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The character questionnaire for "Whitey's Boyos" (name still tentative, suggestions welcome) follows. The context: Whitey's squad of demon-killing hard-nosed bruisers has around for nine months or so now. A couple of the original members have died; there have been a couple of new recruits. The player characters are the entire squad. They are not expected to have jobs outside the life -- Whitey pays a generous stipend to people willing to risk their lives fighting demons.

Some of the questions can't be answered until all the characters are in, and since the final roster hasn't been finalized, that's obviously a little ways away. This is mostly so I get it written down and have time to chew on it.

The questionnaire is written in the masculine gender. This doesn't mean that female characters are impossible, but after deliberation, I think the gender choices in the language reinforce the fact that female characters would exist within a sexist environment.

1. Who does your character hate? Who screwed him over? Who would he hurt, given a chance?
2. Which family member is your character closest to? (Yes, your character has a living family member.) What's the relationship like?
3. Which member of the squad saved your life? Which squad member's life did you save? How'd it happen? Can't be the same person.
4. Where does your character hang out? Where does he feel safe? Where does he go to relax?
5. What's your character's favorite movie? Favorite album?
6. Does your character go to Mass? If not, any other regular religious activity? If not, why?
7. What would your character's perfect evening be like?
8. Who is your character dating and/or sleeping with?
9. What would your character do with a million dollars? How about a hundred thousand?
10. What's the worst disappointment of your character's life? What's his greatest achievement, from his point of view?

[Population: One] <A HREF="http://popone.innocence.com/ar

The reading list for "Whitey's Boyos" looks something like this:

• Black Mass: the canonical book about Whitey Bulger and John Connolly. This is where you get the basic history.
• Boyos: a gritty novel by an ex-Southie gangster. Not brilliant but pretty propulsive, and for obvious reasons the author has a good feel for the Southie underworld.
• Street Soldier: in a similar vein to Boyos, but non-fiction. Not as well-written and some have questioned its veracity, but I enjoyed it.
• All Souls: the best of the non-fiction, in my eyes. It doesn't directly focus on Whitey, but it's got great detail about growing up in Southie and it's very well-written. Read this one for balance: it's the price paid by Southie residents for the kind of things you read about in Street Soldier.
• The Kenzie/Gennaro series: an absolutely searing Boston-based mystery series. Dennis Lehane knows the dirty streets of Dorchester, and he writes the grime as well as anyone. If I can get half the feel of these novels into the game, I'll be happy. (See also his Mystic River, which is not a Kenzie/Gennaro book but which shares their characteristics.)

[Population: One] <A HREF="http://popone.innocence.com/ar

"Whitey's Boyos" movies and television shows include the following. There are other obvious candidates; if you haven't seen every gangster flick Scorcese ever made, well, you're like me because I haven't seen Gangs of New York yet either. But you know what I mean. These, however, are the direct influences and recommendations.

• Mystic River: not as good as the book, but still very very good. Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon were on fire.
• Monument Ave.: Denis Leary was born to play an Irish thug; this is the movie where he does it best. Also with Colm Meaney, Martin Sheen, and a bunch of other good actors. Directed by Ted Demme.
• The Boondock Saints: yeah, that's Boston for you, with a whole lot of Irish insanity.
• Good vs. Evil: the tone maybe goes a little bit too far towards the humor, but the image of a rough-edged group of amateurs fighting very bad things stuck with me.
• The Shield: wrong era, wrong side of the law, right ethos. Whitey's Boyos are bad men doing good things, while Detective Mackey's strike team is the opposite.

This list may also be useful.