What Shadowrun sourcebooks must every GM obtain?
I have the SR3 BBB, Corporate Shadowfiles, NAGNA, NAGRL, SoNA, Loose Alliances, Runner Havens, and the SR4 BBB.
I need more material to help me get 'running in perpective. I still feel like I'm doing things wrong (like law enforcement and corp influence) and would love examples like in Runner Havens that I can model my own SR cities after. I really don't want to run in a major canon city only to see it change in a source book later, so I'm fleshing out the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metroplex.
Any suggestions?
Full Version: Must have sourcebooks
Okay, is the Sprawl Survival Guide worth buying? Sounds like it covers some of the things NAGRL covers. Would buying it be redundant?
What can I expect from the Corporate Security Handbook? Does it cover how corps usually run their security, or just how they cover their ultra-secret reasearch labs?
What can I expect from the Corporate Security Handbook? Does it cover how corps usually run their security, or just how they cover their ultra-secret reasearch labs?
I could look but i think there is some stuff in Smuggler Havens about the twin cities. Thats a good book, Target UCAS and Shadows of North America cover north american cities. The lonestar source book was fun to read and nice to have.
EDIT Its been a while, but Im pretty sure it describes tons of things about security. Things that most people wouldnt consider, like terraforming the land to creat a more defensive adn asthetic look to yoru compound, zero-zones making sure your chain link fences have openign too small for dwarves to use, but tall enough for trolls to not easily step over. Its a good book also.
EDIT Its been a while, but Im pretty sure it describes tons of things about security. Things that most people wouldnt consider, like terraforming the land to creat a more defensive adn asthetic look to yoru compound, zero-zones making sure your chain link fences have openign too small for dwarves to use, but tall enough for trolls to not easily step over. Its a good book also.
| QUOTE (Samaels Ghost) |
| Okay, is the Sprawl Survival Guide worth buying? Sounds like it covers some of the things NAGRL covers. Would buying it be redundant? |
SSG covers a much wider variety of stuff than NAGRL did.
SSG is a fantastic book. One of my faves. It's definitely on the "must have" list.
Get Lone Star if you don't have it. It pops up on Stiggys and Ebay, and sometimes Amazon (although for more money usually).
Renraku Arcology: Shutdown is a great read, even if you never run it.
I'm a terrible person to ask, since my actual answer to "what sourcebook" tends to be "all of them".
Get Lone Star if you don't have it. It pops up on Stiggys and Ebay, and sometimes Amazon (although for more money usually).
Renraku Arcology: Shutdown is a great read, even if you never run it.
I'm a terrible person to ask, since my actual answer to "what sourcebook" tends to be "all of them".
SSG is a good, well-rounded buy.
For security and policing stuff (SR3 rules) you may want to track down the old Corporate Security handbook (which covers all you've mentioned and then some), SOTA64, and the amazingly hard to find Lone Star sb.
For security and policing stuff (SR3 rules) you may want to track down the old Corporate Security handbook (which covers all you've mentioned and then some), SOTA64, and the amazingly hard to find Lone Star sb.
Sprawl Survival Guide is a good book. It's got a lot of flavor in addition to the rules for lifestyles.
Rules-wise, I've always found Cannon Companion and Man & Machine indispensible. The BBB always seemed to seriously lack for gear.
Flavor-wise, Shadows of _______ books, New Seattle and State of the Art books all have really interesting things in them.
Rules-wise, I've always found Cannon Companion and Man & Machine indispensible. The BBB always seemed to seriously lack for gear.
Flavor-wise, Shadows of _______ books, New Seattle and State of the Art books all have really interesting things in them.
Yeah, the Shadows of books are really nice, so is Target: UCAS and New Seattle.
Threats 1 and 2 are cool for getting opponents beyond the usual range of either megacorp or crime syndicate. The lesser are featured in the Underworl Sourcebook, which is a nice read and offers a lot of good information.
And Cyberpirates! It's simply cool.
Threats 1 and 2 are cool for getting opponents beyond the usual range of either megacorp or crime syndicate. The lesser are featured in the Underworl Sourcebook, which is a nice read and offers a lot of good information.
And Cyberpirates! It's simply cool.
I went ahead and bought Corporate security, Cyberpirates, Threats 2, Prime Runners, and some others I can't remember.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'm not done buying so more input would be great. Keep it coming.
Thanks for the suggestions, I'm not done buying so more input would be great. Keep it coming.
Ummm, do you have Cannon Companion, Man & Machine, and Magic in the Shadows?
Those are the key ones for me, and then the SSG, and Target:Wastelands.
Some of the 2E books are still good for flavor though, like ShadowTech and the Paranormal Animals of XXXX books.
Those are the key ones for me, and then the SSG, and Target:Wastelands.
Some of the 2E books are still good for flavor though, like ShadowTech and the Paranormal Animals of XXXX books.
| QUOTE (ronin3338) |
| Ummm, do you have Cannon Companion, Man & Machine, and Magic in the Shadows? Those are the key ones for me, and then the SSG, and Target:Wastelands. Some of the 2E books are still good for flavor though, like ShadowTech and the Paranormal Animals of XXXX books. |
That depends on which edition he's running. They are essential for SR3 nearly useless for SR4, at least they are nearly useless without lots of conversion work.
I'd second the Sprawl Survival Guide as a good pick, as well as Lone Star and The Corporate Security Handbook. The Shadows of Series and the older Target: Series are good for settings.
Shadowbeat. I'm not familiar with Corporate Shadowfiles, but if it doesn't overlap too much I'd suggest Corporate Download. Renraku Arcology: Shutdown is an excellent buy. So are Matrix and Rigger 3 Revised.
I also suggest the Horrors sourcebook. Single best sourcebook I've seen so far for any game ever.
~J
I also suggest the Horrors sourcebook. Single best sourcebook I've seen so far for any game ever.
~J
You must have SONA and SOA...
Bug City had to be one of my favorite SR setting books of all time. Such a messed-up place.
Note: I run SR4
| QUOTE (Samaels Ghost) |
| Note: I run SR4 |
In this case I´d suggest, not picking up the older gear books.
Also, Matrix, Magic in the Shadows and other rules-heavy books are not that usefull.
Street Magic will substitute MitS, for example. Get the pdf or wait for the hardcoppy.
Runner Havens seems cool at first glance. Still New Seattle (or the old Seattle SB) are nice for some more detailed information if you are playing in seattle (New Seattle also includes guidelines for police response that are probably still valid in SR4).
the Sprawl Survival Guide as many suggested, is still very usefull with SR4 and the lifestyle rules from this book are easily converted and enhance flavor dramatically IMHO.
Target: Matrix was one of my favourit flavour-books and I think it still gives some good hints even though there was no AR back then.
If you are looking for GM aids to built people, places and adventures, Mr. Johnson´s Little Blackbook and the old Sprawl Sites might be helpfull, though all the sample characters´ stats are outdated off cause.
If you are interested in corporations, the corporate download gives more intell on the big ten (still cross instead of horizon) and focusses less on general corporate stuff then shadowfiles.
Depending on where you want to set your champaign, Sadows of .. or Target: .. books will be usefull.
If you like exotic environments like undersea, space, deserts, etc. Target: Wastelands is very cool.
| QUOTE (Kagetenshi) |
| Shadowbeat. I'm not familiar with Corporate Shadowfiles, but if it doesn't overlap too much I'd suggest Corporate Download. Renraku Arcology: Shutdown is an excellent buy. So are Matrix and Rigger 3 Revised. I also suggest the Horrors sourcebook. Single best sourcebook I've seen so far for any game ever. ~J |
Isnt the Horrors source book an Earthdawn book? A pretty hard to find and exspensive one at that. I had to dig through a bunch of discount sites and finally got one on ebay for almost twice cover price.
The SOTA books are great books as well, Ill miss them most. I really dug the 2064 one I think it is, mostly because I have been wanting to play a merc campaign for a long time and the gear introduced was pretty cool. Like DUNE. lol
Shadowbeat rocked like 12 week old socks. 
I just bought these books on Amazon, all used.
Cyberpirates
Virtual Realites
Target : Awakened Lands
Prime Runners
Threats 2
Corporate Security handbook
I really hope the last one goes over general corp sec standards the way Coporate Shadowfiles went over general corp management.
With all the recommendations for SSG, I think I might have to buy it.
What's this Underworld Sourcebook about?
Cyberpirates
Virtual Realites
Target : Awakened Lands
Prime Runners
Threats 2
Corporate Security handbook
I really hope the last one goes over general corp sec standards the way Coporate Shadowfiles went over general corp management.
With all the recommendations for SSG, I think I might have to buy it.
What's this Underworld Sourcebook about?
Corporate Security Handbook was basically rehashed in SOTA 2064.
| QUOTE (Samaels Ghost) |
| I just bought these books on Amazon, all used. Cyberpirates Virtual Realites Target : Awakened Lands Prime Runners Threats 2 Corporate Security handbook I really hope the last one goes over general corp sec standards the way Coporate Shadowfiles went over general corp management. With all the recommendations for SSG, I think I might have to buy it. What's this Underworld Sourcebook about? |
Underworld source book is just that, it explains all the major players in the underworld, the mafia, yakuza, triads, soulpa rings, then less groups like go gangs, street gangs narcotrafficantes, and I think the Vory v zaknoe (russian mob).
We play a lot ion our group with organized crime so it was very usefull mostly for groups that are wholely SR material and the families that are wholely SR canon. And poiinting out the Vory, I hadnt heard of them before that book.
Bug City, though it's outdated in SR4. Lots of stuff happens in game-time that changes Bug City dramatically.
Universal Brotherhood, if only for mean nasty ideas and an incredibly awesome plot hook. If your players have never dealt with bug spirits, prepare for lots of squicky moments.
Honestly, I love running bugs. You can only do it so often until it becomes "oh, more bugs. Get out the Raid, boys!" Until then, however, it can have the players on the edge of their seats for sessions on end.
Universal Brotherhood, if only for mean nasty ideas and an incredibly awesome plot hook. If your players have never dealt with bug spirits, prepare for lots of squicky moments.
Honestly, I love running bugs. You can only do it so often until it becomes "oh, more bugs. Get out the Raid, boys!" Until then, however, it can have the players on the edge of their seats for sessions on end.
| QUOTE (Frag-o Delux) |
| Isnt the Horrors source book an Earthdawn book? A pretty hard to find and exspensive one at that. I had to dig through a bunch of discount sites and finally got one on ebay for almost twice cover price. |
It's for ED, yes. But as said, one of the best-written and most atmospheric sourcebooks ever written.
| QUOTE (Domino) |
| Corporate Security Handbook was basically rehashed in SOTA 2064. |
SOTA 2063, actually.
And it's still a great book to have, so don't worry about having picked it up.
Indeed. As far as books go it's awesome. The artwork is lacking in places (as much as I think Bergting has his place, like in MitS, I'd want someone whose are is clean and crisp to do the profiles of the ExecSec people).
There will, finally, be a german Bug City available, and it will be adapted to SR4 rules 
.
.| QUOTE (SL James) | ||
SOTA 2063, actually. |
/shrug
It was one of em.
| QUOTE (Butterblume) |
| There will, finally, be a german Bug City available, and it will be adapted to SR4 rules . |
Release date?
| QUOTE (Butterblume) |
| There will, finally, be a german Bug City available, and it will be adapted to SR4 rules . |
Dos tht mean it´s onlyadepted to the rules, or is it also up to date in 2070 with the fluff stuff (I guess not)?
Yeah, chicago run by Neo-Anarchists...
Well, first of all... It's not that unlikely. But you ought not be giving them the impression that it's a good idea.
Would you like to see Berlin of the first Germany sourecbook rise again?
No, but the Chicago in Target:UCAS wasn't too bad.
Point for you.
| QUOTE (Grinder) |
| Would you like to see Berlin of the first Germany sourecbook rise again? |
Yes.
~J
Why?
Because it was awesome. Ridiculous, but awesome.
~J
~J
"Ridiculous" is the point that annoyed me of the city. The german writers treid to fix it with the second Germany sourcebook, but botched it again with Traget: ADL when they introduced the anarchists resistance in East Berlin. In a very naive and childish way, to make things worse.
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