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Message no. 1
From: Theobalt Nolasco <theobalt@*******.COM>
Subject: BTLs
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 14:06:52 -0600
Throughout a few SR sourcebooks and novels, they mention BTL
(Better-Than-Life) chips the most common and addictive form of drugs.
The black market for such things are enourmous, with local street gangs
pushing BTLs to organized crime syndicates such as the Yaks and the Mafia
who control distribution and processing. FAS, does not give us any
solid desciptions as to its effects (in game terms), how much it costs
depending on obviously on quality, and details about its Danger Profile
(concerning its Addiction/Tolerance/Strength Ratings). I know it's
chipped in through a datajack or through a modified simsense player
which; whereas with other drugs like marijuana, LSD, or heroin are which
are inhaled, ingested, or injected. Does anyone have any write-up of
their own on BTL chips which they use in their campaigns? Or any
suggestions, comments, or gudelines about writing stats for any type of
drugs found in the SR world? It's also the same case with another
wonder-drug of the sixth world, 2XS (loved the book too).

Carnage
Message no. 2
From: cocheese <ZKLJ1@****.EAST-TENN-ST.EDU>
Subject: Re: BTLs
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 19:21:28 EDT
The closest thing I know about drug abuse and SR2 rules is in the Shadow Tech
book, I can't remember if they mention BTLs (I doubt it) but they do talk about
addiction and recovery.


CoCheese
Message no. 3
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: BTLs
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 11:06:04 +0200
>FAS, does not give us any
>solid desciptions as to its effects (in game terms), how much it costs
>depending on obviously on quality, and details about its Danger Profile
>(concerning its Addiction/Tolerance/Strength Ratings).

That is because FASA doesn't want PCs to use drugs -- I'll decide that for
myself, thankyouverymuch -- so I think they think "If we give it stats,
somebody'll start using them."

>Does anyone have any write-up of
>their own on BTL chips which they use in their campaigns? Or any
>suggestions, comments, or gudelines about writing stats for any type of
>drugs found in the SR world? It's also the same case with another
>wonder-drug of the sixth world, 2XS (loved the book too).

I did do some stats for BTLs once, but I wans't too happy with them... maybe
I'll do a re-write in the near future.


Gurth@******.nl - Gurth@***.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
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Message no. 4
From: Marc A Renouf <jormung@*****.UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Re: BTLs
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 14:01:27 -0400
On Thu, 8 Jun 1995, cocheese wrote:

> The closest thing I know about drug abuse and SR2 rules is in the Shadow Tech
> book, I can't remember if they mention BTLs (I doubt it) but they do talk about
> addiction and recovery.

For more info on BTL's, you might want to look in Shadowbeat.
There's a section on simsense (ab)use in there that may be helpful.
There are no real rules, per se, but the stuff they give will get you
headed in the right direction.

Marc
Message no. 5
From: Matthew Deatherage <mddeath@*****.CIRC.GWU.EDU>
Subject: Re: BTLs
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 15:01:52 -0400
On Thu, 8 Jun 1995, cocheese wrote:

> The closest thing I know about drug abuse and SR2 rules is in the Shadow Tech
> book, I can't remember if they mention BTLs (I doubt it) but they do talk about
> addiction and recovery.
>
>
> CoCheese
>
Rules for Simsense, BTL, 2XS and the like are found in the
Shadowbeat sourcebook(you know the one with sports, news and music) one
pages 74-83.

-Prophet
Message no. 6
From: Gweedo The Killer Pimp <yawas@****.COM>
Subject: BTL's
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 20:51:53 EST
Are BTL chips, and the other assorted drek addictive. If so, what books
other than ShadowBeat can you find out about it. Another question from
me to you.


Gweedo the Killer Pimp strikes again!
Message no. 7
From: 'Spaceman' WD Lee <spaced@*.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 22:23:37 -0800
On Wed, 12 Mar 1997, Gweedo The Killer Pimp wrote:

# Are BTL chips, and the other assorted drek addictive.
Hell, yes! ;)
# If so, what books
# other than ShadowBeat can you find out about it. Another question from
# me to you.
I don't recall ever seeing rules, but the book _Night's Pawn_, by
the Tom Dowd has the character Cara Villiers, daughter of Fuchi-Boy and
BTL addict. It's a good portrait, even though a plot twist affects it....

Spaceman-Troll-Shaman-when-he-got-to-actually-play

The Spaceman |Audace, encore de l'audace, toujours
spaced@*.washington.edu |l'audace.
Check out the Bill Page! | - Danton
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~spaced/bill.html
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Message no. 8
From: 'Spaceman' WD Lee <spaced@*.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Wed, 12 Mar 1997 22:36:05 -0800
On Wed, 12 Mar 1997, 'Spaceman' WD Lee wrote:
#
# Spaceman-Troll-Shaman-when-he-got-to-actually-play
#
Damn, that should have read
Spaceman-BTL-addicted-Troll-Shaman-when-he-got-to-actually-play


The Spaceman |The best lack all conviction, while
spaced@*.washington.edu |the worse are full of passionate
Check out the Bill Page! |intensity - W.B. Yeats
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~spaced/bill.html
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Message no. 9
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 12:27:54 +0100
Gweedo The Killer Pimp said on 20:51/12 Mar 97...

> Are BTL chips, and the other assorted drek addictive. If so, what books
> other than ShadowBeat can you find out about it. Another question from
> me to you.

BTLs are addictive, yes. Normal simsense isn't (at least not more than TV
is), but no addiction ratings have been given by FASA; since Shadowbeat
came out before Shadowtech, this isn't all that surprising, though I would
have liked to have seen addiction stats for typical BTLs in Shadowtech
somewhere.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Braindead -- the fumes I breathe
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

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Message no. 10
From: Ray & Tamara <macey@*******.COM.AU>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 17:48:58 +1000
> Are BTL chips, and the other assorted drek addictive. If so, what books
> other than ShadowBeat can you find out about it. Another question from
> me to you.

They are very addictive, as they are 'Better Than Life'. The experience
they give is like nothing you can experience in 'real' life. Read 2XS for
an idea of BTL's and their big cousin's, the 2XS chips. There are no
actual rules for them though, but I can't see why you couldn't use the
existing drug rules with addiction and tolerance. You'd have to make up
the values though.

Ray
Message no. 11
From: Gweedo The Killer Pimp <yawas@****.COM>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 18:31:43 EST
To: Ray
>They are very addictive, as they are 'Better Than Life'. The
>experience
>they give is like nothing you can experience in 'real' life. Read 2XS
>for
>an idea of BTL's and their big cousin's, the 2XS chips. There are no
>actual rules for them though, but I can't see why you couldn't use the
>existing drug rules with addiction and tolerance. You'd have to make
>up
>the values though.
>
>Ray
-----
The numbers I could make up, but I figured I might try here before I
proceeded in doing so.


Gweedo the Killer Pimp strikes again!
Message no. 12
From: Gweedo The Killer Pimp <yawas@****.COM>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 21:33:01 EST
On Thu, 13 Mar 1997 12:27:54 +0100 Gurth <gurth@******.NL> writes:
>Gweedo The Killer Pimp said on 20:51/12 Mar 97...
>
>> Are BTL chips, and the other assorted drek addictive. If so, what
>books
>> other than ShadowBeat can you find out about it. Another question
>from
>> me to you.
>
>BTLs are addictive, yes. Normal simsense isn't (at least not more than
>TV
>is), but no addiction ratings have been given by FASA; since
>Shadowbeat
>came out before Shadowtech, this isn't all that surprising, though I
>would
>have liked to have seen addiction stats for typical BTLs in Shadowtech
>somewhere.
------
Maybe FASA should make a source book with a lot of drugs and stats in it.
It should also contain some archetypes that are fiends, and what the
Star, and Underworld have to do with the wheelings and dealings of BTL's
and other assorted drugs. FASA Mike, are you listening.


Gweedo the Killer Pimp strikes again!
Message no. 13
From: Skye Comstock <bilbo@****.NWLINK.COM>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 19:51:00 -0800
>Maybe FASA should make a source book with a lot of drugs and stats in it.
> It should also contain some archetypes that are fiends, and what the
>Star, and Underworld have to do with the wheelings and dealings of BTL's
>and other assorted drugs. FASA Mike, are you listening.

I can see it now, Target: Drugs and Stuff, nawt. This is one of those things
better left to GM's with a decent imagination and a sense of game mechanics,
IMNSHO. FASA can't churn out sourcebooks for every conceivable thing and I'm
glad that they don't.

As far as Lone Star's "wheelings and dealings," sure, there will be bad cops
and brass that distribute the stuff, but that's better left to individual
campaigns, right? Lone Star R&D in Austin made up a drug called Jazz, it's
on page 117 of the Lone Star sourcebook. Jazz, though, was made by Findley
to be used by NPC characters only.

I know that is was mentioned in one of the sourcebooks (the Contact thing?)
that the Mafia has a strict policy against trafficking BTL's. 'Course, so
did the Gambino crime family, IIRC, until a godfather or two started to
screw with things... Back to Shadowrun, no idea what the Underworld Sourcebook
has to say about this, won't have it until this weekend.
Message no. 14
From: Gweedo The Killer Pimp <yawas@****.COM>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 23:17:13 EST
To: Skye
>I can see it now, Target: Drugs and Stuff, nawt. This is one of those
>things
>better left to GM's with a decent imagination and a sense of game
>mechanics,
>IMNSHO. FASA can't churn out sourcebooks for every conceivable thing
>and I'm
>glad that they don't.
-------
Source books are just like they say, source of info. I would guess that
FASA would be glad to churn out another book for $18.00. It would come
out with minor fanfare, and there would be a lot of comments on lists
like this about how good or bad it would be, and basically it would be
used mostly as a GM tool like CorpSec. Maybe it's beter that they don't.
------
>I know that is was mentioned in one of the sourcebooks (the Contact
>thing?)
>that the Mafia has a strict policy against trafficking BTL's. 'Course,
>so
>did the Gambino crime family, IIRC, until a godfather or two started
>to
>screw with things... Back to Shadowrun, no idea what the Underworld
>Sourcebook
>has to say about this, won't have it until this weekend.
-------
Can somebody tell us if the Underworld Source Book deals with any BTL's,
or other drugs?


Gweedo the Killer Pimp strikes again!
Message no. 15
From: Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 12:06:12 +0100
Gweedo The Killer Pimp said on 18:31/13 Mar 97...

> The numbers I could make up, but I figured I might try here before I
> proceeded in doing so.

You might want to make them in varying grades of addiction -- it should be
easy enough for a BTL manufacturer to tweak the signal to the
addictiveness they want the chip to have.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Braindead -- the fumes I breathe
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-

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Message no. 16
From: Spike <u5a77@*****.CS.KEELE.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: BTL's
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 11:12:08 +0000
|Maybe FASA should make a source book with a lot of drugs and stats in it.

That'd give all the pathetic ANti-RPG lobbyists too much ammunition...

--
______________________________________________________________________________
|u5a77@*****.cs.keele.ac.uk| "Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky?" |
|Andrew Halliwell | |
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Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about BTL's, you may also be interested in:

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