Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[Metarusuta]

Anyone have experience running a game involving gangs and other organized crime units? Any tips?

[LegendaryBard]

I really WANT to run one, but I haven't managed to convince anyone yet. My group just isn't interested in being thugs.

I would think the biggest thing is to remember that real life gangs aren't as exciting as gangs in entertainment. So you kind of need to decide, are you doing real life gangs, or Saints Row style gangs? If Saints Row style, make it so that they're capable of doing crazy things and getting away with it. If real life, consequences. You go to war with another gang? People are going to die, go to jail, and both sides are gonna hurt. Guns will also be harder to get in a more realistic gang setting.

In both sorts of styles, though, you have to remember that gangs are organizations. As such, they need places to live, places to hang out, a way to get weapons--everything a normal army would need, but on a smaller scale.

Most gangs will also have businesses as well. Drug selling, prostitution, illegal gambling--something like that. Gangs are made for two reasons--to protect each other, and to make money.

Good luck man. I really wish I could be running a game like this.
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Not actually that savage.

[UmbraLux]

Ran Shadowrun for years...semi-organized crime was the way of life. Also, your typical "murder hobo" group is probably worse than most gangs. :/

What exactly are you looking to do? Shadowrun gives PCs a reason (downtrodden dystopia) and a target (corporations). I'd suggest a similar set up to give them some focus. Playing thugs with no goals other than $ is back to the murder hobo model.

[LegendaryBard]

[UmbraLux]

I said "thugs" not businessmen.

That said, I tend to think there's just as much sense in murder hobo groups as there is in a gang-banger killing a rival. They're both built around selfishness as the primary driver. Kinda getting off subject though...back to your regular programming.

Playing a criminal caste is a fairly standard trope - usually complemented by those in power being 'evil'. Rebelling against the Empire, sticking it to the Man, joining Robin Hood's gang (purely for Tuck's beer I'm sure), saving Gaia from organized corruption, and attacking one corporation after another because you refuse the title of wageslave...all are criminal but they're also cast as 'against' something or someone worse.

[Rohan]

*shamelessly plugs Wellstone City*

It's great for running thugs, businessmen, mercenaries, or even spies ala the show Burn Notice.

Combine it with the Encounter Deck and you have a setting that evolves with the characters and changes around them, and it goes from sand box to sand storm....the whole city is open...either join someone's crime syndicate, stay independent, or start your own syndicate!
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www.silvergryphongames.com

Become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Silvergryphongames

Current WIP: Wellstone City Chronicles, Puppets, and One-liners

[Metarusuta]

Sorry I wasn't clearer, I didn't have a lot of time. Lunch break was coming to a close

I was looking for tips on role playing gang leaders, information on gang social structures, how they run their businesses, how to have them interact with the PC's in a believable manner while providing a sustainable challenge, and most importantly, crazy $#!% that gangs have pulled off in your own games.

That kind of thing.

One of my players' has a background built around the fact that he ejected a big time gang boss' cargo (of drugs) into space, and is now being hunted by him on the spaceport he's currently staying at.

[GranFalloon]

Well well... Crossed the evil crime boss, did we? You have a couple of handy tropes. The first is the chillingly cold sadist, who, once crossed, cannot be reasoned with. Think Adelai Niska from Firefly. Calm, horrible torture is the activity of the day.

Then you have your Godfather types. He's all business. Again, doesn't lose his temper, but will calmly explain that you've put him in a difficult position. He can't look weak, so you need to be punished. He probably won't torture you much, but you're probably dead. If you're very persuasive, he may just take a hand or finger, but you're so in debt you'll never work it off. You're a Mafia worm now, buddy, the lowest of the low.

Then you got your loose cannons. These are the badasses with a hair-trigger temper. They can rise to the top, but they can't hold it, because sooner or later someone decides to take a shot at this nut. So, there's no reasoning with this guy, but you might be able to ally with one of his underlings to take him down. Now you have a tense relationship with a murderous bastard. Sounds like you're in for interesting times.

[VonDan]

And the minis you want to use






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http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/Vondan/

[Metarusuta]

I'd say this gang boss falls into the "loose cannon" category... according to the player's story, the guy he pissed off is named Kannibul and he's, well... a cannibal. He's also a cyborg, a drug fiend, and big time into body modification. Did I mention he makes bombs out of the skulls of his enemies?

Yup, probably a loose cannon.

I couldn't remember the name of those gumball machine thugs to save my life right now.

*EDIT*

Homies!

Knew that would happen

[VonDan]

I have no idea ware they are from but I got half of these Cholo bad boys at a flee market for 25 cents each still in the plastic balls. The other half were in a random Thrift store bag with schlielch bears. I concider hem "reseach" for my Modern Day "Zoro Chicks" script.


EDIT

And I kept thinking people were using the slang term for those figures cause they look like "homies" but it is the name of the figure series.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homies
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http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h51/Vondan/