Since I am still new, Well I need to know how to speak in the shadows Options

[Metapunk]

I just wanted to hear some about all the new words in the shadows,
words like Drek and fragg
I guess not knowing drek is kinda like not knowing shit?

Is there a book or online vocabulary something something?
because seriously, I dont know drek about this:(

[Bashfull]

http://www.shadowrun4.com/resources/slang.shtml

Hope that's helpful, Metapunk.

[Metapunk]

quite sure they will do (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Thanks alot for the fst reply I will read through that list and maybe even print copies for my players:)

once again ty

EDITTED: so the bad bad word "chummer" have been torn out, since it seemed like a wrong place to put it;P

sorry

[Stahlseele]

Drek Omae, what you been slotting? Chummer? that's bunda! as obsolete as an old jackhead.

[Metapunk]

I have editted my post now stahlsee

sorry. as said, still NEW!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

[Stahlseele]

ok, first thing: don't take anything i say too serious ^^
second: that was just an example for use of the lingo *g*

[Bashfull]

There's nothing wrong with chummer, as far as I know...it's on 'the list'. But just as easy to use omae.

[Kurious]

This site has a bunch of SR slang.

[Metapunk]

ty all:) very good sites, and I just didnt understand anything of your post yet stahlsee;P

hope this will give my games a little more life since the shadows have gotten a language to speak:)

[Snow_Fox]

you got the data chuimmer, now just slot an' run.

[Shadow]

To bad they pulled all of that flavor out of the book for more "grown-up" obscenities.... wasn't one of the reasons for a new edition to appeal to a younger audience?

[Heath Robinson]

I am in the opposite camp. I find the old slang extremely campy. Oooh, we're big bad mobsters and criminal types, but we're clean mouthed people. Wouldn't want our mothers to catch us swearing, now.

Sorry if it pains you to hear it, but real life obscenities are far more accessable. If your parents will object to you reading books that contain words that you ought to know are inappropriate for polite society, they might just object to you reading books written about being a criminal.


At least without the campy slang we don't have so many fluffnazis demanding that you say silly things. As a general rule, all the "flavour" that devoted fans of a particular series talk about are an impediment to other people enjoying the property.

[Bashfull]

I'm with Shadow. In game, I think that language, like everything else, would have evolved. Hence the introduction of various Japanese phrases (and there could be room for some Haida too). Out of game, I think that, in the face of parental concern about their kids, it was worth doing. It's easy to replace SR dialogue with contemporary profanity if you want to. Putting in the new words gave us the option.

[Heath Robinson]

Because so many parents want their kids playing a criminal fantasy game where there's an implicit assumption that the criminals not only repeatedly get paid large sums of money for committing potential international incidents, but also routinely get away with first to second degree murder, theft, destruction of property, home invasion, trespass and copious drug use. And the only thing standing in the way of their assent to this are a few words that are not acceptable in polite company that anyone over the age of 13 already knows.

[Snow_Fox]

frak off dreak head before we kick yer hoop outa town-some of my chummers do have small kiddies.

which is really kind of unnerving that we have rug rats running around the place. Some of us have played RPG's isnce we were in HS and had to ask our parents if we could have people over.

[Warlordtheft]

Because so many parents want their kids playing a criminal fantasy game where there's an implicit assumption that the criminals not only repeatedly get paid large sums of money for committing potential international incidents, but also routinely get away with first to second degree murder, theft, destruction of property, home invasion, trespass and copious drug use. And the only thing standing in the way of their assent to this are a few words that are not acceptable in polite company that anyone over the age of 13 already knows.

Hey I was 16 when SR1.....never mind. I know for some of us it is more a matter of the player's kids ears rather than our own machismo at saying all those 4 letter words.

[Bashfull]

I don't think parents' investigations go that deep. They rely on what it says on the cover. Moreover, kids have been playing killing games since there were kids. Whether you pretend to be a cop/robber/cowboy/whatever by pointing your finger in the back garden, or rolling a dice on a table isn't going to bother them. But use the word "f**k" and there is something specific to preach about at church on Sunday.

Still, your sarcasm made your argument much more palatable and persuasive. See what I did there? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Metapunk]

I am mostly playing with friends around my own age, and we are young... still;P, but I kinda like the words in SR and I have caught myself saying frag it instead of fu.k which I am pretty happy about cuz I really dont like swearing always:)
ty SR

[Heath Robinson]

Shadowrun is a game where an adult nearly being sexually assaulted by a rescued child prostitute is considered a prosaic game story, where sexual slavery is included in the overview of the economic conditions of a city, where half the characters begin play with self-destructive drug addictions. Its roots can be found in a genre whose iconic story includes a person talking about selling their body with a casual acceptance.

This is all in the books and decisions not to include these aspects of the game are conscious choices made by a group. I do not see people asking for Catalyst to remove references to Bunraku parlours, Yakuza, drug dealers or the Addiction quality. I don't see why the language you use during play shouldn't be another of the choices that players make as a group.


The switch to using American English vernacular seems, to me, to be an attempt to make it as easy as possible for new players to read and understand the books. People swear, so American English profanity gets used because doing otherwise is a barrier to entry.

[Bashfull]

A well argued point, Heath. I have no problem with whatever floats your boat, and if you want swearing in your game, go wild. I also suspect that the average age of roleplay gamers is higher than when the hobby started. The decision to revert to comtemporary swearing is, probably, to make the game grittier for us slightly jaded old timers. That said, I think the option is left in places like the SR website because it can add the evolving language dimension. It does also make the game easier for those less inclined to realism and more inclined to fantasy. It is a game.

[Snow_Fox]

DLN's oldest daughter is almost 2 and she is picking up words said by adults. We are so not going to screw her up so young.

[Heath Robinson]

She's also picking up behaviours so it doesn't matter what manner of profanity you use, because she'll still pick up the habit of swearing. Focussing on the words instead of the behaviour is losing sight of the forest for the trees.

[Bashfull]

She's also picking up behaviours so it doesn't matter what manner of profanity you use, because she'll still pick up the habit of swearing. Focussing on the words instead of the behaviour is losing sight of the forest for the trees.

Most of us swear/curse and, one day, Snow Fox's little one will swear too. But, in the case of profanity, the words are the behaviour. If I say, "Ow, that dashed hammer landed on my foot," in front of my little boy, I'm making an effort to control my language. To use a little hyperbole, if I instead said, "Ow, that mother-f***ing hammer landed on my foot," I've taught bad language and behaviour.

Heath, your argument that profanity adds grit and realism to a game, and makes it more accessible to some, is sound. My counter-argument is that (a) not everyone wants that level of realism (hey, we're playing a game with gun-toting elves and magic); (b) evolved profanity suggests an evolving language and © the 'frags' do make the game easier for parents to digest (I'm not saying this is sensible, given the other stuff that happens in some games, but it's a step). While I do see your point, I don't know if you're going to find any common ground with my position.

By the way, folks, let's avoid the, "Do you have kids?" argument. It's very patronising.

[MJBurrage]

Back to the original question:

Is there a book or online vocabulary something something?

The two already mentioned, plus Elvish and Orkish:

• Slang Guidebook – Courtesy of WorldWide WordWatch
• Shadowslang Glossary – Courtesy of Big Knobi Klub
• Sperethiel Dictionary – Courtesy of Ancient History
• The Or'zet Codex – Courtesy of Ancient History

[Heath Robinson]

It seems we are, in fact, talking about completely different kinds of swearing. If I hurt myself with a hammer I wouldn't say anything so long winded as "that <INSERT_EXPLETIVE_HERE> hammer landed on my foot". I'd say "oh <INSERT_EXPLETIVE_HERE>", and the "oh" in there is optional. If someone were to ask me what might cause me to make such an utterance, that would be when I respond with the former sentence. You must be able to see how it does not matter if I attempt to reduce the severity of the language I use in the second, that it's still the same kind of bad behaviour.

And in the first case, the kid will still learn the general construction and the tone of voice and understand the implication of what it all means. Just because it's not using a word off an arbitrary list doesn't make it a good habit. They still learn to do it reflexively and they'll tone up the severity of their language when they learn the words you swapped out.

The words are not the habit, the habit is using certain kinds of words in certain ways.