17 thoughts on “Is there a setting in the works for classic gangsters? 1920s bootlegging, etc.”

  4. John mentioned that he got some Italian friends who if stretchgoal is achieved may like to do something either more traditional (Boardwalk Empire) more contemporary (Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino) or more modern (Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Weeds,  …The Wire(?))

  7. I think there might be some more adjustments fitting to reflect modern times on the one hand and the genere specifics on the other hand.

    A games in the 20th might see some spiritism attached to it, maybe some occult catholic stuff. There might be a variant which is rules wise more gritty to get into the “In Bruges” flair.

    Maybe some more emphazise on Heat to reflect the behavior of people in Breaking Bad better.

    Some adjustments to the faction ladder. Maybe focussing on a few factions (6 new yorker crime families) with factions within factions (to have that climb affect, maybe capos who are trying to out the other capos, get independant).

    Set in a modern time transport might become more important. Be it for booze in the 20ties or drugs/humans in modern time. As well as maybe some car chases and stuff.

    Maybe those guys come up with something like Gomorrha?

    Maybe the players would get to play reporters trying to investigate, unveil stuff while not get killed.

    I tend to see more potential to do great stuff there as lets say in Englands Regency period..

  9. I can’t remember so don’t take my word on this, but I think I heard something like, Bootleggers was version 1, Blades is version 2, and there will be a modern day version 3?  Something like that?  What I can say, however, is that a modern day hack for Blades would be really easy and loved by a lot of people.  The fact there is no stretch goal for such a thing is suspicious….. hmm….

  11. So Bootleggers is the grandfather (I’m guessing the maternal one), dungeon world is probably the father. I think that would make Apocalypse World and D&d the fraternal parents (it was an odd affair) and I’m guessing Lady Blackbird and Magister Lor are the twin cousins (one of which released a demon). John Harper​, your games have a fascinating family tree.

  12. Alberto Muti Gomorrha isn’t set in the US..

    Though it might be difficult to do a Prohibition / 20ties bootlegging setting outside of the US.

    Apart from that that I do enjoy the US shows and do have rather little material outside those. Maybe Yakuza movies, Lilyhammer,.. though I couldn’t name any interesting stuff from Germany.

    hari capra There will be turf wars as a follow up to bootleggers. Specially as bootleggers is nice but feels (intentionally) a bit barebones.

  13. I am afraid that there is some potential for misunderstanding in my first post, as it has been some kind of spontaneous brainstorming.

    I don’t wanted to get across as patronizing those who are working at the setting/hack or settings/hacks. Its just that the only thing I remembered about the Fans John mentioned to do it is their nationality.

    In regards of what will be used for the approach I think and try to mention that there are different approaches possible. Just as there are plenty of variations. There is the prohibition period that often involves a  very romanticized picture of organized american crime. Focusing on the close knit structure of the criminals and attributing those utilitarian motives as upholding tradition, protecting their people, acting up against an oppressive law suite caring about family and what not. 

    The Godfather trilogy picked right up on that myth, dragged it into modern time, enforced it and nailed it down to a degree that it did not only spawn basically a genre of its own up to the Sopranos (Sons of Anarchy and Breaking Bad) but as well crafting disgusting racial stereotypes aimed at Italians.

    I am aware that there are different media telling organized crime while making the criminals protagonists. Well, mostly that there are Yakuza movies in Japan that might even beat the Godfather at painting a romanticized picture. As well that there is a new series from Italy called Gomorra focusing on the Neapolitan landscape. That occasionally a Brasilian movie like City of God or (with changed perspective) Tropa de Elite takes upon the topic. 

    I am confident that what ever they’ll do with the topic will be great.

    I hope that my enthusiasm for a certain genre of series and films isn’t be taken as a reason to believe I would project those fictional, genre stuff on real criminals, would be even to a slight degree okay with the crimes and atrocities committed by criminals or even hold prejudice against people due to their nationality.

  15. Ah great 🙂 Just wanted to avoid any misunderstanding. ^^

    Not as much because I took your post in wrong spirit as I experienced another discussion regarding a similar topic (about V:tM)  blowing up in all the wrong ways.

  16. The Giovanni clan has not been a great idea, all in all. I hear the new version in the Dark Ages: 20th Anniversary book is far better. Some cool italians i know were involved in the project 🙂 

  17. I would disagree as I did like the Clan.

    Though neither for the epic botch regarding the name nor for what they’ve done with describing Venice or the tone they chose for the clan books.

    Those set aside I am intrigued by the necromancy and the more then close knit family structure that’s been different from the organisation of all other clans.

    I am not sure if the changes in Dark Age aren’t undoing that. Plus I may have liked it better if they’d chosen another, this time valid, family name opposed to have the Clan name itself “the Youngsters”,.. which might be fine for a nickname but not as much for a supposed  normal name, imho.

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