Crime Lords

Real crime lords and their supporters are as unique as fingerprints, but the stereotypes generally fall into a few categories.

Leaders

The monomaniacal crime lords start off just wanting a piece of the pie, bur as they grow in power, and quite often in insanity, they want everything. Their plans tend to be intricate and designed to bring entire nations to their knees. To this end, they create large international organizations with well-equipped and financed cells all controlled from one central command.

Megalomaniacs are brilliant but seriously disturbed individuals. They will take any opportunity to explain, and even witness, their plans, and thus their intelligence, to chose they feel are up to following the brilliance of it, even if it means delaying an execution.

Megalomaniacs arc totally ruthless and will order the killing of anyone without a moment’s hesitation, including members of their own inner circles. They tend to have pronounced quirks and rituals that are easily noticeable by even the casual observer. The main physical quirk chat many have in common is chat their eyes arc always on the move, looking out for char surprise attack that in their mind is coming.

Slightly overweight, they are always immaculately dressed in the most expensive of clothes. They are rarely alone and rely upon their bodyguards for their protection from physical harm. Thus, they carry no sort of firearms or weapons, unless they know an attack is coming.

Godfathers head their crime syndicates with an iron hand and a certain code of rules. They are honorable men, for being thieves and murderers, and their code is absolute.

The code includes no killing of cops, no breaking of vows, no unnecessary}’ killing of innocents, and keeping quiet about “family business.” Any undeR1ings chat break these simple rules can expect swift and often deadly retribution.

They have divided territories with borders that occasionally come into dispute. There may be several godfathers over a single large city or one godfather may control an entire region of the country. Many godfathers refuse to gee into the illegal drug business and leave that marker to the gangs.

Godfathers rend to dress conservatively and always in the finest of clothes. They speak in whispers so that only the person that they wish to receive a message hears it. They usually only speak with one of there top capitanos, who then relays the message or answer to the individual. It’s rare char a godfather will sit down with anyone other than another godfather, unless the potential consequences are catastrophic. Thus, while they may have large organizations that work for them, they have personal contact with few people. Godfathers control their quirks and their emotions to a point where a casual observer may chink char everything is business with them. Thar’s exactly what they wish to portray, even though it may be far from the truth in many cases. Godfathers rarely carry firearms, and then only if absolutely necessary. They prefer to use their personal protection as a test for their capitanos and other “family” members.

Gang lords do anything to meet their needs and desires. They tend to use the gun and ask questions later. They are, for the most pare, ac war with both the cops and other gangsters. Quite often, gang lords cake part in hits themselves if they think a point needs to be made.

They dress a little more causal and trendy, though still with expensive tastes. They tend to bellow their commands to whoever happens to be around them, expecting the orders to be immediately carried out. They don’t care who hears, because if there’s any backtalk, the gang lord would have the offending party eliminated.

Gang lords always have a number of their lieutenants and thugs around chem. Everyone, including the gang lord, is always armed.

Lackeys

Each capitano (“captain” in Italian) is given a portion of the crime lord’s empire to run, either a territory in streets or a vice (gambling, theft, protection, prostitution, illegal booze, etc.).

Capitanos dress either in expensive imported suits, shires, and shoes, or in costly designer jogging suits. Either outfit allows chem to conceal a pistol. The capitano runs a crew or group of thugs who do all the day-to-day operations of the syndicate. The crew may consist of as few as four or five to as many as 30 thugs, depending on the type of racket the capitano has control over and if there’s a threat to chat person’s control of it.

Although most capitanos are appointed by their lords, some are replaced when a position comes open through a death Hit men are professional killers. They come in all shapes, sizes, and sexes. It’s the one really integrated pare of the crime lord’s syndicate. They dress to blend in, nothing fancy or noticeable. The typical hit man wears a long coat and dress gloves all the time, so that others don’t find it unusual when he needs chem for work.

They work alone, except for the rare occasion when they use a driver they use for a time-sensitive mission. More times than not, unless the crime lord is a megalomaniac, the hit man is an independent contractor that comes into do a job and beyond chat has no loyalty to any person or organization.

The hit man leaves the drive-by and hit-and-run shootings for chugs and gang members. They are paid to kill an individual and chose chat get in their way directly with as little mess as possible. They prefer more intimate methods of disposal, such as sniper rifles, handguns, knives, and poisons.

The hit man is the one area in crime families and gangs in which women are accepted almost as equals into this primarily male-driven establishment.

Thugs are the muscle of the crime lord’s organization. Most times they are hired because they can make money, through stealing, intimidation, or a host of other illegal means. Many rimes they are also chosen for their loyalty and their lack of ambition, at least at the start.

They generally dress in the most expensive knockoff suits that they can afford, using the jacket to conceal a favored gun, knife, or other weapon. They often conceal a baseball bat or tire iron in their cars.

Typical Crime Lord

Reflexes 2D: brawling 2D+2, dodge 3D, melee combat 2D+2

Coordination 2D: marksmanship 3D, piloting 3D

Physique 2D: lifting 3D

Knowledge 3D: business 5D, forgery4D, languages 3D+1, scholar 3D+1

Perception 3D: gambling 5D, investigation 4D+2, streetwise 3D+1

Presence 4D: charm 4D+1, command 5D, con 4D+1, intimidation 5D, willpower 4D+2

Strength Damage: 2D

Move: 10

Fate Points: 1

Body Points: 16

Character Points: 3

Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Devotion (R3), to code of honor or gaining power or wealth; Employed (R1), running syndicate or gang; Infamy (R2)

Advantages: Authority (R2), over syndicate or gang; Equipment (R2), variety of illegal weapons; Wealth (R3)

Special Abilities: none

Equipment: fine clothes; handgun 3D+2; range 10/20/30; ammo 6)

Typical Lackey

Reflexes 3D: brawling 4D+2, dodge 3D+2, melee combat 4D+2

Coordination 3D: marksmanship 4D, piloting 3D+2

Physique 3D: lifting 4D+2, running 3D+2

Knowledge 2D: business 3D, forgery 3D, security 4D+1

Perception 2D: hide 3D, search 4D+1, Streetwise 4D, tracking 3D+2

Presence 2D: con 3D+2, intimidation 3D+2

Strength Damage: 2D

Move: 10

Fate Points: 0

Body Points: 19

Character Points: 2

Wound levels: 3

Disadvantages: Employed (R1), part of syndicate or gang; Infamy (R2)

Advantages: Contact (R1), other members of syndicate or gang; Patron (R2), crime lord

Special Abilities: none

Equipment: suit coat or long overcoat (+1 to hide when concealing things); handgun (damage 3D+2; range 10/20/30; ammo 6); knife (damage +1D); other equipment as needed by the job

Note: Capitanos also have gambling and command of 4D. Hit men also have +1D to marksmanship and hide and demolitions, Lock picking, and sneak of 4D.

D6 Adventure Creatures (WEG 51021), © 2005 Purgatory Publishing Inc.
This page is Open Game Content.