ones have the extra cool factor. I mean, if you could choose any one Shadowrun book, what would your choice be?
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Oct 3 2007, 08:18 AM
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#8
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,598 Joined: 15-March 03 From: Hong Kong Member No.: 4,253 |
If I had to pick one, the original Seattle sourcebook, largely because there's not a lot of space devoted to rules you won't use.
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Oct 3 2007, 12:34 PM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 259 Joined: 2-September 07 From: In the AGS, underwater Member No.: 13,049 |
Sadly I have never had a chance to read Shadowbeat or the Lone Star sourcebook and I think I might be too young to appreciate the style of the Seattle Sourcebook (or just might not get much of it because I've never been there) but I can certainly agree on Cybertechnology as the best sourcebook out there.
For some reason I have strong emotional ties to the companion as in the past there were many groups where I showed the book around and the players exploded with awesome after they saw that there was an official alternative to the priority-based character creation system. Last but not least: Bug City. A book full of good writing and even useful in a SR4 campaign if you're not too strict about the timeline. |
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Oct 3 2007, 01:17 PM
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#10
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
Shadowbeat. Bug City is great, but it suffers from a lack of rockers that that leaves it just short of awesome.
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Oct 3 2007, 01:21 PM
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#11
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,009 Joined: 25-September 06 From: Paris, France Member No.: 9,466 |
The Sprawl Survival Guide.
See the Daily Life part of the SR4 BBB ? Expand it to a whole book and you've got the SSG. It could be better, but I still think it's a must-read to realize what it's like to live in the 2060s. |
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Oct 3 2007, 02:58 PM
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#12
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...have it, was excited when I bought it, disappointed after I read it as I was using Portland as a setting before the book came out. Made several months of work pretty useless and really not a playable setting for a long running campaign. Personally I had difficulty understanding how an even moderate sized runner community could exist (even in Portland) under such a totalitarian regime that is heavy on the magic end. About the only real mileage I got out of it was in writing the Short One's biograph. (#11). |
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Oct 3 2007, 03:04 PM
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#13
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
Agreed. Very good book. And I was a bit harsh-sounding regarding the 3e books I think. Several of them are really good, notably the already mentioned Sprawl Survival Guide and Mr. Johnson's Little Black Book. It's just that if I had to pick a "feel" for all SR books to have, it would be the colorful feel of 2e books rather than the sometimes sterile feel of 3d. (And it seems that 4 is bridging the gap, although I haven't had time to read the fiction in SM and Aug due to needing to stick to rules for the moment.) |
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Oct 3 2007, 07:04 PM
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#14
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Free Spirit Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,944 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Bloomington, IN UCAS Member No.: 1,920 |
Second or third edition Companion? Just trying to keep it clarified. I am the book giver in this instance as the Fiction Contest award. If anyone else wants to put up awards for other stories, I am sure the authors would appreciate it. :) |
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Oct 3 2007, 07:23 PM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 944 Joined: 19-February 03 Member No.: 4,128 |
I liked Street Samurai Catalog and Fields of Fire from 2E.
I missed the pics and ad-like layout in 3E and 4E. |
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Oct 3 2007, 07:24 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 225 Joined: 13-July 07 Member No.: 12,235 |
Yep, this is the case. That Buddha story got a lot of votes, just saying. So I'm hearing things like SSG, Shadowbeat, Cybertechnology, Bug City, Lone Star. Maybe I'll pick one more and roll a die.
I've heard people mention rockers before. Is that what's in Shadowbeat? Material for playing a rocker? Really? Also, is Cybertechnology all fiction, or a blend of fiction and rules? Please forgive my ignorance, just trying to get a full picture, here. |
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Oct 3 2007, 07:31 PM
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#17
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
Cybertechnology is a lot of rules. It's like Augmentation. So the rules sections will be pretty much useless to you, but the fiction is superb.
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Oct 3 2007, 08:15 PM
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#18
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
...I have to agree on the Catalogue look of the SSC and FoF. I believe that presentation style did a lot to help with the feel of the game setting. Like many before have mentioned I also miss the old Shadowland comments which sadly all but disappeared by 3rd ed (SoE & SoA being two notable exceptions which made them a more entertaining read). I have to second Crusher Bob on the 2nd ed Seattle Sourcebook as well. Again excellent fluff lots of nice locations to draw from (I still find it very useful as well). As with the London Sourcebook the photo ads were a very nice touch. They should have done the TT and all the other location fluff books this way as well. |
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Oct 3 2007, 09:14 PM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 647 Joined: 9-September 03 From: Sorø, Denmark Member No.: 5,604 |
Hmm... it realy depends on your reason to get the book.
If you want it for the cool factor, the ask for a Shadowrun 3rd Ed. limited edition (black "leather"), alternatively a 4th edition limited edition (also black "leather"). If you want it for a cool and historical setting then ask for Universal Brotherhood. These three are both fairly rare and difficult to get hold of, where as many of the other ones, including most mentioned abov, can be found on ebay fairly often at a reasonable price. Lars |
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Oct 3 2007, 09:15 PM
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#20
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
Excellent point. |
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Oct 3 2007, 09:23 PM
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#21
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
Six copies of Universal Brotherhood at various price levels.
No limiteds up at the moment that I could find. Can't believe I forgot to suggest the Street Samurai Catalog. In fact, get both of them just because it's fun to have them. |
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Oct 3 2007, 11:13 PM
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#22
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 259 Joined: 2-September 07 From: In the AGS, underwater Member No.: 13,049 |
Second. I thought Third was called Companion Revised or such? Never owned that one but I guess it'd be pretty much the same with minor changes? |
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Oct 4 2007, 01:40 AM
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#23
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Free Spirit Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,944 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Bloomington, IN UCAS Member No.: 1,920 |
Gee, thanks for making it about the price. I said he could ask for any book and I will try to accomodate. I will say the Limited Editions of any edition are not going to get awarded this contest. I will have to check to see how many copies of Universal Brotherhood I have. Luckily, none of these seem to be on his current list.
Of those books on the list, the only one I am unsure about having multiples is Lone Star and SSG. I think I can get a SSG though.
Shadowbeat has rules for Reporters, Rockers, and information about pirate broadcasts, entertainment and sports. Cybertechnology is the second cyber and bioware book which includes equipment, the Hatchetman story and cybered up some NPC builds. |
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Oct 4 2007, 01:42 AM
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#24
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Free Spirit Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,944 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Bloomington, IN UCAS Member No.: 1,920 |
They are both called SR Companion and are very similar with some minor changes. |
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Oct 4 2007, 01:46 AM
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#25
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 609 Joined: 13-August 07 Member No.: 12,615 |
My personal favorite is Cyberpirates. Lots of world info, plus the best, IMO, Shadowland chatter.
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