[Crimsondude]

Available through the Battleshop, DriveThruRPG, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Alternately, you could buy the whole package from either the Battleshop or DriveThru, and get everything–a Kindle version, an e-pub version, and a complete PDF with all the game stats. No matter which version you choose, you get new Shadowrun fiction for only $1.99! Here’s a full summary:

Rules for the Breaking
Yuri Yehzov has been off the streets for a long while, surviving by following a few simple rules. Don’t stick your neck out. Don’t get involved in something that is none of your business. And above all, don’t piss off the ferocious mobsters of the Vory y Zakone.

Yuri doesn’t have much left from his shadowrunning days except his cyberears, but that’s enough to get him in trouble. When he hears something he cannot ignore, one by one his rules fall by the wayside until he has cold-blooded killers, vicious shapeshifters, and a ruthless Vory leader all after him. His gear is broken, his reflexes are shot, and he’s about to face the toughest opponents he’s ever been against. The streets have one more chance to claim his life—and he has one more chance to break the rules, beat the odds, and find a way to stay alive.

The Vladivostok Gauntlet is a brand new Shadowrun short story. Read it and immerse yourself in the grit, grime, and dirty glory of the Sixth World!

[AJCarrington]

Downloaded!

Looks like they're also offering "Another Rainy Night" in the same package/format.

Edit - mistake there, looks live they've just released ePub and Kindle version separately.

[Marzhin]

Just finished reading The Vladivostok Gauntlet. Pretty good read.

[Patrick Goodman]

Looks like they're also offering "Another Rainy Night" in the same package/format.

Edit - mistake there, looks live they've just released ePub and Kindle version separately.

Wonder how they handled the stat blocks. I wonder, also, if they fixed the typos I submitted....

[Backgammon]

 

edit: corrected statement: ARN does not have stats on the web site

[AJCarrington]

Wonder how they handled the stat blocks. I wonder, also, if they fixed the typos I submitted....

As the PDF on DTRPG hasn't been updated, doubt any corrections have been included.

[Elektrycerze3]

Finished The Vladivostok Gauntlet.

I must say this novel is hilarious! 8 counts of "vodka", 3 counts of "Stalin" and even 1 count of "borscht". That's deep.

Loved the profound understanding of Russian culture and mindset. Especially this bit:

Maybe you died, maybe not. If not, there would be vodka later, and that was that.

Now, please don't get me wrong, I understand what creative license is. But that novel is just ridiculous. What's next, a novel about a Chineese man who can't drive or a Canadian hitman who says "sorry" after every shot?

That is the first SR fiction I disliked.

[Backgammon]

I don't think your criticism is unfair, but I could share my counter-opinion on these points:

Vodka: In Shadowrun, alcohol as a vice of choice is actually somewhat rarer since you have BTLs and so many other mind-benders to chose from. The choice of Vodka as a preferred poison is a sort of purposeful throwback to old customs, giving a little insight into the mentality of the characters in question. I don't think the story suggested all Russians drink Vodka all the time, or at least I hope it didn't.

Stalin: Yes, this I can definitely see your point. I certainly did ponder a while about that name choice. The exact reason here is that the Stalin Industrial Complex is came from a friend, Redjack from DSF. It was an invention from his regular gaming group he shared with me when I was designing the story (or more precisely the Border Runners Vladivostok chapter, from which Vladivostok Gauntlet was born). That's what his group called it. I considered this, as I thought by 2074 any reference to Stalin wouldn't really make sense or be pertinent, but to honour the origin of the idea, I decided to not change the name. But, yeah, I can see why you'd go "'wtf".

Borscht: Sorry, can't remember where I mentioned this.

Loved the profound understanding of Russian culture and mindset. Especially this bit:
Maybe you died, maybe not. If not, there would be vodka later, and that was that.

Well, that is a specific reference to Russian gangster footmen, not Russians. Is that what authentic Russian vory foot soldiers think? Don't know, didn't ask any. But, I imagine it'd have to cross your mind a little. I don't think I'm out of line saying a part of Russian mentality is pretty "accepting of things you can't control". That's taken to a bit of an extreme when you're a low ranking footpad for the mob. Your bosses don't care much about your life, so hopefully you don't die on this assignment, and that's pretty much that. If you don't die, you celebrate - and since, again, we're talking underworld figure, we're talking about a pretty rough type of celebration using as many voces as possible to obliterate your survival instincts telling you your choice of career ain't that great.

So anyway, I can understand a local not finding this to be exactly the greatest representation of true Russian culture, but hopefully my decision path makes a little more sense to you.

And since I am in fact Canadian, I'll say "Sorry, eh!"

[rwalker76]

Must read this book! My current character is a Russian Dwarf magician who happens to be from Vladivostock and has an unhealthy love of vodka. No idea why I chose this other than it was one of the few places in Russia I could think of at the time.

[Elektrycerze3]

@Backgammon
Well, sorry for ranting =) I guess I'd liked the novel more if I wasn't Russian.

Vodka: In Shadowrun, alcohol as a vice of choice is actually somewhat rarer since you have BTLs and so many other mind-benders to chose from. The choice of Vodka as a preferred poison is a sort of purposeful throwback to old customs, giving a little insight into the mentality of the characters in question. I don't think the story suggested all Russians drink Vodka all the time, or at least I hope it didn't.

I do understand that the choice of vodka is justified. It is really justified. Moreover, I have to tell you, that the stereotype is somewhat right: we really do drink vodka often and it is way more popular than any other poison here.
It's the last point: I felt that the story suggested that Russians drink vodka all the time. About the first thing the Vory hitmen do in the story: they ask about vodka. The protagonist drinks vodka in his hideout. Vodka is even mentioned in the character write-ups two times.

Well, that is a specific reference to Russian gangster footmen, not Russians.

The full quote is

He thought if she’d been Russian, she might have fared better. The Russian character was designed to deal with the Otsanas of this world. You stood and you waited. Maybe you died, maybe not. If not, there would be vodka later, and that was that.

So I pictured it as describing Russians. That's really no big deal, you are correct that it is somewhat in our nature.
But why reference vodka again? The vodka makes the passage come out as a strange joke.

So anyway, I can understand a local not finding this to be exactly the greatest representation of true Russian culture, but hopefully my decision path makes a little more sense to you.

It does now, thanks =) I really appreciate you answering. By the way, if you ever need any info on Russia or Russians- feel free to ask.

[Mirikon]

To be fair, the guy drinking vodka in his safehouse was in the middle of a very bad day. And whenever you meet someone like Otsana, and walk away living, you're probably going to want a drink. Neither point suggests all Russians are alcoholics, or drink vodka constantly. But there are times when you simply just need a drink.

[Backgammon]

He thought if she’d been Russian, she might have fared better. The Russian character was designed to deal with the Otsanas of this world. You stood and you waited. Maybe you died, maybe not. If not, there would be vodka later, and that was that.

So I pictured it as describing Russians. That's really no big deal, you are correct that it is somewhat in our nature.
But why reference vodka again? The vodka makes the passage come out as a strange joke.

Well it is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, actually, so it is a bit of a joke. I think it's overtly overly fatalistic and a simplification of even Yuri's own feelings. It is, well, macho bravado. I think it implies a very unsettling close encounter with death that unsettles you, and simply "drinking it off" is bravado. And also, this passage being from Yuri's point of view, and that he likes Vodka, that's the drink he would mention.

In terms of Yuri "criticizing" Soren for not being Russian, I find that's a human thing to do. What makes us proud and unique in our heritages and cultures only comes to the front when faced with something that is from outside. If Soren had been Russian (and really, for all her lying, maybe she is), Yuri would have simply found another reason for critizising her. Maybe he would have said "Maybe it's because she's a girl". I think at that moment was a throwback to Yuri's past life, in a very Russian cultural element (not a GOOD element, mind you) and what came to his mind is how Soren did not share that culture.

I do appreciate your point of view on the whole thing though, thanks for sharing it.

[Elektrycerze3]

I do appreciate your point of view on the whole thing though, thanks for sharing it.

Thank you for explaining, now I get the intended tones better. And again, sorry for ranting.

By the way, when one criticises a work of fiction on a Russian forum, the best response one can expect from an author is quite obscene in wording. I am yet again so pleasantly surprised by how polite and open-minded the western world is.

[Silence]

I do appreciate your point of view on the whole thing though, thanks for sharing it.

Thank you for explaining, now I get the intended tones better. And again, sorry for ranting.

By the way, when one criticises a work of fiction on a Russian forum, the best response one can expect from an author is quite obscene in wording. I am yet again so pleasantly surprised by how polite and open-minded the western world is.

Dude, you are a LOT more polite than some American critics.  Or English teachers.  Or Creative Writing professors.