Shadowrun

Off-topic => General Gaming => Topic started by: Basic on <09-30-12/0614:15>

Title: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <09-30-12/0614:15>
Here a few books to help RPG player's get in to roles like police officers, Criminals and so on

If anyone can find any other books that would help players just post it here. If any one can find a book on how hitmen work it would be great.

Body Trauma: A Writer's Guide to Wounds and Injuries (http://www.amazon.com/Body-Trauma-Writers-Wounds-Injuries/dp/1933016418/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353503042&sr=8-1&keywords=Body+Trauma%3A+A+Writer%27s+Guide+to+Wounds+and+Injuries)
This is a great book to show how Injuries to character would effect them.

HowDunit - The Book of Poisons (http://www.amazon.com/HowDunit-Book-Poisons-Serita-Stevens/dp/158297456X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353503075&sr=1-1&keywords=HowDunit+-+The+Book+of+Poisons)

Even though shadowrun has different poisons this book could help you understand how poisons effect's people. 

Police Procedure & Investigation: A Guide for Writers (http://www.amazon.com/Police-Procedure-Investigation-Writers-Howdunit/dp/1582974551/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353503109&sr=1-1&keywords=Police+Procedure+%26+Investigation%3A+A+Guide+for+Writers)
Great book on how police handle investigations. To help GM and players know how they might be found out by seeing how lone star works to find them,

Howdunit Forensics (http://www.amazon.com/Howdunit-Forensics-D-P-Lyle/dp/1582974748/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353503138&sr=1-1&keywords=Howdunit+Forensics)
This book gives you information on how forensics work so you can know how to really erase your tracks.

Missing Persons (Howdunit Writing) (http://www.amazon.com/Missing-Persons-Howdunit-Writing-Faron/dp/089879790X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353503171&sr=1-1&keywords=Missing+Persons+%28Howdunit+Writing%29)
With Missing Persons in hand you'll find the types that commonly become PIs - ex-cops, macho criminal wannabes, reporters; the easiest people to find (men, property owners and professionals) and the hardest (women, scoundrels and those with common names); profiles of the missing and profiles of those searching; how and why people hide

Howdunit: How Crimes Are Committed and Solved (http://www.amazon.com/Howdunit-How-Crimes-Committed-Solved/dp/1582975280/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353503198&sr=1-1&keywords=Howdunit%3A+How+Crimes+Are+Committed+and+Solved)
The ultimate reference on the dark world of criminals and those who oppose them! Readers will learn how crimes are plotted, committed, investigated and solved. This hefty reference includes chapters from nine of the books in the "Howdunit" crime series, as well as thirteen new chapters on key topics, such as property crime, gangs and the drug trade. Boertlein also offers a huge glossary of crime words and phrases, plenty of photographs.

Rip-Off: A Writer's Guide to Crimes of Deception (Howdunit Writing) (http://www.amazon.com/Rip-Off-Writers-Deception-Howdunit-Writing/dp/0898798272/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353503226&sr=1-1&keywords=Rip-Off%3A+A+Writer%27s+Guide+to+Crimes+of+Deception+%28Howdunit+Writing%29)

Some books for Matrix Hackers and Shadowrun teams giving Idea's how to break in to a place.

This books is great for giving matrix hackers idea's how to break in to places or cyber attacks.
Stealing the Network: The Complete Series Collector's Edition (http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Network-Complete-Collectors-Chapter/dp/159749299X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362368248&sr=1-1&keywords=stealing+a+network)
"Stealing the Network: How to Own the Box is a unique book in the fiction department. It combines stories that are fictional, with technology that is real. While none of the stories have happened, there is no reason why they could not. You could argue it provides a road map for criminal hackers, but I say it does something else: it provides a glimpse into the creative minds of some of today's best hackers, and even the best hackers will tell you that the game is a mental one." - from the Foreword to the first Stealing the Network book, How to Own the Box, Jeff Moss, Founder & Director, Black Hat, Inc. and Founder of DEFCON

For the very first time the complete Stealing the Network epic is available in an enormous, over 1000 page volume complete with the final chapter of the saga and a DVD filled with behind the scenes video footage!

These groundbreaking books created a fictional world of hacker superheroes and villains based on real world technology, tools, and tactics. It is almost as if the authors peered into the future as many of the techniques and scenarios in these books have come to pass.

This book gives you more ways to getting in to place tactical idea's for breaking in.
Ninja Hacking: Unconventional Penetration Testing Tactics and Techniques (http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-Hacking-Unconventional-Penetration-Techniques/dp/1597495883/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362368187&sr=8-1&keywords=Ninja+Hacking)
Ever thought of using the time-tested tactics and techniques of the ancient ninja to understand the mind of today's ninja, the hacker? As a penetration tester or security consultant you no doubt perform tests both externally and internally for your clients that include both physical and technical tests. Throw traditional pen testing methods out the window for now and see how thinking and acting like a ninja can actually grant you quicker and more complete access to a company's assets. Get in before the hacker does with these unorthodox techniques. Use all of the tools that the ninja has: disguise, espionage, stealth, and concealment. Learn how to benefit from these tools by laying your plans, impersonating employees, infiltrating via alarm system evasion, discovering weak points and timing, spyware and keylogging software, and log manipulation and logic bombs. And, really, don't you want to be a ninja for a day just because they're cool? Let this book be your excuse!


Unauthorised Access: Physical Penetration Testing For IT Security Teams (http://www.amazon.com/Unauthorised-Access-Physical-Penetration-Security/dp/0470747617/ref=pd_sim_b_16)
Most IT security teams concentrate on keeping networks and systems safe from attacks from the outside-but what if your attacker was on the inside? While nearly all IT teams perform a variety of network and application penetration testing procedures, an audit and test of the physical location has not been as prevalent. IT teams are now increasingly requesting physical penetration tests, but there is little available in terms of training. The goal of the test is to demonstrate any deficiencies in operating procedures concerning physical security.

Featuring a Foreword written by world-renowned hacker Kevin D. Mitnick and lead author of The Art of Intrusion and The Art of Deception, this book is the first guide to planning and performing a physical penetration test. Inside, IT security expert Wil Allsopp guides you through the entire process from gathering intelligence, getting inside, dealing with threats, staying hidden (often in plain sight), and getting access to networks and data.

Low Tech Hacking: Street Smarts for Security Professionals (http://www.amazon.com/Low-Tech-Hacking-Security-Professionals/dp/1597496650)
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: AJCarrington on <11-19-12/0648:18>
These are great - thank you.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <11-19-12/1726:47>
No problem if you find any other books that would be great :)
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: JustADude on <11-19-12/1849:00>
Actually, think we could get this pinned? It really is a great reading list.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Black on <11-19-12/2342:35>
Actually, think we could get this pinned? It really is a great reading list.

Concur, FastJack, could you please pin this topic?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <11-21-12/0025:52>
It would be great if he could do that.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: FastJack on <11-21-12/0754:28>
"And lo, on the 21st day, the topic was stickyethed and all was good."
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: FastJack on <11-21-12/0803:42>
Of course, now that it's stickyed, I expect great things in this thread. Not only books on how to think like a 'Runner, but on all aspects of the game. And, much like Bull's Art Thread (http://forums.shadowrun4.com/index.php?topic=5104.0), I suggest a "book tax" on the thread. Meaning, try to add books as often as you can to your posts. I'll start with a favorite of mine (although it's now over 10 years old...):

Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible (http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Roleplaying-Gamers-Bible-Edition/dp/0967442907)

This book looks through all aspects of gaming, from the types of gamers, how to run good games, why games are important, and some popular games to pick up (Shadowrun is featured in the book). It's also a great book to hand to those loved ones that "don't get it" to help them understand why this is a big part of our lives.

Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: FastJack on <11-21-12/0817:58>
Oh, and here's some truly excellent books for world-building:

Gary Gygax's World Builder (http://www.amazon.com/Gary-Gygaxs-World-Builder-Gygaxian/dp/193127522X)

Ultimate Toolbox (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/63106/Ultimate-Toolbox?term=ultimate+toolbox)
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <11-21-12/1203:52>
This is a great for your shadowrun team to read it will give them idea's on how to break in to places other then using brute force.

Ninja Hacking: Unconventional Penetration Testing Tactics and Techniques (http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-Hacking-Unconventional-Penetration-Techniques/dp/1597495883/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353517341&sr=8-1&keywords=Ninja+Hacking)

This book should give GM's Idea's for matrix runs.

Stealing the Network: The Complete Series Collector's Edition, Final Chapter, and DVD (http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Network-Complete-Collectors-Chapter/dp/159749299X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353517547&sr=1-1&keywords=Stealing+the+network)

This book should help GM's and Players giving there characters more depth.

Writer's Guide to Character Traits (http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Guide-Character-Traits-Edelstein/dp/1582973903/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353517906&sr=1-5&keywords=Writers+guide)

This one should give you Idea's on the type of plot you want to run for your player's.

20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them (http://www.amazon.com/20-Master-Plots-Build-Them/dp/1599635372/ref=pd_sim_b_6)
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <11-27-12/2221:06>

This book can help you make a truly memorable antagonist
Bullies, Bastards And Bitches: How To Write The Bad Guys Of Fiction (http://www.amazon.com/Bullies-Bastards-Bitches-Write-Fiction/dp/1582974845/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354072342&sr=1-1&keywords=Bullies%2C+Bastards+%26+Bitches%3A+How+to+Write+the+Bad+Guys+of+Fiction)

This book can help you get to know your characters more in depth.
What Would Your Character Do?: Personality Quizzes for Analyzing Your Characters. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/653760.What_Would_Your_Character_Do_?a=5&origin=related_works)
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: JustADude on <12-01-12/2106:23>
Not a book, but a very nice website that offers some very clear insights into the world Shadowrunners live in.

I already posted about it HERE (http://forums.shadowrun4.com/index.php?topic=5775), but here's a transcription of the articles I cherry-picked for those that don't want to follow the link:

Quote
"Advice to Writers" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/writersadvice.htm): An article that has some decent tips on how to portray a compelling bad-guy type, and how disposable minions generally really act when confronted with someone who can obviously slap them silly.

"Street Fighting" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/streetfighting.html): An insider view on the real world of high-stakes violence.

"Monkey Dance" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/monkey_dance.htm): How a "normal" person, with no crisis training, tends to respond to an impending conflict.

"Violence Scale" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/violence_scale.htm): An article about different severities of violence, how the game changes as the stakes rise, and how people handle getting thrown out of their depth.

"Kinds of Violence" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/violencetypes.htm): The main motivations behind why someone would actually pursue premeditated violence. Several sub-pages with more detail on each.

"Types of Violence" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/four_types_of_violence.htm): Totally different topic; this page is a rough, front-lines guide to different types of agitated individuals and how to (and how to not) deal with them.

"Best Way To Get Attacked?" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/get_attacked.htm): Actually an article on several 'no-duh' factors for avoiding physical altercation, and common reasons people don't do them.

"Shadow Dancing" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/shadow_dancing.htm): A wonderfully explicit summation of the informal little ways people naturally check situations out. I'm almost totally sure the name is a coincidence.

"High Risk Behavior & When in Rome" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/HighriskbehaviorRome.htm): All about the different rules of etiquette in different social strata, and what happens if/when you don't shift gears appropriately.

"Alpha Male Behavior" (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/alphablogone.htm): Discourse on how genuine dominant personalities behave, as opposed to people trying to bluster and be self-important. Also more discussions of the realities of street life.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <01-10-13/1732:08>
This book help you build some NPC's with more depth also can help you figure out what some of your player character's development might be.
45 Master Characters, Revised Edition: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters (http://www.amazon.com/45-Master-Characters-Revised-Edition/dp/1599635348/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357856221&sr=8-2&keywords=20+master+plots)

A Writer's Guide to Characterization: Archetypes, Heroic Journeys, and Other Elements of Dynamic Character Development (http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Guide-Characterization-Archetypes-Development/dp/1599635577/ref=pd_sim_b_3)



Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Neurosis on <02-19-13/1703:26>
Neat, these are helpful to RPG Designers too.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <03-03-13/2244:27>
Some books for Matrix Hackers and Shadowrun teams giving Idea's how to break in to a place.

Unauthorised Access: Physical Penetration Testing For IT Security Teams (http://www.amazon.com/Unauthorised-Access-Physical-Penetration-Security/dp/0470747617/ref=pd_sim_b_16)
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <03-06-13/0822:46>
This book should give you some low tech idea's on how to get a shadowrun mission done.
Low Tech Hacking: Street Smarts for Security Professionals (http://www.amazon.com/Low-Tech-Hacking-Security-Professionals/dp/1597496650)

Criminals using hacking techniques can cost corporations, governments, and individuals millions of dollars each year. While the media focuses on the grand-scale attacks that have been planned for months and executed by teams and countries, there are thousands more that aren't broadcast. Low Tech Hacking focuses on the everyday hacks that, while simple in nature, actually add up to the most significant losses. Attackers are using common techniques like social engineering, wireless hacking, and targeting and surveillance to gain access to valuable data. This book contains detailed descriptions of potential threats and vulnerabilities, many of which the majority of the information systems world may be unaware. Author Jack Wiles spent many years as an inside penetration testing team leader, proving these threats and vulnerabilities exist and their countermeasures work. His contributing authors are among the best in the world in their respective areas of expertise.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <03-06-13/0855:24>
This book should give you some idea's how to role play survival rather then jut doing a roll. So you can Have that person playing a homeless character who knows how to survive out there. Might have to upgrade some of the tactics when messing with devil rats lol

SAS Survival Handbook, Revised Edition: For Any Climate, in Any Situation (http://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Handbook-Revised-Situation/dp/0061733199/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362577877&sr=1-2&keywords=Survival)
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: AndyNakamura on <04-24-13/2229:55>
Now why are the books by the real world's version of FastJack (or maybe Slamm-O!, YMMV) not listed here yet?

For a brief primer into hacking (both hardware and software):

The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, Intruders and Deceivers  (http://amzn.com/0764569597)  by Kevin Mitnick

More from the same, this time regarding social engineering (that is, what the Face does if (s)he's any good).

The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security (http://amzn.com/0471237124), also by Kevin Mitnick

I have both signed. :D

The last one describes how he spent several years on the run, dodging the FBI. Includes establishing one's identity from the scratch. Utility for Shadowrun is obvious.

Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker (http://amzn.com/0316037702), by the same awesome guy.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: AndyNakamura on <04-24-13/2235:03>
Also, here's the guy's business card (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranh/106709219/).
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: CanRay on <04-24-13/2355:18>
Also, here's the guy's business card (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranh/106709219/).
I want to raid a bin of his cards, BTW.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: AndyNakamura on <04-26-13/0948:25>
You can get them on his site.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: CanRay on <04-26-13/1206:03>
You can get them on his site.
In Bulk?
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <05-30-13/1120:36>
This is a great book to help you get an Idea of how bad things can go in a shadowrunners life

Fiasco Role Playing Game (http://www.amazon.com/Bully-Pulpit-Games-BPG-005/dp/1934859397/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1369926956&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=fiasco+rpg)
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <07-04-13/0943:43>
This book should teach your players how to do cons in game. Maybe even think up a few more and not just roll dice but role play out how the con is going.

How to Cheat at Everything: A Con Man Reveals the Secrets of the Esoteric Trade of Cheating, Scams, and Hustles  (http://www.amazon.com/How-Cheat-Everything-Esoteric-Cheating/dp/1560259736/ref=pd_sim_b_1)
From magician and reformed con-man Lovell comes this seemingly comprehensive guide to cheating with props, cards, numbers, coins, telephones, sleight of hand, dice, and more. The book is written with an impish grin (hey, we all know you wouldn't do this stuff, but here's how to do it, just hypothetically) and features dozens of hustles that anyone can perform, with a little practice. Most depend on a simple trick--when you bet that a tossed paper match will land on its edge, the trick is to bend the match in the middle first--but there are some that depend on elegance of execution, or on selling the mark a story (like "work at home" schemes or e-mails offering to enhance parts of the anatomy). For those who are willing to accept the larcenous premise, this is a thoroughly fascinating and even charming book, chock-full of fun and adventure. David Pitt
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <11-21-13/2311:54>
Some interesting books I believe will help players figure out better ways to avoid being watched.

Surveillance Countermeasures: A Serious Guide To Detecting, Evading, And Eluding Threats To Personal Privacy (http://www.amazon.com/Surveillance-Countermeasures-Serious-Detecting-Personal/dp/0873647637/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385093098&sr=8-1&keywords=Surveillance+Countermeasures%3A+A+Serious+Guide+to+Detecting%2C+Evading%2C+and+Eluding+Threats+to+Personal+Privacy)
Learn to detect and evade surveillance efforts that threaten your personal security. These time-tested tactics of observation, detection and evasion are proven effective against the most sophisticated surveillance techniques used in the world.

Countering Hostile Surveillance: Detect, Evade, and Neutralize Physical Surveillance Threats (http://www.amazon.com/Countering-Hostile-Surveillance-Neutralize-Physical/dp/1581606362/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y)
From the author of the highly regarded training manuals Secrets of Surveillance and Surveillance Countermeasures comes the next course in identifying and evading hostile surveillance in the real world.

Every day in all parts of the world, hostile surveillance forces are stalking and exploiting unwitting prey -- be they private citizens, corporate employees or national security agents. This book demonstrates how the intended prey can detect, evade and, if necessary, turn the tables and assume the role of the predator to neutralize this threat.

This is not a book on evading garden-variety physical surveillance. Instead, this important manual provides the security professional with the tools he needs to operate at a master's level in the field of surveillance countermeasures. In step-by-step detail, it explains concepts, techniques and procedures that have been proven effective against the spectrum of surveillance capabilities ranging from the very basic to the world's most sophisticated. Security professionals who want to be on top of their game, as well as private citizens seeking to protect themselves and their families, need the street-tested information in this book.

Secrets Of Surveillance: A Professional's Guide To Tailing Subjects By Vehicle, Foot, Airplane, And Public Transportation (http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Of-Surveillance-Professionals-Transportation/dp/087364722X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_z)
Pros know that the real secret of surveillance lies in the skill of the operators, not in high-tech gadgets. This book is for the true practitioners of the craft. It focuses on tactics that can only be learned from stalking the streets and standing in the shadows.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <11-21-13/2314:04>
Great book that will give players an idea of how to steal things.

The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft (http://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Heist-Worlds-Largest-Unsolved/dp/0061451843/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385093568&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Gardner+Heist%3A+The+True+Story+of+the+World%27s+Largest+Unsolved+Art+Theft)
Shortly after midnight on March 18, 1990, two men broke into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and committed the largest art heist in history. They stole a dozen masterpieces, including one Vermeer, three Rembrandts, and five Degas. But after thousands of leads—and a $5 million reward—none of the paintings have been recovered. Worth as much as $500 million, the missing masterpieces have become one of the nation's most extraordinary unsolved mysteries.

After the death of famed art detective Harold Smith, reporter Ulrich Boser decided to take up the case. Exploring Smith's unfinished leads, Boser travels deep into the art underworld and comes across a remarkable cast of characters, including a brilliant rock 'n' roll thief, a gangster who professes his innocence in rhyming verse, and the enigmatic late Boston heiress Isabella Stewart Gardner herself. Boser becomes increasingly obsessed with the case and eventually uncovers startling new evidence about the identities of the thieves. A tale of art and greed, of obsession and loss, The Gardner Heist is as compelling as the stolen masterpieces themselves.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Basic on <11-21-13/2318:54>
License To Steal: Traveling Con Artists: Their Games, Their Rules—Your Money (http://www.amazon.com/License-Steal-Traveling-Artists-Rules%C2%97Your/dp/0873647513/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385093741&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=License+to+Steal%3A+Traveling+Con+Artists%3A+Their+Games%2C+Their+Rulesyour+Money)

How To Become A Professional Con Artist (http://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Professional-Con-Artist/dp/1581602693/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1)
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Thanael on <04-05-16/1749:40>
Is fiction fair game? High Aztech  (http://www.amazon.com/High-Aztech-Ben-Bova-Presents/dp/0812508661) gives a look at Tenochtitlan in a wild Spanish/Nahuatl slang driven ride.
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: Nightshadow70 on <09-15-20/0453:49>
Thanks for the reading lists  ;D Now I'm ready for the cold winter months :P
Title: Re: Books to help RPG player's
Post by: RowanTheFox on <01-31-21/0926:39>
I lost my copy of Howdunit Forensics years ago, but it was super useful. May have to grab another copy if I can find it available from a place that isn't Amazon.