i just recently quit WOW and as i squirle away a little bit o cash here and there from the wife I'm hoping to buy a few sourcebooks to get the basic world down in the 70s. I bought a coupla shadowrun novels acoupla days ago and upon finishing them I've learned that there are rigger/deckers now? like they are one in the same?
what sourcebooks do ya'll recomend to get back up to speed? the last one i had was magic in the shadows. No things in particular just the world in general, what has happend since the 60s.
I do so love the whitty banter between the runners in the sourcebooks, s'what really convinced me to make the jump between the novels and them, and when i parused the selection one day i learned there was a group runing a campagin. then kablamo!
Full Version: Sourcebooks
The only sourcebooks out for SR4 right now are the BBB, Runner Havens, and Street Magic, all of which are available at many fine online retailers (check SR's official website for a list of these retailers). You might also wish to pick up System Failure, which is all about how the world of SR3 was razed to the ground in the Matrix Crash 2.0.
One of the main differences is that, after the Crash, the old wired Matrix was scrapped in favor of the new wireless version. Riggers are still around in SR4, but the code-slingers are known as "hackers" in 2070. There's a metric buttload of information you should know about as well, but seeing as how I'm going to bed now, I'd advise you to consult the above-mentioned sourcebooks for that information.
One of the main differences is that, after the Crash, the old wired Matrix was scrapped in favor of the new wireless version. Riggers are still around in SR4, but the code-slingers are known as "hackers" in 2070. There's a metric buttload of information you should know about as well, but seeing as how I'm going to bed now, I'd advise you to consult the above-mentioned sourcebooks for that information.
Shadows Of North America is worth picking up, even though it's 3rd edition. But most ost the information there about the north american countries can be used in 4th edition too.
If you want to have the timeline complete with all the major events, you may want to pick up Year of the Comet, unless you allready have it. A lot of the stuff in it could just as well be forgotten I think, but the events will be referenced in other sourcebooks so if you want to know all the details you may want it.
Depending on what parts of the game you are most interested in, you may want to pick up the Shadows of... books; there are books about North America, Europe and Asia, or you may want to get some of the books about specific phenomenon, like Loose Connections (about poli-clubs and such) or Dragons of the Sixth World (delicious info about all the great dragons and their schemes). There is an upcoming book about corporations, so you may want to hold off on any books about that until the new one comes.
| QUOTE (mintcar @ Aug 28 2006, 04:26 AM) |
| Loose Connections |
I don't mean to embarrass mintcar, but I think he means Loose Alliances.
EDIT: Here's some links, followed by a rant:
All SR Books
All SR eBooks
I'm very disappointed that that FanPro has released Shadows of North America, Shadows of Asia, and (for free soon) Shadows of Latin America as eBooks, but has yet to release Shadows of Europe in anything but the big clunky print version. Shadows of Europe is the sourcebook I really want, because I want to create an epic campaign that spans the entire continent. I want to spin a tale of pirates terrorizing the English Channel, of crazy rebels hiding out in old WWII bunkers, of royal houses whose fates hang in the balance, of a mercenary (based on Ze Mole from the South Park movie) to plague the team with both his skills at sabotage and his bad French accent, and even a bit of Da Vinci Code-style silliness - complete with a whole troop of albino monk assassins, who yell "Deus vult, motherfuckers!" before opening fire with their assault rifles. If only I had SOE....
I do, I do 
Or did I? Perhaps its; A thrilling mystery of the telly that would not show anything other than Ant Wars, what could be the cause?
Or did I? Perhaps its; A thrilling mystery of the telly that would not show anything other than Ant Wars, what could be the cause?
| QUOTE (FanGirl) |
| I'm very disappointed that that FanPro has released Shadows of North America, Shadows of Asia, and (for free soon) Shadows of Latin America as eBooks, but has yet to release Shadows of Europe in anything but the big clunky print version. |
It's on the near future TODO list as an ebook, and it's still available in print.
FanGirl, this campaign idea can only be described with one word: awesome! 
I especially enjoyed the part about albino monk assassins, who yell "Deus vult, motherfuckers!"
I especially enjoyed the part about albino monk assassins, who yell "Deus vult, motherfuckers!"
| QUOTE (Adam) | ||
It's on the near future TODO list as an ebook, and it's still available in print. |
Yes I know, but as a college student, I'm too cheap to buy the print copy - especially since I know that SOE will come out on pdf at some point in the future.
| QUOTE (Grinder) |
| FanGirl, this campaign idea can only be described with one word: awesome! I especially enjoyed the part about albino monk assassins, who yell "Deus vult, motherfuckers!" |
Thank you!
I'm glad you like the albino monks, because Silas and his role in the conspiracy was the one aspect of The Da Vinci Code that made me go "WTF" the most. You'd think a guy with pale white skin and red eyes who wears a monk's cowl and goes around saying things like "pain is good" would be a bit too conspicuous to be a quality assassin. 
ty for info peeps. Yeah I'm just interested in catching up to speed with the world in general. Since hurricane katrina the comic shops have apperantly been hit pretty hard so I gotta make some calls and see who is still stading. Can't order online or the wife will nag. I will see tomorrow
Heh, you located in Louisiana?
FanGirl,
Ebay:
SoE for $16.99 + actual cost Priority Mail ($4.95 flat rate if he is smart and just uses an envelope) 22 available as of this posting
Download price on SoA from RPGNow, Paizo, Studio 2, etc. is $23.00. Assuming that SoE is the same price, it's still cheaper to buy the print copy. Not by a lot, but price certainly doesn't seem to be a reason to wait for the pdf. If you're waiting because you just want the pdf, that's a different story.
Ebay:
SoE for $16.99 + actual cost Priority Mail ($4.95 flat rate if he is smart and just uses an envelope) 22 available as of this posting
Download price on SoA from RPGNow, Paizo, Studio 2, etc. is $23.00. Assuming that SoE is the same price, it's still cheaper to buy the print copy. Not by a lot, but price certainly doesn't seem to be a reason to wait for the pdf. If you're waiting because you just want the pdf, that's a different story.
| QUOTE (eidolon) |
| If you're waiting because you just want the pdf, that's a different story. |
Hit the nail on the head there. I've been building a book collection for almost twenty years, and let me tell you: books take up a lot of space. The print book would be just another thing I'd have to schelp to and from school, but pdfs have no mass or volume, and I'll always remember to bring them because Steve (my laptop) always goes with me.
Hocus, it really depends on what you want your world to look like. I love Shadows of Europe, and Shadows of Asia but if you have no interest in those lands they really aren't worth it to you. Mr Johnson's Little black Book is the closest to a GM's guide in the serries. If you don't care about going 4th ed there's leittle need to get the SB about the collapse of the matrix.
Let us know what you're looknig for. I'm afraid knowing you from older forums, I'll save tiem and tell you there are no SB's about busty young women in short skirts.
Let us know what you're looknig for. I'm afraid knowing you from older forums, I'll save tiem and tell you there are no SB's about busty young women in short skirts.
| QUOTE (FanGirl @ Aug 28 2006, 07:49 PM) |
| You'd think a guy with pale white skin and red eyes who wears a monk's cowl and goes around saying things like "pain is good" would be a bit too conspicuous to be a quality assassin. |
Nitpick: Blue eyes. He had blue eyes in the movie.
| QUOTE (FanGirl) |
| Shadows of Europe is the sourcebook I really want, because I want to create an epic campaign that spans the entire continent. I want to spin a tale of pirates terrorizing the English Channel, of crazy rebels hiding out in old WWII bunkers, of royal houses whose fates hang in the balance, of a mercenary (based on Ze Mole from the South Park movie) to plague the team with both his skills at sabotage and his bad French accent, and even a bit of Da Vinci Code-style silliness - complete with a whole troop of albino monk assassins, who yell "Deus vult, motherfuckers!" before opening fire with their assault rifles. If only I had SOE.... |
...I agree, Europe is much more fun to throw a group of players into. No preconceived notions like "Oh I know this spot in Seattle where..." Also interesting to see how a team copes with such things as border crossings, provincial attitudes & biases, and of course, language & culture barriers (...your mage didn't learn Serbo-Croatian and he also doesn't have a chipjack...?).
Along with SoE, I also made extensive use of the old (SR2) London Sourcebook during my last campaign arc mainly for the background colour on UK society. Would like to mention more of the fun details, but since I am about to run another playtest of the "Rhapsody" arc over the coming months, don't want to give away any spoilers.
| QUOTE (Kyoto Kid) |
| ...I agree, Europe is much more fun to throw a group of players into. |
Unless, of course, your players happen to be from Europe.
| QUOTE (JongWK) | ||
Nitpick: Blue eyes. He had blue eyes in the movie. |
| QUOTE (The Da Vinci Code @ p. 3) |
| He was broad and tall, with ghost-pale skin and thinning white hair. His irises were pink with dark red pupils. |
Actually, I understand that blue-eyed albinos are more common than red-eyed albinos, so the movie is actually slightly more plausible than the book in this respect.
As for the question of experience with Europe.
I have never lived in Europe, but I have been to the British Isles, France, Italy, and Switzerland on vacation. I definitely plan to use my personal experience with these places in game, in addition to my proficiency of the French language. For example, my Ze Mole ripoff can yell "Merde!" instead of "Sheet!"
yeah i live in luuusiana. Suburb of New Orleans, used to live IN the city proper but moved when we started having kids. The house we used to live at had like 6 feet of water :O. Wonder if the background count is mess up more so now, specially places like the dome.
as before i actually started with the novels and bought the sourcebooks to better elaborate on the universe so i could understand it's complexities. The core books about the in general stuff and the compaion dealing with magic are what tickled my bone. Matrix and stuff not so much. Never really was interested in the eurpoe part of the shadows, but if it looks good then I'll buy it. s'what happend with the other sourcebooks i bought, lone star, cyberpirates, atzlan to name a few all piqued my interest on account of the advancing and fleshing out parts of the world and the characters therein. Guess right now SR4 and the year of the comet are the ones to buy. Is there anything with New Orleans or Kansas? (where i was born and raised, hoo ra true jayhawker!).
busty girls in short skirts? what about sally tsung (if i remember her name right) on the cover of SR3? and the references to ororo in atzlan? (too bad she died
) on the cover of...awakenings? i think it was had some chick to. Man now i gotta go dig through my boxes i have out in my shed and find my shadowrun sourcebooks to travel down memeory lane again.
as before i actually started with the novels and bought the sourcebooks to better elaborate on the universe so i could understand it's complexities. The core books about the in general stuff and the compaion dealing with magic are what tickled my bone. Matrix and stuff not so much. Never really was interested in the eurpoe part of the shadows, but if it looks good then I'll buy it. s'what happend with the other sourcebooks i bought, lone star, cyberpirates, atzlan to name a few all piqued my interest on account of the advancing and fleshing out parts of the world and the characters therein. Guess right now SR4 and the year of the comet are the ones to buy. Is there anything with New Orleans or Kansas? (where i was born and raised, hoo ra true jayhawker!).
busty girls in short skirts? what about sally tsung (if i remember her name right) on the cover of SR3? and the references to ororo in atzlan? (too bad she died
) on the cover of...awakenings? i think it was had some chick to. Man now i gotta go dig through my boxes i have out in my shed and find my shadowrun sourcebooks to travel down memeory lane again.
You mean mammary lane? 
Target Smugglers Havens has a whole chapter on NO. pretty muhc all of which can be translated, I guess, to 4th ed (if you go that way)
It's actually a really good question about the affects Katrina had on the city. The Dome might get ghost tours but there really wasn't the horrorshow there that was later reported. But the background would have had a boost from the people inside during the storm when the roof came off.
The 9th ward probably is far far worse. It does comment about the bad areas organized crime and stuff and that the area around the city is seriously awakened, though the author makes it sound like the bayous are right there. If there is suburbia you could add to our knowledge of the region by creating your own thread.
Apparently the area has a large cluster of HMHVV both strains.
It's actually a really good question about the affects Katrina had on the city. The Dome might get ghost tours but there really wasn't the horrorshow there that was later reported. But the background would have had a boost from the people inside during the storm when the roof came off.
The 9th ward probably is far far worse. It does comment about the bad areas organized crime and stuff and that the area around the city is seriously awakened, though the author makes it sound like the bayous are right there. If there is suburbia you could add to our knowledge of the region by creating your own thread.
Apparently the area has a large cluster of HMHVV both strains.
This may be a bit off topic. Any idea when Fanpro will release the wepons and cyber/bio books? I like the 4th ed. system but I've been hesitant to convert over due to lack of gear.
| QUOTE (eidolon) | ||
Unless, of course, your players happen to be from Europe. |
...that's when I pull out my special Take the Chipheads Bowling scenario which takes place in Milwaukee.
"Shlameel, Schalmazel..."
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