Damage to Gangs

The current state of each gang (and like organization) in the city will be tracked by its hit points or damage level. Every time a gang member is killed, crippled or imprisoned or run out of town, the gang suffers 1 point of damage. Every time this happens the leader of a crew, the gang suffers 5 points of damage. Every time this happens to one of the gang's top leadership (boss, underboss etc., ) the gang suffers 10 points of damage.

Gang Recovery

Gangs can heal damage too. Every time they capture a PC or other member of the Restoration Committee, a gang is healed 5 points (even if the prisoner is later freed or escapes). Every time a gang succeeds in a caper when the PC's attempt to stop them, it is healed 10 points. Every time a gang kills a PC or a member of Universal Rescue, or an NPC under the PC's protection, it is healed 5 points. Any session where a particular gang with damage is left alone by the players will allow it to heal 1d6 points.

Effects of Cumulative Damage VERSION 1

Demoralized: If a gang reaches 100 to 150 points of damage, it is demoralized and each member suffers -1 on all Spirit checks and any skills depending on Spirit.

Desperate: If a gang reaches 151-200 points of damage, it is desperate and each member suffers -2 on all Spirit checks and skills depending on Spirit, and must make a Spirit check if called on to fight the PC's without a top leader present or immediately flee.

Broken: if a gang reaches 201+ points of damage, it is considered broken in spirit. Members, except for the top leaders, will immediately flee if confronted by the PC's. Each gang should have a secret condition established for it by one of the GM's that if the gang reaches broken status, and that condition is met, the gang dissolves. (Example, perhaps the All-Americans will dissolve if both top leaders are killed, or the Wound Ravens will dissolve if condemned by Archbishop Romano).

Effects of Damage VERSION 2 Each time a gang ends a session with a cumulative damage total of 50 or more, it must make a morale check on the following table. Each multiple of 50 damage points imposes a -1 to the roll. The morale status lasts until the end of the next session.

2d10 Result. Gang Status.

3 or less. Broken. -3 spirit, extras flee PCs gang dissolves if special condition met, permanent -2 penalty on further rolls on this table.

4-6 Desperate. -2 spirit, extras must make spirit check or flee

7-9 Demoralized. -1 spirit

10-14 Standard

15-17 Energized. +1 spirit

18-19 Vengeful. +2 spirit, always make lethal attacks vs PC

20+ Zealous. +3 spirit, appear on every 2 of clubs PC card, always lethal

The Damage Board

On the wall of 233 Leaderton, a scoreboard will be hung that records the current damage level for each gang for all to see. This score card should also be posted on the LOH blog.

Each gang (and cult, and the police) in the city is assumed to stay at an equilibrium unless something happens during an adventure session. It is player action, or NPC action that could be helped or stopped by the PC's that will affect the morale of the gang.

The Essential Question If we don't use this system or something similar, how do we keep track of progress (or do we not). I really like the idea of a scoreboard. Gang population: today Chicago has less than 3 million people and 150,000 gang members. Today NY mafia families are down to less than 1000, with probably up to 5 to 10 times that in associates. Do you want to work up numbers per gang? I don't.

This is sticky. Maybe we just have five or seven “states”? You've already identified three (Demoralized, Desperate, Broken). Could we add three that are on the “plus” side? Maybe “Energized”, “Vengeful”, or “Popular”? Then maybe we just roll to see if the hit they took slides them up or down the scale? I certainly don't want to bean-count bad guys. That is just no fun.

So perhaps every time they cross, say 30 or 50 points of damage, they make a morale roll that determines a state, but with a negative penalty to the roll based on the current damage total

I like that a lot better! I might even roll twice if the first roll is a critical failure or the damage crosses 80-100.