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Here at Shadowrun HQ, the leaves are turning and starting to fall, which puts us in mind of falling bodies, which makes us think about assassination, because that’s just how our minds work. So we have a new ebook for you, The Assassin’s Primer (Battleshop, DriveThruRPG), to guide you through the challenges and dangers of wetwork. Here’s the rundown:

The Job of Death

Some people call it wetwork. Others call it murder. A small group calls it justice. It’s assassination and it’s one of the jobs shadowrunners might be hired to do. And given that people are, you know, pretty protective about their lives, anyone who takes such a job is going to have to be at the top of their game to pull the job off and collect a payday. Especially if they plan to make it a regular activity.

Assassin’s Primer is a vital guide for assassins in the Sixth World. With tips on tools to use, techniques to employ, and the different kinds of killers you may meet in the field, this is a critical reference for anyone looking to bring an assassination flavor into their Shadowrun games. And it has a new sniper rifle and a handful of new Qualities for Shadowrun characters to boot!

Assassin’s Primer is for use with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition.

So with the PDF version of Shadowrun, Fifth Edition setting sales records and the print version selling out before its street date, we figured there were a lot of people anxious to play this game, and we should provide adventures to help them roll. We brought out the compilations Sprawl Wilds and Firing Line already, but now we have two all-new adventures written specifically for Fifth Edition.

The first is Splintered State available now for print pre-order and PDF purchase (Battleshop, DriveThru). It’s a wild and rollicking ride designed to introduce players and gamemasters to Fifth Edition. Here’s what lies in wait:

It Can Always Get Worse

Federal Agent Seth Dietrich has a secret. Actually, multiple secrets. One of them made him go underground, hiding from the people desperate to learn just how much he knows. And the other is keeping him from surfacing, because he’s found he can’t even trust himself.

If Dietrich were in his right mind, he’d cover his tracks like a pro, and no one would find him. Especially not shadowrunners getting their feel for life on the streets. But he’s not in his right mind, which means a group of shadowrunners finds themselves in possession of some very valuable information—information the highest powers in Seattle want for themselves. What started as a simple job turns into a scramble for their lives, a scramble that could become profitable if the runners play their cards right.

Splintered State is an introductory adventure for Shadowrun, Fifth Edition. Whether you have played previous Shadowrun editions or are new to the setting, this adventure helps players and gamemasters learn the new rules while wrapping themselves in the intrigue, excitement, and danger of running in Seattle.

On top of that, the new season of Shadowrun Missions begins with Chasin’ the Wind (Battleshop, DriveThru), which brings exciting Missions action to the chaotic feral city of Chicago! If you’re brave enough to venture into the wilds of the Containment Zone, here’s what you’ll encounter:

Deadly Cold Wind

It’s been nearly twenty years since disaster struck the city of Chicago, transforming it into an urban hellscape, and some people now believe it’s suffered enough. The Governor of Illinois has initiated and ambitious plan called Project: Takeback to reclaim the feral urban jungle. What’s more, he’s put money into the effort, and that’s the language every corporation on Earth understands. Suddenly, the race is on as the megacorps scramble to claim pieces of the Windy City. They’ll be butting up against the dangers of the Containment Zone and each other, so they’re going to need all sorts of deniable assets. The shadows of Chicago are coming back to life.

In Chasin’ The Wind, what starts as a simple run into the Containment Zone gets more complicated by the minute, and before the night is over shadowrunners might encounter rogue assassins, a feral runaway, and a mysterious massacre in the heart of one of the worst urban areas in the world. But if they survive, there’s more than just pay waiting for them at the end. There’s pizza—Chicago-style.

Chasin’ The Wind is the first adventure for Season 5 of Shadowrun Missions, Catalyst Game Labs’ living campaign for Shadowrun. It is designed for use with Shadowrun, Fifth Edition.

So that’s what’s out there waiting for you! Grab some adventures, grab your friends, and hit the shadows!

We are thrilled to announce that the first printing of 15,000 copies of Shadowrun, Fifth Edition has sold out from Catalyst Game Labs before the standard edition has hit its Street Date this month. Additionally, well over a month since the book became the best-selling PDF of all time in the more than ten years of DriveThruRPG operations, it is still in the number one slot!

“Every time I think the Shadowrun community can’t surprise me with their brilliance, they surprise me again,” said Randall N. Bills, Catalyst’s Managing Developer. “We were confident we’d sell out by end of the year, but in mere weeks?! Once again, Shadowrun players stepped up in a fantastic way, showing how much life beats within the Sixth World … and how much life yet beats in the tabletop roleplaying community as a whole!”

Catalyst Game Labs is immediately starting a second print run to minimize any chance of a retailer or player trying to purchase a copy and being told it’s “out of stock”. Additionally, we have multiple items all heading to print simultaneously with this second print run so that they can hit store shelves roughly at the same time as the second printing. These include Splintered State, the first full SR5 adventure; Equipment and Spell decks of cards that make for easier game play; and the Shadowrun, Fifth Edition GM Screen.

It’s important to note that while Catalyst Game Labs is sold out, the Street Date for Shadowrun, Fifth Edition is September 25th. This means that orders made through retail stores should be available this week. Additionally, orders through such venues as Amazon have been shipped to those companies (though when those companies will ship to customers is beyond our purview). Finally, if retailers sell through their copies they can immediately start taking preorders again (if a player is unable to preorder your copy through a local retailer, you can preorder online).

Check out shadowruntabletop.com and www.shadowrun.com in the near future to learn more about these fast-approaching additional releases and their specific street dates!

Catalyst Game Labs

Catalyst Game Labs is dedicated to producing high-quality games and fiction that mesh sophisticated game mechanics with dynamic universes, all presented in a form that allows beginning players and long-time veterans to easily jump into our games, while helping fiction readers enjoy our stories even if they don’t know the games.

Catalyst Game Labs is an imprint of InMediaRes Productions, LLC, which specializes in electronic publishing of professional fiction. This allows Catalyst to melds printed gaming material and fiction with all the benefits of electronic interfaces and online communities, creating a whole-package experience for any type of player or reader. Find Catalyst Game Labs online at www.catalystgamelabs.com.