🏭 South Night City

“Travel here during the day. At night, the fireworks start — and the ambulances don’t make it in till morning.”

South Night City is an industrial nightmare — a heavily industrialized port district turned Combat Zone. It’s where the legal economy intersects with the black market, where container ships unload cargo that disappears into gang-controlled warehouses, and where bodies end up in the water with depressing regularity.


📍 Overview

AspectDetails
Zone TypeCombat Zone
Threat RatingCombat (extremely dangerous)
PopulationLow — gangs, port workers, desperate
EconomyShipping, smuggling, illegal manufacturing
Law EnforcementMinimal to none

📜 History

Before the War (2020s)

South Night City was always dangerous. The area was developed with cheap, shabby housing built at the turn of the century by Mob-controlled contractors. The quality was as questionable as the builders.

Era FeatureDescription
IndustryOil refinery, container port, sewage plant
HousingMiles of cheap construction
ReputationAlready one of Night City’s most dangerous areas
RiskMugged in alleys or shot by paranoid locals

“If you weren’t waylaid and dragged into a dark alley by one of the many gangs, it was just as likely you’d be shot by some trigger-happy local mistaking you for a gang member.”

The War and After

South Night City escaped the worst of the nuclear blast but was flooded with refugees from the destroyed city center. The area devolved further into lawlessness as infrastructure collapsed and gangs filled the power vacuum.


🏢 Key Facilities

San Morro Bay Cargo & Container Port

The largest employer in South Night City — and the reason the area still matters economically.

FacilityPurpose
Loading docksContainer ships from NorCal and beyond
WarehousesStorage (legal and otherwise)
CranesMassive loading equipment
SecurityCorporate — tight on company property

The port handles the flow of goods in and out of central California: fruit, vegetables, processed foods, manufactured goods. It’s critical infrastructure — which means corporate security protects the Port itself, even if they ignore the surrounding slums.

Other Industrial Facilities

LocationDescription
Oil Refinery TerminalBattered but still processing
Municipal Sewage PlantNight City’s waste ends up here
Abandoned FactoriesNow gang headquarters
Chop ShopsVehicle dismantling operations
WarehousesMost gang-controlled or abandoned

🔫 Gang Situation

South Night City is contested territory — multiple gangs fight over the valuable smuggling infrastructure.

6th Street

ActivityNotes
Warehouse controlSome facilities, especially near Rancho border
SmugglingMove goods through legitimate channels
DockworkersSome members have day jobs at the Port

Maelstrom

ActivityNotes
Industrial territoryLove the pipes and machinery
ManufacturingIllegal cyberware, weapons, drugs
Ambush tacticsUse industrial maze for kills

Other Crews

Smaller gangs hold specific blocks or buildings. Territory changes frequently.

Crew TypeNotes
Smuggling crewsMove contraband from the docks
Chop shop crewsStrip stolen vehicles
ScavversDesperate people in the ruins

🚢 The Black Market Economy

South Night City’s position as a port district makes it essential for Night City’s grey and black markets.

What Comes Through

CategoryExamples
Legal goodsFood, manufacturing materials
Grey marketUnlicensed tech, surplus military
Black marketWeapons, drugs, stolen goods
PeopleHuman trafficking, smuggled refugees

How It Works

  1. Ship arrives at San Morro Bay
  2. Cargo is unloaded — some goes through customs
  3. “Lost” containers disappear into gang warehouses
  4. Distribution through Night City’s underground

🌊 The Waterfront

The docks and waterways of South Night City serve multiple purposes:

UseDescription
ShippingLegitimate container traffic
SmugglingSmall boats, off-hours transfers
Body disposalThe water hides many secrets
HideoutsAbandoned ships as bases
FishingNot recommended — water’s toxic

🌆 Atmosphere

Day

  • Trucks moving cargo constantly
  • Port workers on shift
  • Smoke from active factories
  • Gangs lying low (mostly)
  • Corporate security visible near the Port

Night

  • Extremely dangerous — everyone with a gun
  • Gunfire echoes off metal buildings
  • Illegal operations in full swing
  • No emergency services respond
  • Fires burning in barrels
  • Bodies by morning

Sensory Details

SenseDescription
SightsRust, shipping containers, gang tags, smoke
SoundsMachinery, trucks, dogs, gunfire
SmellsDiesel, chemical runoff, salt water, rot

⚠️ Dangers

HazardDescription
Gang ViolenceConstant territorial skirmishes
Trigger-Happy LocalsThey shoot first, don’t ask
Industrial HazardsChemical spills, unstable structures
WaterToxic — don’t fall in
No Help ComingNCPD doesn’t respond here
TrapsSome areas are booby-trapped

🎲 GM Resources

Job Hooks

HookDetails
Cargo TheftHit a specific shipment
Warehouse RaidClear out a gang holding
Smuggling RunGet goods from ship to buyer
Body DisposalMake someone disappear
Missing PersonFind someone who vanished here
Industrial SabotageDamage a rival’s operation

Notable Locations

LocationDescription
San Morro Bay PortThe legitimate hub
Warehouse RowGang HQs, illegal storage
The RefineryStill operational, Maelstrom territory
Floating RustCluster of beached/abandoned ships
The Treatment PlantSewage facility, avoid


(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pp. 290, 297, 310)