Boston?

[ShadowDenizen]

FWIW, I actually live in the Boston area, and I think a "Secrets of Boston" sourcebook would be a really compelling read!

For contents, most of it has been mentioned above, but an overview of the public transit system, including period pictures, would be great. (We know Pickman painted pictures of a "Ghoul Invasion" from under the subway; what would the station have looked like at that time? And there was a GREAT adventure in an old White Wolf Magazine focused on one of the "Abandoned" subway stations.)

And, of course, we'd need some cool scenarios.

[Chad Out of Space]

FWIW, I actually live in the Boston area, and I think a "Secrets of Boston" sourcebook would be a really compelling read!

For contents, most of it has been mentioned above, but an overview of the public transit system, including period pictures, would be great. (We know Pickman painted pictures of a "Ghoul Invasion" from under the subway; what would the station have looked like at that time? And there was a GREAT adventure in an old White Wolf Magazine focused on one of the "Abandoned" subway stations.)

And, of course, we'd need some cool scenarios.

Speaking of transportation, whatever happened to Charlie? Why did he never return? Did he leave a diary behind? Why are the police refusing to reopen the case ?!

[wombat1]

Speaking of transportation, whatever happened to Charlie? Why did he never return? Did he leave a diary behind? Why are the police refusing to reopen the case ?!

Ha--good catch; I remember father playing that song occasionally when I was growing up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMSGrY-IlU

Poor old Charlie--began by being trapped on the subway because of a fare increase necessary to feed the Boston Democrats and the Irish mob during Mayor Curley's administration, and now about to suffer a grim and unpleasant fate.

[Chad Out of Space]

Ha--good catch; I remember father playing that song occasionally when I was growing up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMSGrY-IlU

Poor old Charlie--began by being trapped on the subway because of a fare increase necessary to feed the Boston Democrats and the Irish mob during Mayor Curley's administration, and now about to suffer a grim and unpleasant fate.

Yes! And soooo ironically has now become the MTA mascot.

Charlie Card -- my ass.

[WinstonP]

Sadly that song was written in 1949. So... Sorry Charlie?

[wombat1]

Sadly that song was written in 1949. So... Sorry Charlie?

There may well be a scenario there somewhere. And for those looking to be both in bad taste and political, what if a character based on Mary Jo had the "Innsmouth taint" and swam away from the car rather than wait for a U.S. Senator to do something sensible for once and wake up a stranger to use their telephone?

[Chad Out of Space]

Sadly that song was written in 1949. So... Sorry Charlie?

Interesting. Interesting. It turns out that Charlie the Tuna, an obvious Deep One hybrid, became the spokesfish for StarKist in 1961, just 22 Years after the song was written.

Coincidence? Oh, I don't think so.

No. I. Do. Not.

[Necrothesp]

Personally I'm a big fan of the comprehensive geographical style used in Secrets of Los Angeles, but with a bit more information on the city's infrastructure (policing, transport, law, medicine, research etc). What I don't like are forced 'adventure hooks' added everywhere, as seen in some sourcebooks. Give me the information and I can come up with those by myself. I have nothing against well-developed and integrated fictional additions (although I do like to know what is historical and what made up), but not something that just looks like it was shoehorned in because the writer thought he ought to come up with a Mythos hook.

[WinstonP]

For those interested in Boston, I checked my list of New England scenarios and I find that these scenarios are set primarily in Boston:

“The Haunted House” - CoC rulebook

“The Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight” - Shadows of Yog-Sothoth

“The House on McKinley Boulevard” - Last Rites (Modern)

“One in Darkness” - The Great Old Ones

“They Sleep by Twilight” - Worlds of Cthulhu #5

“The Thing in the Well” - Day of the Beast

Did I miss anything? I know a few tangentially involve Boston (Return to Dunwich has an NPC researcher there, for example)..

[wombat1]

Personally I'm a big fan of the comprehensive geographical style used in Secrets of Los Angeles, but with a bit more information on the city's infrastructure (policing, transport, law, medicine, research etc). What I don't like are forced 'adventure hooks' added everywhere, as seen in some sourcebooks. Give me the information and I can come up with those by myself. I have nothing against well-developed and integrated fictional additions (although I do like to know what is historical and what made up), but not something that just looks like it was shoehorned in because the writer thought he ought to come up with a Mythos hook.

I am not entirely certain I agree except insofar as the author always ought to mark that which is fictitious. I can use or not use ideas that are presented, but having an adventure hook is never a bad thing, as far as I can tell.

[malcojones]

Did I miss anything?

There's a scenario in the forthcoming House of R'lyeh scenario book with Chaosium called 'The Art of Madness' that is set in Boston and sketches in a few details and some local colour.

Best, malcojones

[Necrothesp]

I am not entirely certain I agree except insofar as the author always ought to mark that which is fictitious. I can use or not use ideas that are presented, but having an adventure hook is never a bad thing, as far as I can tell.

I didn't say adventure hooks are bad per se. I said adventure hooks that look forced are bad. The Cairo Sourebook has many perfect examples of adventure hooks which are forced and read like "if you want to add the Mythos to this location, how about this that I've just thought of and spent two minutes jotting down". Horrible. Particularly when added to a book that was mostly large chunks of the Baedeker Guide transplanted almost verbatim. I have nothing whatsoever against adventure hooks that are smoothly integrated and read well. New Orleans and Los Angeles, in particular, have some good examples.

[paladin2769]

Any news on when House of R'lyeh might be released?

[Asmodas]

A final definitive answer to the mystery of what caused the Boston Molasses Incident.

Cheers to that! My mother grew up in Boston, and the thought of people being drowned in a slow flood of molasses has always been an image I couldn't shake.

- - - Updated - - -

Any news on when House of R'lyeh might be released?

When the stars are right.

(Sorry, couldn't resist).

[Midas]

Sadly that song was written in 1949. So... Sorry Charlie?

Hi, as someone who lives near Danville, I'll point out that "The Wreck of the Ol' 97" (same tune, different lyrics) happened in 1903, well in period. According to my reliable source (something I heard on the internet), the lyrics were originally about a lost ship, so maybe it has deeper roots than we think. ("The Ship that Never Returned")

And BTW, when wifey passes him a sandwich, why doesn't she give him some change, enough to pay the fare, too? -I'm thinking some kind of "Twilight Zone" or "Groundhog Day" scenario, where he literally *cannot* leave the train.-

Modern Plot Hook: "You hear this weird legend about the MBTA being haunted. Some guy in late 40's clothes asks people for a nickle. When given one he says 'No, that's not it.' and walks away."