Thomas McAllister ist ein ehemaliger Hochschulprofessor, der einer von Ihm abgewiesenen Liebschaft nachjagt. Sie gehört zu den Infizierten, den Trägern des HMHVV. „Another Rainy Night“ ist Kurzgeschichte und Quellenbuch zugleich? Ein interessantes Konzept. Erscheinungsbild Das mir vorliegende pdf ist mit 18 Seiten sehr knapp bemessen. Lediglich 6 Seiten am Ende des Dokumentes stellen spielrelevante Informationen dar. Hier bekommen wir in Photoart dargestellte Bilder der Pro- und Antagonisten nebst ihren Werteprofilen und Fähigkeiten. Besondere Waffen- und andere Technologien, die in der Kurzgeschichte benutzt werden, bekommen wir dort im Kurzüberblick.

Außer dem Cover ist das gesamte Dokument in schwarz/weiß gehalten. Besagtes Frontcover zeigt ein Motiv, welches mir nicht aufgehen will, ich würde sagen, es ist ein blutiges Tuch, welches auf dem Boden liegend vom Regen ausgewaschen wird.

Das Innere wird immer wieder von ganzseitigen Illustrationen geziert und weist die für Shadowrun so typischen Zierleisten auf. Kontraste von Hintergrund zu Schrift sind gut gewählt, so dass der zweispaltig gesetzte Text leicht lesbar ist.

Inhalt Eingangs erwähnte ich, dass es sich bei diesem Buch um sowohl Kurzgeschichte als auch spielrelevante Informationen handelt. Catalyst Game Labs nennt diesen Ansatz Enhanced Fiction. Durch das Liefern der Zusatzinformationen erhalten Spielleiter die Möglichkeit, diese Geschichte tiefergehend in ihre Kampagne einzubauen.

Worum geht es in der Kurzgeschichte? Thomas McAllister, seines Zeichens Schamane und Doktor der Magie hat vor langer Zeit Vorlesungen über übernatürliche Kreaturen gehalten, darunter auch einige rund um das Thema des HMHVV. In seinen Kursen war eine junge Frau, deren Begeisterung für das Übernatürliche und besonders den Vampirismus ungesund hohe Wellen schlug.

Seit einiger Zeit werden Morde voll übt, die alle die gleiche Handschrift haben – alle Opfer starben an akuter Blutarmut, hervorgerufen durch zwei nadelförmige Bisswunden am Hals. Als Spezialist für den Vampirismus wird er zu einer weiteren Obduktion für Knight Errant nach Denver gerufen und trifft dabei Lydia Bowden, eine Sicherheitsagentin.

Gemeinsam stellen sie dem Mörder nach und treffen dabei auf eine unliebsame Überraschung aus der Vergangenheit des Schamanen. Und wie es danach weitergeht – lest selbst, wenn ihr Interesse gefunden habt.

Der Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm, geradezu flüssig, die Worte finden leicht ihren Weg in den Geist des Lesers. Stilistisch erinnert er, und da wird der Titel nicht ganz ohne Absicht gewählt worden sein, an Detektivromane aus den 30ern und 40ern des 20. Jahrhunderts. Eine Einordnung ins Neo-Noir scheint mir durchaus passend zu sein.

Da es natürlich (Hey, es ist Shadowrun!) auch zu Auseinandersetzungen kommt im Laufe der Geschichte, zeigt uns der angehangene Regelteil ein paar Waffen, ein Fahrzeug und….Sägemehl.

Und jetzt muss ich doch spoilern – 150 Nuyen für eine Packung Sägemehl? Ich werde reich!

Die Geschichte, das Tempo, in der sie erzählt wird, die Szenenschnitte zu anderen Orten – all das hat mir gut gefallen und ich habe es förmlich verschlungen, aber dieser Preis ist nun wirklich hirnrissig. Ein gewiefter Runner fährt nun in eine Stadt mit einer Vampirplage, nimmt sich 3 Klafter Holz mit, trocknet es, hobel es so klein, wie nur geht und wird reich?

Zum Glück gibt es den gemeinen Menschenverstand, der als SL einem Spieler mit fixen Ideen diese wieder ganz schnell austreiben lässt.

Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis 4,95 USD sind circa 3,95 EUR. Dafür bekomme ich eine Geschichte, die nett ist, und auch die eine oder andere wertvolle Idee zur Umsetzung in einem Run hat, aber auch nicht mehr. Die Technologien aus dem Regelteil sind situativ äußerst beschränkt einzusetzen. Ich finde den Preis zu hoch. Fazit Hier nochmal ein paar kurze, abschließende Sätze.

Unsere Bewertung

Erscheinungsbild 3/5 Der übliche Shadowrun-pdf-Kurzdokument Standard. Außen bunt, innen grau, leicht zu lesen und gut gesetzt Inhalt 3.5/5 Eine Neo Noir Kurzgeschichte über den Vampirismus und ein kleiner Regelteil Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis 2.5/5 Zu teuer für den beschränkt nutzbaren Inhalt. Die Geschichte weiß jedoch zu gefallen Gesamt 3/5

Little bit short, good story, interesting NPCs and I like making vampires scary again. Seemed really short, disproportionately so for the price. Really wasn't sure what I expected from Enhanced Fiction, but I think I'll be a bit leery of the next one, just to hear what other people have to say about the amount of content. I have no problems with the quality of the product, I just wish there were more.

Originally posted at: http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=36800&view=findpost&p=1143406

Not fully sure what to expect, I took the plunge and plunked down my $5.00. My first impression was the same as some other critics (on Dumpshock): I was a little put off at a page count of 19, including cover, etc. Comparing that to a 383 page pdf novel I just bought for $10, I expected more story. This will cause me hesitation to buy future enhanced fiction products. The story? I liked it a lot. It was a nice change with a good flow. The write ups for the characters were good and obviously reflective of someone familiar with the system. While I will not use them, they could hold value for a one shot run. As noted by an earlier poster (on Dumpshock), some implicit plot hooks would be a nice feature. I liked the return of the Americar and the special weapons were a nice addition also.

My Review: 3/5 Artwork: The artwork was nice, but honestly the pieces included did not match to the story, except in the character section. 5/5 Story: The story was good. Really liked it. 4/5 Additional Features: Characters, equipment was relevant and reasonably well written. Why not add plot hooks to round it out? 3/5 Overall Value: Page count was incredibly short for the price. The quality of the story is the saving grace here.

This is an excellent product! I must admit that my first reaction to "Enhanced Fiction" wasn't really positive however I rolled the dice and took a chance. I bought it and was more than pleasantly surprised. The fiction itself is both excellent and well written while fitting into how I view the Sixth World. The artwork is new and edgy and different than the artwork in most other Shadowrun products (in a good way).

The only two things that I wish were different: 1.) I would have liked a small adventure that either coincided with what the characters were doing IN the fiction, or dealing with connected situations. 2.) A plot hooks section for how to integrate it into my game.

This is an excellent product and well worth what I paid for it.

Originally posted at: http://diehardgamefan.com/2012/03/01/tabletop-review-shadowrun-another-rainy-night/

Another Rainy Night is what Catalyst Game Labs refers to as “enhanced fiction.” The phrase is basically fiction based on a game with a little something extra thrown in. We’ve seen this before. Remember the Magic: The Gathering Novels that came with cards (one of which ended up being worth a lot of dough)? Have you read any of the truly dreadful Arkham Horror novels that include a coupon for a special card for the game? It’s that sort of thing. In the case of Another Rainy Night, author Patrick Goodman gives you a ten page short story, which is then followed by five pages of stat blocks about the characters you just read about. The other four pages are the cover, two full page pieces of art and a Jackpoint entry which subtly pimps out Conspiracy Theories and Safehouses (both of which are for sale now!) along with “Gun Haven 2″ and “Magical Societies” – neither of which actually exist (although I’d love the latter just to see if The Black Lodge is run by BOB).

The fiction contained in Another Rainy Night is excellent. It’s a fun story that reminded me a lot of the old Chill game by Mayfair while still feeling like proper Sixth World fiction. I also liked that the story progressed like a piece of 20s pulp fiction, even though it didn’t read like one. This juxtaposition of elements and the Sixth World setting really helped the story to come alive. More importantly, it kept Another Rainy Night from feeling like yet another clichéd horror story. This last story will make more sense once you’ve read it, but I don’t want to spoil it. Let’s just say that the core plot hook is one I’ve read several hundred times but amazingly, it manages to feel fresh and interesting. That’s the mark of a good writer. It’s a bit coincidental that the next tabletop piece I’m reviewing after this is a WoD one though…

I’m interesting to see how much of this story is setting up future Sixth World plot lines. Will we learn more about Deacon and the plans he is setting in motion for example? Will the protagonists appear in another story or possible even in Jackpoint segments? I really liked everyone involved and I hope this won’t be a one-off for the two main characters.

The five pages of character stats gives you four characters. The art is a little weird. Lydia Bowden’s character art, for example, looks like she’s about to crack up laughing from the pose she is in and it doesn’t come across as intentional. Meanwhile Alice Bujold looks half elf and half D&D style Orc.

Overall I really loved Another Rainy Night and if CGL continues to do enhanced fiction, I think it would be a good idea to released a collected anthology version. My only real problem with Another Rainy Night is the cost. At $4.95, it’s more expensive than the Shadowrun Missions and even supplements like Safehouses – both of which are a little longer than this. I think a better price point would be $1.99 or $2.99 to put it in line with say, Kindle Singles. At five dollars, Catalyst Game Labs might be inadvertently pushing away people who have been spoiled by the low cost of things like the aforementioned Shadowrun Missions. For a dollar more you can get a full D&D novel for your e-book reader. Of course people that balk at the price tag will be missing a very well written story, so it’s a lose-lose for everyone then. CGL doesn’t get your money and you don’t get an excellent piece of fiction.

All in all, if you’re a big Shadowrun fan and the price point doesn’t bother you, consider picking up Another Rainy Night. It’s a finely crafted horror story, which is something that is VERY hard to pull off in the Shadowrun setting, so kudos to Mr. Goodman for pulling it off. If you like the story, you have all the character stats to either run the story as an adventure or have the characters show up in your own campaign.

If this is the quality of product we can expect this year from Catalyst, then 2012 is Shadowruns' year (as it should be). The last month has seen a wide array of titles released (all with a different focus) for the line, and this is the first novel/game tie-in I've read for SR20.

The design is very simple. You recvieve a fifteen page novel, with appendices covering the stats of the main characters, NPCs, equipment, spells and vehicles. If you want to incorporate the material into your game it couldn't be easier. The story is well-written, actually better than some of the older SR novels published by FASA and leaves the story on a cliff-hanger. To be honest, I'd love to see this developed out to a full-length novel. I shan't spoil the plot for readers beyond mentioning that it is a good treatment of vampires in Shadowrun and gives a great 'jumping off' point for a campaign (although I did like that the author managed a Lord of the Rings reference in a vampire novel).

The only low point was the character art - it is a type of quasi-photography which I found incredibly unappealing. The rest of the art was the same quality as the SR4 core book; which I've found quite pleasing.

The title is perfectly priced, and I'd have no problem in recommending to any Shadowrun fan, player or Gamesmaster alike.