Over the years I've had to take a few breaks from Shadowrun. I kept buying the books but I'm not sure which are still helpful. Which of the old books are you guys still using to add flavor to your campaigns?

Seattle Sourcebook
The Seattle Sourcebook has a lot of information on clubs, stores and major landmarks (including a nifty map for downtown Seattle). It really helped me plan get game ideas together over the years. Not sure how valid it still is but I don't play without it.

I don't remember how good New Seattle is, it's in the game closet.

Thanks gang

There's a list of SR4 compatible books here, if that helps.

Personally, I use anything from any edition, unless it outright clashes with existing rules.

Cool, thanks! I think this is going to help a lot too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadowrun_timeline

Well, I'm running my group using SR4 rules but starting in 2051. So far we have gone through Elven Fire, Harlequin 1 ch.1-4, Universal Brotherhood, NAN 1, a couple of one-shots, and some custom stuff and now are in the middle of Silver Angel. For me, they're all valid I guess

I've had to do a little bit of work remaking some of the major NPCs, but the sample NPCs in the GM Screen insert and from the basic book are very helpful.

Non-adventure-wise, I've used everything from the Lone Star book to the Corporate books.

I would take the no stuff but fluff rule. Any rules should be updated already in the SR4 rules and as such would no longer be valid, but the backstory and information would be valid from a History point of view. So in a session if you want to refer to the events in Queen Euphoria (example the SR find an empty can of Amber Gel), then go for it. When ever the new rule books come out I usually sell off my old rule books but keep my information books (like the Target books, Prime Runners, and books like the Seattle Sourcebook).

Most of the location sourcebooks are good. My current game is set in Atlanta 2070. While Shadows of North America has a few (less then 5 pages) applicable (Atlanta and CAS info) for what I need. The 1st edition sourcebook, Neo-Anarchist Guide to North America is invaluable. Lonestar is an amazing sourcebook and not dated at all. Most of the modules can be used, you just have to update them to the current rules set, which may be more time than you want to invest.

The ones that are mostly outdated would be the core books (Street Samurai Guide, Virtual Realities, Awakenings, Fields of Fire). Although some of them still have uses, such as Rigger Black Book (for all the images of vehicles and drones). The 2 lines in the Street Samurai Guide -- from the flavor text, "Now I can flatten light ammo faster then ever!" and the concealability rating of the Panther Assault Cannon (from the charts in the back, its numeric target number listed as "Yeah Right!", or even from the first Grimoire book, when listing in the random roll chart of what you need to create a magical item (Question to a Dragon) "You want me to do what in a cup?"

Also remember that the Paradise Lost module was mini-location book about the Kingdom of Hawa'ii.

If your players have never been through Universal Brotherhood that is always a great module to scare the living hell out of them.

I always love to run Queen Euphoria myself. That is one awesome run!

Welcome back Insanity...

I thought I would give Dumpshock another try. I'm just going to try to avoid the munchkins this time.

It's hard considering how small they are and always underfoot, but it can be done if you try.
I find the time spent getting the squished munchkin juice from between my toes a small price to pay for the pleasure of of reading posts from people who share the enjoyment of this game and this "universe."

Vlad

As far as the OP goes...

I find myself using ALL of hte source books at one time or another. I have probably about 90 percent of everything ever published in book format for SR, either in hard copy or pdf format. I especially enjoy the PDF's for the older books while I am doing research on a campaign I am designing. They beat having a HUGE pile of books sitting next to my computer as I work up a run in Word. My laptop has become my "one" source book at the gaming table, sitting right next to my 3D copy of the BBB. Need to look up an uncommon spell? Null sweat! Just click on the Street Magic pdf and scan down to the spells listing. Need a quick location for when the runners sidestep off your pre-genned run map? Click on the Seattle Source Book pdf or New Seattle pdf and look at hte info in the appropriate area to them.

I would even say the old core rule books have their place. I still refer to my old Rigger 2 and 3 and the Cannon Companion for details and cannon names of vehicles, weapons and devices to use for rounding out the setting. You kind of get tired of repeating "Uh yeah, you go through the deader's coat and you find his comlink and... yeah, that gun he was shooting at you with was a ... ummm. Predator. Yes, you may add it to your collection of the other 36 Predators you have takenin the last month. As you decide to flee the scene, you notice the guy's car is still running. What kind of car? It's ummm... a Mercury Comet. Yes, another one. What can I say? These things are really, really popular!"

All of the location books are useful. The SR line has done a very creditable job of not making anything in a prior version useless to the overall setting.

Vlad

Wait, I can almost hear Cain's voice now: "Needing a laptop in order to play an RPG is just silly"... "He didn't say he needed it Cain..."

As far as Seattle is concerned, I think the devs did fairly well with Runner Havens in that it didn't change any location details. Only supplemented a few and added new ones. So though Laubenstein Plaza isn't mentioned in RH, one can assume it's still there. I use my Seattle and New Seattle sourcebooks for research all the time.