Riot!

[cofbaron]

I don’t think any of my players read ENWorld, but just in case: This post is concerning the “Adventures in Moribia” campaign I’m currently running in Athens, Georgia. So, if you’re a player in the game (Jason, Justin, Jon, and/or Karl), hit the back button now, ya punks.

Anyway. I’m going to have the climax of my next adventure take place in the middle of a fight between street gangs that sparks into a full-blown riot engulfing half a city. I was wondering if anyone had any specific tips on running an encounter in the middle of a riot. Random people running around looting, attacking each other for no real reason, etc. Any metagame tips would be helpful, too, like good riot music.

Background info: Standard fantasy world setting. The PCs are on the trail of a psychopathic killer, who they will encounter in the midst of the riot. The riots are the result of a combination of two main factors: The (unsolved) murders this man has committed, and a flood of illegal magic items into the criminal underworld which has made the street gangs and thieves’ guilds more open and overt about their activities. With gang activity on the rise, the killer's victims (who were in one gang or another) are assumed to have been murdered by rival gangs, increasing tension to a boiling point. I picture a “Gangs of New York”-style shodown, two main gangs facing off against each other in a square, and it quickly spills out into the rest of the city.

Thanks in advance,


Cecil

 

[kengar]

Couple of ideas:

Lots of good descriptions of general mayhem.

Sound effects if you can swing it. Just a few seconds of it from a movie or something at the beginning will help convey the feel.

Pick a few "key incidents" you want the characters to witness. A gang breaking into a wealthy home, a lost child, someone being beaten/raped/killed etc. Have the incident "statted out" in case the party gets involved.

Have it difficult for them to just sit and assess. If they spend too long deliberating & standing around, have some gang attack them (adventurers are usually decked out in expensive looking gear). Possibly the gang leader is using one of the illegal magic items. Use grappling and attacks of opportunity and 2 or 3:1 odds. THe city burning around them is a good impetus to keep moving too.

Plant a couple "red herrings." If the killer is wearing a red cloak, have them catch a glimpse of it now & then. If they catch up to it too soon, it's just a bystander dressed similarly.

Overall, try to convey a sense of general confusion. Most of the townsfolk won't represent a serious threat alone; but mobs are ugly things. Hundreds of otherwise "normal" folks suddenly bent on destruction. Sure the party might be able to beat them all, but is that a "Good" thing to do?

Sounds interesting. Good luck!

EDIT: You & your friends DAWGS or just live in town? UGA is my alma mater.

 

[cofbaron]

Thanks for the input. I'm also having fun working on short writeups on the major and minor gangs / guilds that will find their way into this mess... Like The Tick-Tock Boys, Eastside Sewer Lords, Red Cleavers, and the Howlers. Naming gangs is fun.

You & your friends DAWGS or just live in town? UGA is my alma mater.

A mix. I've got one semester to go, one player just graduated, another is a sophmore, another is a freshman at Perimeter hoping to transfer, and another is at Athens Tech. I would've been more enthusiastic about the football team this year if I hadn't lived 100 yards from the stadium. Finding beer cans and cigarette butts on and around your car after a game is not fun.


Cecil

 

[Drawmack]

Music: Mark Wood's Voodoo Violince - if you can find it. Then remix it with some sound effects of yelling, screaming, things breaking. You can probably pick up both CDs used for about $5.00 each and the remixing can be done on your PC with free software.