Building Criminal Underworld

[The Darkness]

I've decided to run a more crime/fantasy campaign for the D20 Modern. The only problem is I don't know enough about the crime world to appease my group. I would like to add the Red Russian Mafia, the Japanese Yakuza, the Columbian Cartel and of course La Cosa Nostra. It seems like Grand Theft Auto, but my group isn't "heroic" or good people. Iv'e gotten some info on crime syndicites and their criminal activities from tv and online, but I need more info and feedback on those of you who have run a similar campaign.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Draw a map of the city, divide it into pieces, and give a gang control over each piece. Then start scammin'!

I only know of a few mob scams, however, but it's not like the players are going to try to knock off the kingpins at the beginning of the campaign.

In some countries, an Eastern European mafia has taken over the diamond industry. Most diamond experts are East European, and other countries accept immigrants from there because of this expertise. However, the mafia is sending a lot of these people, and they do things like steal diamonds, sell false diamonds, and the like.

Some gangs will insist that you only hire "approved" members (and, if you fail to follow their "suggestions", you may find a horse's head on your doorstep).

If the heroes live in a crime-infested city, any of their friends could be a target for a protection racket. Or, they themselves may try to expand into another gang's territory, or knock off some minor kingpin from their own gang, etc.

 

[Turanil]

Did you ever see the movie Crying Freeman? (not the anime, but the film actually). I think something of that type could be interesting. Basically, it is a Chinese criminal sect that has a sort of mystical assassin whom they send against other crime organizations' people, as a revenge - warning for stepping on their toes. Well, it's not really representative of true life criminal organizations, but would probably be cool in game terms. By the way, I once made a Crying Freeman prestige class for D&D 3rd edition; if you are interested in this class (or anyone who reads this post), I will finally make a version for d20 Modern, and make it available around.

 

[trancejeremy]

Don't have it, but there is a mob book from Hogshead.

http://www.hogshead.demon.co.uk/hgshdcrime/crimescene_mob.htm

Probably not d20 Modern exactly, somewhere between that and regular d20 (I have one of their books), but probably fairly usable in d20 Modern.

 

[The Darkness]

Thanks everyone the info you supplied should work splendidly with my campaign . Hey SeveredHead, I've thought of adding the Russians, since they deal with just about every criminal aspect from arms dealing, extortion, mob hits, prostitution, drug dealing and the like . Turanil, the Crying Freeman prestige class would be greatly appreciated. Trance, I saw the Crime scenes: The Mob insert and can also use it. There are others I can use as well. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[ddougan]

I've got Hogshead Crime Scene The Mob and its definetly worth taking a look at.

There's an excellent blend of flavour and mechanics in there for handling running an organised crime syndicate.

You may also want to check out either their Crime Scene Forensics or Crime Scene Police Investigation (I wouldn't recommend getting both - I did, and there's alot of cross over material between the two books, to the point I wouldn't justify them as being two separate volumes).

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

I think one thing you have to keep in mind in dealing with stuff like this are the different dynamics involved. Do you want 'grim and gritty,' 'cinematic' or something else?

The problem with running 'grim and gritty' is that if you really run the crime families right, especially the Russians, you have to remember that these people are deadly serious. They have no problems committing some of the most brutal atrocities that you would never see in The Godfather or the Sopranos for that matter. Further, to play it up as serious, the Justice Department and FBI are constantly hanging around, spying on them and gather intel.

Correct me if I am wrong but by the description of your post it sounds like you are putting together something of a crimunal underground soap opera where the intrigue and mystery is something the characters find themselves in.

 

[jaerdaph]

LPJ Design has some nice "grim and gritty" Advanced Classes for d20 Modern you might want to take a look at:

http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?manufacturers_id=308

Specifically, their Prototype product line:

Freelancer
Dauntless
Urban Saint
Neo Ninja
The Wronged
Professional Killer

They might fit the campaign you're planning on running very well.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

LPJ Design has some nice "grim and gritty" Advanced Classes for d20 Modern you might want to take a look at:

http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?manufacturers_id=308

Specifically, their Prototype product line:

Freelancer
Dauntless
Urban Saint
Neo Ninja
The Wronged
Professional Killer

They might fit the campaign you're planning on running very well.

I'm not particularly interested in new classes, but if LPJ has adventures that would get my attention

 

[Turanil]

Turanil, the Crying Freeman prestige class would be greatly appreciated.

Here is the d20 Modern and the 3.5 Crying Freeman advanced/prestige classes. I wrote the D&D 3.5 version one year ago, but I thought it would do a good class for d20 Modern, since it was inspired by a movie (you should see it, it is very excellent; not the anime, but the movie film) which action is in our contemporary world. Today I made a d20 Modern conversion, and finally it looks different from the 3.5 version, since I didn't want to have typical DnD special abilities (such as Sneak Attack) in a d20 Modern class.

If any of you has suggestions to improve this class, let me know.