So is there any good information on the CAS?, A discussion about a seemingly information-lacking area Options

[Patrick Goodman]

I think any state that suceded from the Union qualifies as a "southern state". but that being said, florida doesn't have any southerners left south of the pan handle, and the barbeque contest between Texas and Carolina has tensions high

And well it should. Ours is better. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I keep wanting to run an adventure where the runners are hired to rip off a barbecue recipe, possibly "extract" one of the teams at a cook-off to keep them from winning for a fourth time. Something a little silly to lighten the air, but I can never seem to get my game to hold together long enough to make it happen....

[The Dragon Girl]

Ha, I've been considering doing something about runners hired to acquire honey or chocolate for a desperate chef.

[Patrick Goodman]

Saffron. You think that stuff's expensive now....

[Crusader3025]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is ecoterrorist activities. I'm from Lake Charles LA, and been around the area and there are plenty of chemical plants and other types of factories that would raise the ire of Deep Green activists. As far as I know they still refer to the slew of chemical plants/oil refineries along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans as "Cancer Alley." I would want to see something about that in any CAS sourcebook. Besides toxic mages make great villains!

[Patrick Goodman]

Texas is home to the only currently active nuclear weapon assembly/disassembly plant in the USA. Pantex stores a lot of nuclear material, waste and otherwise. You think that's not on their minds? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif) Actually proposed something centering around Pantex for Target: Wastelands, but it didn't make the cut. Still considering my options on that one.

[Crusader3025]

Another thing I would want to see in a CAS sourcebook would be a bit more detail on the CAS military. I've had several games where players were ex-military and the extra detail would help the backstory, plus provide material for adventures. I mean who's to say the military might not hire runners to do some dirty work they don't want their fingerprints on? I guess that'd be a little like the way the U.S. military used civilian security in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[jimbo]

Another thing I would want to see in a CAS sourcebook would be a bit more detail on the CAS military. I've had several games where players were ex-military and the extra detail would help the backstory, plus provide material for adventures. I mean who's to say the military might not hire runners to do some dirty work they don't want their fingerprints on? I guess that'd be a little like the way the U.S. military used civilian security in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of my early runs will have the runners going up against active-duty CAS Army guys extorting locals on their off-time. The locals already paid once trying the chain-of-command to stop the problem and unfortunately got themselves in deeper (the officer they contacted was in on the deal). Enter their next solution: Shadowrunners.

If nothing else it will underscore to my players that even the military is part of "the game", but in this case extremely dangerous opponents unless carefully outmanuevered.

[hermit]

Ha, I've been considering doing something about runners hired to acquire honey or chocolate for a desperate chef.

Actually, I have a run where the Runners have to screw with a famous guide michelin scout so that he, in a cook-off, cannot tell a cheap mass-produced meal from an haute cuisine meal. Based off a rather silly and very old French movie I thoroughly loved as a wee lad.

Another thing I would want to see in a CAS sourcebook would be a bit more detail on the CAS military. I've had several games where players were ex-military and the extra detail would help the backstory, plus provide material for adventures. I mean who's to say the military might not hire runners to do some dirty work they don't want their fingerprints on? I guess that'd be a little like the way the U.S. military used civilian security in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Definitly seconded. Also goes for the UCAS military, since there're just as many ex-UCAS military types.

And I can definitly see the CAS army hiring runners. Subterfuge in Aztlan (I have a run like that too, come to think of it), which is a good way to play some spy games or even use a high stakes game and Jack Bauer type scenario. Train soldiers in irregualr warfare. Play OpFor during a maneuver. And of course, UCAs and CAS seem to be at odds over North Virginia ...

[Crusader3025]

Here's another thing to think about. How would the smaller communities, counties, and parishes (Louisiana) handle law enforcement? I'm not entirely convinced they'd go the corporarate/rent-a-cop/Lone Star/Knight Errant route. The good ole boy mentality down there makes me think a lot of places would keep their own cops rather than farm them out to some corporation, even Lone Star. But I may be wrong. What does everybody else think?

[The Dragon Girl]

Here's another thing to think about. How would the smaller communities, counties, and parishes (Louisiana) handle law enforcement? I'm not entirely convinced they'd go the corporarate/rent-a-cop/Lone Star/Knight Errant route. The good ole boy mentality down there makes me think a lot of places would keep their own cops rather than farm them out to some corporation, even Lone Star. But I may be wrong. What does everybody else think?

They aren't mutually exclusive, usually what happens is the local branch is full of local boys and girls.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Florida is often called "the Northern-most state in the South" because so many people who move there are from other parts of the country (mostly the Northeast). And most of them are retirees anyway.

Texas is most definitely in the South, but it was also one of only two states (the other being Hawaii) that was independent nation before becoming a state, and it remains the only state whose Constitution specifically grants them the right of secession if they don't like what's going on at the Federal level. So while Southerners are a proud folk, Texans are even worse (or better, depending on your point of view).

See I disagree here. Texas is south, geographically, but not culturally.

Texas, (( Godbless it)) is it's OWN THING, Entirely. It's not really "Part of the south" It's "Texas' it's own lil country inside our country. They have a well defined and singular outlook on things that is different from 'The South"

I grew up in NC. and have relatives all over the south and in Texas.

I love Texas. It's fun there, but it's not 'Southern' in anything other than a map. Texas is and always will be "Texas". It's neat, but it's not the South.

[Dread Moores]

Here's another thing to think about. How would the smaller communities, counties, and parishes (Louisiana) handle law enforcement? I'm not entirely convinced they'd go the corporarate/rent-a-cop/Lone Star/Knight Errant route. The good ole boy mentality down there makes me think a lot of places would keep their own cops rather than farm them out to some corporation, even Lone Star. But I may be wrong. What does everybody else think?

That's how I'm handling my Tampa campaign. They're a rarity in that they have their own PD still. Plus, so much easier to have the necessary level of pro-Traficante corruption with a municipal PD.

[Crusader3025]

I'm pretty sure the topic of post-Awakening critters came up earlier in the discussion. Are there stats on these sorts of things anywhere? Running Wild would be my first start, but I don't recall anything. Specifically something like an Awakened garfish (I'm thinking of tweaking the stats for a Devil Jack Diamond since it's an Awakened pike, which is similar to a garfish as I recall), or any version of snapping turtle. I don't know if any of you have been around one but they're just plain mean, and giving one some Awakened powers would be cool in my opinion. They're pretty cranky critters and one big enough to attack a small boat could be a rude surprise for some runners not familiar to the area.

[jimbo]

This is more for flavor, but I'm also figuring Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads finally got hit by a powerful hurricane rolling in on a due westerly heading. All of "our" hurricanes hit the Outer Banks of NC first and markedly reduce in strength, so I indulged in a little future fantasy masochism and in my campaign continuity for the area we took a direct hit.

[FlakJacket]

Way back when Jon Szeto, author of the CAS chapter of SoNA, posted the border he suggested in the notes he sent in for the map for SoNA and someone made a rather nice map from it. I'll check with the creator and if he says it's cool I'll post the copy I obtained of it.

That would be awesome!

Forgot I'd posted about this. Well here is the aforementioned possible map of the Virginia-North Virginia border. All credit for it goes to Raygun for creating it.

[Darkeus]

Wow, I would be in North Virginia. I always knew that Virginians considered this area the southern part of Northern Virginia...

That map changes my CAS campaign idea a little.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Crusader3025]

Patrick's comment about Texas barbecue being better that South Carolina's reminds me of a comment in Shadows of North America (in the CAS section) about some five alarm gumbo (as I recall). As a bon fide Cajun from SW Louisiana I take issue with the idea that all Cajun (or for that matter Creole) food has to be spicy. As my mom and dearly departed grandmother would say there's a difference between spicy and seasoned. I keep seeing people making the assumptions that Cajun means you slather it in cayenne pepper, and that just ain't true! Since we're talking about the CAS I figure I'd bring it up, for what it's worth. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Patrick Goodman]

Patrick's comment about Texas barbecue being better that South Carolina's reminds me of a comment in Shadows of North America (in the CAS section) about some five alarm gumbo (as I recall). As a bon fide Cajun from SW Louisiana I take issue with the idea that all Cajun (or for that matter Creole) food has to be spicy. As my mom and dearly departed grandmother would say there's a difference between spicy and seasoned. I keep seeing people making the assumptions that Cajun means you slather it in cayenne pepper, and that just ain't true! Since we're talking about the CAS I figure I'd bring it up, for what it's worth. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

QFT. I love me some good cajun food....

[Crusader3025]

Yeah unfortunately I only get some when I go home to visit mom in Lack Charles LA. Try as I might I just can't get my gumbo to taste like hers. And I follow the recipe pretty darn close. Guess I just don't have momma's touch. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Think I'll try some chicken jambalaya this weekend.

[Crusader3025]

I have a question for Robert Derie who if I'm not mistaken is Ancient History on this list. Now I'm not trying to pick a fight or be hyper-critical but I do have a question/comment concerning the fiction piece in the 20th Anniversary Core Rulebook. Now as I've mentioned elsewhere I grew up in SW Louisiana, Lake Charles to be specific. So naturally when I see a fiction piece that takes place in my home state I pay attention. Well on page 175 if makes reference to the main character walking down the steps to the cellar. Umm I can't speak to New Orleans, but we don't have cellars where I'm from, the water table is too high and the darn things always flood or worse the walls cave in. Like I said I don't want to start a flame war, Lord knows there's enough of that on this list right now. But cellars in New Orleans just don't seem right! Now if someone can show me some I'm cool with that. But hey they can't bury the dead in the ground there so I doubt they can dig cellars. To be fair other than that I enjoyed the story. I always believe in saying something positive along with any criticism. Just ask Mike Mulvihill about that! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[MADness]

I have never before joined a forum for a single thread. I have sunk to new levels of lonely.

In agreement to the above poster, you would be hard pressed to find an inground pool in even the northen most portions of Louisiana, let alone a basement. But, eh, fiction is indeed fiction.

I am only familliar with two of the states in the CAS, Louisiana (NW corner, specificaly Shreveport/Barksdale/Bossier) and Tennnessee (midstate, from Cookville to Nashville). And I was unaware that the UCAS retained control of all millitary instalations. That is . . . difficult to say the least.

In S/B/B, you have a very amusing mini-sprawl. And I meant that in the present tense. I lived there most of my life. You've got a major Air Force base (where they repair the b-52s), a passable city of a genial nature (some 100k souls at most, relatively low crime rate, spread out housing, and all that, basic happy corp land) and a very urban, rundown/downtown kind of place. Shreveport proper is where the "night-life" is, as well as most of the crime, project housing, and what have you. Shreveport is seperated from Bossier and Barksdale by the Redriver, which also demarks the boundry between the cities and the parishes (counties for you folks not aware). Plenty of options for both runs, and general crimery. Especially considering the riverboat casinoes.

Tennessee has provided me with my one mark against the CAS being prime Shadowrun fodder. The south has all of three to five major sprawl-grade regions. New Orleans (NOLA), Mephis, Atlanta, Orlando (maybe?), the beach region mentioned earlier, and that's really about it. Not a whole lot of tier 1 cities. Lots of rural space though. If you ever get the chance, just drive down i-40, or infact any interstate, miles of nothing. Dead space baby. And in the towns that happen to hide in all that nothing, more xenophobic than the Tir Na Nog, by a long shot. Don't bother dropping applications, they've already got every cousin hired....sorry, kinda bitter, moving on now.

That said, there are plenty of fun things in the midstate. There's like a bajillion colleges, and not just big names. Nashvegas is the bright and shiny buckle of the Bible Belt. There's at least half a dozen Christian colleges and universities in the region. Not to mention there are quite a few companies that have their headquarters in downtown. Now flash all that forward to 2070, and you've got a lot of fun. Oh, and the batman building. Oh yes.

As for the comment on riggers made earlier in this thread, all I could think of was what NASCAR must look like with cyberware. Sounds like fun.

[RunnerPaul]

Texas is home to the only currently active nuclear weapon assembly/disassembly plant in the USA. Pantex stores a lot of nuclear material, waste and otherwise.

Only because the Dept. of Energy planners for the Mixed Oxide Fuel project at South Carolina's Savannah River federal reservation keep swinging the pendulum swinging back and forth between breaking ground on a new facility for disassembly or trying to re-purpose one of the existing 1950's-era buildings that's been sitting idle since the end of the Cold War. They're halfway done with construction on the Fuel Fabrication area though, and to ensure it has the feedstock it needs, those Pu cores are going to have to be taken apart somewhere nearby so they can be blended with Uranium to be burned in a commercial power reactor.

Also, even though Mixed Oxide is a fission reactor fuel, not suitable for SR's fusion reactors, the Savannah River National Lab is currently very focused on Hydrogen research, building off of decades of experience of putting the "H-" in "H-Bomb". And of course, none of this even touches upon the rest of the Cold War legacy waste already on site being cleaned up and stabilized by other contractors.

You also have the DoE site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee that would belong to the CAS in Shadowrun's time. The rest of your major weapons complex manufacturing sites all fall in the NAN, which is potentially an even more interesting story. Given that Hanford's right in Seattle's extended backyard, I'm surprised it's never gotten much of a mention.

[jimbo]

And I was unaware that the UCAS retained control of all millitary instalations. That is . . . difficult to say the least.

Wow...I missed that. Definitely leaving that out of my home-grown campaign. There is a lot of early SR history that can be questioned/ridiculed/looked at with a Spocked eyebrow, but that really takes the cake. I don't see how a peaceful secession would not require transfer of control even if it took some time.

[hermit]

Uhm, asI remember it, the UCAs kept some token bases, but not each and every installation, and handed a bunch over to the Confeds. The CAS also has nukes and at least one supercarrier (NAGNA). They need facilities for these.

[DWC]

Uhm, asI remember it, the UCAs kept some token bases, but not each and every installation, and handed a bunch over to the Confeds. The CAS also has nukes and at least one supercarrier (NAGNA). They need facilities for these.

From what I recall, the CAS also took almost all the military personnel who were from seceding states, which should have crippled the UCAS's military regardless of how many bases and how much equipment it might have kept.