Ghost Cartels PDF Available! Options

[Adam]

The PDF version of Ghost Cartelsis now available to buy from both our BattleShop and OneBookShelf [DriveThruRPG/RPGNow]:

Ghost Cartels PDFs:

* Ghost Cartels at BattleCorps.com
* Ghost Cartels at DriveThruRPG.com

If you are looking for the print pre-order + PDF bundle deal, it's not available yet as we don't have a street date for the book finalized. When we do, the bundles will be available.

Ghost Cartels Previews:

* Preview #1
* Preview #2

[AngelisStorm]

Woot!

[Sir Randel]

The PDF version of Ghost Cartelsis now available to buy from both our BattleShop and OneBookShelf [DriveThruRPG/RPGNow]:

Ghost Cartels PDFs:

* Ghost Cartels at BattleCorps.com
* Ghost Cartels at DriveThruRPG.com

If you are looking for the print pre-order + PDF bundle deal, it's not available yet as we don't have a street date for the book finalized. When we do, the bundles will be available.

Ghost Cartels Previews:

* Preview #1
* Preview #2

Well, just bought it from Battle Shops, but there is no download link in my account ? Does someone else have the same problem ?

[Adam]

If I was less tired, I wouldn't find this so funny, but I'm pretty beat, so it's hilarious. It appears there's something not properly setup with the GC download. Please hold tight; working on it.

[Adam]

Okay, it's been fixed. All future orders will be fine. Those who have ordered it already, you'll be getting an email shortly with a download link/instructions.

Sorry for any inconvenience!

[Janice]

This just a premade adventure or does it have any crunch worth noting?

[Adam]

If by "crunch" you mean "new rules", then no. It does have a number of fully-statted NPCs and some new vehicle stats.

[Janice]

vehicle stats.

I know it's a longshot, but by chance would those stats be some form of tank or APC?

[knasser]

Adam, thanks for all your efforts in getting this out for today. You've already got my money (well Catalyst has), but I wanted to add a verbal appreciation. It's downloading at 31% so far and I already have a great feeling about this.

Khadim.

[knasser]

Wow! Looking good.

And I note the little hint about Geneva in the Jackpoint logon, too. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Heath Robinson]

My subject award came in recently but my Amazon orders are shipping, and my work is falling behind. I'm not sure I can budget time to read this.

But I want to. I really want to.

[knasser]

My subject award came in recently but my Amazon orders are shipping, and my work is falling behind. I'm not sure I can budget time to read this.

But I want to. I really want to.

I'm on page 23. Which is the weird thing. My normal response to a product like this is to skim through and get the overview, what's going on and all that. But I started reading at the opening fiction and there's been no point where I've been willing to actually stop and start skipping about. The writing is really good.

[Heath Robinson]

I'm on page 23. Which is the weird thing. My normal response to a product like this is to skim through and get the overview, what's going on and all that. But I started reading at the opening fiction and there's been no point where I've been willing to actually stop and start skipping about. The writing is really good.

There is a knife in my stomach and you, my friend, are twisting it.

[Sir Randel]

If I was less tired, I wouldn't find this so funny, but I'm pretty beat, so it's hilarious. It appears there's something not properly setup with the GC download. Please hold tight; working on it.

Thanks for your celerity. I got the file.

[Synner]

I know it's a longshot, but by chance would those stats be some form of tank or APC?

No. The vehicles we've included are appropriate to the various story frameworks and are either new vehicles or customized versions of existing vehicles (using Arsenal rules), since most of the adventures are urban with a few set in the jungle - none really pit characters against mechanized military or security forces (well, they shouldn't...).

[Synner]

This just a premade adventure or does it have any crunch worth noting?

For anyone interested in an idea of what they're getting.

Ghost Cartels is divided into 4 parts. The first chapter, A New High, is composed of fiction material—in the vein of System Failure or Emergence—which contextualizes all the events in the later sections of the book. Quite a few bits of fiction are presented in unique formats that allow them to be used/ported into handout easily. The fiction material is devised to ground events in the setting and explore some of the personal, social, criminal, corporate, media and law enforcement implications (the obvious ones and those less so) of the plot on the Sixth World setting—and maybe provide you with a few plot seeds while it does so. This first chapter also includes a general game information overview of events, a timeline, profiles of the key players in the central story thread and writeups of their organizations. Guidelines are also provided for alternate campaigns using Ghost Cartels as a backdrop and tips for gamemasters wanting to integrate the rest of the book or parts there of in their current campaigns.

Chapter 2, First Taste, is the first of three "track campaigns" in this book and depicts the myriad street-level consequences and intrigues resulting from the appearance of the popular new drug tempo on the streets of Seattle. It drops players into the action on the side of one of the factions in the ensuing underworld turmoil. Besides profiling the organizations and agendas involved in the Seattle situation, as well as mini-overview of the city itself, it tells the story through a series of sequential freeform Adventure Frameworks (a departure from previous products where the frameworks were largely unconnected) that form the backbone of the campaign. Adventure Seeds are also presented for "side quests" and gamemasters are provided with latitude to introduce their own adventures to the unfolding story. Major locations in each adventure framework are profiled in a Crime Scenes sidebar—some even get maps. Finally the chapter (as with subsequent chapters) is rounded out by a Cast of Shadows and a new section called Grunts and Moving Targets which respectively provide stats for major NPCs and grunts/vehicles used in the story arc.

Chapter 3, The Source, carries the characters around a number of major sprawls of the Pacific Rim starting in Seattle and ending in Los Angeles as they act as troubleshooters for a delegation from a South American corporation. The story unfolds primarily in Seattle, Hong-Kong, Tokyo and Los Angeles but there's plenty of leeway to add your own locations to the "tour." The major sprawls are profiled briefly and sequential Adventure Frameworks focus on critical events that take place in each location as the storyline unfolds. As with the previous chapter there is also information on all the major players involved, Adventure Seeds (a lot of them), Crime Scenes, a fully fleshed Cast of Shadows and Moving Targets and Grunts sections.

Chapter 4, Final Cut, starts in Los Angeles (or Caracas) and travels to South America backtracking the source of the drug tempo while the plotline climaxes. Plenty of secrets, twists and surprises are included. The characters are closer than ever to the heart of the plot but suddenly find themselves and their employee backed into a corner. It too is divided into a section with organization and agenda profiles, Adventure Frameworks and contains additional Adventure Seeds, Crime Scenes, Cast of Shadows and Grunts and Moving Targets. Of course, I should mention that Final Cut includes a final twist for the characters, one that's been hinted at through-out.

Not only can you play through the Adventure Frameworks sequentially in individual tracks as a short campaign, but the three arcs/tracks can be played sequentially too unfolding as a megacampaign that takes players from gangland warfare in the backstreets of Redmond to the perilous jungles of Amazonia.

[knasser]

Okay: Sorry to keep posting these "as I read" impressions, but I just have to say:

Mushisushi! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif) Who came up with that one?

[Ancient History]

Yo.

[Rotbart van Dain...]

Is it just me or is Chikao a bit off ruleswise?

[Synner]

Aside from the Essence issue brought up before, unfortuantely yes, a couple of other corrections "didn't take" for one reason or another and made it into the final version. Errata should remove his cyberarm Armor 3 enhancement and switch the shockhand to the other arm.

[Rotbart van Dain...]

That's not quite my point - his Agility should be (9) at best, he should either have the Submachine Gun skill or another description and Nanosymbiontes have Rating 3 max - and of course, the Ground Craft specialization should be Wheeled... the Nitama NeMax should have DV 5, too.

[knasser]

Yo.

Now why am I not surprised.

I'm a pretty fast reader, but I've not got through a third of this. I have finally given up and started jumping back and forth to see what it contains. And I'll say I'm impressed with both the low-key nature of the plot and the thought that's gone into it. By low-key, I'm not in anyway being critical. I'm saying that the mystery behind everything, whilst sufficiently sinister to make the players go 'Oooo' also avoids the setting-wrangling stuff of things like AIs. changelings and such. If there's metaplot here, it's being handled in a nicely subtle and unintrusive manner and nothing seems to be fucking with the general setting in any ireperable way making it a nice plug-and-play campaign.

@Janice: There are some merc support helicopters if that helps. Also, "Troll Adept Bodyguards" is my new favourite scary phrase. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Ancient History]

Now why am I not surprised.

Because I introduced the concept in Corporate Enclaves?

[Synner]

I'm a pretty fast reader, but I've not got through a third of this. I have finally given up and started jumping back and forth to see what it contains. And I'll say I'm impressed with both the low-key nature of the plot and the thought that's gone into it. By low-key, I'm not in anyway being critical. I'm saying that the mystery behind everything, whilst sufficiently sinister to make the players go 'Oooo' also avoids the setting-wrangling stuff of things like AIs. changelings and such. If there's metaplot here, it's being handled in a nicely subtle and unintrusive manner and nothing seems to be fucking with the general setting in any ireperable way making it a nice plug-and-play campaign.

I really want to show that globetrotting campaigns and street-level storytelling are not mutually exclusive and that you can do gritty, low-key Shadowrun adventures with some potentially huge metaplot implications without it turning into an epic world-changing campaign. I'm very fortunate that my authors "got it" and they turned an intense and dark stories with lots of plug-in and plot hook potential. Also note that as I mentioned in the last couple of Shadowrun chats Ghost Cartels is written so that those of you who possess Runner Havens and Corporate Enclaves will get more mileage out of those books.

"Troll Adept Bodyguards" is my new favourite scary phrase. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

Wait till you get a load of Ding's bodyguards.

Is it just me or is Chikao a bit off ruleswise?

Chikao's stats before the dev-editing snafu (mea culpa) are listed below. Corrected stats will be in the first errata (hopefully right after the print release)

[ Spoiler ]

CHIKAO INOUE
Early in the adventure track, the Shotozumi-gumi conscripts a Kenran-kai troubleshooter to discover and undo the tempo network. They send a newcomer to the Seattle area, someone who hopes to make a name for himself on the job, the second son of a powerful Kyoto oyabun. Chikao is a thin man, trading the obvious bulk of natural musculature for the efficiency of cyberware. Both of his arms are cyber and, like his entire chest and back, sheathed in tattooed skin. Chikao keeps his jagged blonde hair cut short and away from his face. A nanotattoo on his right cheek that flashes through various Katakana symbols which reflect his mood. His eyes, also cybernetic, are a deep blue color. He prefers to wear suits; armored when possible. Despite appearing soft spoken and forgiving, Chikao is a sadist. He enjoys using any one of his small collection of knives on his victims, but is equal at ease with a katana or a gun. When facing an opponent in battle who is obviously overmatched Chikao will toy with him for as long as possible as though he were a matador putting on a show.

B: 4 (5)
A: 5 (7) [9]*
R: 5 (7)
S: 3 (5) [7]*
C: 4
I: 4
L: 3
W: 3
Edg: 8
Ess: 1.68
Init: 11 (13)
IP: 1 (3)
CM: 11
Arm: 9/5
Skills: Athletics Skill Group 4, Close Combat Skill Group 4, Interrogation 3, Leadership 4, Pilot Ground Craft 3 (Wheeled +2), Pistols 6 (+1), Longarms 4
Qualities: Augmentation Addict, Lucky, Martial Arts: Krav Maga (Take Aim and Ready Weapon as Free Actions), Biocompatibility (Cyberware)
Augmentations: (All betaware) 2 Customized and Synthetic Cyberarms [both w/ Agi and Str Enhancements (4) right arm w/ projectile spur, integral commlink, and the left arm w/ smartgun cybertaser, magnetic system and shockhand], Cybereyes (Rating 4 w/ image link, low-light, smartlink, thermographic], Aluminum Bone Lacing, Dermal Sheath (Rating 2), Muscle Augmentation and Toner (Rating 2), Nanohive (Rating 2), Nano-biomonitor, Nanotattoos (Rating 2), Nanosymbiotes (Rating 4), Reflex Recorder (Pistols), Synaptic Boosters (Rating 2)
Gear: Aces High jacket, silk shirt and trousers over FFBA full suit, DocWagon Gold Contract, Hermes Ikon commlink w/ Mangadyne Deva OS
Maneuvers: Blind Fighting, Off-Hand Training, Iaijutsu, Two-Weapon Style
Weapons:
Projectile spur [Implanted weapon, Reach 0, DV 8P/7P (when fired)]
Survival knife [Blade, Reach 0, DV 3P, AP 0]
Cybertaser [Implanted weapon, DV 6S(e), AP 0, w/ smartgun]
Nitama NeMax [Heavy pistol, DV 5P, AP -5, SA, RC 0, 10(c ) w/ personalized grip, smartgun, APDS ammo]
Enfield AS7 [Shotgun, DV 7P, AP -1, SA/BF, RC 4, 24(d), w/ gas-vent 3, personalized grip, smartgun, slug ammo]

* The modified attributes listed [x] apply when the character is using his cyberarms (which he will favor in a fight).

[Janice]

No. The vehicles we've included are appropriate to the various story frameworks and are either new vehicles or customized versions of existing vehicles (using Arsenal rules), since most of the adventures are urban with a few set in the jungle - none really pit characters against mechanized military or security forces (well, they shouldn't...).

Ahhh bugger. Back to the homebrew table for me.