Shadowrun

Any idea if youre going to continue this after batoto shuts down?

Thanks for the release, I cant get enough of Shadowrun.

Really?!  The lore must have invented whole new categories of dragons since I was playing.  I remember there being a handful of dragons at the head of AAA megacorps around the world, one being also president of the UCAS, maybe one or two mysterious ones that nobody knew where they were or what they were up to, and that's it, period, the end, no more dragons.  Certainly not two just in the Redmond fragging Barrens!

For what it's worth, that agrees with my impressions, and I've only played the recent video games (which are based on recent editions and should be pretty lore-faithful).

It could just be that too many scenarios have been written for Seattle by now and different writers have fallen to the temptation to stick an extra dragon in somewhere.

Not sure when this manga takes place but I assume it does before 4th Edition. So nearly all metahumans are thrown on Yomi Island, along with all enemies of the state.

Right, I forgot about Yomi island (remember the racism part, though apparently in the latest book some corps are "trying" to be less so).  So if this is based around 2035 then we won't see many.

Well, nearly all metahumans, except for Elves.

Seems in Shadowrun Japan got pretty racial-purity on their butts.  Can't remember if they ran them all out or if there were little ghettos or what, but it's hard for them to mix in society either way, so we probably won't see them much. 

As to trolls and licensing--the manga is actually called Shadowrun, it uses unique corporate names and so on from the Shadowrun universe.  If they were going to have problems it would be with that sort of thing.  "Troll" on the other hand, is a word that existed centuries ago, and if anyone was going to defend a trademark on "orc" (yes, I know, Shadowrun put a "k" at the end, but it's obviously the same thing) it would the the Tolkien estate, which never really tried.  So I don't think that's an issue.

Not sure when this manga takes place but I assume it does before 4th Edition. So nearly all metahumans are thrown on Yomi Island, along with all enemies of the state.

I wonder if we'll ever see orks or trolls.  I think Trolls might fall too close to licensing issues (though I'm not sure how japan works with that).

Seems in Shadowrun Japan got pretty racial-purity on their butts.  Can't remember if they ran them all out or if there were little ghettos or what, but it's hard for them to mix in society either way, so we probably won't see them much. 

As to trolls and licensing--the manga is actually called Shadowrun, it uses unique corporate names and so on from the Shadowrun universe.  If they were going to have problems it would be with that sort of thing.  "Troll" on the other hand, is a word that existed centuries ago, and if anyone was going to defend a trademark on "orc" (yes, I know, Shadowrun put a "k" at the end, but it's obviously the same thing) it would the the Tolkien estate, which never really tried.  So I don't think that's an issue.

The Redmond Barrens have 2 dragons actually. One is trying to unify the gangs and has a casino/brothel/etc place, the other runs a housing company and occasionally has his spirits clean up parts of the area. Plus he loves to hunt there, either for playing tag or killing. There's also several dragons who are current or retired runners, Perianwyr fluts about hunting the perfect song at one of his many nightclubs, every Herr Brackhaus you meet might be the real thing, you just don't know. So the chances aren't that bad that skilled runners will have at least one run-in with a dragon.

Really?!  The lore must have invented whole new categories of dragons since I was playing.  I remember there being a handful of dragons at the head of AAA megacorps around the world, one being also president of the UCAS, maybe one or two mysterious ones that nobody knew where they were or what they were up to, and that's it, period, the end, no more dragons.  Certainly not two just in the Redmond fragging Barrens!

I wonder if we'll ever see orks or trolls.  I think Trolls might fall too close to licensing issues (though I'm not sure how japan works with that).

Y'ever wonder about that "never cut a deal with a dragon" street proverb?  I mean, it's lovely Shadowrun style and having it, and things like that, in the rulebooks really made with the flavour.  But really, how often is a ganger or even shadowrunner in the Redmond barrens or wherever going to ever have the opportunity to make (let alone turn down) a deal with a dragon?  There's like single-digit numbers of those guys, they make deals with AAA megacorps or the bosses of the Tir, not us shmoes doing the plumbing, drek-hot though we may be.

The Redmond Barrens have 2 dragons actually. One is trying to unify the gangs and has a casino/brothel/etc place, the other runs a housing company and occasionally has his spirits clean up parts of the area. Plus he loves to hunt there, either for playing tag or killing. There's also several dragons who are current or retired runners, Perianwyr fluts about hunting the perfect song at one of his many nightclubs, every Herr Brackhaus you meet might be the real thing, you just don't know. So the chances aren't that bad that skilled runners will have at least one run-in with a dragon.

Interesting stuff, I love that each region has it's own flavor. The mini wars between corps in Japan, the resurgence of Shamanism and the formation of native American nations in the US/UCAS and the rise and fall of meta-human kingdoms in Europe just to name a few. Mmm this brings me back.

Thanks for the release.

There are about two hundred heads of state in the world, and I imagine you have never met one, but (no offense intended) who are you? A 'Runner who thrives ten yers in the shadows, on the other hand, is probably on the top 1% of their profession. A profession that is very sought after by both megacorps and dragons...

 

These kinds of people are very likely to have personally met people who sit on the boards of AAA+ corporations, and definitely a dragon or two.

Goalposts moving here.  I was talking about the saying, widely known in the Shadowrun universe, apparently retailed in the Shadowrun community in general and taken as good advice, "never deal with a dragon".  I was not talking about whether it could apply to something like the group in this manga.  What I was saying was that the pool of people it could possibly be relevant to (eg the top 1% of runners, as you're saying, shadowrunners already being a small group even among the SINless criminal element) is way too small for it to actually be a widespread saying.  You seem to be in effect agreeing with that, so why are you arguing with me?

Really, I feel like you're arguing on knee-jerk reflex rather than based on any actual points I made.  Consider assuming out of courtesy that I'm not a moron and then evaluating what I'm saying from there.

Even regarding Great Dragons, there are at least two dozen of them, and I doubt that a PC group that can survive ten years in the shadows can avoid tangling with at least one of them, particularly Lofwyr or Celedyr — or Dunkelzahn if you're playing before the 2060s.
 
 
 
Most South Americans are pretty pissed about Amazonia, too, and I bet the Chinese are super happy with having their country split into a hundred warring states.
 
Finally, I love Shadowrun, but God damn it I hate that Japanese trope of having magicians who flat-out refuse to use proper artillery-type magic. This Hashizou fellow is a guy who studied hermetic sorcery and then studiously ignores those skills, preferring to be a mixture between Face and Street Samurai.
 
Makes me want to sic a Spirit onto him just so he's forced to use spells to defend himself... If I were the GM I'd be sure to do that at least every third adventure.

There are rather more than two dozen heads of state in the world, and many of them are politicians who busily meet as many people as they possibly can, and yet I have never met one, let alone had a chance to make a deal with one.

There are about two hundred heads of state in the world, and I imagine you have never met one, but (no offense intended) who are you? A 'Runner who thrives ten yers in the shadows, on the other hand, is probably on the top 1% of their profession. A profession that is very sought after by both megacorps and dragons...

These kinds of people are very likely to have personally met people who sit on the boards of AAA+ corporations, and definitely a dragon or two.

Thanks for the release, this is amazing and I just want to say that I really appreciate all the work you've done.

On a side note, I think the "never cut a deal with a dragon" saying is more for when a dragon takes a personal interest in an asset. If he is happy with you he'll continue to wring you out until you are no longer useful. Not that different from working for a megacorp however if a dragon get's pissed at you... you might spend your next couple of reincarnations paying for something that you didn't even know you had anything to do with. If you read Dunkelzahns will you will know what I mean.

Even regarding Great Dragons, there are at least two dozen of them, and I doubt that a PC group that can survive ten years in the shadows can avoid tangling with at least one of them, particularly Lofwyr or Celedyr — or Dunkelzahn if you're playing before the 2060s.

 

"Tangling with" is kind of nebulous.  Indirect dealings I can certainly buy--but again, not relevant to the proverb.  If it's supposed to mean, "Never deal with Ares Macrotetchnology or any of the other megacorps and massive orgs run by dragons", then OK, good luck with that.

There are rather more than two dozen heads of state in the world, and many of them are politicians who busily meet as many people as they possibly can, and yet I have never met one, let alone had a chance to make a deal with one.

@Purple Library Guy, you can also cut a deal with a dragon unknowingly, or via proxy.

No doubt.  In which case an admonition not to cut a deal with one is, again, not very useful since you don't know that's what you're doing.

Damn, that copyright stuff was much easier in 90-s, I suppose.

BTW, did japs ever made anything about warhammer?

Y'ever wonder about that "never cut a deal with a dragon" street proverb?  I mean, it's lovely Shadowrun style and having it, and things like that, in the rulebooks really made with the flavour.  But really, how often is a ganger or even shadowrunner in the Redmond barrens or wherever going to ever have the opportunity to make (let alone turn down) a deal with a dragon?  There's like single-digit numbers of those guys, they make deals with AAA megacorps or the bosses of the Tir, not us shmoes doing the plumbing, drek-hot though we may be.

Even regarding Great Dragons, there are at least two dozen of them, and I doubt that a PC group that can survive ten years in the shadows can avoid tangling with at least one of them, particularly Lofwyr or Celedyr — or Dunkelzahn if you're playing before the 2060s.

Somewhere in the notes it mentions the UCAS.  As a Canadian, that's the one thing in the Shadowrun history lore that always annoyed me.  I actually had a character once whose long term ambition was to break up the UCAS, recreate Canada and put back all the social programs and stuff his grandpa had told him about.  He had no idea how to ever go about it, of course.

Most South Americans are pretty pissed about Amazonia, too, and I bet the Chinese are super happy with having their country split into a hundred warring states.

Finally, I love Shadowrun, but God damn it I hate that Japanese trope of having magicians who flat-out refuse to use proper artillery-type magic. This Hashizou fellow is a guy who studied hermetic sorcery and then studiously ignores those skills, preferring to be a mixture between Face and Street Samurai.

Makes me want to sic a Spirit onto him just so he's forced to use spells to defend himself... If I were the GM I'd be sure to do that at least every third adventure.

@Purple Library Guy, you can also cut a deal with a dragon unknowingly, or via proxy. Dragon's don't usually go around telling that they are dragons unless it is very much necessary, usually preferring to work via metahumans or shapeshift. The general notion being that dragons see metahumans as pawns even moreso than CEO's, politicians and the like who also hire runners... And Dragons have a -lot- of time to plot their revenge if you even think of doublecrossing them.

Somewhere in the notes it mentions the UCAS.  As a Canadian, that's the one thing in the Shadowrun history lore that always annoyed me.  I actually had a character once whose long term ambition was to break up the UCAS, recreate Canada and put back all the social programs and stuff his grandpa had told him about.  He had no idea how to ever go about it, of course.

Y'ever wonder about that "never cut a deal with a dragon" street proverb?  I mean, it's lovely Shadowrun style and having it, and things like that, in the rulebooks really made with the flavour.  But really, how often is a ganger or even shadowrunner in the Redmond barrens or wherever going to ever have the opportunity to make (let alone turn down) a deal with a dragon?  There's like single-digit numbers of those guys, they make deals with AAA megacorps or the bosses of the Tir, not us shmoes doing the plumbing, drek-hot though we may be.

I love me some 90's manga. Thanks Leevizer! 

@BottomlessBag I mean, I guess, sure? I personally have never downloaded manga so it's not something I see personally as useful but if people (such as yourself) are asking for that then I guess I'll have to do that. Most likely I'll make it one large .zip file after finishing the entire translation, would that be alright?

Whatever works for you. It's just a way to keep series that don't have english releases in a "virtual library" of sorts. Makes re-reading easier too since you don't have to rely on an internet connection. Appreciate it