You can find it Here.

It looks interesting, but it also looks like Catalyst doesn't seem to have done all it's homework.

If I remember correctly, the First Nations was a go-gang that had more in common with the Ancients and the Hell's Angels than the likes of Crimson Crush or the Halloweeners, with chapters all througout North America, especially the NAN. This would make them perfect for trafficking and distribution, but makes storage matters more awkward.

And unless the new Seattle book says otherwise, I thought all of Redmond was a Z-Zone, unless the PTB are trying to force gentrification on it.

Nope, for the last few editions, Redmond has been rated differently in different regions. Touristville obviously isn't a Z-zone and glow city most likely is.

Also, if you read the preview, the Star are having problems locating storage and housing for tempo, so that's why they make allusions to other organizations involved...

It's not. There are a few neighborhoods, like Touristville and the district government areas that are rated "B". Check out the 1st Ed. Seattle Sourcebook for Redmond neighborhood listings and security ratings.


No, they're a second-tier Seattle gang. They're locals. Check out Runner Havens.

I'm quite excited about Ghost Cartels.

You do know it's important to do your own research before you call someone on theirs, don't you?

Ghost Cartels material is consistent with canon sources all the way back to 1st edition. The Redmond Barrens and the gangs depicted in the story are true to previously published material.

The initial story arc, First Taste, takes place in the Seattle underworld and that Lone Star report addresses where the situation is at only a few weeks into the story - a while before the stinky-brown-stuff really hits the fan.

It looks okay to me. If it's an 'adventure framework' like Emergence, then I doubt I'll get much use out of it, but the subject matter and setting are more interesting to me.

There's really too little seen to make any sort of comments on its quality. If there's a weakness apparent at all, it's the concept: yet another new and amazing drug on the scene with a mysterious supplier. I think we've seen that one at least twice before. And we'll need to know what really sets it apart from everything else. Is there really any room to improve on the high you get from Bliss? To push your body further than Jazz does?

This says it's an awakened drug, also called "Flipside" so I'm making a wild guess that it lets one perceive astrally. Clearly there are other risks though, as two of the fluff pieces at the back of Runners Companion describe a Tempo addict. Possibly opening one to possession, but perhaps more likely something similar but different. Will reserve judgement on the plot until I see the book. Should have some good background material at least.

-K.

First edition Seattle gave an overall security rating of E on most of the district, with no details given. Third edition New Seattle gave the same overall E rating, with details (E everywhere except C in Touristville and Z in Rat's Nest and Glow City).

Where was that?

My Seattle Sourcebook gave a neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown with ratings. New Seattle was more generalized with its security ratings but didn't actually contradict anything previously established.

EDIT: My mistake, downtown Redmond is C rated and that's where the government buildings are located. Here's how the district breaks down:

C Zones: Redmond (a.k.a. Touristville). E Zones: Avondale, Brain Heaven, Hollywood, Kingsgate, Plastic Jungles, Purity, Sophocles, Woodinville. Z Zones: Crash Zone, Rat’s Nest, Glow City. From here.

2XS was one with a wildly addictive new drug on the streets with a mysterious source. I seem to remember another one too, but I can't quite put my finger on it. It might be that I'm thinking of one of the non-Shadowrun movies or novels that had such a plot.

It's more than an adventure framework. There are specific tracks for each chapter, fully-stated out NPCs, maps, and more.

Ah, the one Shadowrun novel I've read. 2XS was a BTL though, not a pharmaceutical.

Drugs and drug-dealing are a fairly common theme in any crime setting. How it's handled is what makes it unique.

Yes! : D

I would say that's a sale you just made, if it weren't for the fact I buy everything you write anyway. : )

I like statted NPCs. And I like maps even better. I'm starting to loathe drawing those things.

When is it out again?

This news is relevant to my interests. I would love to see fully detailed adventures published and will happily accept anything close. Or at least closer than the "Adventure Framework" model would be great.

Something that didn't involve a meta-plot or any sort would also be good. Just to provide baseline badguys, network topologies and whatnot. Something I could run at a local convention without too much flak or conflict from "enthusiasts". Something to drag more people into Shadowrun. (kicking and screaming if need be)

I am one of those slackers who can't seem to fit in time to write adventures. (and I can't run too the old ones too many times, it would tarnish them)

Only on Dumpshock can you find a 10 page critique of a two page teaser!

I am truely awed!

Just a reminder, we did an in-character chat a couple months back to promote this book (yeah, yeah, the con season hit and paternity loomed, but it'll be worth the wait, honest!). Linky.

Then you should like these. Now whilst I haven't seen the product itself from what Peter said at GenCon there should be fully statted out NPCs with 'advanced' gear and skills from books like Augmentation and Arsenal, if the PCs get to have access to all the cool stuff then why wouldn't everyone else?

There are a TON of statted NPCs in this book, not to mention the best-looking maps ever in a Shadowrun title, and a sprawling plotline to work through and have influence your campaign.

Thanks to everyone who actually cracked open a book to fact-check before telling us we were wrong.

*sigh*
even more for me to upgrade to SR3 Standards <.< . .

Huh, I thought I litterally lived on the border of the NAN. Once upon a time I thought I saw a map that showed it to be so, maybe the 2nd Ed book (but I don't have that resource anymore). From the looks of it, Fall City and Monroe are both still inside of Seattle (barely with Fall City), but Duvall and Carnation escaped. Iffy on Carnation, but Duvall definitely is off the map (which means I live in the NAN by a couple of miles).

Interesting they didn't put NE 124th on the map, but they put Carnation Farms road (a MUCH smaller road, size and traffic wise). I wish I knew if that was deliberate or not. With the border there, it would be interesting to know if they kept Duvall-Woodenville Rd, Carnation Farms, and Fall City, but demolished 124th and Tolt Hill roads (or rather, the bridges) for security reasons.

Also, does anyone know what happens to the Barrens once it enters the NAN? I've never found anything that talks about it, so I assume it keeps going for a while (though is awhile a few miles, or tens of miles?), and then... slowly dwindels out and into forrest? Is it a more clear cut line, to keep the Seattle squatters in their place (and out of the NAN), or...?

I was able to tease some people at GenCon with Ghost Cartels and I thought I might as well revisit the book here.

Ghost Cartels is a campaign book that covers the appearance of the drug tempo and the turmoil its sudden success causes in the underworld and street-level society across the globe. The book uses a new format that combines what in my opinion are the best features of all the various adventure and campaign formats of previous Shadowrun publications. It begins with a setting oriented fiction chapter like you've seen in Emergence and System Failure. The current preview is a sample of the fiction chapter, some of which I will add was also concieved with the intent of being used as player handouts. The rest of the book plays out over 3 story arcs that can be played individually or sequentially as one big campaign that takes the characters from the gangland streets of Seattle to the jungles of Amazonia. The sprawling plotline is street-level, gritty, intrigue-riddled and has a couple of twists in wait, some that you won't be expecting.

The first story arc unfolds in Seattle, the second story arc has players travelling around the Pacific Rim (unsurprisingly Seattle, H-K, Tokyo and LA), and the third story arc takes place in California and South America. As I've mentioned elsewhere, if the gamemaster possesses Runner Havens and/or Corporate Enclaves, he'll find himself getting double the mileage out of those books since the setting material is complementary and allows him to add even more depth to the players, events, and any story ideas he wants to weave into the overall story.

Each story arc is presented in a format similar to the style used in MobWar or Blood in the Boardroom. This format is known as "track campaigns" and basically provides all the information you need to understand what's going on and even adapt the material to your own game: major players are profiled, organizations are written up, timelines of events are provided, and critical junctures in the story are explored through the use of Adventure Frameworks.

Those who've read MobWar, BitB or Emergence are familiar with Adventure Frameworks, these are adventure outlines that are designed to be easily adapted to any game. However, we did listen to the complaints that while highly customizable, flexible, and easy to tweak to your own tastes, there was often little continuity between Adventure Frameworks and they took a lot more work for the gamemaster to bring to the table. Ghost Cartels addresses these problems, I think, successfully.

First, all the Adventure Frameworks present in Ghost Cartels are key scenes in the unfolding storyline and play out sequentially (though if you want you can mix them up). The plot arcs are designed so that gamemasters are encouraged to add their own subplots, adventures, and sidequests at will with the seetting/context information provided in each track.

Second, we looked at what we might add to the frameworks to make life easier on gamemasters and borrowed a page from the canned adventures. Everyone seemed to like the flexibility allowed by frameworks but what most people dislike is the absence of locations details, NPC stats, and other details. So what we did was we gave the critical locations in the individual Adventure Frameworks profiles of their own, stats where necessary, and when appropriate maps. All the major NPCs in each arc are featured in a Cast of Shadows (like you would find in a normal canned adventure), and to conclude, we included pages and pages of Moving Targets aka ready-to-use, fully stated out grunts and vehicles that gamemasters can use in the frameworks described or port to their own games.

I also wanted to make sure we made the most out of published material, and in the spirit of integrating our game line as much as possible, we stated out all the characters using all the core books currently available (after all if the PCs get the nice toys why doesn't an Aztlaner guerrero?). And by "all the core books" I mean that a SWAT unit gets to use the armors and gun mods in Arsenal, the LS cybersuite in Augmentation, the tacnets from Unwired, and their magician uses Street Magic. For people that don't possess all the books, you can still play the campaign with just the core book with only a few minor tweaks since all character's are stated.

Hmmm. The more I hear the more I like. I'm with Khadim. Even if I didn't buy everything related to SR, I'd probably be buying this one.

Would the creators classify this book as campaign or metaplot?

It says "A Shadowrun Campaign" on the front cover; but it has a ton of background information so even if you don't work through the events of the book directly, it can easily be used to influence a campaign.

Damn it, I don't have money for all this neat stuff!

So, How long till we can grab a PDF?

Also, does it have tips on what to do if your runners have sworn off ever going to Seattle and Hong Kong ever again?

Use your, like, imagination?

Yeah, actually it does.

Wow! I've just read the Shadowrun chat build up to this. I'm always willing to admit when I'm wrong and this is now looking really good. I'd have preferred to remain pessimistic and get a really nice surprise, but that opportunity is gone now. I'm just going to have to live with high expectations and hope it doesn't disappoint.

How about you devs? You psyched and looking forward to the release? Happy with the product?

Khadim.

I'm not a dev, but I am one of the writers who worked on the project. And I can say that I can't wait for this to be out. My GM refuses to take our group through it until he can buy it in hardcopy. The agony! (almost as bad as him not letting my TM use any of the echos or sprites from Unwired until he picked it up at GenCon!!!) I've been seriously going crazy waiting for this to hit the shelves. I know that our group is going to love it and I can't wait to have him run us through it. There are quite a few great parts (and yes, the maps are amazingly cool) and I think my GM will be using it for the upcoming months. Yes, it can easily provide material for several months worth of gaming. And, no, I haven't been sneakily improving my character for the past few months based on insider knowledge of the adventure. Really.

Yeah, cause your technomancer is going to feel right at home towards the end, I'm sure she's going to do fine on the little jungle sidetrip...

Seriously though, I'm really pleased with the way this book turned out and I hope people like it as much as I do. Lots of people contributed cool ideas and brilliant writing to the project and I think it's come out great. I believe that with this plot, we've managed to prove you can have a street-level globetrotting story without the high-power, high-level play most people assume is necessary.

One thing I'd caution players is that this is very much a dark, harsh, and violent plotline dealing with some tough themes approached in a realistic fashion. It's suited to the gritty style and street-level themes that are one of SR4's strengths, while keeping the undercurrent of plots within plots and hidden surprises for those who like them. So whether it's the treatment of the insidious and callous nature of the drug trade or the fact that runners should know better than to take on an FBI ERT in a standing firefight, be careful about your expectations and always have a chummer watch your back.

I had some fun writing for this one. Anyone that likes the badwrongfun side of my writing should get a kick out of it.

Gah!

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I want to see the Yama Kings stand over a pile of one thousand corpses. That is the coolest shit I've ever read ever.

Example of your badwrongfun writing AH? Sadly I'm drawing a blank here...

Takonashi's in Corporate Enclaves, the ACHE in Runner Havens, the scientists stoned to death for making a talking ape in Emergence, the junkie kids protecting the dealer in On the Run, carapace symbionts in Augmentation, K-10 in Arsenal...its the little things that make the difference. There's plenty of my weird fingerprints in Ghost Cartels. The Kowloon Massacre was just a bit of fun...

[/edit]I have an odd sense of humor at the best of time, so my definition of "fun" tends toward black humor and excellent weirdness. Ghost Cartels let me cut loose a little bit, but you can see some more clearly definitive peak-inside-the-madness in Chicago in the upcoming Feral Cities...did I mention there are Chi-town tie-ins to GC? Oh noes!

Yeeeah. You had to bring that up. Oh, the irony... at least my GM can't claim I tried to skew my chapter to make things easier on my character.

combining free form adventure frameworks with stated NPCs and locations?

I'm in love.

Carnation's part of Seattle, though Carnation Farms' (the large farming company there) area seems to extend into NAN lnads. Propably rented land or something; there were deals like that in West Berlin with the East, too.

More examples of Ancient History's badwrongfun.

Thank you and thank you. Very much appreciated. And now with a Chicago tie-in (bugs?) I'm looking forward to this book more.

Now to find time to read things...

Because they're mentioned here and in the chat, I'm interested in the Yama Kings. I have read the passage in Runner Havens and they sound lovely and nasty. But have they existed in cannon before then, and if so where. How much do we know about Yama Kings.

(And how much does that last sentence sound like IC shadowrun chat? )

They're new stuff from RC. And personally, they sound like ... something from that rift in Aberdeen.

Are you saying RC stats out or gives rules for Yama Kings? That would disapointing

The Yama Kings are a diverse lot, each one unique and terrible. GC does not provide general rules for them as a group. More than that...well, have to leave y'all with some surprises.

Where is it in Runner Companion that this Yama Kings are discussed about?

I think they meant Runner Havens (RH) and Ghost Cartels (GC), respectively.

Thanks!

By the way could we just stick to the full names, just to avoid missantherstanding?

Aztec gods needed blood sacrifice to survive. Just so, DS needs misunderstanding.

Peter

Hey, I got the names right. Don't blame me, AH.

(And what is it with these new smiley icons? What happened to the old ones?)

Some of the old ones still work