[Puls3evo]

Hello everyone!

I am just starting to create a campaign using the 4th Anniversary rules, and browsing every forum I can and reading every book I can to get ideas for a campaign. I don't even have a group of players yet, but my interest is so strong I need to scratch the itch.

As I have been perusing, I've noticed that there is not a lot of information regarding the setting of Boston, besides the fact that it's part of UCAS, it now holds the Stock Exchange, it's NeoNET's headquarters, MIT now includes magic, and there is a large contingent of magic users with relations to Salem. There are also at least two dragons (Celedyr and Damon) in the area. I have a few questions for the users here, especially veteran runners and GM's:

1. What resources are out there that provide more details about the Boston scene and setting? I have the Anniversary Core and Sixth World Almanac (and the SWA has 2 paragraphs and a few blerbs on Boston which I've already incorporated into the schema).

2. Because it seems there is a lot of magic going around, how much would that influence a campaign? Should I inform players that magic and the Awakened will have more of an impact?

3. I have read in the SWA that there is bad blood between Amer-Irish and Tir Na nOg. Am I to assume that an elf in South Boston (mainly Irishmen) would be jumped, and the Irish mob is anti-elf?

Living in Boston, and most likely playing in a Boston setting, I would really like to know how Boston has changed in 207X. I can see both super-tech due to NeoNET and large ammounts of Magic with Manadyne and Salem, but being completely new I don't know how to mesh these concepts together with regard to personality and feel of the setting. Any help with fleshing this out would be greatly appreciated. If Jackpoint wants to use this as a resource for all Boston Ops and Settings ideas, feel free!

How I see it right now:

Boston, UCAS, 207X

Corporations:
NeoNET (HQ)
Manadyne (HQ)
All other Megas and most corps have some outpost here, though some are starting to move, following the ECSX back to NYC.
Large Financial, Technological, Magical, and Industrial presence.

Major Players and Personae:
Celedyr (Dragon, Head of NeoNET)
Zoh Rothberg (NeoNET, Celedyr's current Spokesperson?)
Damon (Dragon)
Miles Lanier (Fmr. NeoNET)
Richard Villers (Novatech/NeoNET, Fmr. Matrix Subsystems and Fuchi)
Cardinal Ronald Grimes (Fmr Bishop in Boston, Currently in the Vatican, Technomancer)
Victor Markwart ("Patient V" Guinea Pig for Technomancer experimentation.)
Cerebus ("ghost" program aiding Celedyr)
Neka (A.I. Aiding Celedyr)
Don Conor O'Reilly (Mafia co-don)
Don Tony Morelli (Mafia co-don)
Mama (Catacombs Boss?)
The Actual Mr. Johnson (Edward Johnson IV/V/VI)?

Major Landmarks:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology & Thaumaturgy
Dunklezhan Institute of Magical Research
Second Crash Memorial
Boston Common (probably heavily affected by the Awakening).
Fanuel Hall (You can get anything consumer here.)
Boston Harbor (Former location of ECSX in the World Trade Center (yes, we have one too))
Route 128 (Technology Row)
The 'T' (Boston's Public Transportation; Buses, Subway, Locomotive)

Education:
Boston University
Boston College
Wentworth
Harvard
UMass
Northeastern
Massachusetts Art

Areas and Neighborhoods:
Salem (Greater Boston area)
North Boston (Italian Bakeries, restaurants, the NeoNET Garden Stadium)
South Boston
Cambridge
The Catacombs (The old 'T' Subway lines)
Chinatown
Back Bay and Beacon Hill (The Riches and Up-and-Comers)
Boston Harbor
Financial District
The Rox (Roxbury)

Criminal Enterprises:
United Mafia (Both Irish and Italian)
Russian Mafia (Operating out of (My RL knowledge is limited))
Knights of the Red Branch (Amer-Irish Anti-Elf Org)
Technicolor Wings (Smugglers)
Rox Gangers (The Ancients, Roxx, Mama's Boys, Cutters, Bane-Sidhe)
Urban Tribes
Catacombs Black Market

Sports:
Urban Brawl locations: Southie, Mattapan, Dorchester, Boston Harbor, Fenway, Rox
Urban Brawl Major Teams: Showcase Showdown (Irish), Dutchie Boys(Irish), All Systems Down(Irish), Boston Massacre
Baseball (Red Sox)
Basketball (Celtics)
Hockey (Bruins)
Soccer (Revolution)
Football (Patriots)

Music Trends:
Powernoize, Neo-classical, Sinthcore, Raw Metal, NuTrash, Irish Anarchy

Languages(All are active, but these would be most common):
English, Japanese, Gaelic, Italian, Sperethiel (most derogatory phrases)

Lingos:
Brahmin (Super-wealthy old-money elites, more like a British accent crossed with Boston-ese.)
Southie (English/Gaelic cross)
Boston-ese (Traditional Paak ya Cah in Haavahd Yahd (but don't really, they'll tow it ta Medfihd[Medford])), local to Boston residents and close-by towns.
North Coast (not as thick Boston-ese, can be willed away), Salem and minor cities north of Boston.
Cape Cod has it's own. I can't reproduce it though.
Western Mass is like Northern, but hick-ish.

Geography:
Treat the Boston Metroplex as Greater Boston + I95, I93, Rt. 128, and Rt 1 (these are the major highways and arteries) and Cape Cod.

Focus: The T.
IRL, there are 4 Subway Lines in the Boston T system:
Orange runs N to SW, with the Termini being Oak Grove and Forest Hills.
Red runs NW to S/SE, with Termini at Alewife(NW) and Ashmont(S) and Braintree(SE) (Ashmont line connects to Mattapan).
Blue runs from the center of the city NE, with Termini at Bowdoin and Wonderland (racetrack in Revere).
Green runs from just north of the city to west, with 4 branching paths. Lechmere is the North Terminus, B line goes to Boston College, C = Cleveland Circle, D = Riverside, and E = Heath.

All of the lines cross in a square at the heart of the city.
Red/Orange at Downtown Crossing
Orange/Green at Haymarket and North Station
Orange/Blue at State Str.
Red/Green at Park Str.
Green/Blue at Government Center

Only Red and Blue do not cross, but they can get to each other via the other lines.

To be honest, I have no idea what would be considered Catacomb or Subway, so I think the best way to use this info is to figure out how to get where you want to go. I'll list specifics, as the heart of the city can be reached from any line.

MIT&T, Harvard, Cambridge, UMass use Red line.
Rox, Chinatown, Financial District, Back Bay, Fanuel Hall use Orange Line.
Aquarium, Capitol Hill, Logan Airport use Blue.
Boston College, Science Museum, Fanuel Hall, Fenway, Back Bay, Boston University, Beacon Hill, and the Prudential Center use Green Line.

A lot of the Green Line (esp. the western branches) are above ground trains, as are a few stops on the Orange and Red lines (specifically the Northern stops of the Orange Line and Mass Gen Hospital on the Red).

Anything else runners can think of to define the setting would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thank you all, and can wait to flesh Boston out (hopefully)!

(Recent Edit: Added data from Target: UCAS to flesh out the past, separated landmarks into Neighborhoods and specifics, as well as added a focused section on the subway system as it stands IRL. This info may change due to the year difference.)

[raggedhalo]

Check out the old SR2 book Target: UCAS for a section on Boston, albeit out of date, and also Damian's entry in Clutch of Dragons...

[Walks Through Walls]

Actually the East Coast Stock Exchange is no longer in Boston. In the 6th World Almanac it says the former home of the East Coast Stock Exchange. I don't remember the year, but I believe it went back to NYC when the missions campaign was set there.

[Wakshaani]

Yeah, as of the Manhattan PDF download, the ECSE became the NYSE once again.

Boston's also suffering some lingering effects from the EMP-boosted nuke that went off there.

[Puls3evo]

Thank you guys for posting. I'm glad I read through Target: UCAS as it's a great overview of the past. I have a few other questions, however:

1. What would be the easiest way to format all of this?

2. Does anyone know specifically what was altered in the subway system? What lines were added/removed to create the Catacombs?

3. What did the EMP affect? If it was just the ECSX, that's been resolved with the move I'd assume (though that now leaves a gigantic hole in the economy and infrastructure of Boston).

4. How big, typically, is a Metroplex? Would the Boston Metro be Boston and all the subway line/ bus routes that connect to it, or maybe as far north as Southern New Hampshire and as far south as Rhode Island (where the new Train lines are)?

[Puls3evo]

Hello All,

I'm sorry for the time away and the resurrection of this thread, but I hope since I'm the OP I can post some new thoughts about Boston here. Classes and finals really took a toll on me.

So, I have been thinking about the Boston Metro recently (especially with SR:R close to release), and I realized that there is a major player that none of the books talk about because, unless you live in Boston and know the history of Boston, you wouldn't know the name or family. That name is Mr. Johnson. THE Mr. Johnson.

IRL, Edward Johnson III is the owner of many Boston-based corporations, including Fidelity Investments (The most well known and public). He likes to be called Ned, has three children (Abigail, Edward IV, and another son), and essentially is one of the faces of Boston's Old Money. If ever there was a devil that a dragon would have to make a deal with, it would be Ned Johnson. I love this guy, his family, his story, and everything he does. He is a wonderful man. You want to talk about secrets though? The Johnson family owns Boston, hands down. You won't hear about it, because he likes the background as much as any 'runner, but anything that happens in Boston will reach his ears.

I think that this could create the perfect scene for a Boston campaign, because if any corporation wanted play in Boston, they would have to go through the Johnson family first. I think even Celedyr would have to make a deal to keep NeoNET in Boston (unless, of course, Celedyr and the Johnson family were co-owners which would make sense. The Johnsons are very keen on technology, with Ned Johnson funding and creating his own R&D showcase in the Fidelity HQ (true story, I've been there)).

Yes, the big 10 would have companies in Boston, but the Johnson's control Boston proper. Also, I know that, if there ever was a published campaign setting of the Boston Metro that the Johnson name wouldn't be able to be used (he would sue Catalyst quicker than an MAD war would create fall out), but think about how all job givers are called "Mr. Johnson". I'd say the original Mr. Johnson would be the start of it all.

Side Note: I don't think Bostonians would use Mr. Johnson unless referring to MR. Johnson. I think they'd use Mr. Smith, out of respect. The Johnson's have done a lot for Boston, and would probably be a huge factor in maintaining the Boston economy through the ECSX move back to New York.

[Michael Chandra]

A published campaign setting? You mean Shadowrun Online: Lockdown?

[GiraffeShaman]

Sounds  like a very interesting setting detail to use, but it may need massaged to work within the SR universe. Since the megacorps are the Pillars of Reality, the idea may work best if the Johnson family was some faction in a mega. (Or maybe the family is a more quiet power player, with  holdings in various corps and organizations, Big D style)

You're probaly aware of this, but I may as well mention it. There are many internet rumors that Fallout 4 is going to be set in Boston.

[Puls3evo]

Sounds  like a very interesting setting detail to use, but it may need massaged to work within the SR universe. Since the megacorps are the Pillars of Reality, the idea may work best if the Johnson family was some faction in a mega. (Or maybe the family is a more quiet power player, with  holdings in various corps and organizations, Big D style)

Honestly, I would not be surprised if the latter was the deal the devil made. "I'll let you into Boston, but you'll have to give me some holding power in the company, at least locally."

So at some point over the summer, I am going to try and modify some SatMaps of the Greater Boston area to expand and adapt the BosMet. I have a general idea of the layout in my head, but getting a better idea of the scale, I think, would help with not only faction and company layout but the Catacombs/Subway and other settings details.

Also, Fallout: The Commonwealth would be awesome.

[Puls3evo]

Here are some thoughts on the Organization of the BosMet.
Route 128, The Technology Sector
Route 128 is a stretch of I95 that loops West around Boston proper. A LOT of the best-known technology companies that aren't in Seattle or Silicon Valley are on this road, like Oracle, SAP, and Adobe. I would assume AAAs like Evo, Horizon, NeoNET, and MCT would have Offices, Child-Corps, and possibly HQs (with NeoNET) here, instead of in Boston proper.

Boston Harbor, part of South Boston
Not only the home of the Boston World Trade Center, the Hahbah IRL is one of the explosive areas in terms of business growth, with a bunch of small businesses and green companies moving into the Design Center and neighboring zones. Also housed here are the Mass Contemporary Art Museum, The Whiskey Priest (excellent Irish Pub), and, of course, the Harbor itself, with dry docks and shipping containers galore. This is also the best access to the surrounding islands. AAAs would include Shiawise, Wuxing, and Aztechnology here.

The Financial District
The Financial District is in the middle of Boston. This would be the actual hub of trade, commerce, and major businesses. Ares, Saeder-Krupp, and Renraku would most likely have their outposts here.

Fanuel Hall
You can buy anything in Fanuel Hall, the original Mall of America. the Hall itself is a diverse mash of food vendors in the inner hall with street carts protected by the rain selling various trinkets and items. Surrounding the main hall are shops tailored to everything and everyone. Nestled between the Financial district and North Boston, and access to every subway line, Fanuel Hall is the place to meet up and equip for your day-to-day life.

Boston Common
The large, slopping park is a wonderful break from the concrete, brick, and steel that makes up most of Boston. Wide open, not overly cluttered with trees, and a small duck pool for children to splash in, the Common is a very relaxing place IRL. In game, however, I see this as a major Leyline or Awakened Shrine as well as a park, with Street Talismongers, magical trees, and ice cream trucks vying for space.

Back Bay/Chinatown
Back Bay is home to the world-famous "Brownstone" houses and apartments, which house upper-middle class businessmen, students, and citizens. Chinatown is Chinatown (never actually walked through Chinatown personally.). Back Bay is beautiful.

North Boston
Italians everywhere! Italian restaurants, shops, and people make their home here, which (of course) propagate rumors of the Italian Mafia running around don't stop people from enjoying the sights and smells. Also the home of the famous TD Garden Stadium, home turf for the Celtics Basketball and Bruins Hockey teams (Go For the Cup!), and the North Station Train and Subway terminal.

South Boston
Irish Pride! South Boston is made up of hard-working citizens who work on the Harbor and South Station Train and Subway terminal.

Downtown Crossing
Another Mall area, and the true center of Boston transportation, with access to almost every Subway line.

Beacon Hill
The rich citizens area.

The Fens
Fenway Park, Boston College, and Storrow Drive.

How I see the Metro
If you look at a SatMap of Boston, there is a clear loop going around Boston. That is Rt. 128, and it starts south in Quincy and ends North in Peabody. I would say (unless a Metro is much bigger than this) that everything east of 128 is the Boston Metro, since this is Greater Boston. If a Metroplex is bigger, I would say the southern point is Mansfield, the western is Marlborough, and Northern would be Haverhill and Methuen, following I495 and including everything east. (These are the 2 Highway rings west of Boston).