Steampunk Mafia
A RED 8 System game By Jay Steven Uy Anyong
[email protected]
I.
Introduction
II. The City of New Providence III. The Heroes and Villains of New Providence IV. Kodiaks V. Game mechanics VI. combat VII. rewards VIII. Game Master Advice
Introduction Terry looked down on the city of New Providence below them, the wind whipping his hair as he squinted to get a better view. Already the smoke from the burning buildings down below began to mar the beauty of the city, his city. Swearing, Terry turned from the opening of the Police Zeppelin’s launch bay to Edgar, his mechanic. “Is she ready?” Terry snapped impatiently, as the sound of gunfire rattled down below. There wasn’t much time. The Corbolli family had to be stopped. Inside the launch bay, Edgar was hurriedly making some last minute checks to Terry’s Kodiak power armor, the Enforcer, slapping down one last lever, Edgar gave a grunt, “That should do it, Terry!” The engineer gave a thumbs-up sign, “Hop in and give ‘em hell!” Terry took out a small, fist-sized metal punch card and stepped into the Enforcer’s torso cockpit. Strapping himself in, Terry slid the punch card into the ignition slot and pulled on the activation lever. The Mitchell-Connor Hydrogen Engine thrummed to life, various gauges dancing as the Enforcer began to power up. Giving Edgar a salute, Terry pulled on the sealing lever, and the 3-ton steam-powered Kodiak groaned, metal plates sliding over to encase Terry, jets of steam hissing outwards from the steam vents on the Kodiak’s shoulders and back to bring the Kodiak into a standing position. “All systems go.” Terry’s voice squawked through the Kodiak’s built-in intercom. The Enforcer lumbered forward towards the Zeppelin’s launch bay, and with a powerful blast from its Steam-propulsion jets, hurled itself into the New Providence sky, raining down hot lead onto the Corbolli family’s legbreakers.
Welcome to Steampunk Mafia In case you haven’t figured it out, this is a game about two things: Steampunk devices, and the Mafia. To help you get a better grip as to what we’re talking about, I’ll break this down to its component parts and discuss each one briefly. Steampunk – Is a particular sub-genre of speculative fiction (or Sci-Fi if you prefer), involving a bizarre mix of the romantic wonder of steam power with the gritty and grim settings of Cyberpunk. Think Johnny Mnemonic or Blade Runner with steam engines, and you’ve got the idea. The Mafia – is a catch all term for a particular “family oriented” form of organized crime. Their origins were Italian in origin when they fought back against oppressors in a sort of city vigilante kind of way. They won the respect and love of the common people, and are popular anti-heroes and villains of a lot of books and movies such as the Godfather and the Untouchables. Why put these two together? Well… for one thing, it’s unique. The second is the fact that despite how different these are, they have the spirit of romance and potential for stories that I find invigorating. Gritty tales of brotherhood and betrayal, set against a backdrop of steamtech that only accentuates the feeling of mystery that already surrounds the Mafia. There’s also the potential to play the good guys. Like Elliot Ness and the Untouchables, players can also be the police of New Providence, fighting with everything they’ve got, from fists, to their wits to 12-foot tall steamtech mecha all in the name of justice. Interested? Keep reading.
The City of New Providence New providence is a stereotypical American city in the 1920’s, with a twist. Thanks to the discovery of a cheap and abundant supply of energy with the invention of the famous MitchellConnor Hydrogen Engine, steam power became the choice power source for the world. Now the cityscape in marked with gentle clouds of steam that come from the underground vents of the New Providence Power Plant. Mechanical wonders practically sprung up overnight, with the invention of newer and better automobiles, manufacturing machines, and the 12-foot tall, humanoid mechs known as Kodiaks. Originally designed to assist in loading cargo in and out of the ships that dock in New Providence, some these hulking iron giants were stolen by the Mafia and modified, turning them to criminal uses. A crime wave of unparalleled proportions hit the city, as the emboldened Mafia gangs stole entire armored trucks with their Kodiaks, impervious to most police gunfire. It was only a matter of time before New Providence’s Chief of Police gave the go signal to come up with a counter-Kodiak force of specially trained police officers. These brave men and women were the city’s only chance to stem the tide of Kodiak related crimes that threaten to bring the once peaceful city to its knees. The Mafia The Mob, as it is more commonly known, is more than a collection of hoodlums and thugs that go around wantonly sowing destruction. While they have been known to resort to violent and heavy handed tactics, the Mob is also composed of those who hold their own brand of honor and code of conduct. The Police Standing between the Mafia and total domination over the city of New Providence is the NPPD, brave, determined souls who take to the streets to make sure that the city is safe from crime. Whether they’re regular beat cops, detectives or even a mechanic of the NPPD Kodiak maintenance department, these guys know that the safety of the city lies in their hands.
The Heroes and Villains of New Providence Steampunk Mafia recognizes the fact that in this kind of struggle, it’s tempting to side with either the devious Mafia criminals or the stalwart police force that fight against them. As such, we’re leaving the option of what side the players will be entirely up to them. Since this is a roleplaying game, the first step is to define what role you’ll play. This is done by creating a character. First of all, it’s important to note how characters are defined. Each character has a set number of Stats: Body – The body stat reflects the over-all physical health and strength of a character Dexterity – Dexterity determines the coordination and grace of a character Charm – Charm is how personable the character is, and how good her people skills are Intelligence – Determines that character’s wit and raw intellect, as well as perception Will – Is the measurement of a character’s ability to push himself beyond his limits Each Stat begins with a score of +0. This doesn’t mean that a character is inept, but merely average in each category. Each character has 4 points that they can add to their Stats. Players may choose to put all 4 points in one Stat, or distribute it among the Stats according to their concept of the character. Players may also choose to decrease a Stat below 0 in order to gain points that they would like to spend on another Stat. In addition, each character will also have one or more Descriptors, which are usually Nouns or Adjectives that modify a particular skill or ability. These can be specializations, broad descriptions and other adjectives that will shape a character. For example, a Mafia assassin might have Stealthy as a descriptor, or perhaps a Police detective might have Perceptive as a descriptor. Mechanically, descriptors serve as a bonus to actions that will involve that adjective, if the character is attempting it. Like Stats, a player has 5 points to distribute among their character’s descriptors. The maximum value for any Stat or Descriptor is +5. As an option, a player can choose to add a Negative Descriptor which penalizes a character’s ability in exchange for a point that they can add to either a Stat or Descriptor. This exchange is done on a 1:1 ratio, to a maximum of 3 points. For example, the Mafia legbreaker might have the Negative Descriptor, Dim-Witted: -2 but gets an additional 2 points to either add to his Stats or Descriptors. Example: Bob wants to make a character for the Steampunk Mafia. He decides that he wants a strong, Mafia Thug named Eddie for a character. Starting with 4 points on Stats, he decides that his best bet is to put a lot of points into his body and willpower. Putting 3 in body and 1 in Willpower, Eddie is a powerful character who refuses to give up. Satisfied for now, Bob moves on to descriptors. He decides that Eddie is a master of grappling techniques, and so adds “Grappling” as a descriptor followed by +3, a bonus worthy of his skills.
Bob also decides to put a +1 to both “Lifting” and “Intimidation” as Eddie is fond of picking up his opponents, and is a fearsome wrestler. Looking over Eddie’s stats, Bob thinks that he wants more points to add to Eddie’s Stats and Descriptors. To compensate, Bob decides to add a –1 Negative modifier to Eddie’s Charm stat, and add a +1 to Dexterity, since Eddie is a fairly unappealing individual, but has the quickness to help him get the jump on his opponent. As for descriptors, Bob gives Eddie a –2 for “Lying” as Eddie isn’t very convincing when he tries to lie. To balance it out, he adds +1 to both “Lifting” and “Intimidation” again to make sure that Eddie makes an impact. Finishing it up with a history of his character, Bob finishes Eddie and has a final character sheet that looks like this: Stats: Body +3 Dex +1 Cha -1 Int +0 Will +1
Descriptors: Grappling +3 Lifting +2 Intimidation +2 Lying -2
All characters start with a Health Chart:
-2 -3 -4
Each box is marked off according to the number of damage taken. More on this will be explained in the Combat chapter. With all these modifiers for stats, descriptors, and weapons, it’s easy to lose track of what you’re doing. Hence we recommend that you keep a running total for each of your most used actions. Something like: Action Pistol Punch Haggle Dodge Lift
Stat Dex +2 Dex +2 Cha +2 Dex +2 Str -1
Descriptor Firearms +2 Martial Arts +2 Personable +1 Martial Arts +2 Weakling -1
Weapon Bonus +2 NA 0 NA NA
Total Mod 6 4 3 4 -2
This way, you won’t lose track of the bonuses and save time, simply roll your two dice and add the total for the action you’re performing.
Kodiaks Kodiaks are 12-foot tall, 3 ton iron giants piloted by a single individual. Once used only for commercial purposes, they have been stolen and used by the Mafia families as walking tanks used in their overt operations. When outfitted with tommy guns and howitzer cannons, combined by their speed, strength and tough armor, they can keep an entire squad of pistol wielding police officers at bay. Since these hulking weapons carry a miniature version of the Mitchell-Connor Hydrogen Engine, they are easy to maintain, and have an operative range comparable to that of an airplane. Body: The toughness of internal functions of a Kodiak, protected by its Armor Rating. Spd: The speed by which a Kodiak can move. AR: The toughness of a Kodiak’s Armor. Damage done to a Kodiak in a turn is reduced by its armor rating. Any extra damage spills over to the Kodiak’s Body. Mafia Kodiaks are really patched together in some hidden warehouse rather than mass produced. This gives the Mafia an edge as well as a disadvantage. While they can salvage captured Kodiaks for parts and find a way to add new and unconventional weapons to their Kodiaks, repair is more costly, and their technology is insufficient to allow for the more advanced systems found in police Kodiaks. A Mafia Kodiak starts with a base of: Body: 10 Spd: 5 hexes AR: 6 Each Mafia Kodiak can begin with any number of weapons, with a total size no greater than 10. The Law enforcement Kodiaks are another creature altogether, working with the scientists responsible for several industrial marvels, the lighter armored Police Kodiaks do not have the customizable traits of the Mafia Kodiak, but feature several unique systems such as Steam Jump Jets, and readily available replacements and standard parts. A Police Kodiak has a base of: Body: 10 Spd: 6 hexes AR: 5 Each Police Kodiak can begin with 1 equipment package.
Kodiak Weapons: Weapons have several stats: Range: The maximum distance where this weapon can hit, splash indicates size of explosion. Size: This is the amount of space consumed by the weapon Shots: The number of shots in a clip for this weapon Defense: This modifier is added or subtracted from the character’s defense roll Accuracy: This modifier is added or subtracted from the character’s attack roll Damage: This is the amount of damage that the weapon does Kodiak Tommy Guns (range 8) Size Shots Accuracy Damage 4 20 +0 3k Kodiak Magnum (range 4) Size Shots Accuracy 3 6 +0
Damage 2k
Mortar (range 12, splash 3 hex)* Size Shots Accuracy Damage 6 1 -1 6k Kodiak Grenade (range 6, splash 2 hex) Size Shots Accuracy Damage 1 1 -1 3k Buzz-Saw (Melee) Size Defense Accuracy 2 +1 +0
Damage 3k
Taser Baton (Melee) Size Shots Accuracy 2 5 +0
Damage 1k**
Kodiak Sniper Rifle (range 15) Size Shots Accuracy Damage 5 5 +2 4k *Mortars take a full round to reload. ** Taser Batons do 1k damage to the Kodiak and 2 damage to the pilot on a successful hit. Taser Batons ignore AR.
The k added after damage is a measure of a Kodiak scale. Kodiak Scale weapons deal twice the listed amount of damage when used on humans. The reverse is also true, human scale weapons do half the listed amount of damage on Kodiaks.
Equipment packages: Sniper Package: Kodiak Sniper Rifle (with 6 extra clips) Heat Signature Mask Assault Package: Tommy Gun (with 2 extra clips) Taser Baton Steam Jump Jets Scout Package: Kodiak Magnum (2 extra clips) Guardian Radar Package Package Enhancements: Heat Signature Mask – This device covers the latent Heat signature found in Active Kodiaks. By improving the cooling system and using a special type of alloy armor, the Sniper Police Kodiak can remain undetectable by Kodiak heat sensors. This grants a -3 penalty in rolls to locate the Kodiak if it is currently not in motion. Steam Jump Jets – By far the most intimidating enhancement that the Police Kodiaks have at their disposal, they hypercharged Steam Jump Jets enable Kodiaks to clear nearly 5 stories on a single jump, decelerate from a fall, or increase their Spd to three times their horizontal movement distance. Each “jump” can boost a Police Kodiak’s Spd from 6 to 18 hexes. A Kodiak equipped with Steam Jump Jets may only Jump a total of three times before the Jump Jets will require maintenance. Guardian Radar Package- The Guardian Radar is a wide range, sound-based detection system that can be used for a variety of missions. The equipment is sensitive enough to pick up and record voices, while monitoring the latent “humming” of Mitchell-Connor Hydrogen Engines commonly used in Kodiaks. The Radar Package requires special training to use, and requires that the pilot spend an entire turn to operate it. The benefit however, is that the pilot will be able to locate all powered up Kodiaks within a 15 hex radius.
Game Mechanics The Red 8 system requires the use of 2 six-sided dice (2d6). For adjudicating situations where the character might fail, the Game Master (GM) will assign a Difficulty Number (DN) ranging from 3 – 17. With 3 being the easiest and 17 being the hardest. Most tasks of average difficulty are set at a default of 6. In order for his character to succeed, he must roll the 2 dice, add any Stats and Descriptor bonuses that apply and get a total higher than or equal to the DN set. Characters also have certain Descriptors, which can modify certain rolls made by a player when resolving situations where these descriptors are applicable. The value next to the descriptor is added to the die roll totals whenever a character uses that Descriptor. For Example: Melanie Wei, a Lady Cop is trying to follow a suspect through a crowd. The GM decides that it’s a very large crowd in the middle of rush hour and sets his difficulty number (DN) at 8, an above average task. Melanie Wei’s Character Sheet has the Int Stat +0 and the Descriptor: Perceptive +2. Melanie’s player now rolls 2d6 and tries to beat the DN. She rolls a 4 and a 6 for a total of 10 and adds her Int Stat bonus of +2 and Perceptive descriptor bonus of +2 for a final result of 12! She easily beats the DN of 8 and Melanie manages to keep an eye on the suspect, following him through he jam-packed crowds of rush hour. It’s very easy to remember the basic rule: The GM assigns a Difficulty number, and you roll equal to or higher than it to succeed. If you have a Stat or Descriptor bonus that applies to the situation, then you also add those to the total of your roll, making it easier for you to do the things that your character is good at. The “Snake Eyes” and “Lucky Eight” rules The Red 8 system has two special rules for dice, called “Snake Eyes” and “Lucky Eight”. A “Snake Eyes” is when a player (or GM playing an NPC) rolls two 1’s on his dice. When a player rolls a Snake Eyes, it means that the character makes a very big mistake that will often lead to trouble. This can mean anything from missing the person you’re punching and hitting the wall behind him instead, to accidentally tripping when you’re chasing after someone. Overall, what it really means is that your character has fumbled in a really bad way, and is usually in trouble. Your GM will decide what kind of trouble this will be. For Example: Melanie Wei sees the suspect duck into a side alley and enter a seedy-looking bar. She tries to follow, but a large and dangerous looking bouncer stops her from going in. Not wanting to cause any trouble, Melanie tries to sweet talk the bouncer into letting her in. The GM declares that the DN to convince the bouncer is only a 6 as he has no reason to be overly alarmed by Melanie’s appearance. Melanie’s player rolls and gets two 1’s, Snake Eyes! Melanie tries to sweet talk the bouncer but accidentally mentions that she’s a police officer! The bouncer’s eyes narrow and he calls out a warning to his fellow guards!
Like Yin and Yang, the Snake Eyes rule has an opposite… the Lucky Eight roll. The Lucky Eight rule is when a player rolls two 4’s. It only works when you get two 4’s, any other roll that results in a total of 8 does not count for a Lucky Eight. When a player rolls a Lucky Eight, it means that no matter how difficult a certain task is, the character automatically succeeds, and does so in the coolest way possible. When you roll a Lucky eight, feel free to describe every detail of how well you manage to succeed in the task. Should it happen that opposing rolls both turn out at a Lucky Eight, it is considered a tie, and both players re-roll. However the GM should describe the actions in vivid detail as if both players (even the loser) benefited from the Lucky Eight. This rule remains in effect even if the second roll results in a Snake Eyes. For Example: Melanie Wei is in trouble, now that the bouncer has called out for help, more goons will be coming in soon! Melanie’s player tells the GM that she’s going to try to escape and hide from the Bouncer. The GM then rules that trying to run away isn’t going to be easy and sets the DN at 12! Melanie’s player let’s out a whistle and rolls her two dice to see how well she can succeed. She rolls two 4’s… a Lucky Eight! Since she rolled so well, the GM declares that Melanie manages to outrun the bouncer and hide in the shadows. As soon as the bouncer runs past her hiding place, Melanie quietly makes her way back to the bar entrance and lets herself inside… Difficulty ratings: DN: 2-4 5-6 7-10 11-12 13-17
Type: Easy Average Difficult Heroic Insane
Examples: Driving in an empty street Driving in normal traffic Driving at full speed down the wrong lane Driving at full speed in zero visibility while being shot Driving with no brakes down a mountain blindfolded
In summary:
All rolls are 2d6 + [Stat] + [Descriptor] VS. DN If result is greater than or equal to DN = Success If result is lower than DN = Failure Rolling two 1’s = Snake Eyes Critical Failure Rolling two 4’s = Lucky Eight Critical Success
Combat Sometimes words fail you and the only way to resolve a dangerous situation is to fight. Characters might find themselves in the middle of furious melee combat, or frenzied gunfights. To simulate the dangers of combat, we’ve established a few rules. Combat is often a very messy and disorganized affair, but since this is a game, we’re going to pace things in rounds, which consist of each player’s turns. Each turn lasts for around 3-5 seconds, and is long enough to perform a few actions. In combat, each combatant rolls 2d6. The person who rolls highest gets his turn to act first, followed by the next highest, and so on. During each turn, the Player can choose to perform any of the following actions: Moving and Attacking with Melee Weapon Moving and Attacking with Ranged Weapon Performing a non-combat Action Take note that the Player is not required to move, if a player wants to remain in place and attack or perform a non-combat Action, they are free to do so. A character can move 2 hexes if their Dex score is up to +1, 3 hexes if +2 or higher. Attack Roll: 1) Declare your target (must be within range) 2) Roll your two dice 3) Add any relevant Stat, Descriptor and/or Weapon bonus to your roll 4) Tell the GM your total When a character is attacked in Melee, the character can attempt to defend himself from the attack. The Defense roll happens immediately after the Melee Attack has been resolved (the attack total has been told to the GM) Defense Roll: 1) Roll your two dice 2) Add any relevant Stat, Descriptor and/or Weapon bonus to your roll 3) Tell the GM your total If the Attack Roll total exceeds the Defense roll total, then the attack succeeds, and the weapon hits. If the Defense Roll is higher than or equal to the Attack Roll, then the Character being attacked manages to stop himself from getting hit. Doing Damage: If the Attack Roll total exceeded the Defense roll, the attack manages to pierce through the target’s defense and the attacker does damage equal to the damage rating of the weapon he is
using. The target then crosses out a number of boxes of his health to denote that he has been injured to that point. Some boxes may have negative modifiers beside them. These negative modifiers apply to all rolls being made by the character, to reflect the loss of concentration and overall performance from an injured individual. Take note that this in no way invalidates a Snake Eyes or a Lucky Eight roll. Example: X X X X X
-2 -3 -4
If a character were hit enough times to get five points of damage (as indicated by the boxes with the X’s) the player would now have to apply a –2 to all his roll totals. Example of Play: Dan, Tim and Allan have gathered together to play a game of Steampunk Mafia. Dan is the Game Master while Tim and Allan are playing Scarface and Knuckles respectively, Lieutenants of the Corbolli Family. In their adventures, Scarface and Knuckles have found the guarded entrance of a warehouse with a prototype Kodiak inside. Tim declares Scarface’s action, “I try to sneak up behind the guard.” Dan decides that it would be a difficult action (DN 9). Tim rolls his two dice and gets a 3 and a 2, and adds his Dex stat bonus of +1, Scarface also has the Descriptor: Sneaky +2. Adding it all up he finds his total is only an 8! Scarface accidentally tips over a can of oil, alerting the guard! Since Knuckles has been watching from his hiding place all this time, he gets to move first before the guard. Allan declares that Knuckles is going to try to shoot before the guard sounds the alarm. Allan rolls his attack and gets a 4 and 3 adding his Dex Stat bonus of +1 but doesn’t have a descriptor for it, bringing his total to an 8! Dan rolls for the guard’s defense, having no applicable Descriptor and only a +1 bonus for the guard’s Dexterity. Dan rolls a 2 and 4 for a total of 7. Close, but not good enough to evade Knuckles’ shot. The guard takes 2 damage from Knuckles’ gun and falls to the ground in pain. Guns, guns, guns Revolver (range 4) Size Shots Accuracy S 6 +0
Damage 2
Tommy Gun (range 6) Size Shots Accuracy M 20 +0
Damage 4
Rifle (range 8) Size Shots L 5
Accuracy +1
Damage 4
Hand Grenade (range 6, Splash 1) Size Shots Accuracy Damage S 1 -1 5
Kodiak Combat Combat rules are the same for Attack and Defense rolls, but a few things are different. A Kodiak’s health is its Body Stat. If a Kodiak is reduced to 0 Body, then it is no longer functional. Further damage done to a Kodiak with 0 Body will no longer be reduced by its AR and will be treated as damage done to the human pilot. A Kodiak can move a number of hexes equal to its Spd Stat. For purposes of play, each Kodiak can lift up to 2 tons of weight. Kodiaks can combine their efforts for lifting, adding an additional +1 ton per Kodiak assisting.
Rewards Experience The City of New Providence doesn’t stand still, so neither should your characters. Like good heroes and villains of movies and novels, Steampunk Mafia characters also improve over time. To represent this, each character earns a certain amount of Experience Points after each session as awarded by the GM. Experience points are spent to improve the characters Stats or their Descriptors. Take note that the maximum bonus for a Stat or Descriptor is +5. Experience Point Costs are as follows: Improvement Raising a Stat by +1 Raising a Descriptor by +1 Buying a new Descriptor at a +1
Cost 10 exp 5 exp 3 exp
It is recommended that in an average game of Steampunk Mafia, characters should be awarded an average of 2-3 experience points depending on how well they performed. Reputation The second type or reward given in Steampunk Mafia is Reputation. As their exploits become known, and their names become famous, both police and mafia characters develop a reputation with the people, and the organizations that they work for. Both Police and Mafia characters can gain Fame or Infamy. As the characters become more well-known for their respective reputations, each of them gains a certain amount of treatment as appropriate for their reputation. In game, a character’s reputation is represented by a sliding scale: Infamy - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - Fame At the start of the game, all characters begin at the midpoint of the Reputation scale. As the game progresses, their actions determine how their Reputations change. Reputation awards are different from experience points in the sense that they are only awarded when the characters perform something particularly noteworthy, whether it is successfully raiding a Mafia speakeasy, or killing a rival mob’s Lieutenant. The GM is encouraged to award or penalize players with Reputation to reflect the nature of their actions. A simple bust would only give 2 notches towards Fame or so, or even none, if the characters were already high in the appropriate Reputation, but a botched stakeout that resulted in the death of several Police officers would easily be worth 5 or so Reputation notches down towards Infamy. Take note however, that the Reputation scale will only change if other people find out. The media is of utmost importance in New Providence, and their word can make or break a person.
A character’s reputation also affects how NPCs treat them. NPCs who are inclined to help “the fight against crime” would definitely be more helpful to a character with Fame rather than one who has a significant Infamy rating. However, criminals and black market arms dealers would find no problem working with Infamous characters rather than “Mr. goody two shoes”. Take note that Reputation takes a while to build. While saving Mrs. Jones’ cat might earn you one point towards Fame, saving 10 other cats will not make you a paragon of virtue. Again, the discretion lies to the GM to make the call on how much Fame or Infamy a character gains (or loses) based on the severity of the event and the number of witnesses. Rank Another important concept in Steampunk Mafia is rank. Nobody wants to spend the rest of their careers scraping the bottom of the barrel, and so members of either side want to gain the benefits and prestige of having a higher rank. How does one earn a higher rank? Characters simply have to go to their superiors and declare that they wish to be given a chance to be “promoted.” GMs then have the character’s superiors grant the character (assuming they find him ready) a chance to earn his promotion by sending him on a special mission. Special missions are crafted by the GM solely for the character(s) that are undergoing evaluation for a promotion. These are usually slightly more difficult, or have special objectives and obstacles that the Players have not encountered before in the game. This makes every increase in rank a reason to celebrate, and rewards preparation and quick thinking on the part of the Players should they succeed. Take note however that the character’s current rank affects the kind of missions that the characters will be expected to perform. A rookie, for example, would never be sent to assassinate a Mob Boss in the middle of a restaurant owned by the Mafia. However, offing a star witness would definitely be under the scope of responsibility of a Mafia Hitman. For groups with mixed ranks, it is up to the GM to decide what mission would be appropriate for the group. Example: If Needles, a Mafia Footsoldier (rank 2) wants to become recognized as a Hitman (rank 3) he will have to ask his superior Mr. Vincent Corbolli for a "special job" to prove himself. Mr. Corbolli then finds some kind of challenge, like single-handedly assassinating a witness on a police protection program while being transferred to a safehouse without Mafia backup. If Needles is successful in his task, he earns the rank of Hitman and is granted the perks and benefits of his station. And even more, Needles will gain some measure of Infamy from the act, further improving his standing within the family business. Higher ranks convey a host of advantages to the determined character. Pulling rank is just one of them. Characters who are higher ranked gain a bonus of +1 to Social checks made to characters who are of lower rank of either group or ordinary civilians.
Police Rank Rookie Sergeant Inspector Chief Inspector Superintendent Commissioner
Mafia Rank Thug Footsoldier Hitman Lieutenant Underboss Mob Boss
Benefits A badge, a name on the street and a gun Free access to a Kodiak owned by the organization A squad of 3 men for backup; access privileges A Custom Kodiak A squad of 15 men for backup; territorial rights Control over the organization
As shown in the table above, each rank confers a benefit to the character. These benefits are cumulative and are explained in greater detail here: Free Access to a Kodiak – this benefit allows the character to request for the use of a Kodiak on a mission within reasonable bounds. Normally, lower ranking characters have to be issued a permit to use a Kodiak. A squad of 3 men for backup – the character is granted the authorization to take 3 lower ranking NPCs (designed by the GM) on missions. “Access Privileges” – Being a “made man” of the Mob, or a local hero does have its perks. Exclusive clubs and establishments let you in, and Police Records might decide to “look the other way” while your police character checks out records that are confidential. Custom Kodiak – Characters no longer have to request for a Kodiak, and are free to customize their mecha to suit their preferences. A squad of 15 men – This benefit supercedes the benefit conferred by “3 men for backup”, however the GM still designs the NPCs. Territorial Rights – Most characters of this rank have been given jurisdiction over their own part of New Providence. Operations in these areas are coursed through them, and they are allowed to send their own subordinates to manage operations in their territories. Control over Organization* – A special benefit conferred only to those who have made it to a Reputation score of 100 and above. They are essentially the leaders behind the mob or the police force. The resources of their respective organizations are at their disposal. A special rule exists when dealing with the last rank, however. In order for a character to attain the rank of Commissioner or Mob Boss, the current holder of the rank must either resign, retire or be killed. Mafia characters however may choose to “break off” the family and set up their own Mob. Doing so will allow them to have complete dominion over their own Mob, but they are usually suspect for termination from their former family.
Game Master Advice Steampunk mafia is a game of conflict. It’s an anime-inspired, mecha busting, tommy gun wielding world where anything can happen. However, it falls on your shoulders to make it a reality. It would be a good idea to start off a campaign with all the Players on the same side. This will allow them to build up on teamwork and get into the swing of things. Keep things moving, but make sure that you give them a sense of actually being in the game rather than just observers. Either side of the Steampunk Mafia offers a unique spin on the Players. They may choose to be the stalwart defenders of New Providence, relying on their investigative skills, their courage, or the iron might of their Kodiaks, they are the equivalent of our reality’s counter-terrorists. Or they could pretty much turn the coin around and become members of one of the many Mafia families, making their mark on the world with their deeds of villainy, or honorable conduct in a world of crime and corruption. Make sure that they players are the stars of the game. They are supposed to matter in this world, otherwise their part in the struggle would be undervalued, and it wouldn’t be fun being left as a stain on the ground after every game, right? Kodiaks are killing machines, make no mistake about it. These should be used with caution, and the chances of a lone person taking down a Kodiak alone will be slim. Perhaps a well aimed shot (at DN 15?) to the eye slot of the Kodiak can kill or maim the pilot, but it takes a lot of human scale firepower to drop a Kodiak. Don’t let this ruin the fun however, if the players find a creative means to stop a Kodiak and it’s not covered by these rules (which is likely), then let them give it a shot! It’s a game, after all, and I certainly can’t tell you whether something is wrong or right. Final Notes: Well, here’s the second release of the Steampunk Mafia RPG. I’ve added an Experience point and Reputation reward system to the game to help out in campaign play. As usual if there are any suggestions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at
[email protected] your feedback is always welcome.
Miscellaneous Descriptor List: To help out in developing characters, here is a short list of descriptors that you might find useful. Mental Analytical Efficient Unshakable Determined Puzzles Languages Multi-tasking
Physical Quick Reflexes Grappler Lifting Tireless Crushing Grip Sprinter Steady Aim
Social Streetwise Persuasive Sharp-tongued Flatterer Innuendoes Jokes Command
Credits: Concept – Jay Steven Anyong RED 8 System design – Jay Steven Anyong Artwork – Layout – Additional thanks to: Jeffrey S. Schecter, Jason Black, Desperado, Lenard Ignacio
STEAMPUNK MAFIA Name: Player:
Rank:
Stats: Body Dexterity Charm Intelligence Willpower Descriptor Bonus
Health: -2 -3 -4
Action
Stat
Descriptor
Weapon Bonus Total Mod
Reputation Infamy - - - - - - - - - 0 - - - - - - - - - Fame Notes:
