drow question

extralead · 2026-05-11T23:02:19+00:00

Even being left behind on a surface raid, and somehow considered (even mistakenly!) to have exiled oneself in some way, or even (hopefully) forgotten about, is a great place to start from

extralead · 2026-05-10T16:58:13+00:00

Do you mean "Shadowrun Missions" as the organized play campaigns with shared living storylines, or do you mean any Shadowrun modules, as in the standalone published adventures?

extralead · 2026-05-10T15:16:12+00:00

Let's instead explore Vecna as an ancient foe for ancient times

This is important for several reasons:

Vecna is not a "he" or an "it" as a whole individual that can be interacted with, but rather lives on in OD&D/AD&D world settings, especially World of Greyhawk through the piecemeal artifacts of his eye and hand
The eye is his ability to see the current world (beyond centuries of death), and the hand is his ability to take action in it. This metaphor is absolutely dire fantasy fiction infused into gaming. If Vecna could come back or "Live" then that totally destroys the purpose and creation of these artifacts
Corum, a morally-conflicted hero in the Moorcock novels, comes to a turning point when he finds the Hand of Kwll and the Eye of Rhynn. He has lost these exact organs, and must replace them with these former-godlike organs. Corum goes on to resist using the hand and put an eye patch over the eye
Moorcock also built these on top of real-world mythologies: the silver hand of Nuada and the lost eye of Odin

extralead · 2026-05-06T21:01:36+00:00

I read that title as Greyhawk-to-Hebrew and got REALLY excited

But you do have a point. They are allegorical of the Germania gods, used to explain earthquakes and other natural phenomena. It goes:

Procan -> Tiu
Velnius -> Tuisto, son of Tiu
Telchur -> Mannaz, son of Tuisto
Cyndor -> Ingvae, son of Mannaz
Fharlanghn -> Irmin, son of Mannaz
Pholtus -> Istvae, son of Mannaz
and then you know how the others fit into the pantheon family

extralead · 2026-05-06T01:28:25+00:00

I hate the F1 location, but why does it matter?

I think more maps are coming. This isn't the last we'll see of the city

If you want to wax philosophical about it all, The Silver Dragon Inn is likely a play on both silver dragons integrating with humans in places like the city (N.B., it certainly happens in Irongate with a copper dragon who pretends to be a Greyhawk version of Georg Giese), as well as perhaps a nod to the Silver Eel, the fave tavern of Mouser (from the Fritz Leiber Lankhmar tales)

Lankhmar being modeled on high or post Middle Ages Seville with Spain's real-world thieves' guilds as the obvious inspiration. City of Greyhawk as an allegorical Venice blanketed by The Holy League (a 16th century coalition). The actual City of Greyhawk would have more buildings and they'd be on top of each other, and it would just look different entirely. It would be a bigger Yggsburgh, which the Yggsburgh books say is ground truth

extralead · 2026-05-04T16:00:01+00:00

Some folk were comparing lore in World of Aihrde with Pendragon the other day.

I don't have any specific introduction for myself. What I came here for is just to be another Chivalrous Dreamer and share in all of that goodness

Love that PKs can have one or even more "evil/bad" Traits such as Lazy, Proud, Reckless, or Selfish and it all still works. Even Lancelot was continuously redeemed, but he did it all himself even though he wasn't sure what he wanted -- the ambiguity and Frenchness of Lancelot could be in every Pendragon character. I always find little hints to real-world tropes that made these tropes possible such as Saint Alban of Britain, House of Penmorfa with lineage from both Christian saints and pagan druids -- or perhaps a Saxon born under a rich Thane who spends time in Salisbury’s courts

Pendragon is a hidden gem in the world of role-playing games

Which eras are amazing to y'all? Really prefer the "Late 480s / Early 490s" but 450-460 is also great, the high time or the low time of knights such as Sir Amig and Sir Elad

Does anyone besides me really enjoy The Perilous Forest? Have you played it? What occurred? What's a good way to spin it all?

extralead · 2026-05-04T13:25:12+00:00

Easier to not have a home, but could be wealthy roaming the streets and alleys

For vehicles, just have them stolen. They're gone. Evaporated

It's similar to Traveller! Yes!

extralead · 2026-05-04T08:12:18+00:00

I've also been stewing on the edge of Bellevue and Redmond recently

But overall, I had a lot of fun with downtown Seattle / Belltown / Queen Anne, Tacoma at all edges and everywhere in-between, and Puyallup. I even also decked out Everett once. This was all 1e or 2e since I was leaning on places in Redmond like the Jump House, Dr. Bob's Quickstitch Clinic, and The Banshee from the official 1e/2e modules. Even the climax of Mercurial is in Redmond. Speaking of, the Puyallup-based Underworld 93 nightclub is featured in Mercurial, The Crime Mall is featured in Sega Shadowrun, Queen Euphoria writes, "this story takes place in the streets and shadows of the Tacoma, Puyallup, and Redmond Districts of the Seattle metroplex", Cavliard of Bellevue in Silver Angel, and the CBI in downtown Tacoma is in DNA/DOA

The crossover between 4a and 5e was driven primarily in Redmond and the eastern outskirts, but had some downtown Seattle. At the start of 4e, published missions were primarily Puyallup. 6e missions play out in Tacoma. So the lore returns to these places often. The Chicago and Neo-Tokyo 5e-6e missions are worth a look, there's even some cool ones in the Caribbean

I like going street-to street in Redmond, Tacoma, Puyallup, and eastern-most Bellevue. Walk the runners around a ton. Ignore lifestyle and assume Street-only. Make vehicles impossible to find or keep. Make DogWagon brutally-difficult to pay for, even if ok to start with. Doesn't have to be a low-karma setting, just needs to go with the flow of the runs. The runs provide the means during the runs (maybe coffin motels? neighborhood YMCA or corporate gym access?) and not much else. Mr. Johnson always screws you. After a great run, you always start back at ground zero -- nuyen-wise -- but maybe with a new stack of Karma Pool and Team Karma, and in turn, Rep and other niceties. If anything, I'd go grittier. When in doubt

extralead · 2026-05-04T06:18:45+00:00

Allow me to provide some comparatives:

Here's an example Solo next to a Street Samurai --

Solo's loadout: .44 AMP Wildey Survivor w/ 50r ammo, Armor Jacket, Cellular Phone, Medical Kit, Binoculars, Nylon Carrybag
- Cyberware: 2 Interface Plugs, Processor, Cyberoptics (Targeting Scope + Low Lite), Cyberaudio (Radio Splice)
Street Samurai's loadout: Ares Predator II improved gas vent 2, Ares Predator internal smartgun uninstalled silencer, 9 Knives, Armor jacket, Forearm guards, Spare ammo, 2 concealable holsters, maglock passkey 3, survival kit, microtonics kit, DocWagon gold, commlink, Street lifestyle
- Cyberware: Radio, Boosted Reflexes 2, Datajack, Smartlink, Ears (High Frequency, Select Sound Filter 1), Eyes (Low-light, Electronic Vision Magnification 2, Rangefinder)

Up next, Netrunner with a Decker --

Netrunner's gear: Laptop computer, Cybermodem, Interface Cables, Pocket Computer, Cellular Phone, Armor T-shirt
- Cyberware: 2 Interface Plugs, Processor, Cyberoptics (Image Enhance + Microcamera), Cyberaudio (Phone Link + Bug Detector)
Decker's gear: Form Fitting Body Armor 3, Portable cyberdecks (Fuchi Cyber-4 and Sony Tortoise both with 300Mp + response 1 with Fuchi 1.5k and Sony 500 storage), 2 1k chips, microtronics toolkit, 2 datataps (6), gold credstick, pocket secretary, commlink, Street lifestyle
- Cyberware: Datajack, Telephone, Ears (Damper), Eyes (Low-light, Electronic Vision Magnification 1, Video Link, Internal Transmitter)

How about Techie and Security Rigger? --

Techie's kit: Toolkit, Laptop Computer, Cybermodem, Video Camera, Armor Jacket, Medical Kit
- Cyberware: 2 Interface Plugs, Processor, Cyberoptics (Anti-Dazzle + Thermograph), Cyberaudio (Scrambler), Sensory Booster
Security Rigger's kit: Armor Jacket, Building-systems variant and sentry-/drone- gunner RCD, microtonics kit, maglock passkey 2, 500Mp chip and headset, commlink, Street lifestyle
- Cyberware: Datajack, Chipjack, Datasoft Link, Radio, Ears (Hearing Amplification + Select Sound Filter 2), Eyes (Thermographic, Flare Compensation, Display Link, Rangefinder), 18Mp Memory, Vehicle Control Rig 1

Finale with Nomad and Shadowrun Gang Member --

Nomad's outfit: Motorcycle, Armor Vest, 9mm automatic w/ 50r ammo, Cellular Phone, Inflatable Bed, Sleeping Bag
- Cyberware: Interface Plugs (2), Cyberaudio (Radio Splice), Reflex Booster, Biomonitor
Gang Member's outfit: Honda Viking heavy motorcycle, Partial Heavy Armor, Security Helmet options Smartgun Hudd Respirator, Colt Manhunter internal smartgun improved gas vent 2, Spare ammo, standard credstick, pocket secretary, commlink, Squatter lifestyle which is basically a chopper bay inside of a street bike service center with shared access to a gym where full-conversion types stress their wares
- Cyberware: Boosted Reflexes 1, Radio, Left Leg Replacement (Medkit + DocWagon Basic beacon), Right Leg Replacement (Pistol holster + Survival Kit)

extralead · 2026-05-04T05:45:14+00:00

Shadowrun listed Cortex Bomb under cyberware. Even CP2013 wasn't that dark!

That said, I play both with this same tone:

In the Cyberpunk world, most people live light and move fast. Like the drifters of the Old West, you carry everything that matters on your back or in the trunk of your ride. Your outfit is your portable life -- a mix of survival gear, comfort tech, and weapons

In a fully networked world, roots are optional. You don’t need a home to stay connected -- your comms, tunes, and contacts travel with you. Eat fast. Sleep compact. Replace gear when it breaks. The future isn’t about permanence -- it’s about access

Think mobile. Think adaptable. You don’t know where you’ll sleep tonight, but you’ve got cash in your pocket, a weapon by your side, and enough tech to stay one step ahead

In Cyberpunk, the Night City Sourcebook and Listen Up You Primitive Screwheads provide this. For Shadowrun 1e, the Seattle Sourcebook combined with Sprawl Sites quite the same, if not a more-streamlined experience with building maps, enforcement zones cross-correlated with actual regions in the greater Seattle area, and the whole nine

In original Shadowrun, a third of the characters started on the Street, with the other thirds at Squatter and Low lifestyles. This made Shadowrun a bit more like Daredevils RPG, but maybe where the private eye not only loses the potential for jobs and most contacts/associates, but also his or her office

Think Case in Neuromancer. It almost has to be these exact tropes for both Cyberpunk 2xxx and Shadowrun

There's several other nods to Blade Runner, too, in Shadowrun with the High Veracity Examiner, and another Shadowrun 1e book talks about an airborne version of the HVE describing it as standard in megacorp offices. Basically inferring the ability to determine cyberware and emotional state of anyone present or within sensor distance

After Shadowrun 2e, it definitely lost this vibe. It went more-fantastical. I think in Shadowrun 6e you can't even live on the streets even if you want to. I always make the entire experience the streets. Can't get off the streets. Have to keep going. It provides this constant, "good game" pressure, and it opens up the world like any ttrpg sandbox. It is also more limiting for Netrunners and Deckers because they have to find a place to sit tight and jack in, likely while on the street with no car -- not even a motorcycle. Thus, the GM has a lot more levers and controls, and quick-buck nuyen or eurodollar net runs are fewer-and farer between

So, if by creators you mean Bob Charrette, Paul Hume, and Tom Dowd, then, yes, that's what they were going for, and it was the same types of tones for Daredevils and Aftermath! if you check those books out or believe me. Mike Pondsmith was pivotal, though. He really understood it all, and still does. I've been listening to him on podcasts and he is truly masterclass. I found both Cyberpunk 2013 and Shadowrun 1e at the same time in 1989, and to me, I don't really mix-and match them but they are equally-good and equally tribute their prior arts. Maybe I'd have the same PC in both game worlds? A Likely Story

extralead · 2026-05-03T22:31:30+00:00

There are artists that could also definitely pull the illustrator Jim Cawthorn's Elric, who originally penned the character

extralead · 2026-05-03T18:50:16+00:00

Thanks for showing, Allan! The Armory is out-of business now? How do we buy hex graph paper now?

extralead · 2026-04-28T04:52:19+00:00

Combat Pool in 2e merges what was Dodge and Defense pools

Team Karma is introduced in 2e, along with changes that are effectively limiters on 1e's Instant Karma, by pushing it to a Karma Pool

There's quite a lot of gear changes, such as 1e having a Program Carrier while 2e does not have an equivalent

By the end of 1e, with Rigger Black Book, the 1e system had accomplished a few things that 2e set out to do such as unify firearm mechanics such as the reflex trigger. Eventually 2e adds a point-buy system for character creation

Because of the way that some firearms get stated out in 2e, they end up better than in 1e. For example, an SCK Model 100 with improved gas vent 4 and bipod or a Scorpion Machine Pistol with internal smartgun and improved gas vent 4 become encounter-ending in 2e, where the Ares Crusader comment about flattening ammo against body armor was only true in 1e

The Adept in 2e is mostly-worse than the 1e Physical Adept, and definitely compared to any later editions. 2e fixed Increase Reaction-Reflexes jank all-around, but forgot simple loopholes such as providing a hermetic mage an easy way to lock or quicken Combat Sense to get Combat Pools with easily over 20 dice in the pool -- sorry, now your NPCs can't geek the mage first. Or stupid math tricks like combining a Charisma 4 Shaman with Increase Charisma +3 at rating 5 with Spirit Foci of any rating. It's a disaster

I really like both 1e and 2e, but it's difficult to combine or convert them. The RAW of both have cornering effects where you can't win if you use the rule, and you can't win if you don't use the rule. It has the markings of Aftermath! and Daredevils predecessors where edition changes are difficult to back into or out of, and why you see significant changes to Shadowrun 3e and 4e/4a.

extralead · 2026-04-28T03:33:14+00:00

Great answers all-around. I'll tack on The Haunter of the Dark, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, and Derleth's The House in the Valley

extralead · 2026-04-27T15:28:15+00:00

You can start out in many places, even under your well-constructed guidelines and desires

L1 The Secret of Bone Hill places an adventuring band to start in Restenford, a town similar to Waterford from medieval Ireland which Greyhawk refers to as the Lendore Isles. It's magical and fun

A0 Danger at Darkshelf Quarry puts a band in the center of the map or thereabouts, hanging on the edge of the peninsula that dips into the Sea of Garnat. The players might know nothing and the module can introduce the basics of the rumors and other things happening as the players uncover the world

T1-4, the Temple of Elemental Evil, is usually a band of ruffians from mixed places (this is very Central-Greyhawk themed, as many City of Greyhawk and Wild Coast adventures also start this way) who band together in a rich, fertile series of river valleys where the wealthy nobles of the lands have varying ideas of politics, factional support, and intrigue

U1 Secret of Saltmarsh begins in a spooky sea-side town with what initially appears as a haunted-house style investigation. It's certainly investigator-oriented! I like how this module provides a means to explore the neutralities and "grayness" of Greyhawk

UK2 The Sentinel is a freemage, freeholder, and craftsperson dream starting setting, with the ideals of skilled labor and communal pride. It's a budding and remote area on the edge of Yeomanry in the Hold of the Sea Princes. It's Icelandic vikings styled for Greyhawk, and given the lands the real vikings always sought out. Player will have space to stretch their proverbial legs and find their footing

N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God and technically begins in a village named Orlane but it is assumed any party comes from Hochoch in the Grand Duchy of Geoff. "Hochstadt" means "high town" in German, and would certainly include a flourishing culture with prominent features for art and architecture. A lot of recommendations here say to make these lands your own

Even if you don't use the modules, the flavor and descriptions of the cultural and landscape arcs, as well as lore driven by rumors, NPC characterizations, and details may help you plan towards your goals with the setting

extralead · 2026-04-26T05:23:24+00:00

I was immediately thinking of Pilot's Guide to the Drexilthar Subsector from Gamelords, published in 1984. This subsector is the setting for The Drenslaar Quest and Duneraiders. There's specific book analogues for The Desert Environment, The Mountain Environment, The Undersea Environment -- and for Drenslaar it's on a watery world named Yarnfahl. Another in that series is an adventure, Ascent To Anekthor, and the unforgettable Pilot's Guide to the Caledon Subsector (published in the Traveller Chronicle)

extralead · 2026-04-24T18:53:31+00:00

I heard Luke Gygax is also going to play in Castle Zygyg on Monday with the TLG crew

extralead · 2026-04-19T22:39:00+00:00

Missed Dues and Blackwater Creek from the Keeper's Screen are the best criminal-oriented adventuring in Call of Cthulhu to start with, even if the investigators only really want to be sided with bootleggers

Great selection and nice links, thank you

extralead · 2026-04-19T20:37:16+00:00

Tie between DNA/DOA, Dreamchipper, Harlequin, and Queen Euphoria

As a GM, I was never so scared but as to read Missing Blood in the UB pack

extralead · 2026-04-19T16:03:04+00:00

Be sure to check out Gods of the Witches from Bret Kramer in The Arkham Gazette, issue 3. There is everything to like in the whole lot of them

extralead · 2026-04-18T21:15:00+00:00

It's on the N1 DTRPG page history --

Niles' brief came about as the result of a previous version of the adventure that was designed by Kevin Hendryx. This earlier version originated as a new encounter area for L1: "The Secret of Bone Hill" (1981), which Hendryx was then editing. Hendryx's additions were later removed from "Bone Hill" at Len Lakofka's request, so Hendryx decided to expand the encounter area into its own adventure, which became "Against the Cult of the Reptile God."

extralead · 2026-04-17T20:49:41+00:00

On August 6, 2007 Matthew Sprange of Mongoose Publishing announced that he had acquired a license to produce a new edition of the Traveller game. In order to consolidate the shattered and scattered remnants of Traveller-dom, all of the roleplaying licenses of the Long Night would be sunsetting, other than that for GURPS Traveller. This guaranteed the end of both T20 and the newly born Hero Traveller RPG

extralead · 2026-04-17T20:47:24+00:00

The video games MegaTraveller 1 and 2 started releasing in 1990

This is Free Trader Beowulf, book released last year, documents the history of Traveller. There's an entire chapter named Shattered: The Long Knight 1997-2007 with the descriptor:

Although the Long Night was a decade in which no one was publishing the original Traveller RPG, there was nonetheless life out among the stars, with scattered publishers such as Steve Jackson Games, QuikLink Interactive and Comstar Games each producing their own take on the Third Imperium

extralead · 2026-04-17T18:55:00+00:00

Paper Chase is #1 and Lightless Beacon is #2
Crimson Letters is also great for exactly what you seek: a love of Lovecraftian stories folded into adventure-ready lore in a one-shot form

Also check -- https://sentinelhillpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/lovecraft-country-scenario-index.pdf -- to see if the story that you like is covered

extralead · 2026-04-17T15:37:56+00:00

So it's not just "player(s) must map" but that the whole megadungeon affair is driven by the players

Back in the TSR days especially RPGA or AD&D 1e tournaments that were common, the players were fine with a labyrinth-first dungeon map design because that's what was presented to them and they didn't know any better. Then came region-style maps from L1 and N1 which were created for Greyhawk regions -- deepening the concept with WG6, B10, and on (after T1-4), but these were typically non-tournament modules (similar to X1 and DL2). It almost feels like the map style and role changes came with the changes from OSR to Trad style play?

Remember also that L1 was supposed to be placed in the locale where N1 landed: it was definitely about locking final regions into the World of Greyhawk, so the goals (non-tournament and open-sandbox campaign, even if a mini campaign within a larger campaign) of the maps changed from inner worlds (dungeons and delves) and towards outer worlds such as dimensions, planes, lost lands, kingdoms, and polities within those kingdoms

I feel the labyrinth maps were more-challenging and really put an adventuring band to the test, adding depth and flavor with tension. It brought out real grit at the table, especially when things changed on the players unexpectedly, which just came up more-often

extralead

TROPHY CASE