Shadowrun
Catalyst Game Labs => Catalyst's Shadowrun Products => Topic started by: Starglyte on <04-28-16/1918:29>
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Just saw on the upcoming Shadowrun Tumblr a book I am not familiar with, "Court of Shadows". A quick google search has this blurb:
Court of Shadows takes the award-winning rules of Shadowrun 5th Ed. to a setting that has always been part of the Sixth World but never fully detailed. The mysterious Seelie Court has long shaped the elven nation of Tir na nog and parts beyond, and this book dives into its secrets and the powers who lead it. Full of high fantasy and intrigue, Court of Shadows presents a new way to play for veteran Shadowrun players and newcomers alike, pitting them against the tricky, manipulative fae of the courts to see who will decide the future of the Sixth World.
Anyone else hear anything about this?
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Ooohhh... interesting.
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That and the incomplete cover image are the extent of the publicly available information so far.
Thanks for following the tumblr, though. Any further information will be posted as it becomes available, and anything specific to this book will be found at http://shadowrun.tumblr.com/tagged/court-of-shadows
(http://40.media.tumblr.com/dd355d09aa78a3c6f4bdabf7beac0d75/tumblr_o5ypwkdUqr1s1wdzzo1_500.jpg)
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Ooo...something new about the Nog coming soon? Awesome!
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While the cover looks neat and I love information on the Tirs...
Are 'alternate setting' books really what the 5th Edition Shadowrun line needs right now?
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Yes! Finally! Gimme! Been waiting for this book :D
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Can't say a thing about this one yet, but, as always, I'm floating around, listening.
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As the Seelie and Unseelie court are supposed to be semi-operating from their own fractured demiplane, will this be giving runner the opportunity to do some running offworld?
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I'm looking forward to see whether Ireland as a whole has descended into the pits of a full on civil war
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I'm curious, why call it an alternate setting? Finally getting an inside look at an existing faction of the sixth world? Or rules for playing a part in it?
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Yep, I wonder also what "an alternate settings" is... The teaser is indeed "teasing", but I would like to see a couple more paragrah...
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My memory might be failing me again but haven't we had other "alternative" settings? Honestly since it is part of the Sixth world it wouldn't be alternative, it wood just be on s different premise I guess. The world should be the same despite working for immortals
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I do not recall any official alternate settings, but a lot of tables have done their own, lifting SR into full on steampunk or Medieval Europe settings.
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Well, seeing as the Nog has immortal elves and a fluctuating mana "veil"/storm I can see this being like the adventure Harliquinn's Back from 2E. That was an alt setting piece...
Course that "Alternate Setting" piece could just be a temporary holder for what could be a "Location" or such instead....
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I also hope for an update on the Tirs and maybe some hooks on CFD there...
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Looking forward to this! Hopefully they will do the fae justice, the blurb sounded along the lines I'd like to see them portrayed!
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I, like some of you, am looking forward to it. They need a way to make Elves more mysterious and dangerous.
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And capricious, whimsical, malicious and just more fae :o
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Is it finally time for me to create my PI/mage character Jerry Bresden? ;D
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Is it finally time for me to create my PI/mage character Jerry Bresden? ;D
Only if I can make up a reporter named Barry Sowler, and repeatedly sue your PI for wrecking my studio! ;D
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You both are terrible. ;D
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You both are terrible. ;D
Why yes, yes I am! Thank you for noticing! ;D
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I am hoping to see if this can answer a question I have always had.
The UK and Ireland had an unusually high number of elves born to the more uppercrust bloodlines.
Now we know there was also a fairly high stillborn rate of dwarven babies in the region at the time so it was largely assumed that some of the high-ups were snuffing the halfer babies and secretly swapping in elves born to commoners and taking them as their own.
So on paper it looks like lots of noble elves born and loads of dead dwarves born to the normal rank and file, though if you follow the money often these same families were well compensated for their loss.
But what if the Courts were also playing the old Changeling game here by inserting more of their kin into the ranks with the long game in mind?
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A LOT of info posted up on Tumblr (http://catalystgamelabs.tumblr.com/post/145003844626/court-of-shadows-design-files-1-unearthing-t%C3%ADr)! Plus some art :))
(http://66.media.tumblr.com/c62baf92c986e166382f49243f803bb6/tumblr_inline_o7u7dl2HpJ1s9c9hj_500.jpg)
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So the carpet and bed drapes catches on fire where the light comes through the windows...
Is it made from woven vampires and if so, do they deliver because I have a den I wouldn't mind decorating with it. :D
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So the carpet and bed drapes catches on fire where the light comes through the windows...
Is it made from woven vampires and if so, do they deliver because I have a den I wouldn't mind decorating with it. :D
Nah, it's woven from the souls of those of us who have worked third shift for so long that we're no longer on speaking terms with the sun. Y'know what? Just say vampires, same thing. 8)
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A new design preview...a tie in to the upcoming Shadowrun Tarot:
Court of Shadows Design Files #2: Avoiding the Monolith (http://catalystgamelabs.tumblr.com/post/145678144141/court-of-shadows-design-files-2-avoiding-the)
And a fantastic piece of art:
(http://67.media.tumblr.com/e960b5c066a13f0bb456f0fbfab43e11/tumblr_inline_o8iz16rcBm1s9c9hj_500.jpg)
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Oh, wow, that is fantastic! :o
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This looks interesting. Hope it's here for my birthday in September, would make a lovely present to myself.
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I want to see how the Seelie/Unseelies interact with the Ancients. Fae go-gangers - Faencients! :)
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The Faescients !!! :D
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A new design update has been posted on Tumblr (http://catalystgamelabs.tumblr.com/post/147057574221/court-of-shadows-design-files-3-timelines-and), along with some art:
(http://66.media.tumblr.com/b2157330db818a7c1a444937703449ea/tumblr_inline_o9ynnmDmUP1s9c9hj_500.jpg)
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Design update #4 is live (http://catalystgamelabs.tumblr.com/post/147290488266/court-of-shadows-design-essay-4-the-war-of); some nice new art, from K. Hardy, as well:
(http://67.media.tumblr.com/7168d31e824588c957c4443e45726f3c/tumblr_inline_oa7gxiJhSv1s9c9hj_500.jpg)
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Ah, the Moss Ellyllon Cantina no doubt :P
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Ah, the Moss Ellyllon Cantina no doubt :P
And the band's playing a hide drum, pan flute and a recorder. :D
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Cover:
(http://cdn.shadowruntabletop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/E-CAT27009_Court-of-Shadows_Cover.jpg?f365d3)
As noted here (http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=24528.0), now available.
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Final Dev blog here (http://catalystgamelabs.tumblr.com/post/147802136646/court-of-shadows-is-available).
Cover art by Alyssa Menold:
(http://67.media.tumblr.com/6c3d7faae5d5854d04912b3ba9497d69/tumblr_inline_oaq3wajiJ31s9c9hj_500.jpg)
Another nice piece:
(http://66.media.tumblr.com/245681ff04e1d807fcca736c2811acc2/tumblr_inline_oaq4k6tnMV1s9c9hj_500.jpg)
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I'm curious what reactions'll be to this one. It's probably the most "this isn't for everyone" book I've seen in a long time -- just the nature of this beast, I guess -- but I think the folks who dig it are gonna really dig it.
I need to find some time to read it properly, just been browsing through it in the afternoon (yes it's evening where I live) and I'm liking it so far. It feels like a refreshing take on the Shadowrun tropes, and after quite a few techno-centric metaplots I appreciate a visit to the metaplanes for a change, with all their weirdness and magical intrigues. In spirit, Court of Shadows reminds me a lot of Harlequin's Back, with a setting that feels less "random" and more connected to the "regular" Sixth World.
A few notes:
I appreciate that while not directly making links to Earthdawn it's not actively contradicting it either. The few mentions of the "Age of Legend" brought a smile to my face.
On a similar note: when I try this setting with my players, I'll totally have them meet some creepy elves with bloody thorns protruding from their bodies.
I think some things are a bit confusing. Stuff the writer(s) probably felt was obvious but really isn't.
For instance Brane Deigh is described as a changeling, which I guess refers to the folklore that fae replace (meta)human babies with fae babies. But then the word changeling is also used for doppelgangers, which seem to be an entirely different concept.
Another example: "Working with an Adept" is listed as one of the ways to find the way to the Seelie Court, but what an Adept is or why they have their entries to the Seelie Court doesn't seem to be explained anywhere (not by searching Adept in the pdf in any case). Is it meant to be the same thing as the regular "physical/mystical adept" archetype?
Last but not least, the way the Seelie Court is retroactively worked into the history of the world sometimes feels forced and unnatural, like [spoiler]the War of Sorrows being mentioned as the source of the racism/bigotry against magical/metahuman races[/spoiler], or people searching for the Court after the Awakening [spoiler]in the hope to "cure" their awakened/goblinized children.[/spoiler] If the latter was said to be specific to Ireland I would say why not, but the text makes it feel like it was a worldwide craze, which feels very artificial.
That's just the things I've noticed so far.
Oh, and I love that cover art. Any hope for a wallpaper version?
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Only had a chance to skim, all the art is great!
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After first skim and early fiction I'm hooked. When have free time later tonight plan on reading from front to back. I was on fence with this and holding judgement till I got to see it. Seems like gonna see tie in with fiction and tarot cards. Always been big fan of "event" source material and this looks likes its going to fit that bill. Been awhile since we've had something earth shaking that adds to the game (AI infection has never captured my imagination like say bug spirits, Cartels, Early Artifacts story or Death of our Dragon President). Looking forward to digging back into it.
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Picked it up and haven't got that far yet so impressions are still preliminary.
The layout and design is attractive and it has a working table contents so at least it's got those very basic elements right (I can't believe I have to say that, but there you go).
The writing is pretty good although the little fluff stories haven't grabbed me much, just not that compelling for me.
At the moment I'm vacillating between "this could be interesting" and "wtf is the point of Srun with a different setting".
Still not sure which side i'm going to come down on in the end, I'll keep forging ahead and see where I land at the end of the book.
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Bit of a Planescape vibe. Ties into lots of old SR lore while still being a fresh take. Middling stats on some of power players (I'd be tempted to use legend rules with a few of Fae). Scratches at surface of Faes Artifact horde. In some ways feels like an intro to bigger things to come. Lots of setting, factions and plots, a ton of plot threads to pull at.
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Another thing I find a bit unclear is what, exactly, is a fae. Sometimes the text even seems to imply elves and dwarves are fae themselves.
Can I have a confirmation that the following definitions are correct?
- Fae: denizens of the Faery metaplane. Includes the usual creatures/spirits from British folklore (knockers, leshii, etc.), but also some creatures from other folklores such as kappas.
- True Fae: fae who were already around at the time of the Fourth World. Not a lot of them remaining.
- Tuatha De Danann: fae that look like elves and are often confused with them. Essentially an elf metavariant native to the Faery metaplane. Have mixed with metahumanity over the years, and these bloodlines are the ruling families of Tir na Nog.
The Metahuman races are NOT fae, but the fae view them as "cousins", elves in particular. They can join the Courts and play quite important roles in Faery politics (for instance Lady Brane Deigh or Liam O'Connor).
Did I get it all right?
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So far so good for me.
I am disappointed the Path magic rules were not included in the book though.
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Is Path magic something elves of Tir Na Nog use or did it originate in Fae realms? Gonna have to go back and reread Tir na Nog now.
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Never realize how many SR books there have actually been till you have to dig through half a dozen boxes looking for a sourcebook.
Path magic is introduced as a Seelie thing but in rules section is described as an Elven tradition.
Been awhile since visited Tir Na Nog book.
Morph seeking weapons, Ogam stones, fiery firmament spirits, druids and lots of other goodies.
On second look there are plenty of things that aren't carried over or introduced in different ways.
In the original book there is a blurring between the Nog elves and the Fae court. Court of Shadows seems to separate them.
Wish we would have gotten a little more then a mention of the Arcanum held by the queen.
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Strong reincarnation themes associated with the Ways and the Paths. Wheel of spirits is something the Danaan families and other elves of the Nog are said to believe strongly in.
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Over 7% of elves born in the Nog are magically active in some way as opposed to 1% elsewhere.
Geek the Mage(s) first!
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So why is this called an Alternate Setting? Does the plots and culture of this book not exist in Shadowrun Canon?
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So why is this called an Alternate Setting? Does the plots and culture of this book not exist in Shadowrun Canon?
I'm guessing that's because runs taking place in the faery metaplane(s) have a very different atmosphere compared to the classic Shadowrun. They prefered to play it safe by being very clear that this is much more fantasy, and not much cyberpunk (although there are ideas and suggestions to tie the Seelie Court to the usual megacorp shenanigans).
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Did I get it all right?
I realize that a lot of the questions I had were answered in Shadows of Europe (and probably before that in Tir Na Nog). I think I'll put together a document summing up the info that, in my opinion, should have been present at the very beginning of Court of Shadows.
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I also don't know how much this will tie in directly with the main game line. Like, I don't know that you'll see plots bleeding over from it much, since everything is so tied specifically to that metaplane.
It's one of those things you can drop into and make a huge focus of your game, or you can ignore completely.
(Just my opinion and guess, as a note. I've been a little less active with the freelancer stuff, so I'm not on top of everything, but I believe that is (or was) the plan for stuff like this.)
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I've just finished my first read through, and on first impressions its well written, the layout works, there's only one or two grammatical errors, and there's a functional index.
As to the content, its a little overwhelming on first reading, so I will definitely have to go through it a few more times. I'm not sure I would ever want to run or play in this setting for a full campaign, but a story or two seems an amusing idea.
My one big complaint is the lack of a pronunciation guide; in a book teeming with Gaelic a couple of pages devoted to a Glossary and pronunciation guide would seem invaluable. As I said, this was a first read through but I'm pretty sure I didn't spot one.
Overall, it's probably of limited use to anyone devoted to the traditional Shadowrun game, but the quality of the book is encouraging for future releases.
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Design Files #6 is up on Tumblr (http://catalystgamelabs.tumblr.com/post/148295399626/court-of-shadows-design-files-6-your-initial) and we learn a little more about the Book of Memories and Dragon faction. Plus we have a wonderful piece from Jeff Laubenstein:
(http://67.media.tumblr.com/5ad8d5cf41814a8e79a7d56e91ea25f5/tumblr_inline_ob8dwfnpk01s9c9hj_500.jpg)
:))
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Saw the physical Court of Shadows appear in various online shops as "In Stock", so I guess that means the book is now hitting the streets :)
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I saw a hard copy in my local store's incoming bin on Monday.
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I know this is Necro’ing of that worst sort but I was wondering whether the D.A.D. (Dragonlings After Dark) under the Comet faction is the name dropping of a danish rock band D.A.D. previously known as Disneyland After Dark only the company complained decades ago.