[X] My Assistant

[Nemo]

@ Patrick Goodman

The Halloween attacks (all of them took place after midnight local time on 31 October 2073) took place in the following cities (for those who don't know all the North American capitals or are just too lazy to look them up): Atlanta, Bellingham, Cara'Sir (Portland), Cheyenne, Denver, Edmonton, Havana, Honolulu, Quebec City, Sacramento, Santa Fe, Saskatoon, Seattle, Tenochtitlan, and Washington FDC. They failed in Denver, Honolulu, Sacrament0, and Tenochtitlan. The would-be killer in Tenochtitlan was killed; the other three failed assassins escaped.

Yes, that means that there was someone else in Denver while Teresa was hanging out there.

Thank you very much. That helps.
Regarding the old Smartlink, in my gaming group it can be used with the SR3-Essence-cost and it's limitations and benefits. It is a houserule but it works.

[Patrick Goodman]

Thank you very much. That helps.

De nada.

Regarding the old Smartlink, in my gaming group it can be used with the SR3-Essence-cost and it's limitations and benefits. It is a houserule but it works.

That pretty much meshes with what Tymeaus Jalynsfein said up there. I can probably make that work. Thanks to the both of you!

[snowRaven]

While it's not a full old smartlink system, in Runner's Black Book/Gun Haven there's mention of Smartlink Fiber Optic Cables, Data Translation programs, and the Vintage + Incompatible qualities for weapons

[Patrick Goodman]

For reasons which currently elude me, I failed to do a Predator III writeup. When I do that, I'll be sure to include the appropriate qualities for the weapon.

[snowRaven]

For reasons which currently elude me, I failed to do a Predator III writeup. When I do that, I'll be sure to include the appropriate qualities for the weapon.

I could've sworn that the PIII was in Gun Heaven, but I just went to look and it wasn't.

[CanRay]

The Predator III just had the old fashioned looks again, and the Smartgun Link-II system (With rangefinder and other fiddly bits.). IIRC, at least.

[CanRay]

Just thought of something Patrick...

Why did the vampire not sparkle? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

[SincereAgape]

Patrick, great story. I haven't enjoyed a piece of SR fiction that much since House of the Sun. A few questions regarding the story, characters, and equipment.

1. Is Thomas Mcallister a character that you have played before in any SR edition? And if so, is he one of your main characters. The same question goes for Lydia, Teresa, and Alice.
2. Do the wooden based ammo rounds only apply to the Ares Viper Silver Guns or can one also construct anti-vampire rounds using normal based ammunition or add it to something like EX Explosive Rounds?
3. When a vampire gets hit by the wooden silver rounds or the weaponized saw dust does it prevent them from being able to use mist form?


Thanks in advance.

PS -- Wouldn't mind seeing a part II to this story sometime in the near future.

[Patrick Goodman]

Patrick, great story. I haven't enjoyed a piece of SR fiction that much since House of the Sun.

Um...wow. That's high praise.

People keep saying things like that, my head's going to get bigger.

Thank you.

1. Is Thomas Mcallister a character that you have played before in any SR edition? And if so, is he one of your main characters. The same question goes for Lydia, Teresa, and Alice.

Thomas was a relatively minor NPC in a long-running SR3 campaign I ran. When I was starting the piece on the Infected that I did for Running Wild, I needed a voice, and I said, "Well, he's got some experience...I'll make up some more backstory and use him!" Prior to taking center stage in RW, he was not what I would describe as one of my main characters. He's fun, though, in a very dour and serious way.

Lydia didn't exist as a character prior to the beginning of work on this story. She has some similarities to a friend of mine, who's a cop in real-life.

Teresa likewise did not exist, per se, until I started work on this story. I've known about her for a lot longer, though; she's mentioned (though not by name) in Running Wild, which I first wrote back before SR4 even hit the shelves.

Alice was first mentioned in Spy Games, though just by name. I consulted with the character's creator, and was basically given free reign to develop her as I chose. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no threats against me for how she was portrayed....

2. Do the wooden based ammo rounds only apply to the Ares Viper Silver Guns or can one also construct anti-vampire rounds using normal based ammunition or add it to something like EX Explosive Rounds?

The wooden flechette rounds, as I envisioned and presented them, could be used for any weapon that fires flechette ammo. I don't see why you couldn't construct wooden slugs with the same basic properties. Slug rounds probably wouldn't be quite so expensive since the machining wouldn't have to be quite so painstaking. I'd imagine they have the same AP and DV mods as the wooden flechettes, though.

Adding the wood to an EX-EX round...I don't think that would work, personally.

3. When a vampire gets hit by the wooden silver rounds or the weaponized saw dust does it prevent them from being able to use mist form?

If I read the rules for Allergy correctly, yes, they do. I'd have to double-check, and it's late, so I'm going to say yes for now, and reserve the right to retract that later if it turns out I misread something.

PS -- Wouldn't mind seeing a part II to this story sometime in the near future.

Neither would I. It's one, maybe two, pieces down in the pile I'm working on at the moment. CGL has started talking to me about the possibility of the next one, too, which is a very gratifying feeling.

Thanks again for your kind words.

[CanRay]

Um...wow. That's high praise.

People keep saying things like that, my head's going to get bigger.

Thank you.

Don't worry, I'll insult you enough to keep you humble. And hopefully not too much that you start beating me with my own cane. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

The wooden flechette rounds, as I envisioned and presented them, could be used for any weapon that fires flechette ammo. I don't see why you couldn't construct wooden slugs with the same basic properties. Slug rounds probably wouldn't be quite so expensive since the machining wouldn't have to be quite so painstaking. I'd imagine they have the same AP and DV mods as the wooden flechettes, though.

Adding the wood to an EX-EX round...I don't think that would work, personally.

Wooden rounds have existed IRL a few times, and are banned from the military by the Geneva Convention (The same rule that prevents soft lead rounds and hollowpoints, BTW.). Ironwood is one of the most common type of wood I've heard used for the bullets, and they would effectively function like Flechette Rounds, only with wood rather than metal. Possibly even less armor penetration as they're not metal like regular bullets are and still able to penetrate somewhat. Shotguns could load slugs or buckshot (Flechette in the rules) depending on how you set it up, and cased (shotgun shells) are probably the best way to go about this. (I've often thought of using an old nun's rosary beads in a shotgun shell against Hollywood "Hurt by Holy Things" vampires.).

If used against a non-vampire, and damage has been performed, First Aid and Medicine tests would be made at a major disadvantage as they splinter and go everywhere, and only "might" be picked up by an x-ray machine. They'll also fester (organic material) and infection is quite frequent. (There's a reason why they're banned.).

Before weird looks are thrown at me, I started thinking of Vampire Plans after I got bored with Zombie Plan #16.

[Patrick Goodman]

I have - naturally - purchased this, but I'm afraid I have no intention of reading it just yet. You see, I unfortunately have to take an overnight trip to Detroit (of all places) this Friday, coming back Saturday, and I think this will make excellent reading for the plane trips. So, if I come back alive (not a given - I mean, yikes, Detroit), then I'll be happy to give you a review this Sunday.

Thanks for writing it, though - good timing for my trip. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Hope you survived your trip to Detroit, Janessa. I await your verdict on the story and the value of the package as a whole. (I am taking notes, for those of you interested.)

[Patrick Goodman]

3/5 Artwork: The artwork was nice, but honestly the pieces included did not match to the story, except in the character section.

Okay, some of the art issues are, well...they're my fault. I felt bad that there wasn't a lot of art in the story and I went trolling through old books to find some mood pieces of Denver, or vampires, or other stuff.

The opening piece...well, I know there's not a troll in the story, and the picture is of a clear night and not a rainy one, as the title implies. But it is a picture of Denver, as found in Spy Games, and I suggested it to the art director. There is surprisingly little in the way of re-usable art in the Denver box. I know this; I looked through the whole thing, hoping to find a diner scene. Or rain. No dice.

The other full-page piece I found in Threats, from the "Vampire Conspiracy" section. While not specifically a pic of Teresa, it was close enough for government work as far as I was concerned, and it just oozed atmosphere to me. The troll pic I kinda regret, just because there aren't any trolls in the story. The Karl Waller piece with the vampire chick licking the katana? I campaigned for that one.

I love Peter Tikos' work, and the pic he did of Thomas was a great counterpoint, considering how serious he is in the story. The others I'm a little iffy on, especially Lydia's. They're good pictures, but they really weren't quite how I envisioned the characters. I chalk that up to artistic license, though; Peter's got his own take on things, and I feel overall that I was really lucky to get his art into my first solo piece.

[Murrdox]

I think that comments about the page count are a valid criticism, but there is no need to drive it into the ground. Here is my take:

Not fully sure what to expect, I took the plunge and plunked down my $5.00. My first impression was the same as some other critics: I was a little put off at a page count of 19, including cover, etc. Comparing that to a 383 page pdf novel I just bought for $10, I expected more story. This will cause me hesitation to buy future enhanced fiction products. The story? I liked it a lot. It was a nice change with a good flow. The write ups for the characters were good and obviously reflective of someone familiar with the system. While I will not use them, they could hold value for a one shot run. As noted by an earlier poster, some implicit plot hooks would be a nice feature. I liked the return of the Americar and the special weapons were a nice addition also.

My Review:
3/5 Artwork: The artwork was nice, but honestly the pieces included did not match to the story, except in the character section.
5/5 Story: The story was good. Really liked it.
4/5 Additional Features: Characters, equipment was relevant and reasonably well written. Why not add plot hooks to round it out?
3/5 Overall Value: Page count was incredibly short for the price. The quality of the story is the saving grace here.

I pretty much agree completely with Redjack's review. I think I'd only give the Additional Features a 2/5, simply because there are only 3 character write ups and a couple additional pieces of equipment. Not that the write-ups aren't good quality, it's just that I'd give Arsenal a 5/5 in this regard, and giving this 19 page PDF a 4 seems generous.

I agree that plot hooks and location write-ups would be welcome additions to future installments, similar to what we see in the Dumpshock Datahaven.

The short story was enjoyable. If it went on for another 5-10 pages to resolve the cliffhanger at the end, I think it'd have been a better value.

I see the promise of this product enough to keep my eye on future installments.

[Patrick Goodman]

There are actually four NPC write-ups, not three, but I do see your point.

The short story was enjoyable. If it went on for another 5-10 pages to resolve the cliffhanger at the end, I think it'd have been a better value.

Thanks for the comments. The cliffhanger actually leads to at least two more stories, perhaps more. Resolving it all at once might not have worked as well. We shall see.

Glad you enjoyed it.

[Paul]

I have to pick up my copy yet-work has been just plain off the hook the lately (So much for if we give them taser's everyone will just stop trying to kill each other...), so when I get a minute I'll snag it and try to give a coherent review, or input.

[Patrick Goodman]

I look forward to it, Paul.

[Method]

Alright, I just finished ARN and since I'm procrastinating anyway I thought I'd share my thoughts.

First, I wanted to note that I purchased ARN despite a self-imposed moratorium on buying SR pdf's. Basically I'm trying to focus my limited gaming dollars on filling out my neglected dead tree collection, and the recent pdf releases (while entertaining) just don't have enough bang for my buck (especially when they get released in dead-tree compilations like RBB anyway). But I wanted to support Patrick, since I have enjoyed his past contributions to the game and to Dumpshock, and I appreciate his willingness to engage his critics. I hope more of his colleagues in the freelancer pool will join suit.

[As an aside I also bought Safehouses and Way of the Adept (albeit quite some time ago). CanRay and Critias deserve similar recognition].

Now on to the good stuff:

As a stand alone piece of SR fiction, I like it very much. The story is compelling and well written, and I especially like how un-stereotyptical the featured characters are. I also enjoy Patrick's narrative style (which is of course more subjective). However, what is most impressive about the fiction is that it shows an understanding of the world and solid grasp of the underlying game mechanics (important things that have been lacking in some recent products). He presents great narrative descriptions of things like spell effects and AR sculpting without breaking the forth wall or slipping into metagame terminology. Plus everything in the fluff is consistent with the crunch (at least on cursory review... the pre-wireless smartgun aside). While I think this is important for all SR fiction, it seems even more so in the context of enhanced fiction. I hope anyone who aspires to write enhanced fiction for SR is taking notes.

The crunchy bitz are well written as well. I like that Patrick didn't take this as an opportunity to make sweeping changes to the rules or introduce a bunch of crazy gear- the items and accompanying rules are just right to support the story, and I don't get the sense that its the other way around. I agree that some detailed locations and maybe maps would have been useful. With a few such added items, the stat blocks for Thomas and Lydia could have been used as PCs and the story could have been easily converted to a one-shot for use as an introductory adventure or on those nights when only 1-2 people can make it to a game. This brings up a few musings I had about the potentials and pitfalls of enhanced fiction but I'll save those for another day.

The art was, well... terrible. Sorry to say it, but I'm (apparently) not a fan of Peter Tiko's. As others have said, the recycled art, while nostalgic, didn't fit the piece very well. I would have loved to see a piece depicting the final fight scene... ah well.

And last but not least a question for Patrick: dog tags? Thomas doesn't seem like the military type?

[Critias]

[As an aside I also bought Safehouses and Way of the Adept (albeit quite some time ago). CanRay and Critias deserve similar recognition].

[aside]

Thanks. Hope you dug it! We're working on at least one similar book, albeit aimed at a different archetype, and just for what it's worth, we are making it a little bigger (while still aiming for the same low price tag). No real word yet on the Options books being assembled into a dead-tree book, but we're adding more crunch to this next one to try and make it plenty appealing. Hopefully we'll continue to corrupt you away from your "no pdf" rule. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[/aside]

[Patrick Goodman]

And last but not least a question for Patrick: dog tags? Thomas doesn't seem like the military type?

He's not. I never said they were his. They were his dad's, though I don't think I mentioned that particular detail in the stat block (though I probably should have). He's also got his sister's class ring in his list of trinkets.

Speaking of whom, I really need to finish statting her out....

Glad you liked the story, Method.

[Method]

I figured as much.

BTW I wrote that review in kind of a neutral third person in case I need the text for any online reviews. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Patrick Goodman]

Well, get thee back to your purchase site and post it and your rating! What's your hold-up, dude? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Shortstraw]

Wait Patrick as author + vampires in plot ≠ crocodile tanks involved?

[Patrick Goodman]

Why would there be croc tanks? I like vampires...that don't sparkle. This one doesn't.

[Shortstraw]

Real infected should be almost impossible to kill and since killing them with fire is traditional you would need something that makes large amounts of fire.

[Patrick Goodman]

Some Infected are immune to fire. Head shots are good, though, especially if the Infected in question is looking the other way....