Role Playing in Northern California

Weapons, Boy Do We Have Weapons There are tons of guns here. They're easy to get and largely unregulated. I have no desire to argue this well debated topic from either side. It is neither a cause of pride or shame for me or the people I know. Guns are simply a fact of life. I don't own one, but I have friends who own dozens. One note, "assault rifles" (a loosely defined term) are regulated and uncommon. Fully automatic weapons are flat out illegal. However, the Nevada border is two hours away. Machine guns are legal in Nevada. Almost everything is legal in Nevada. Character who need automatic weapons can get them if they want them bad enough. Animals We Have / Hunting Is Common There are tons of game animals in the hills east and north of Sacramento. Hunters are a minority, but not uncommon. There are bears in Yosemite, mountain lions all over (including rare appearances in local suburbs), deer, and all kinds of stuff. People hunt pheasant and quail on private and public land. We Simply Don't Do It People in Sacramento (and most of Northern California) don't surf. The ocean is two hours away. There are a lot of boats here and plenty of lakes, rivers and delta sloughs. So water skiing and jet skiing are fairly common. Surfing is not. Cowboys, Crops, and Country Music Much to my chagrin, the local country music station is now the number one radio station in Sacramento. Blech! Anyway, other types of music are prevalent including hip hop, R&B;, classic rock, metal, and sissy pop stuff like Britney Spears and the Back Street Boys. There are a lot of crops in the surrounding area. Please note, that says SURROUNDING AREA. As in, not IN Sacramento. Plenty of people think we're a bunch of hick, redneck, farmers. We are not. I have never plowed a field nor picked anything. You can go to the local shit kicker (cowboy) bar and see men strutting around in black, felt cowboy hats, wrangler jeans, and those silly "country" shirts. Some even have fringe. However, there are no real cowboys here. At least, not in Sacramento. I would imagine there are cattle ranches north and south of here, but I've never seen or heard of one. Ethnic Minorities The ethic split in Northern California follows a simple pattern. In the cities like Sacramento, one normally encounters 60% Caucasian, 10% Hispanic, 15% African American, 14% Asian, and 1% native American. Outside the cities, there are two kinds of areas, rural and rich. In the rural areas, the percentage of African Americans and Asians drops radically and the Caucasian and Hispanic percentages rise. The rich areas are almost completely Caucasian. Most of these richer areas are in the foothills to the east of Sacramento. These numbers are rough, for gaming use, and are not specific enough for marketing or serious research. The Net Internet usage is very common and digital subscriber lines are all the rage. Notebooks, PDAs and powerbooks are quite common. TV Channels Many people have cable. Probably not quite a majority, but many. Those who don't are limited to nine local stations, including one all Spanish speaking channel. Bad Language Swear words seem to be somewhat different between England and Northern California. No one here says bollocks (I have no idea what that means) or wanker, and cunt is considered very, very crude. I don't know anyone who would say that out loud. Fuck, shit, and crap are very common along with countless variations like mother fucker, fuckhead, shit-for-brains, fuckwad and the ever common asshole, assbite, dumbass and dickhead. Taxi Drivers? I've never taken a cab ride. As far as I'm aware, no one I know has ever taken a cab ride. I know there are cabs at the "international" airport. Other than that I've rarely seen one.

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