Author Topic: Dresden Files Boston  (Read 9017 times)

Offline Cripple X

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Dresden Files Boston
« on: April 25, 2010, 05:50:02 PM »
Hey folks,

My group's play-by-post game is kicking off and we decided to use Boston as our city.  I've never been to Boston, but I've been doing a good deal of research on the internet and I've come up with some interesting stuff here and there I think.  Is anybody else using Boston who'd be interested in any of the stuff?  It's by no means finished, and its a work in progress but we could swap ideas to really flesh out the town.

Offline SoulCatcher78

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2010, 06:54:08 PM »
Not planning on using Boston but I think everyone would be interested in what you've put together (even if it's just to see some examples of what's possible).

Offline JustinS

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2010, 06:58:29 PM »
Hey folks,

My group's play-by-post game is kicking off and we decided to use Boston as our city.  I've never been to Boston, but I've been doing a good deal of research on the internet and I've come up with some interesting stuff here and there I think.  Is anybody else using Boston who'd be interested in any of the stuff?  It's by no means finished, and its a work in progress but we could swap ideas to really flesh out the town.

You may be able to get some ideas and comments from folk who have been in and around boston too...

Offline Cripple X

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2010, 08:09:55 PM »
A lot of what I've got going so far is relevant to the group's first adventure, but I'll be sure to post it once it's no longer a surprise to them.

Offline Wordmaker

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2010, 01:04:58 PM »
My game's going to be set in Boston. I'd love to see anything you've got.

Offline TheMouse

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2010, 02:51:48 PM »
I'm from the near Boston. I can give a couple quick things to make your game seem more local.

Some geography. The coastal area North of Boston is called the North Shore. The area South of Boston before you hit Cape Cod is the South Shore. You call Cape Cod, "The Cape."

There are a bunch of towns that get clumped in with Boston. You can call the collective Boston, or the downtown area Boston, but when being specific, you can name the particular towns. ("Yeah, I live in Boston." "Which part?" "Somerville.")

A lot of the buildings are old. Most of the roads are as old or older. The result is that a lot of neighborhoods are really crowded.

Speaking of roads... it's kind of Hell to drive in Boston. Most of the roads are one way. The majority of them are far too narrow. Oh, and construction projects constantly spring up without warning and reroute the traffic in whole areas. You'd be better off parking and either walking or taking the T (what we call the transit system), but good luck finding parking, especially if you're near Fenway and it's a game night.

Speaking of the T, Boston has a public transit system. There are only four subway lines, but those will get you within a couple of blocks of most places downtown and many central places in the surrounding areas. A fairly extensive system of buses fills in much of the rest. Rail and bus lines leave North and South Stations, connecting with other cities in and out of state.

Offline pfloyd

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2010, 01:59:44 PM »
I'd love to see what you have done for Boston as well, as I'm about 40 miles east of there, as the Raven flies. I'm working off and on with central Massachusetts (focusing on Worcester -- Woostah). Not as easy as I had thought originally, as some of the aspects may throw me for a loop. Since we have historical buildings and such, as well as a fantastic tech culture here, I was thinking One Foot in the Past, One in the Future...
But I digress...
A learning experience is one of those things that say, "You know that thing you just did? Don't do that." -- Douglas Adams

Offline TheMouse

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2010, 02:07:04 PM »
I'd love to see what you have done for Boston as well, as I'm about 40 miles east of there

I think you mean West, mate. (;

Offline svb1972

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2010, 02:09:11 PM »
I think you mean West, mate. (;

He could be on Cape Cod.
or living on a boat.

Offline pfloyd

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2010, 02:11:13 PM »
I think you mean West, mate. (;

Quite right... brain's fuddled this morning. Not enough sleep and Dunkin's got my coffee wrong. Oh well, at least it was free.
A learning experience is one of those things that say, "You know that thing you just did? Don't do that." -- Douglas Adams

Offline JustinS

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2010, 02:26:30 PM »
Quite right... brain's fuddled this morning. Not enough sleep and Dunkin's got my coffee wrong. Oh well, at least it was free.

Speaking of which, the apocryphal story among my friends is that it is impossible to pass through boston without passing a Dunkin Donuts.

Speaking of roads, the more important a road is, the less likely it is to have a road sign. After all, if you are on a major road, you should know where you are, right?


Offline pfloyd

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2010, 02:34:18 PM »
You have that correct. In fact, any major city or town in Massachusetts (and perhaps most of New England) is likely to have at least a handful of Dunkin Donuts within easy reach. Sometimes they're even across the street from each other!
(Corollary: Manassas VA is a hatching ground for 7-11 franchises... along the 234 Business road, there's gotta be about a dozen or so, including two next door to each other! So they stock up on 7-11, we stock up on DD.)

The roads are the same in Worcester as well. Oh, and let us not forget the dreaded rotaries (or roundabouts for our friends over the Pond)... where people firmly think it's every man for himself.
And the two driving seasons were already mentioned -- winter and construction.
Shall we compile a list of local slang for our readers as well? Gotta get the atmosphere right...

Oh, and I think Fenway has to be a Place of Power... after all, a Curse was laid upon it... until 2004...
A learning experience is one of those things that say, "You know that thing you just did? Don't do that." -- Douglas Adams

Offline TheMouse

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2010, 02:45:23 PM »
You're talking about Worcester and you're complaining about rotaries? Dude: Kelly Square. It's seven roads coming together in one intersection. I need a drink whenever I drive through there.

Speaking of Fenway, it's got to be a hunting ground for something. Tons of people go through the area whenever there's a game. The Kenmore Square side has a bunch of clubs and restaurants. The other side is the Fens, which always make me feel like something's about to pop up from the reeds and eat me.

Offline pfloyd

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2010, 06:09:15 PM »
Oh yes... Killer/Chaos Square... one of the possible places of power I was thinking of... or at least a place to put a neutral meeting place.
I've had many ideas on Worcester already... where points and lines of power would be, where some of the spooky stuff would be... Been working on that for years. Now I'll have a chance to work with it.
A learning experience is one of those things that say, "You know that thing you just did? Don't do that." -- Douglas Adams

Offline TheMouse

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Re: Dresden Files Boston
« Reply #14 on: April 28, 2010, 07:39:32 PM »
Oh yes... Killer/Chaos Square... one of the possible places of power I was thinking of... or at least a place to put a neutral meeting place.

I can see it as a spot that seriously dampens magical power. Perhaps all those roads meeting at such weird angles serves to siphon off supernatural mojo.