Storm Front is out!, Leading to SR5! Options

[TaiChara]

As much as it pains me to do so (as I had been looking forward to the book greatly), I need to toss my hat into the ring and also say that I don't find the scenarios particularly inspirational, as wholes or taken apart. By and large the events are just too untouchable (the dragon conflict, the Aztlan/Sirrurg/Amazonia conflict), too out of the league of common-or-garden runners (the above two, the Ghostwalker/Harlequin conflict), or are frankly either almost completely background or metaplot with little way to link into my game (Dodger, much as I'm fond of him -- not so fond of that "killing teenagers" bit, as it please ye), or are, sorry to say, depressing and dark as all hell to my point of view (the Infected scenario, Hestaby's exile, the entire part-and-parcel of the "AIs/eghosts possessing people and there's screwall to be done really" -- which, yes, is how it comes across. just dump and purge, and a reason to refresh JackPoint's cast for the new edition, is how it reads).

I could perhaps get some milage out of some of the Seattle material, but really I'd rather not deal with food shortages mass riots and the like. Again, dark and unpleasant abounds.

Cutting through the teal deer, Storm Front reads as both out of my game's league power-wise, and out of the zone of how much catastrophe and misery we want to deal with at the table. There's not really much for us to borrow.

[Stahlseele]

What are people expected to do with stuff like Ghostwalker of all beings going mad with power and Sirit Supremeacist and arresting and imprisoning Perianwyr, the music loving Dragon of all other Beings, just for having summoned a spirit and treason?

Going with Bull as Mayor of Seattle would be way more plausible than that . .

[binarywraith]

the entire part-and-parcel of the "AIs/eghosts possessing people and there's screwall to be done really" -- which, yes, is how it comes across. just dump and purge, and a reason to refresh JackPoint's cast for the new edition, is how it reads).

Yeah. No offense to the writing staff, but seriously they couldn't come up with a better threat to put in than yet another possession enemy? That's what, three now, between the shedim, bugs, and this, counting antagonists only?

[hermit]

Yeah. No offense to the writing staff, but seriously they couldn't come up with a better threat to put in than yet another possession enemy? That's what, three now, between the shedim, bugs, and this, counting antagonists only?

Personally, I think this is Hardy making lemons of lemonade - making a plot of bizarre mischaracterisation of Jackpointers by freelancers either too lazy or not good enough to live up to what the characters are supposed to be like. Still the writeup was among the more solid parts of the book, and it DOES deal with the Technomancer/AI thread, it seems. I'll see where it goes.

[Neurosis]

A follow-up to the Artifacts plot, which was just a giant ruse, this writeup details the buildup and climax of Harlequin's revenge on Ghostwalker. Seems Harles really didn't pull any stops - an all-elf gang is wiped out because he apparently made a pact with his worse self, the Jester Spirit (kudos for the writer if that indeed is a shout-out). On top of that, Zebulon seems to convince Ghostwalker to act even more like a giant, pale dick than he usually does, like arrest Perianwyr over a crime that he made retroactively a crime - summoning spirits. Anything to please the lady, I guess. This book makes me seriously question draconic intelligence.

Anyway, Harles then starts an asymmetrical war in the city using the Vory, the Zombies and Fronts gangs (both massively buffed by loot from the all-elf Godz, and the Jester Spirit), something he already did in Tir Tairngire to, basically, kick Ehran in the nuts. Just how many people died in the Elf civil war? Probably more than a few ZDF troopers, and yet, Frosty is absolutely shocked Harlequin would do something as horrible as using IEDs on soldiers and then shoot the survivors. Because it's not like he didn't do that already and she was cheering over it. Widely out of character again. Maybe CGL should set up an internal guide on how these characters work.

Aftter a few shenanigans, we get to the final showdown, which is basically Harley making people dress up in V for Vendetta fatigues and doing V for Vendetta showdowny things. This actually meshes reasonably well with pop culture quote freak Harles, but then he and Ghostwalker (who all of a sudden asks people to go away before they're hurt, several times - what is the MATTER with you, Ghosty?) - and then proceed to summon Godzilla-sized spirits and lob them at each other because... well, reasons, I suppose. In the end, Frosty and Ehran intervene, and talk Harley down, who has Ghostwalker on the brink of being slain, with only a few HP left (he even looks battered, it's the high damage image), while Harley developed Superman invincibility somehow, but maybe he was channeling Jester Spirit. Then, Harley is all "oh my god what have I done, precious soldiers are dead!" and now wants to make everything right.

Then, suddenly, Aztlan. Sneak attack +4! Aztlan conquers half the PCC sector because they rolled stealth really well. Nobody cares because fortunately, the first treaty of Denver is void and nobody gives a fuck about the second, because they only signed it. International treaties are there for the US UCAS and friends to be ignored after all! So when Colloton visits, she just declares the treaty void because she doesn't like it, like the UCAS was the US and not a fraction of a former superpower more on par with modern Britain, bitterly reminiscing its once great power while the country slowly falls apart. Ghostwalker, mysteriously, withdraws into his hoard (not horde) to sulk, says something about how everyone who wronged him will see what that gets them in the far future, and ignores everyone walking all over his little fiefdom. What. Oh yeah, and some runners bust out Perianwyr. I'd say bad things about that handwave, but it seems there's a missions book built around that, so I'll just nod and wait for that book.

This chapter is ... mediocre. It's written well enough and works when taken at face value, though it ends on a far more DragonballZ-ish note than I like (but that seems Shadowrun's direction by now, in general). I am left wondering what the hell happened to Ghostwalker. Maybe this is another plot thread, though, so I guess I'll wait and see. Season 4 Missions was supposed to be in Denver, right? No sure how I like this, it has its ups and down. I'm not even mentioning bad editing anymore, just imagine it is added to every chapter review; it is not as bad as in Tirump [sic!] of Aztlan though.

The Aztlan part leaves me baffled, however. That was unnecessary and makes no sense AT ALL. Aztlan won their war and Sirrurg. That really was enough to make them a threat. Besides, where the hell did that third army come from? They spent their army twice already!

Hi Hermit, I wrote the Lightning In Denver chapter. I just want to say, thanks for the feedback, while I don't agree with some of what you said, and in other cases, I think you need to look closer (of course, things getting missed/misinterpreted left and right is par for the course with SR fiction, where muddying the waters is half of the job). Nonetheless I try really hard to be receptive to criticism.

* " a crime that he made retroactively a crime - summoning spirits"

It is not |retroactively| a crime. It's also pretty transparently a paper-thin excuse for seizing Perianwyr as a political prisoner.

* "the Jester Spirit (kudos for the writer if that indeed is a shout-out)"

Of course it is. The SNES game is what brought me into the fandom (I'm dating myself here!).

* Re: Harlequin and Frosty participating in the Tir Tairngire civil war to dickpunch Ehran. Book and page references, please? If I overlooked that, that was a serious error on my part, but I don't personally recall that ever happening. (I actually do a huge amount of research for everything SR I write, but with such an enormous pre-existing canon, it's easy to miss things no matter how rigorously you attempt to scour existing text.)

* "[Ghostwalker] all of a sudden asks people to go away before they're hurt, several times - what is the MATTER with you, Ghosty?"

It is just possible that this, Ghostwalker's "change of heart", and "Zebulon seems to convince Ghostwalker to act even more like a giant, pale dick than he usually does", are related phenomenon, and both of them are a bit more complicated and nuanced than you're giving them credit for. If reading this chapter gave you the impression that Ghostwalker was behaving somewhat differently than previously characterized...that is exactly the impression it meant to convey. Static characters, by and large, are boring. As you say... "I am left wondering what the hell happened to Ghostwalker." This is also rather intentional.

Anyway, thank you again for the feedback, I hope that didn't come off as overly argumentative or defensive; it is never easy to read a borderline scathing review of your work, and I've definitely struggled in the past with the (self-destructive) urge to defend my creative choices: for a writer, defending your creative choices is a losing prospect by default.

Oh, for the people saying that the events of Storm Front are too high-profile/high power to involve your PCs, I think at least in the case of Lightning In Denver I wrote some plot-hooks/adventure seeds with getting medium/low level PCs involved firmly in my mind. At least I tried. There is a lot of stuff for runners to do during the siege of Denver, and close to none of it directly involves Ghostwalker or Harlequin directly, just low-level functionaries and indirectly-controlled pawns on both sides.

[Pepsi Jedi]

I happened to have found lots of use and inspiration from the book. I routinely find more from the fluff books than I do the crunch books though.
Just in case people still haven't read it..

[ Spoiler ]

Eye of the Hurricane: As part of the e-ghost possession plotline, I found it interesting. Many of my characters have had nano tats, so that hooked me in almost from the start. The possession thing does have me curious. I wouldn't say I want it to happen to my own character, but happening to a character's friend or buddy, or fixer, or someone that your character "Owes" Does open up alot of RP potential and possible runs. In this case, it's setting the hook. We'll have to wait a bit to see where it can go, but the interest is seeded.

The Triumph of Aztlan: This one wraps up the long running war. It has huge RP potential, if your characters are the sorts to have been involved. My own group try and stay away from active war zones in the midsts of full out slug fests like that. our group would not be ones trying to take it straight to Sirrurg. Thing is, even if you avoided the war and are not a merc, you can find usage in this chapter. With everything hitting the fan, the corps are going to want to extract some people from the middle of that hornets nest. Someone's sister, brother, mother, uncle, high priced asset is in the middle of all that and needs to get out before they get dead. Or maybe they need assets to be escorted IN. That's with out touching the war itself. You could easily get runs to try and stop the big blood rite, or even just gather evidence the rite was being done. Runs against Aztechnology, the works. Tons of opportunities with out slugging it out toe to toe with either of the militaries or the dragon itself. I think every corp in the world would want a sample of that blue stuff too.

Fall of a Dragon: The 'easy' way to use it is to USE it. All of it. The entire chapter. For reasons unknown, Lo purposefully hired small runner groups and unconventional merc groups instead of one huge merc army. Why did he do it? We don't know. We know he did. That's everything but an engraved invite to YOUR runner group to be in on the fight. Pick a side, and your runners can be right there. Duking it out with all the stuff in the chapter. I'd duck alot from the adult dragons but it'd be an intense knock down drag out fight. It'd also let your runners feel like they were --apart-- of some of these huge mega sized events happening.

How many runners can say they actually helped in the killing blow of a great dragon? (( How many would admit it?))

Even if your runners wouldn't be in the fight, maybe they're hired to watch it, or get information on it, on how dragons fight, etc? Maybe they're hired to hit SK while it's going on. Lots of opportunity, from the clear and obvious to the not so obvious.

Seattle Shakes: An interesting chapter. Clearly your runners couldn't be in the know, but they can be working and have a hand in many of the actions that happened here.

There's still Runs to be had here though. Stuff to do with the underground and the politics around the edges. Most runners would love to have a hand in bringing down Brackhaven. Especially if they're of non human metatype. Not that referencing another book is the best thing in the world, but Dirty Tricks gave alot of information on how runs for topics of this nature. There's plenty that could be done.

This one wasn't my favorite chapter, but not for lack of writing. Just, some you like more than others. I'm curious, is the pic on page 74 supposed to be Netcat? Someone had brought up the question before, but I'm asking it again.

Lightning in Denver: Lots to be done here. Many runs to be had trying to curtail the damage or flat out prevent it.

I'd be torn, my guys would probably want to kill Puck.

Alot.

Painfully.

Thing is he's kinda a mover and a shaker so if they DID kill him, future sourcebooks would need a stand in or something, and well that doesn't work as well.

But with out touching him, there's still plenty to do. Naturally you'll want to keep your players, or characters --away-- from Harle and GW. but they might work with Frosty if they had before, or might just help her out. She's a fellow Jackpointer. Just don't get between the two dimi-gods.

Ares Trembles: In spite of disagreeing with how bad the event would spiral, the chapter is still quite usable. Quite easy to get your groups in too, especially if you have characters that like Ares, and play out the hype with out giving the OOC information on the Excalibur. Lots of runs to clear data or put out false data too. The latter half of the chapter is largely set up for what's coming, but it's setup that you can work into other runs and such to get your group ready.

First Among Equals: Another of the chapters that I didn't jump up and down for. I'm not saying it's bad. Just not my fave. This one didn't have alot of "Use" Right off the bat, as it's mostly the recap of an election, with out even alot of weird crap going on along with them. I feel that it is set up for what their aiming the Elves way in S5

The Artful Dodger: While you could make a run or two out of this, again I think it's not really meant for that purpose. Not every chapter has to do so. It does pose some interesting questions. Ones that we'll be keeping an eye out for the answers.

Sleeping with the enemy: Whoo I loved this chapter. Loads of potential. If nothing else people will want to know what's happening down in Asamando. There's the UN groups and the prisons. The stuff with Fear the dark. It's loaded with run potential. One of my favorite chapters of the book.

Escaping the Ghost Decade: Full of Run potential. You could run for months if not years just on the potiental there. Not tons of details but if you can't think up a run based off that. You're not trying hard.

The Cracks inside: The new Matrix is clearly setup for S5 rules, but fun to read through.
Then we have the e-ghost stuff, which is setting up something pretty impressive. Well I hope it's impressive. I see alot of potential here. Potential that will likely be capitalized on in the future. Right now it gives us a list of questions.
The loss of Fastjack at the end really puts the weight on this one. "Shit just got real" when the best of the best is taken out of the game by what ever is going on. Makes it really personal for runners that work with Jackpoint as well.

So all in all there's alot going on in the book and with very very minimal effort, most chapters could keep a gaming group busy for weeks if not months. A few of the chapters do seem to be more set up than 'dive in', but that's not a failing of the book. Alot's going on in the Shadowrun world and not every sentence needs game application to be good or useful. Sometimes stuff is jusst flavor, or set up for stuff in the future.

Is the book flawless? Nope. Is there stuff I disagree with? Yep. Is there even stuff I don't like? Yeah. But the book has a ton of use for exactly what it was written for. Mostly fluff meant to update the setting, wrap up some Storylines, seed some OTHER storylines, and give jumping off points for 100s of runs, should a GM wish to use them. you can go as deep or as shallow as you want with it.

For nothing else, I thought it was worth the money, just to read, even if I never use any of it in game. (( Which I'm sure I will))

[Angelone]

Who thinks the Azzies giving the PCC part of Texas was a step in their plan to get back into Denver? How else would they be able to cross PCC territory and "take" part of their sector?

Although why the Azzies want to get back into Denver is beyond me. Sheer stubborn pigheadedness?

[lokii]

Who thinks the Azzies giving the PCC part of Texas was a step in their plan to get back into Denver?

Is that in Stormfront? So, is the San Marcos locus now on Pueblo territory?

How else would they be able to cross PCC territory and "take" part of their sector?

Yeah, I find that one hard to swallow. Last time I checked Aztechnology was forbidden from operating in Denver. So they couldn't have smuggled troops in using the cover of their extraterritorial rights. And I doubt that they secretly control holdings, that have such extraterritorial rights themselves or that they cooperated with another corporation to pull it off. And even if Ghostwalker lost full control over the Denver border, Sioux Nation and Pueblo were not able to counter Aztechnology illegally moving in enough military personal to take and hold a portion of the sprawl? Also how does Aztechnology supply it's troops if the air space around Denver is controlled by Sioux and Pueblo? Orbital drop?

Anyway, it can't believe it was a deal between PCC and Aztechnology, because as far as I understand it Aztech conquered part of their sector. But it might explain why PCC in the end seems to accept the state of affairs.

[Ixal]

Anyway, it can't believe it was a deal between PCC and Aztechnology, because as far as I understand it Aztech conquered part of their sector. But it might explain why PCC in the end seems to accept the state of affairs.

Some texan territory in exchange for transition rights and neutrality in Denver.
Sounds like a good deal.

[lokii]

Some texan territory in exchange for transition rights and neutrality in Denver.
Sounds like a good deal.

Yeah, after the fact maybe. But the question as I understood it was whether PCC made a deal with Aztlan where Aztechnology gets an opening for grabbing a part of Denver (as opposed to an actual exchange of territory). That would seem far-fetched to me.

[Ixal]

Yeah, after the fact maybe. But the question as I understood it was whether PCC made a deal with Aztlan where Aztechnology gets an opening for grabbing a part of Denver (as opposed to an actual exchange of territory). That would seem far-fetched to me.

I don't think Aztlan would have worded it like that but imo that would be the case.
Harlequin seems, at least to me, have organized not only the Denver takeover but also helped with Sirrurg (Ritual) and possibly also Bogota. So it all is connected in some way.

[Fatum]

Sweet deal for the PCC: trade territories with a hostile state to get your uneasy neighbor's lands!

[Pepsi Jedi]

I don't think Aztlan would have worded it like that but imo that would be the case.
Harlequin seems, at least to me, have organized not only the Denver takeover but also helped with Sirrurg (Ritual) and possibly also Bogota. So it all is connected in some way.

Where did you get that Harle helped with the Sirrurg ritual? I didn't see that when I read through.

[Ixal]

Where did you get that Harle helped with the Sirrurg ritual? I didn't see that when I read through.

Its not stated but imo it is just logical that even if Aztlan wanted to help Harlequin just for the chance for getting its Denver holding back that they won't or even can't risk a fight with yet another GD while Sirrung still rampaged through their country. So for Harlequins plan to come in motion he had to be dealt with.
That would explain where Aztlan got that ritual from. Harequin helped them design it.

[Wakshaani]

Is that in Stormfront? So, is the San Marcos locus now on Pueblo territory?

Yeah, I find that one hard to swallow. Last time I checked Aztechnology was forbidden from operating in Denver. So they couldn't have smuggled troops in using the cover of their extraterritorial rights. And I doubt that they secretly control holdings, that have such extraterritorial rights themselves or that they cooperated with another corporation to pull it off. And even if Ghostwalker lost full control over the Denver border, Sioux Nation and Pueblo were not able to counter Aztechnology illegally moving in enough military personal to take and hold a portion of the sprawl? Also how does Aztechnology supply it's troops if the air space around Denver is controlled by Sioux and Pueblo? Orbital drop?

Anyway, it can't believe it was a deal between PCC and Aztechnology, because as far as I understand it Aztech conquered part of their sector. But it might explain why PCC in the end seems to accept the state of affairs.

Dirty Tricks, in the Dirty South section, as the Rio Gambit.

Short form, Aztlan traded a big swath of the former Texas to the PCC for an undisclosed price. (Plan 9 says it was for 1 Nuyen.) CAS smiles, waiting for the PCC to hand them Texas back ... and as it starts looking more and more that they aren't doing so, they start getting *ticked*.

That's one sizzling triangle. (There's also a ton of Shadowrunners being hired in the area as borders shift and security people abandon facilities. Good fun to be had by all!)

[bannockburn]

This theory does not, however, incorporate the fact that Harlequin is deeply suspicious about anything Aztlan.
And he spit in their soup A LOT in Harlequin's Back.

He did appear in Domingo Chavez's office in Clutch of Dragons, though.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Its not stated but imo it is just logical that even if Aztlan wanted to help Harlequin just for the chance for getting its Denver holding back that they won't or even can't risk a fight with yet another GD while Sirrung still rampaged through their country. So for Harlequins plan to come in motion he had to be dealt with.
That would explain where Aztlan got that ritual from. Harequin helped them design it.

Ehhh. Aztechnology has been working with blood magic from almost the start. I don't think they got the ritual from Harle.

I see how you got from A to B on that one, but I don't think so. If so, there'd been some indication.

[bannockburn]

You can find the indication in the story on the last few pages of Clutch of Dragons. Not particularly inspired, in my opinion, but there you go (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Ixal]

Ehhh. Aztechnology has been working with blood magic from almost the start. I don't think they got the ritual from Harle.

Correct me when I am wrong, but blood magic is not a different form of magic but just a fuel source. That means there is no specific "Blood Magic" ritual (except maybe for Blood Spirits), just a ritual to disrupt magic (of a great dragon. No idea how specific that ritual was). And with that Harlequin certainly could help. How that ritual is powered is a different matter.

[Stahlseele]

nnnno . .
blood magic is very much different.
so different that it's not allowed for player characters as per the rules for example.

[Pepsi Jedi]

Correct me when I am wrong, but blood magic is not a different form of magic but just a fuel source. That means there is no specific "Blood Magic" ritual (except maybe for Blood Spirits), just a ritual to disrupt magic (of a great dragon. No idea how specific that ritual was). And with that Harlequin certainly could help. How that ritual is powered is a different matter.

Again. Ehhhh. All the fluff indicates that Blood Magic is very different and very distinctive than 'normal' magic.


Mechanically, those of us opening Role playing books might roll the same dice. But in world it is described as being something very different. Not that it's not 'magic' but very different and distinctive.

[bannockburn]

I wouldn't entirely agree. A magician who switches over to blood magic doesn't need to learn all his spells anew. He just uses his or a victim's blood to fuel them instead of facing the drain.
However, it is a tainted business. Dragons and immortal elves alike look at it with disgust, but some kinds (such as some stuff the Heavenherds do, or the reforestation of Amazonia) seem to be more acceptable than other kinds.
It's not really that clear, but Harlequin has been established before to be a strong opponent of blood magic in general, which is why I don't understand how he allies himself with Chavez.

[Ixal]

I wouldn't entirely agree. A magician who switches over to blood magic doesn't need to learn all his spells anew. He just uses his or a victim's blood to fuel them instead of facing the drain.
However, it is a tainted business. Dragons and immortal elves alike look at it with disgust, but some kinds (such as some stuff the Heavenherds do, or the reforestation of Amazonia) seem to be more acceptable than other kinds.
It's not really that clear, but Harlequin has been established before to be a strong opponent of blood magic in general, which is why I don't understand how he allies himself with Chavez.

Considering that after his percieved loss Harlequin operated under a "let to world burn" mindset I don't see it as that strange that he would ally himself with Aztlan if it would allow him to get his revenge on Ghostwalker.

[bannockburn]

I do, so we'll have to agree to disagree.

It is interesting ... when I first read the short story in CoD, I wasn't really thinking all that much about it, but now, having read Storm Front, I have a clearer view about why I don't like either parts of both books.

[Bigity]

I wonder if some of the blood magic confusion comes from the ED blood magic, which isn't evil, and what Goes on in Aztech back rooms.