Dieselpunk Shadows Options

[Koekepan]

A lot of the discussion around SINs was concerned with the implications of a panopticon for the viability of shadowrunning. As a throwaway remark, I suggested starting with the first VITAS in 1918, and setting the world in 1938, or similar. Might even be 1958. The more I think about this, the more potential it has. Let's start a good, old-fashioned, two-fisted, tuxedo-and-trenchcoat Dumpshock brawl on what the rules for that might look like.

Obviously, computing and the Matrix become ... well, not nullified, but greatly reduced in relevance. No ASIST, no VR, no cyberware, substantially more limited health care. So what are we left with, so that we don't end up with Magicrun?

We can start by thinking of some of the nicer ideas from Earthdawn. But we can also put our own spins on various things.

For instance, Essence would have vastly reduced relevance, if we even bothered with it. People just aren't putting any metal more sophisticated than an earring in their bodies.

Information is deeply valuable, as always, but now the blueprints you're stealing are real, a list of employees might (if it exists at all) exist as punched cards or paper tape - or quite simply a filing cabinet. Stealing a ribbon out of a typewriter would be useful because you can read off the imprints on the used tape what was last typed on it. However, you don't have a virtual fugue state - information media are highly physical.

To prevent the utter domination of magicians, it's not necessary to prevent magicians from existing, but there are a few limiting ideas.

For instance, one can have a slower, more cerebral practice of magic. Rather than snapping your fingers and tossing off fireballs at a moment's notice, make it take longer, be harder, or benefit so substantially from preparation of formulae that impromptu magic is largely useless for doing more than lighting another cigarette while you turn up the collar of your trenchcoat against the rain. This means that when the shit hits the fan, the thug with the tommygun pretty much reliably wins against any but the most carefully prepared magicians.

Another thing would be to make a broader population actually sensitive to the existence or manifestation of magic. They mightn't be able to do much about it, but they can all see it, so it's not a secret invisible power which suddenly erupts in fireballs.

Another idea is to give lots of people minor talents - basically their own party tricks. Some might be utilitarian - like mending rips in fabric. Some might be decorative - instant cosmetics! Some might be vaguely combat useful - magic skunk spray!

Another idea is to open the doors to negotiation with spirits to anyone. Anyone who isn't magicblind (which would now be a meaningful flaw) would be able to try talking to a spirit and negotiating with it to get something done. For example, Mick the Bruiser might ask the domestic spirit of a neglected building to please unlock the front door, and promises in return to wash the windows. Of course, he might be lying which might result in all sorts of bad karma coming down on his head... for those with a historical bent, a relationship of negotiation with mystic forces was typical of pre-christian european religions, so there's a wealth of material to draw on.

Another idea might be that, given sufficient knowledge, mundanes might be able to manipulate magic. By analogy, completely colourblind people can blend paints if they have a list and suitable annotations. If Ida the Femme Fatale knows enough about magic she might be able to arrange a few ingredients from a herb garden into a magic ward which, smeared on the doorjamb, will wake her up if the door opens, giving her enough time to grab a pistol and prepare to defend herself. Would she be on a par with Boxcar Billy, moonshine-fueled visionary and itinerant alchemist? No, but it would be useful nonetheless.

What I like about the ideas of letting everyone taste just a little mystic power is that it shows a deep-seated change in everyday life.

There is also huge potential for examining the results of the social turmoil. The Roaring Twenties crash hard as more and more ugly things happen, Europe is a mess, Russia is coming to terms with ideological madness, and colonialism is still alive and (comparatively) well.

Let's hear your thoughts.

[Sendaz]

It is an interesting idea though I would not rule out all cyber, it just would be pretty obvious, bulky and a bit clanky.

The movie Cast a Deadly Spell might be useful for this.

[Koekepan]

It is an interesting idea though I would not rule out all cyber, it just would be pretty obvious, bulky and a bit clanky.

Cyberware which goes beyond the level of prosthetics requires some kind of neural interface.
Prior to microsurgery that was not even an option.

I could contemplate some kind of cyberware equivalent where there is a mystic or spiritual link in use.

"My arm is possessed by a gremlin!"

"You probably ticked off the goblin I originally installed. Did you to remember to sacrifice cupcakes to it?"

"Uh .... no?"

"Then the repair isn't in warranty, chum. I can exorcise the gremlin, but it'll cost ya."

"And what about the goblin?"

"I can install a new one, sure. That'll cost ya too."

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

This is an intriguingly interesting idea...

[Koekepan]

This is an intriguingly interesting idea...

Thank you.

Spreading the rich, creamy butter of life on the hot, crispy toast of insanity. It's what I do.

[Koekepan]

How is it that my old scar twitches whenever trouble is on the horizon?

I had it courtesy of Fritz, in the Great War. He got me in the lung with his bayonet, but I got him in the heart. Lucky for me, the stretcher bearers got me out of there and I ended the war in a hospital bed. But I've never forgotten it.

I could feel it twitching as the telex chattered. I didn't show - no good worrying my typist - and just walked over to read it.

HALLO HARDTACK

SPOT OF BOTHER IN UNION OF S.A. NATIVES PLAYING WITH WITCHCRAFT. A FEW OF OUR CHAPS IN TROUBLE. TRYING TO AVOID ANOTHER ZULU WAR. NEED YOUR TENDER TOUCH.

The source was a number in Durban - but only a few old trench fighters knew me as Hardtack. Which one could it be? And what were they doing in South Africa of all places?

And how had he found me, whoever he was?

I only realised how long I had stood there, mulling the strange message when my typist came up behind me and said: "What is it, Gavin? Even you read faster than that." She had plenty of cheek, but I rather liked it. Old soldiers' habits give me little patience for fainting violets.

"I'm going to the Union of South Africa. You can come along if you want. I might need a hand."

[Koekepan]

Dieselrun magic (a thought sketch)

Overview:

The idea is that magic should not run the streets. It should be visible, it should be useful, it should be powerful. So is a well-equipped machine shop. That doesn't make machinists kings of the world. Neither should, on any inherent level, magicians be. To achieve this, work out a structure for magic rules which rewards or requires physical preparation, careful placement and timing, deep study, consideration of intent and consequences, and adherence to a suitable way of life. This ensures that the balance of effort, cost, risk and reward is maintained.


General:

If Sally the Sorceress wants to do something, she can do it the right way, or the wrong way. There's basically one right way and a positive myriad of wrong ways. The right way has minimised risks, but the greatest confidence in the outcome despite relatively high costs and effort. Doing things in a wrong way might work - but it could blow up in her face to an uncomfortable degree.

The overall concept is that every magical tradition (regardless of type or trappings) places certain burdens on its practitioners, and those are integral to the ordinary successes of those magicians. Failing to adhere to them introduces or exacerbates the odds of failure. Minute adherence to every particular powerfully mitigates or (in sufficiently overwhelming circumstances) effectively nullifies the risks.

Time:

A dianic priestess of the hidden mysteries may find that the hour before dawn is her best time to be active.

Place:

A holy grove, a lodge, a church, a sewer. Wherever gets your mojo working.

Reason:

This might matter more for some than others. Is a shaman of Bear healing someone? Bonus, for coherence. Is a hermetic magician healing someone? No bonus - but no real penalty either.

Ritual:

Set up the fancy ritual with the fancy ritual and vestments and objects and songs and so on for great success. Or don't, and draw purely on your inner energies - and collapse of fatigue, most likely. Hope you have a pet Igor to drag you out afterwards.

Knowledge:

Are you trying to heal a wound? It sure would help if you understood anatomy. As well as the ways of healing magic. Each wound is different, so is each spell - casting a spell isn't like a machinist shifting a jig and pulling the arm on a drill press. It's more like a machinist carefully crafting the jig and then putting it to use.

Dedication:

Did Mistletoes the Modern Druid remember to wash himself? Did he anoint his robes with essential oils every morning for the past week? Is he in good with the spirits which dominate his worldview? No? Then it's going to be just that much harder for him to get stuff done.

Emergency casting:

Well, shit. Prudence the Prestidigitatrix is pinned by a troll. No times for rituals, can't wait for the propitious hour, it's all or nothing now. She casts a spell, but bears a terrible karmic burden. She has to pay for what she has done - beside the fact that her vision is now blurring and she's coughing blood - or magic will go all awry for her.

Prepared spells:

If Pru had only had the foresight to prepare a few frozen formulae of Needle Lance, she might have been able to pierce the troll with a bouquet of hot steel, and escape the situation - poorer for having expended her painstakingly prepared works, but alive and largely hale.

Assembling magic:

Alfred the Academic lacks the fundamental talent for magic. Sure, he sees things the way other people does, but his will doesn't work with reality the way a talented magician does. Nonetheless he studied fervently, and can, with the use of some Orichalcum, effectively create his own prepared spells. Emergency casting is quite out of his realm, and the only point to a ritual for him is to prepare spells. But at least his studies have not been in vain.

Minor talents:

Eric the Elf is a mean bastard with a straight razor and an eye for the main chance. He can also, by natural magical talent, clean his person and clothing at any time. Great for bloodstains.

Summoning/Binding/Banishing:

Anyone, who isn't magicblind, can try to talk to spirits. Usually it's pointless. Sometimes bargaining can occur, and the spirits will usually keep to the letter of the bargain. To require a spirit to appear, and to bind them to a purpose independent of bargaining, or to unleash them and force them away from the world at large, are all magical acts. These can be done by assembled magic or prepared spells, but as a general rule they are carefully worked specialised spells which require extensive knowledge of spirits.

Any reaction from the community?

My thinking here is that it creates a niche for magicians while not making them juggernauts.

[nezumi]

Fudging the dates helps a good deal. In the 1930s to 1950s, we have a number of interesting programs that start coming up. The Russians and Americans both begin experimenting a lot more with chemicals, including steroids. In fact, the Germans, Americans, and Russians all had military investment in making 'super soldiers'. Captain America doesn't seem so far off compared to some things these people were doing. So that gives us some space for our classic street samurai.

Deckers, yeah ... as much as I'd love 'Difference Engine Decking', it does seem like it would be a tough trick to pull off. Maybe stick them playing interference on radios? I don't know.

[Koekepan]

Decker functions largely don't apply in the same way. Deckers are then replaced, notionally, with investigators who have a good working knowledge of everything from a card catalogue to a radio to morse code to typewriters to shorthand. Someone needs to understand all that stuff. Researchers may also have a solid set of skills behind soldering, wire wrapping, fundamentals of DC and AC circuitry, telegraphy and maybe even heliography. However, they're also knowledgeable in accounting, cryptography and ... well, everything, really.

Riggers are then replaced by drivers. However, a good driver is also everything from a shade tree mechanic (and maybe even his own machinist) to a logistics expert.

Really, all the main functions still exist, they are just different.

[Koekepan]

Some observations on the probable tone of Dieselrun:

Build/Repair skills should make a comeback, because they're really important. This was much less a world of disposability. Also, tweaking items for the purpose at hand is a common activity.

The weapons available will at least be anything available around the time of the first world war, if not more. Everything from the Chicago Typewriter to the Arisaka. Calibres from .22lr to .45-70, and of course the .308 was in common use in various forms (.30-30, .30-06, .303, 7.62x54R and more). Lots of steam trains were still around, but diesels were common as well. The Model T had hit the streets, and later on Detroit was streamlining rolling tanks.

Sociopolitical ideas to consider: how would proto-fascists have thought about metahumans? The elves might have been all right, and maybe the dwarves (after all, they made reasonable appearances in wagnerian traditions) but elves might just as easily have been relegated to a sort of pseudo-native role as a sort of sideshow, while dwarves were enslaved. As for orks and trolls ... well.

In literary terms we're not that far from the genesis of gothic horror. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Golem. People would come to terms with things eventually, but also wrap them in misconceptions.

Other things might happen as well. Lofwyr, and lesser dragons of the area, might easily precipitate a redivision of Germany. This might unwind many of the european changes wrought by WWI. China might benefit, or be destroyed by dragons buttressing the wobbling Qing dynasty. Africa might rise in rebellion, or at least a patchwork of rebellions, while India might easily split into multiple provinces under the stress of the resurgence of magic. The possibilities should be considered carefully. I'm not an expert in Latin America, so someone else might be able to provide more information on everything from the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego. It's a big place.

There are also a lot of people looking out for Number One. Gangsters in prohibition-era America (and Canada for that matter). Political pressure groups across Europe. Even if you're not in WWII yet, there is the Spanish Civil War to consider. Would that happen or would the tide of events mitigate that? How would communists in Russia deal with goblinisation? Under Comrade Stalin's benevolent gaze, it's not easy to imagine it being a good time.

Megacorporations. Why not? IBM was riding high and getting higher. Standard Oil was broken up, but Ma Bell was climbing the ranks. The process of tearing down the old barons of industry was far from complete, and newspaper magnates were political kingmakers. In the world of the telegraph and the telex and the telephone, they were well placed to take advantage of chaos and hire men like the Pinkertons to do their bidding.

Shadows. Of course. Ranging from abject hoovervilles to shadowy tenements around Chicago's slums to the ramshackle developments of Kowloon, to the sunbaked streets of Delhi. A sedan full of desperadoes with tommyguns and brass knuckles can scoot into the alleys of the French Quarter or Chinatown and disappear.

Of course, someone hanging out her washing or clearing up his trash saw them.

[Koekepan]

What about currency?

This is an interesting period. The gold standard - would it still have been modified? Technically moving off the gold standard broke the old promises of currency equivalency, and so constituted a default. This, or debasement, would likely still have been necessary, but we all know that it was a turbulent time in monetary terms.

The pound sterling was causing all sorts of trouble. It was accepted across much of the known world, but the British Empire was in financial trouble after the expenses of the war.

The dollar was rising fast - the US had mostly stayed out of the war, and avoided overcommitment compared to the wrecked countries of Europe.

We should think about a timeline.

And thus it came to pass, in the ages of Steam and Diesel ...

[Sendaz]

One thought is when does the awakening happen?

In the regular timeline we have 40- 60+ years from the Awakening to the starting point of the campaign.

If we are looking at the 1920-1930s as the setting and Haley's Comet does swing by in 1910, we could possible look at a timeline like this:

1861 First UGE reported/Awakening

1861 American Civil War starts

1864 Three years into the war, an Indian Leader by the name of Goyathlay, who we would come to know as Geranimo, who having lost his wife and childen in '58 has been in a running battle with the Mexican and US army for many years, but now is bringing magic to the field under a council of Shamans made up from the various indian nations. The Northern US army is now fighting a war on two sides.

Texas rallies to their plea for unity against a common foe, especially as they were on the forefront of the Indian assaults, while the rest of the South uses this to enforce their separation from the Union.

Canada is forced to fight alongside the Union/Texas forces as the Council of Shamans spreads across much of the middle of the North American Continent.

1867 The Great Ghost Dance, The South grudgingly joins in as they realize if Texas and the North fall they will be next, bringing with them their Houdon and backwoods magicks.
Seward's attempt to purchase Alaska falls through as it simply was not feasible at the time. Remains Russian territory.

1868 The Treaty of St. Louis is signed ceding most everything west of the Mississippi except for Texas to the New Native Nations. Texas declares it's own independence as it is cut off from the North and holds a grudge against the south for being used as a meat shield. Nobody contests it as they are all licking their own wounds.
Quebec also succeeds but nobody cares. (teasing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) )
California becomes sort of the Hong Kong of the Americas, cutting deals all around to keep itself from being absorbed, including reaching out its Pacific neighbors.

1871 Goblinization. Ironically in Pensburg, Kentucky nobody noticed.

and so on.

Probably not what you are looking for, but food for thought. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Koekepan]

One thought is when does the awakening happen?

In the regular timeline we have 40- 60+ years from the Awakening to the starting point of the campaign.

If we are looking at the 1920-1930s as the setting and Haley's Comet does swing by in 1910, we could possible look at a timeline like this:

*snip the proposed timeline*

Not a bad line of thought, but I would have pushed the origin a bit forward. Halley's comet shows up in '86 in the canonical timeline, and things only start to get nutty after its arrival. The previous go around was 1910, and before that 1835. VITAS in the canonical timeline shows up in 2010; that's 24 years later. UGE in 2011, along with Ryumyo. Goblinization in 2021, more VITAS in 2022.

By my thumbnail counts, your proposed rough timeline starts from the 1835 comet, putting UGE at 26 years later, and the Great Ghost Dance about 32 years after the comet. Goblinization 36 years post-comet. So, broadly, you're working with the canonical timeline shifted back about 150 years. The other side of the coin is that dragons would start to show up around the time of the civil war.

Japan, not having modernised at all yet, would pretty much be a bit player on the world stage, if locally notable. China would be a lot larger and possibly boosted a lot by the arrival of dragons - at least they'd be well placed, culturally and organisationally, to roll with the big punches.

The rebellion in India (old style: Indian Mutiny) would already be over, with the British Empire having taken over before UGE and VITAS. The Crimean War would also be over, with Russia licking her wounds. The european rebellions of 1848 would of course be long over. Large parts of Africa would still be "Darkest Africa".

An other option would be to count from the comet in 1910, put VITAS at 1934, UGE in 1935 (prime time for Adolf!) along with Lofwyr, goblinization in 1945, and so on.

Or we could ignore the comet in broad terms and work from my suggestion of the Great Influenza Epidemic as being VITAS in 1918, UGE in 1919, goblinization in 1928...

All things considered, I rather like your idea of counting from 1835-ish.

Large parts of the world would in fact have swung with the punches. The real ascendancy of magic wouldn't have demonstrated itself until the second half of the nineteenth century, which would have really changed the victorian era's flavour.

However, we might have to consider a few factors - the Great Powers would probably have lost a bit compared to where they were in the real world. Would the british have been able to defeat Cetshwayo and subdue the Zulu? Since they have a rich and active shamanic life, they would have embraced those powers swiftly and wholeheartedly, as opposed to the redcoats who looked down on the poor benighted heathens. What would have happened in the twilight years of the Ottoman empire? Would Germany ever have unified? Quite possibly not. By 1871, VITAS would have had two rounds, goblinization would have transformed 10% of the population, the dragons would have been hanging around for over ten years. In fact, the kingdom of Hungary and the Austrian Empire would not even have combined yet.

I guess what I'm saying is that the map would have ended up looking very different.

This is actually a really cool idea, the more I think about it. Sendaz, you've already started thinking about North America. Maybe a few folks could each pick a continent and try to figure out likely courses of events?

[Koekepan]

OK, Sendaz is camping out in North America.

I don't know enough about South America, and we have enough europeans on here that I'd feel a little weird tackling that.

I'll start with Africa and see where I end up.

[Sendaz]

I admit I liked the earlier kick off as it allows things to be a bit more settled by the time of the campaign opening.
If goblinization happened in 1928 then a campaign in the 30s would barely have them out the gate.
Which could be fun in itself, but not necessarily to all groups taste.

I guess what I'm saying is that the map would have ended up looking very different.

And that is the real question before we start diving too far in.

So do we want to totally overhaul the map kind of like how original SR did to the globe or do we want something closer to the classic 1930s but with that Parallel yet Alternate twist?

Each has their appeal.

[Koekepan]

I think we should take a long, hard look at rewriting the globe.

Your own quick view of things showed that Alaska would probably stay russian, and for darned good reasons.

It's the approach I'm taking in Africa. As of 1860, the French were a colonial power in North Africa, and I'm tracing through how that would probably have changed. Entirely? Maybe not. But a lot.

So I figure if we can target an opening date of 1900, we can at least extrapolate to a reasonable degree.

(1900 because the original 2050 opening was about 40 years after VITAS and UGE.)

[Koekepan]

I'm going through the histories of african nations, and one thing is pretty clear to me:


One of the greatest sources of resistance to european colonisation of Africa was disease. Given the horrors and slaughter of two VITAS plagues in the latter half of the nineteenth century, I can't imagine that the surviving europeans would be either motivated to, or equipped to engage in the Scramble for Africa.

Basically, there will be some colonies, but much of Africa will remain free (for some definitions of free) and quite wild and hostile.

Great place to run the shadows.

[Koekepan]

I have started to work on the outlook for Africa, and while I've done a glance at each african country's history and established some idea of what's going on, here's my summary paragraph so far:

Africa

The white man's grave - rumoured to be the source for VITAS, as well as many hideous tropical diseases. The Scramble for Africa never happened, because no real benefit could be seen after the plagues which slaughtered europeans as much as anyone. Aside from a few established holdings (primarily french in north africa, british in the south, portugese here and there) native tribes in various degrees of organisation run the continent as of 1900, and continue into 1920.
Colonialism depends on a sufficient source of money and manpower to enforce a colonial plan, and the loss of about 30% of the european population over a couple of decades in the last half of the 19th century simple rendered a large scale land grab untenable.


What do y'all think of that as a general outlook? I'm still piecing together a fragmentary map of regional (mostly fractious, tribal) powers, and the few cases where europeans or the Ottomans have a substantial hold (mostly though not exclusively in northern Africa).

[Koekepan]

While I was looking things up, I stumbled across a counterpart to the Ghost Dance, in Africa, although it had rather more tragic outcomes in real life:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nongqawuse

It's pre-awakening, but I think that such a figure might have turned into a potent early shamaness, and have redeemed herself and help contain the spreading influence of europe in southern Africa.

Speaking of big movements, a continent or so away in the Sudan towards the latter half of the century, there was the Mahdi, who was a thorn in the side of the british, the ottomans, and pretty much everyone around him. North Africa was at the time very much in the islamic sphere (and largely still is) so there's a lot of potential for analysing what would have happened.

I'm inclined to the idea that until they could reorganise their theologies, the abrahamic religions (or more to the point, the imperialistic ones; christianity and islam) would have taken a beating early on because of their early refusal to contemplate what they would certainly have characterised as witchcraft, while the animist, shamanic ancestor-worshippers of the african hinterlands would have been quite comfortable taking advantage of these new-found powers to push back hard. Sub-saharan Africa would have been in no significant way industrialised, but certainly would have been a lot more capable of offering major resistance to colonisation.

[Koekepan]

So here's my summary fluff on Africa:

The white man's grave - rumoured to be the source for VITAS, as well as many hideous tropical diseases. The Scramble for Africa never happened, because no real benefit could be seen after the plagues which slaughtered europeans as much as anyone. Aside from a few established holdings (primarily french in north africa, british in the south, portugese here and there) native tribes in various degrees of organisation run the continent as of 1900, and continue into 1920.
Colonialism depends on a sufficient source of money and manpower to enforce a colonial plan, and the loss of about 30% of the european population over a couple of decades in the last half of the 19th century simple rendered a large scale land grab untenable.

National borders have no real meaning in most of Africa. Countries are what armed bodies of men can hold, and authority largely reaches as far as a rifle bullet - a mile or two at most. Cities exist, especially the more ancient ones, but they are largely coastal and defined by rare harbours and river mouths where traders gather. Cairo, Alexandria, Tripoli, Marrakesh, Fez and others are bustling and active, as are Durban, Cape Town and others, but with rare exceptions the hinterland is wild. Railways are almost nonexistent, roads are just guidelines, telegraphy works - but honestly radio works better. If there's anyone to receive it.

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Africa produces monsters, nightmares, disease and wild peoples with blood in their eyes. Maybe in another fifty years, Europe might have the wherewithal to engage in widespread colonisation of the dark continent, but for now the indigenous powers are burgeoning.

The industrial revolution has not reached Africa, with the exception of a couple of the saharan states, such as Egypt and Algeria. Even there its hold is extremely tenuous. Travellers to the bundu are advised to take everything they need with them, because replacements are few and far between.

In general terms, the traveller to Africa can consider Africa to be two continents, the same way many divide Eurasia into Europe and Asia. North Africa has some colonial influences from Europe, but in general if one were to draw a line from the northern tip of Madagascar to the Gambia, most area north of that line is under the control or substantial influence of various sultans and potentates, of whom the majority are at least nominally islamic, and many of whom are nominally part of the Ottoman Empire. There are exceptions in the deep hinterland, where even the arabs rarely go on slave hunting missions, but as a general guideline it holds true.

South of arabic and islamic influence, the continent is largely populated by a wide variety of people including pygmies of various tribes, khoisan and khoikhoi and bantu clans of various degrees of fractiousness. The Zulu are an example of a well coordinated group, warlike and capable, while large stretches such as the Namib and Kalahari deserts are practically empty of human life. The one substantial exception is the Cape Colony, where the british hang on to the southern tip of Africa. Tough, grim white settlers fight against encroachment from colonial forces they dislike as well as native tribes, but achieve little more than a hardscrabble agrarian existence. The Boer republics of the Orange Free State and South Africa (wedged between the Limpopo river and the Vaal river, north of the Orange Free State) exist, but their existence is under constant pressure, from the kingdoms of Swaziland and Lesotho as well as the warlike Ndebele to the north, Zulu to their east and other tribes such as the Tswana to their west.

The mineral wealth of Africa is legendary - but just that. Legendary. European and arabic colonists have extracted slaves, ivory and gold, but manage no large scale mines. Mines take specialised skills, vast manpower and deep capital. VITAS and other disruptions in Europe have not left much of any of those resources, and while the europeans lick their wounds and consider resource extractions in Africa, they have yet to take that step.

While magic is a strength of Africa, and industrialisation (or a lack thereof) is a weakness, VITAS has turned into something of a blessing in disguise. African rates of population increase are high, and many conflicts which look like military chest-beating actually have their genesis in conflicts over food and land. The drop in population resulted in a reduction in internal conflicts, so between 1860 and 1900 Africa rebounded better than most of the rest of the world. Ottoman domination of the north is weaker than one might think, and throughout the continent laws largely depend on who is watching.

Even disregarding diseases, the natural world in Africa is hostile. Africa practically draws level with Australia in terms of venomous snakes, spiders, scorpions and the like, while being essentially unmatched in terms of large predators and extremely tough, ill-tempered herbivores. Lions are almost the size of bears, but hunt in teams. The African Elephant can not be tamed like its indian cousin, and is larger and more aggressive. The Cape Buffalo is incredibly hard to kill, and will actually attack and defeat lions. And so on. Even smaller creatures are notorious - african honey bees are highly aggressive in the defence of their hives, and the honey badger is similar to a wolverine and a skunk rolled into one.

And these are just the unawakened creatures.

But the cities! The bustling throngs of Cairo, the shaded and narrow alleyways of Fez, the ancient buildings of Alexandria are all full of rascals and bastards planning for war, theft, or simple commerce. In Tripoli the call to prayer echoes from minarets while in the corners Berber tribesmen haggle over the price of their swords with warlike imams hoping to carve out new sultanates in their own names. Arab slavers cruise from Zanzibar down the coast in the hopes of filling their holds and chains with black gold, and bring their captives back to Riyadh or Khartoum. Golden grain from the valley of the Nile, carried on the backs of sweating porters, might fuel a labourer's day, or a soldiers. The french Foreign Legion sits in sun-baked fortifications bordering the Mediterranean, a remnant of a colonial dream currently awaiting a fresh push from home.

If you have the courage, Africa awaits.

Any amateur historians want to talk to me about the various chartered companies which might or might not have been created to attempt to exploit Africa? Some of those were the original megacorps.

[Koekepan]

Things weren't going well.

We'd slipped into the russian diplomat's compound all right. It was an old persian building, with huge windows designed to catch the cool breezes from the gulf. Security hadn't been on the mind of whoever built it.

Unfortunately, security was on the mind of who occupied it. It was one thing to avoid the attention of a sleepy sentry, but quite another to avoid those shadowy hounds which prowled the corridors. We hadn't known that they were there, so the first hint we had that things went wrong were glowing eyes, and a sort of baying which set my spine tingling.

The secrecy was gone in that moment - but with one accord we'd surged forward, running for the study. One fellow stumbled into our path, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and Davey caught him under the chin with a rifle butt, taking him down.

With what felt like fangs nipping at our heels we ran into the study, and I kicked the door shut behind me. Davey ran behind the desk, where a beautifully carved chair rested on a tigerskin rug. He barely had time to scream before the tigerskin came to life and rent him limb from limb. My tommygun (mercifully loaded with blessed bullets) tore the tigerskin to ribbons, but it was all over for him. Gertie grabbed a letter opener from the desk and used it to defeat the lock on the drawer, retrieving all that cyrillic correspondence ... and then we looked around for our escape, realising that the windows of this chamber were all defended by bars.

We looked at each other for just a moment, as at the door something hungry scratched and whined.

"If he's just a diplomat, I'm a nun."

I didn't answer her, but took a glance at the ceiling. No help there; it was masonry throughout. There was only one door. I glanced down, and saw wood beneath where Davey and the tigerskin both lay. A trapdoor. Shouts outside the door convinced me - we'd be no more trapped down there than we already were, and there may be a way out.

I pushed Davey and the tigerskin out of the way, and pulled it open. Beneath was darkness, and damp air.

[Koekepan]

So I've gone nuts and I'm adapting rules for DieselRun.

You know you want it.

So, question: should I adhere more closely to SR2/3, or SR4/AE? Don't bother suggesting SR5 - I don't have the books.

[Koekepan]

Any one of the Great Dragons of Dumpshock:

It occurs to me that this thread should probably be moved to the Community Projects board.

Sorry for being such a dumbass in the first place!

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

No, Leave it in the Shadowrun Community pages...

AS for what flavor - I would prefer SR4 flavor. Cold war Spies, Noir Detectives, etc. It does not need to be pink Mohawk and constant action. But then I tend to prefer a more cerebral game to the over the top, balls to the wall, no consequences style of game.

[Bertramn]

Well, setting it in the past does not lend itself to Pink Mohawks anyway, I think, except maybe if you set it in the late 80s, or early 90s, which would be ironic, considering the origins of Shadowrun.

For an earlier date a Noir genre would be way more fitting, as TJ said.