Nice cover, wonder whats under it.

Blurb leads me to believe some VIP stats and possibly some more Horizon info along with a mess of plot points.

Yawn.

Now, don't be like that. Some people find this kind of thing interesting. I'm intrigued (err, sorry), but I want to see if there's anything in there which is suitable for my particular campaign (gear, spells, etc). I might pick it up sooner or later specifically for the ideas presented in it, but since my campaign's in full swing, it may not have anything I need 'right now'. We'll see.

It seems to be the same format than Artifacts Unbound : 7 pages of general background info, followed by 17 plots with variable amount of fluff, background, locations, NPC stats and adventures, depending on what each author wanted to put in, and 8 more pages of NPC stats.

From shadowrun4.com:

So who has it, how is it? $18 for 150pg PDF is ... pretty steep. Not saying I won't buy it, but I wanna hear about it first.

I got Conspiracy Theories the other day and really enjoyed it.

How's this one shaping up?

Anything new for NPCs? Cyberware/Spells/etc?

Any good new art?

They have the preview up now with the chapter titles and first few pages. That's probably where Nath got that from.

And Nath (He/she? it?) seems right. The lead in intro states that it's meant to update people to alot of the meta-plotty stuff. What's going on from the last 4 or 5 books and the missions. For people that might not have bought every single book or have run every mission that still want to know what's going on.

I got it, and I've given it a quick once-over.

So far, I have mixed feelings:

The book is laid out exactly like Artifacts Unbound, with a 6-page intro on the Big Ten followed by 17 Chapters of runs in the 'Intro JackPoint Post'-'Overview'-'Plot Point 1-through-X'-'Locations'-'People' format, and then there's a 'Character Trove' with important named NPCs and unnamed NPC-templates that are used through the book, and lastly a 'Character Index'.

Sadly, and just like in AU, the chapters are not arranged in chronological order, and one (Coins of Luck) is even missing it's supposed date (it simply reads [insert date here] in the beginning JackPoint post). Maybe not a big deal, and those who are dependent on each other seem to be in order this time at least, but it creates more work for the GM if he wishes to avoid inconsistencies that may pop up.

The runs deal with many different subjects:

- War on Trees metaplot pops up, including stuff related to the last Horizon adventure.

- Dragon Civil War (though seemingly in a small role)

- There's a whole bunch of NeoNET infighting - continuing the fight between the Villiers' and touching upon conflicts between NeoNET and Celedyr.

- I was really happy to see some nostalgia from way back touched upon in the chapter 'Project Imago' (those who were around then will know what I'm talking about...). I think the author handled that connection quite well.

- Ties to the Ork Underground plotline from SRM4.

- Some Wuxing stuff.

- Several things regarding Technomancers, e-Ghosts and AIs - including some new stuff on Puck. There's also a appearance of Netcat, with stats.

- Some Artefact-related stuff (though nothing on the 'big four' from DoTA as far as I can tell)

- A whole little mini-campaign involving Ares.

- If I'm not mistaken, there's some additional stuff from 'Conspiracy Theories' touched upon, but I have yet to read that book properly so I'm not sure.

- Several people from DoTA and AU make appearances, which can really affect those runs depending on their previous relationships with the PCs.

The runs visit a number of familiar and exotic places: Bogotá, Boston, Caerleon, Colombia, DeeCee, Detroit, Egypt and a Desert Wars-site, Hong Kong, London, Nairobi, Seattle, Vladivostok, and even the Zurich-Orbital!

From a first glance, many of the chapters seem to have quite interesting stories, and they range from large-scale stuff to some things more low-key. A few seem a bit railroaded, but there's also a few that offer real choices to the players. The artwork in the book is almost all of a very high standard, though I personally don't like the cover at all!

While the price may seem steep, you do get one adventure per dollar.

Thank you very much snowRaven. Now..... I gotta plan a run.... and figure out some way to talk my wife into letting me buy it.

You are welcome! If you want more info on something in particular, let me know - I didn't want to post any major spoilers.

Only just started reading it, but the ingoming section of the login screen once again has me salivating for the incoming products.
Jet Set just sounds so cool a minibook(atleast i assume it will be pdf only realese)
"What’s the point of hanging around the rich and powerful if you don’t get a taste for yourself?"

This sounds like a repeat of the Artifacts Unbound formatting headache full of inconsistencies and heartbreak. I don't think I want it. It's mainly the formatting, honestly.

How do you mean? All we have is the Table of contents. Do you mean you just don't like the "Small lead in, many adventure hooks, cast of character's set up?

Or.. the "Formatting" because.. I'm not sure how you can tell that from the table of contents.

To be fair, it is slightly better than AU in that respect - if nothing else, then for the fact that the runs in CI aren't as bound together. I've found fewer inconsistencies (so far) but I have still to give it a proper read-through.

Overall, I think the runs have a higher quality and a more 'shadowrun' feel than most of the AU ones, with a few exceptions (in both books).

I was going from SnowRaven's summary.

Would you say the NPCs are generally useful, or slightly hamstrung like they often are? And do the locations include maps?


Looking at the preview, am I seeing things or is the cover depicting a recoilless weapon with a pistol grip at the rear? The idea conjured some interesting images in my head of what happens when the poor guy fires it
Also, it looks like *shrug* is not the universal reaction to Hestaby’s rampage, I like: "High Prince Larry Zincan says requests have been delivered to him regarding Hestaby’s status as a Prince, and he has “taken them under advisement."

Some of the NPCs have fairly sensible stats, but none are really optimized. Most named NPCs in the book aren't really supposed to be big-hitters though, and their stats largely won't matter. People like Puck, Netcat and Darren Villiers are quite well rounded, and if you go by what each skill/attribute level is supposed to represent, they're pretty good. I've even seen some Aptitude-maxed stats.
The generic NPCs have the same stats as in AU I believe - nothing superb, but not bad either. I haven't really gone over gear-lists, but some people have fairly long lists of gear and 'ware. At least I haven't seen any glaring mistakes...yet.

So, mostly useful, or irrelevant, but not perfectly optimized.

No maps whatsoever...which goes with the format I guess =/

There are short write-ups on the exotic locations (in some cases not much at all) but several of them are described in more detail in the various setting books.

Personally, I would've preferred one less chapter and less general NPCs in exchange for some maps and better location info.

The only think that jumped up to me on my quick see trough was the Veteran Street Samurai at the end of the book, whose only weapon was a light pistol.

Nath is right.
It's 148 pages, a quick count says slightly over 20 of those have artwork on them, full-page art being rare and most being either half- or quarter- page scenes or characters. Quality varies from okayish to pretty good in my opinion. Style isn't altogether coherent either, which makes sense with multiple artists contributing. All of it seems drawn though. None of the pushing towards more realism some of the gear books have seen.

Nath's summation appears correct for the most part. There's a few pages of very general information at the start, a bunch of what appears to be small, multi-part stories, (all of which include some characters (mostly generic NPCs), very rarely gear in form of very specific stuff, or a drone, and I've glanced a new shapechanger type as well) and a collection of generic NPCs at the end. I've seen Puck and Netcat make appearances in the stories/adventures/hooks as well, with Puck being statted out.

Shadowtalk looks fairly minimum.

Other than that, I still have to actually give it more than a perfunctory glance.

I'm less wondering about the fluff vs. stats consistency than about the usefulness in those situations when you need some instant NPCs...basically what one could expect from the ad text
Combined with the lack of maps it sounds like the book fails to deliver that. Once more. Then again, I'm a plot junkie anyway...



@Mäx: Let me guess, he has delta reflexes but no smartlink? Then it's the one from AU...

It is the same one, but actually he does have a monocle with imagelink and smartlink, it's the last item in the gear list.
Not that it does him any good, as Fichetti Security 600 doesn't have a smartlink as standard

I liked the format of Artifacts Unleashed. Those loosely threaded plots work well for my style of GMING, and now with it, i have little need for the weakened grunts of the SR4a Rulebook, that couldn't beat my players even in groups of 20... That would totally work for corporate intrigue.

I didn't see the book yet, but i hope it tones down an alternative to the "Magicrun" artifact rush of 2073 a little bit...

Why not use your own stats for goons? You don't even have to calculate BP costs for them!

Also, back to the book at hand.
EVO is the "good corp", remember?

Uhhhhh... that's not how Vory work? That's not how any organized crime, besides maybe orthodox Yakuza, works?

He's such a veteran he doesn't need anything else to deal with any trouble possible? Loads with SnS? :3

Agreed... That sounds perhaps like Italian mafia, maybe even some very conservative Yakuza, but definitely not Vory...

Ah, I hadn't looked at the blurb on the back...no, it doesn't really give you more useful instant NPCs than AU does.

I think the Veteran Steet Sam is missing a line or two at the end, but regardless...a 'veteran' street sam with Willpower 3 and no non-combat skills above 4? No thanks...

It does advertise NPCs for a corp campaign though, so let's see:

Security Mage: Not half-bad, but no sustaining focus for his reflexes or armor spell. Nice armor; 12/6 w/non-conductive 4, before spell. Sorcerer aspect. 15 dice pool for combat spells. It works.

Security Adept: Even more armor on this one - 13/9 - Critical Strike 6, Distance Strike, stats are alright...12 dice pool for Unarmed feels a bit 'low', but otherwise it works.

Minuteman Fast Response Team: Combat skills at 4, 4(+2), and 3(+2) =/ decent cyberware, mediocre mental stats (2-4)

MCT Strike Team: Similar to the one above; they'll work as grunts but won't offer much challenge unless there's many of them.

KE Elite Guards: On par with RedSamurai from basic book, but...no special ammo?? Aside from that; dangerous! Not sure if the Automatics(Assault Rifles) 6(+4) is a typo or if they included smartlink or something. If so, it means a DP of 18 for ARs.

Elite Corp Sec: Quality: Magic Resistance 4? Feels a bit muchkin-y for a 'standard' NPC, but hey... Good selection of cyber and gear, good skills: a few of these can cause real problems... Humans with B 9, A 8, R 9, S 3 and INIT 14/3, and weapon DPs of 15-17, excluding smartlink. Will 3 though.

Apart from that, there's a few different Mr. Johnsons (Corp; High-ranking; Spirit; Subtle - all quite decent), a corp secretary (meh...), and an Untrustworthy Fixer (nicely statted I think), Organized Crime Muscle, Duelist Adept, and Knights of Rage.

No Corp Spiders, Researchers, Corp Hackers, Executive Protection Teams, Company Men, or any Execs beyond the Johnsons...
Some of those roles kind of exist in the individual chapters, under named NPCs.


Oh! I almost forgot... there's stats for Anaconda Shapeshifters! Complete with BP cost and stats for making PCs. =)

Also, a new Awakened Monkey, and some fairly interesting stuff involving MCT-research, biodrones


...and I just found the first glaring mistake: a mage with a bunch of spells and not a single magic-skill - he has the Tasking group though - looks like his skills were copy-pasted from the Technomancer template...

Mistake number two: In one of the runs, there's a weapon given to the runners that do not have stats anywhere except in WAR!, and there's no reference of where the stats for it can be found. And it does state that the book 'stands on it's own'.

But that IS A VETERAN, by the book's standards. He is not Elite, Nor Best in the World. WHy sould he HAVE any skills above a 4?

Still more Willpower than your average Wageslave.

My Mt Dew has more willpower than you're average Wageslave. That's why they're wageslaves

Bull, *I* have more willpower than Wageslaves.

Well, I can understand 'normal' NPCs having low-medium Willpower scores, but most 'hard-core' criminals would likely have above average Willpower. After all, it's taxing on psyche to constantly put yourself in lethal situations, kill and maim other human beings, and live under the constant threat of the law breaking down your door.

Add to that the fact that people with low willpower are less likely to escape encounters with magicians, and it's just common sense that anyone who has survived in the shadows (or corp black ops) for a few years has a strong will, or a selection of mental problems - and I doubt a 'veteran' street sam has ran for less than a few years...

Well there are plenty of thugs that don't have huge willpower, they just don't think all that much. "Smart" Criminals are the minority after all. 19 out of 20 aren't what you'd call brainchildren.
Shadowrunners are a higher level of criminal and the nature and lethality of Shadowruns usually does bespeak someone a bit higher in the mental class, but.. sometimes a tank is just a tank. A street Sam with someone to think for him need not be all that strong nor willful. If he's good at killing what ever he's pointed at he can leave the thinking and the willpower to others.

I mean how many times in movies and books do we see exactly that sort. Super strong, super fighter, deadly as hell, dumb as a bag of doornobs? they don't usually have super will. They just follow orders.

True. Looking at the PC party I have in my game, who are running close to 200 karma, most still have attributes of 3 or so, with a few 4s. Most skills are still in the 2s or 3s, with the odd 'tag' skill at 5ish. So, a 'veteran' should probably be on par or below, floating at the 150 karma mark or so. Hell, a good way to do it is to build these characters using Chummer, and find out how they'd fare on a PC build.

This, alone, makes me want to buy the book. I'm just wondering if I'm willing to shell out $18 for a shapeshifter, monkey, and biodrones...

Yep, especially considering that in AU his description ends right at the end of the column. Not that even a ton of gear would not make up the discrepancy between his so-so stats/cyber and bloody deltaware Wired Reflexes 3 (that's 1 million ¥). At least I just overlooked the Smartlink, saves the guy from being a total *facepalm*

PS: Screw awakened monkeys, I want dropbear monkeys

I'm pretty you sure you don't.

You're probably right.

Don't feel bad. That's what all the wageslaves tell themselves, too, Can.

Only new piece of gear is a special gun designed to be used on board Zurich Orbital.
Nicer for PC:s is rules for being an Anaconda shifter.

2 rules against mages if you have an Average Willpower. Number 1, don't let them see you. Number 2, kill them 1st. I've got 2 characters both with 3 willpower and it hasn't been an issue yet for either, and one is a 100+ karma character. Even from a pure bang for your buck karma expenditure I'd rather raise my edge over my willpower. That extra two dice for having a 5 willpower barely offsets the mage's specialty bonus in the opposed test. I'm still getting boned more or less. Also, repeatedly being exposed to violence and criminal acts over and over would cause PTSD in most people, even vets. It only hardens sociopaths

Very true - Logic attributes would lilely not be very high, with Intiuition often being the higher 'brainstat'. Willpower, however...as far as gangers and 'henchmen' goes, it would likely be low; often wageslave-ish.

When you come to professional criminals that do what shadowrunners do, it's a bit different. Even the 'gruntwork' street sam would likely have to have a higher-than-average willpower to be respected. The world of professional and organized crime is very unforgiving, and if you constantly bend to the will of others you will become a grunt. A Street Sam would who hopes to be respected in the shadows doesn't just have to be good in combat, he has to be able to resist intimidation from both 'lesser' thugs and employers. A high Intimidation skill (or being a troll) can substitute for that, but the Veteran Street Sam doesn't, so...3 dice to resist Intimidation (6 with Edge) isn't very impressive for the 'tough guy'.

Oh, you can get by, sure - my point is that those who begin with a higher willpower have a greater chance to 'make it' in the shadows, because people with lower willpower are more likely to get stepped on, succumb to magic, succumb to fear and threats, and develop mental problems. Plus, with a high willpower you get a larger Stun condition monitor, greater ability to resist the incapacitating effects of tasers, and a higher dice pool for Survival tests.

The problem isn't as big in combat situations, it mainly appears in social situations.

It depends on your gm, though; using things like intimidation, persuasion, control magic, and fear powers against PCs can often be seen 'cheap' tactocs, because people don't like losing control of their characters. I'm kind of ruthless that way - if you hope to be a tough guy with good street cred, you can't repeatedly allows yourself to be bullied. If you have willpower 3, chances are you will be just that.

We had a situation in my game where the gunbunny adept was threatened and intimidated in a rough part of town, and the teams mage (a physically weak sociopathic elf Adversary shaman who always acted as if everyone else was beneath him) stepped in and 'saved him'. That character was forever known as the shaman's 'biatch'...not something that earns respect.

There are times when bullying goes too far, and the bullied pulls out a Pistol and shoots the Bully in the Face.

School shootings anyone?

...

Right, right, ToS. I'll shut up.

Of course, but doing that while under the rules-effects of Inimidation would likely require another Willpower test, to overcome your fears. Fear and a broken will are hard to overcome...

It usually takes a long time of bullying for a weaker willed person to rise up in a courageous manner...of course, shooting someone in the back when he least expects it is one way to get a rep. Not a necessarily good rep, but still...

Got to say the shifter is nice: 60BP for good stat line, +2 reach, and thermo sense. I have liked the adventures, they provide a great basis for games which I can throw my own spin on as I prepare it.

I also do not like the Vet street Sam, but my issue is with the delta grade WR. I thought with roughly 7 clinics in North America that it would be harder to come by....

All up I like the product, and for me the shifter makes it worth 18+ price and them some.

Thanks for the nice review Snow

Circa 2055, there were seven Delta clinics in the world, not just North America, with one not corporate affiliated (The one who did Mercurial, for the record) and six in corporate hands. Fuchi had *two*, and a couple megas didn't have ANY.

Twenty years later, they're more common, but not terribly so. It's safe to say that the Big Ten all have access to one, even if Horizon and Quxing might have to hire the services from someone else (Like Evo) ... I'd personally say that there were under twenty worldwide, and a dozen is more likely the correct number. Delta Grade gear should be quite rare due to this.

As usual, , IMHO, YMMV, and all that.