CRIME NETWORK

Cosa Nostra
CREDITS

Game Designers
Brendan Davis, Steve Bowden and William Butler

Writers
Brendan Davis, Steve Bowden and William Butler
Ryan Quinn (History)

Cover Artist
Jeff Preston

Art Director
Jeff Preston

Interior Illustrators
Leanne Buckley, Adam Schmidt and Michael Prescott

Page Border Design

Michael Prescott

Logo Design, Diagrams and Baybridge Map

Jason Greeno

Editor
Alex Miller

Copy Editor
Alex Miller

Proof Editor
Dan Orcutt

Play Testers
Robert Rosenthal, Dan Orcutt, Lisa Sears, Dana Atterbury, Brendan Davis, William Butler, Steve Bowden, Robert
Willey, Devin Dworkin, David Kot, Heather Kot, James Johnson, Jeziah Johnson.

Dedication: For Papa.

ISBN 978-0-9841026-2-4
BED 3001
Published by Bedrock Games
Crime Network is Copyright 2010 by Bedrock Games. All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
 Contents
Acknowledgements . ................................................................................................................................................... 5

Introduction. ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Tools of Play................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
What Is A Role Playing Game?...................................................................................................................................................... 6
Mechanics....................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Character Elements...................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Chapter One: Character Creation............................................................................................................................. 9

Character Details........................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Personality Type........................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Family............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Ranks............................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Respectability............................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Skills.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 15
Expertise........................................................................................................................................................................................ 27
Connections................................................................................................................................................................................. 31
Shortcomings .............................................................................................................................................................................. 34

Chapter Two: Equipment........................................................................................................................................... 36

Melee Weapons............................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Explosives...................................................................................................................................................................................... 39
Toxins............................................................................................................................................................................................. 40
Weapon Descriptions................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Drugs . .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Body Armor................................................................................................................................................................................... 43
Vehicles......................................................................................................................................................................................... 43
Equipment..................................................................................................................................................................................... 44

Chapter Three: Rules................................................................................................................................................ 46

Setting Target Numbers.............................................................................................................................................................. 47
Attacking/Moving Objects......................................................................................................................................................... 47
Taking Damage.............................................................................................................................................................................. 47
Assassination . .............................................................................................................................................................................. 48
Surprise......................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Capping the Numbers................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Turn Order, Movement & Timing............................................................................................................................................... 49
Combat Tactics............................................................................................................................................................................. 50
Environmental Modifiers and Hazards.................................................................................................................................... 52
Adjudicating Non-Combat Skills............................................................................................................................................... 53
Vehicles......................................................................................................................................................................................... 53
When Grenades Miss................................................................................................................................................................... 54

Chapter Four: The Way of the Gangster.................................................................................................................. 55

The American Mafia and its History.......................................................................................................................................... 55
Mafia Structure . ........................................................................................................................................................................ 57
 The Commission............................................................................................................................................................................ 57
Sources of Income & Crimes........................................................................................................................................................ 57
Respectability Checks and Getting Whacked.......................................................................................................................... 58
Going to Jail or Prison............................................................................................................................................................... 58
Becoming a Made Man................................................................................................................................................................. 59
The Omerta Code......................................................................................................................................................................... 59
Contractors................................................................................................................................................................................. 59

Chapter Five: The Game Master:............................................................................................................................... 60

The Game Master......................................................................................................................................................................... 60
Location........................................................................................................................................................................................ 60
Crime Families............................................................................................................................................................................... 61
NPC Design................................................................................................................................................................................... 61
Setting Mood and Creating Tension......................................................................................................................................... 63
Mafia Themes and Storylines...................................................................................................................................................... 64
Police Departments and Investigations.................................................................................................................................... 67
Suggested Viewing and Reading................................................................................................................................................. 68

Chapter Six: Remo Loves Lucy (adventure)............................................................................................................... 69

Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................ 69
Background................................................................................................................................................................................... 69
The Hook...................................................................................................................................................................................... 70
Characters . ................................................................................................................................................................................. 70
Part One: The Close Shave ......................................................................................................................................................... 70
Part Two: The Docks.................................................................................................................................................................... 71
Part Three: Remo’s Winter Island Estate................................................................................................................................... 74
Baggio Estate................................................................................................................................................................................ 76

Chapter Seven: The Baybridge Setting ..................................................................................................................... 80

The Baybridge Setting................................................................................................................................................................. 80
Territories ................................................................................................................................................................................... 81
The North Side Suburbs.............................................................................................................................................................. 81
Baybridge Proper.......................................................................................................................................................................... 85
South Side Districts.................................................................................................................................................................... 88
The South Suburbs....................................................................................................................................................................... 89
Michael “Caesar” Martino (Difficult)...................................................................................................................................... 90
Vincenzo Lombardi (Challenging)............................................................................................................................................. 91
Remo Baggio (Challenging)........................................................................................................................................................ 92
Alfonso Bartoli (Challenging).................................................................................................................................................. 93
Emilio Santini (Difficult)........................................................................................................................................................... 94
Vito Romano (Difficult)............................................................................................................................................................. 95
Raphael “Primo” De Luca (Difficult)......................................................................................................................................... 96
Enzo Corelli (Challenging)....................................................................................................................................................... 97
Lundo Lipioni (Challenging) . ................................................................................................................................................... 98
Mayor Jimmy Marino (Difficult)................................................................................................................................................ 99
The Game Acknowledgements
Crime Network is a fast-paced, gritty role playing game, set in the Special thanks to all of our fellow role players who were kind
underworld of organized crime. Players control mobster characters enough to read the rules, play-test the mechanics, and give us valu-
as they rise through the ranks of the American Mafia. In the spirit able feedback.
of Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, and The Godfather, players will work
with and against each other in their pursuit of infamy. Written for Papa, the true “Italian Stallion”.

Crime Network favors simplicity, style, and fun. All of the rules
presented in this book are designed to maximize these elements
of play. Character creation is a breeze, and those who enjoyed our
game “Terror Network” will find the same easy to use skill system.
The skill groups in Crime Network are streamlined to better fit the
genre, and we added a host of Shortcomings and Crime Skills to
enhance the flavor of the game.

Crime Network is a game of paranoia and suspense. Plots are fueled

by character goals and inter-party conflict. This is the Mafia, after
all. Players find themselves in a lot of heat if they are not careful—
and even if they are, they can still end up dead. Sometimes players
may be contracted to kill one another. In the mob, the person most
likely to kill you is your best friend. You never know when you
might get whacked in Crime Network.

In Terror Network, you got a chance to play the good guys. With
Crime Network, you now have the opportunity to walk on the wild
side. So fire up the stove, cook a spicy arrabiatta sauce and a pot of
linguini, and set the table for Crime Network!

The Network System

Along with Terror Network, Crime Network is part of the Network
Game line. Both these games are compatible, with some minor ad-
justments. The biggest difference is that Terror Network characters
have more primary skills, and more points to spend on vehicle skills.
This reflects the specialized training that counter-terrorism agents
receive. Crime Network introduces new elements like Families,
Shortcomings, and Crime Skills. Some of the Knowledge Skills are
different because the needs of the settings are not the same. Also,
some Skills that are fundamentally the same have different names
in order to capture the flavor of the respective genres. In making
these games, we tried to balance the need for compatible systems
with the goal of making our games genre-specific. At the end of
the year, we hope to release the third installment in the Network
Series: Horror Network.
Introduction How do players know how many dice to roll? The total number
of dice rolled is determined by a character’s proficiency rating in
This section contains a brief overview of the core concepts in Crime
the relevant skill. The proficiency rating is the number of dots a
Network. It is useful to familiarize oneself with this section before
character has in a given skill. Each dot of proficiency rating equals
reading the rest of the book.
one 10 sided die (from here on called d10s). So a character with
three dots in Small Arms, for example, rolls 3d10 any time he or
Tools of Play she fires a gun with that skill. If a Character has zero Proficiency
To play Crime Network you need a copy of this book, some charac- Rating (no dots), roll 2d10 and take the single lowest result.
ter sheets, a gridded battle map, pencils, and six 10-sided dice (d10).
Target Numbers (TN)
What Is A Role Playing Game? To succeed on a skill roll, players need to meet or exceed a Target
Crime Network is a pen and paper role playing game—a form of Number. When making a skill roll against another character, the
interactive story telling equipped with a rules system to resolve Target Number is that character’s relevant Defense rating (see Chap-
conflict. A role playing game is played by a group of players and a ter 2). When attacking an object or performing an action against
Game Master (GM). If you are a player, you create and control a the environment, the Game Master sets the Target Number using
character called a Player Character (PCs). If you are a Game Master, guidelines found in Chapter 4.
you create and control the plot and setting. The plot is the scenario
that the GM presents to the players. Think of the plot as a story Character Elements
from a book, movie, or television program, except as a player, you Character elements are the details that separate characters from one
control one of the main characters (your PC). The setting is the another. There are eight character elements (below) in the game,
world your PCs inhabit. Like the real world, the setting is governed and together, they form the basis of who your character is. These
by laws (game mechanics) and filled with other people called non- elements are recorded on your character sheet.
player characters (NPCs). The GM controls all the NPCs in the
setting. The Game Master also functions like a referee, deciding Personality Type
which rules apply to a given situation. When players decide what Personality Types reflect a character’s basic disposition and aptitude,
actions their PCs take, the GM tells them what kind of rolls to and are important because they determine how many character
make to determine their success. points players can spend on different skill groups. There are three
Personality Types in Crime Network: Brain, Brawn and Casanova.
Mechanics
Every role playing game employs a set of rules called mechanics to Skills
ensure consistent play. Mechanics limit what players can do, and Crime Network is a game based on skills. Skills represent characters’
provide methods for gauging success and failure. The core mechanic physical, mental and emotional qualities and training. All skills are
of Crime Network is the d10 roll against a Target Number. divided into six groups: Defense Skills, Combat Skills, Physical
skills, Mental skills, Specialist skills, and Knowledge skills. The
Die Rolls higher a character’s proficiency rating in a skill, the greater the
At some point, characters interact with the world around them. chances of success when he or she uses that skill.
They attack enemies, they jump over ledges, or they beg someone
to spare their life. To determine the outcome of these actions, play- Expertise
ers roll between one and six 10 sided dice (the number of dice is Expertise represents a character’s specialized training, experience,
determined by the character’s rating in the skill being used), and or natural talent, and provides an extra d10 on skill rolls under
compare their single highest result to a Target Number (see below). specific conditions.
This is called a skill roll. If they meet or exceed the Target Number,
they succeed. If they roll a natural 10, they get a total success, which
is even better than a normal success.

6  Crime Network   
Family use the Crime Families provided in the Crime Network Rulebook,
Every character belongs to a crime family. They are expected to be or design their own (see GM section).
loyal to their family and obey orders from the family Boss. Family
determines bonus Knowledge (Crime) skills, but it also shapes story.
Characters
In Crime Network, players get to be ruthless mobsters. They begin
Connections the game as lowly Associates, and work their way through the Mafia
Connections are resources available to characters in the form of ranks. Players will typically be members of the same crew, work-
personal relationships: people they know who can help them out ing for the same crime family, and taking orders from a Captain
from time to time. (or Capo). As they advance in level, they will earn more points to
allocate on skills, Expertise and Connections.
Respectability
Respectability represents a character’s standing within the family
Crews
and the world of organized crime. It is used to call in favors from The players in a game of Crime Network function as a team, be-
Connections, and to avoid being targeted by enemies and allies. longing to the same crew. They work collectively to achieve similar
This is done by making a Respectability check, a number of d10 objectives and please their Bosses. They also compete with one
equal to a character’s Respectability rating (1-6) against a Target another as they advance in rank. When a character achieves higher
Number of 6. Characters start with a rating of 1 in Respectability rank than the other members of the crew, he can issue orders and
and advance as they gain ranks. get a percentage of their income.

Rank Advancement
Rank indicates a character’s position within the family. There are Characters advance by gaining experience points, which they can
six ranks in Crime Network: Associate, Soldier, Consigliere, Cap- spend on skills, Connections, and Expertise. Game Masters (GMs)
tain, Under-Boss, and Boss. Characters start out as Associates and hand out 1 to 3 experience points for every storyline the characters
advance by achieving personal and family goals. complete. Storylines are comprised of personal and family goals.
Characters advance by meeting these goals.
Character Details
Personal Goals are specific agendas each player sets for himself,
Character descriptions are details like name, sex, place of birth, and informs the GM. It can be anything the player wants, but it
and date of birth that go on the character sheet but have no real should be challenging and take 1 or more adventures to achieve.
mechanical effect. Players may also add additional details like back-
ground story and personality, if they wish.

The Crime Network Setting

Crime Network is set in the underworld of organized crime, in the
present day. It draws from the mafia movie (and book) genre, so
it assumes characters are members of the American Mafia. Game
Masters should choose a tone and style that works for their group.

Even though Crime Network is set in the real world, Game Masters
should flesh out setting details, like city locations, crime families,
etc. This book comes equipped with a fictional city setting (Bay-
bridge) and its own crime families. All official Crime Network prod-
ucts use the Baybridge Setting and the Baybridge Crime Families.
Game Masters can set the game in any city they wish, and either

Introduction  7 
Every time a character advances, another personal goal should be Rank Advancement
selected. Characters receive 1 character point when they achieve Characters are awarded ranks within their crime family when they
a personal goal. are eligible for advancement and have pleased the family Bosses.
The GM decides when to move characters up in rank. As a rule of
Family Goals are assigned to players during each storyline. The
thumb, the character who does the most work or achieves the most
GM hands every player a note at character creation (or when they
during critical family goals is the one chosen for advancement.
advance in level) that gives them a secret mission from their Cap-
tain or Boss. These can vary as well. Usually they involve whack-
Family Networks
ing someone (maybe another player), investigating a situation or
person, or collecting something owed to the family. Family goals Because player characters die more frequently in Crime Network
should always be secret. Players are not intended to know one an- than in other role playing games, players should make 2-4 characters
other’s family goals. Characters that meet their family goal receive before play begins. When a player character dies, a member of the
1 character point. family network takes his place.

Experience Point Spending

Experience points can be used to purchase the following:

10 XP Increase a Skill by 1 point

5 XP 1 New Connection

5 XP 1 New Expertise

8  Crime Network   
 Chapter One:
Character Creation

The name’s Orlando Lipioni, but you can call me Lundo. I‘ve been in the crew for years now. A guy can make some sweet money here
in Baybridge. I’m not from the city originally, mind you. I was raised over in Ocean Park, down by the old Stone Yard. Hell, I started
out as a boxer. Had a mean left hook if I do say so myself. I took some nasty blows to the old noggin in my time, but never once got a
black eye. This bookie, who used to get us to fix some of the fights, introduced me and my brother Ralph to Tony, and I started collecting
for him. When Tony got whacked, Ralph was made into a Captain. Now I bring in dough, keep a nickel for myself and send the rest up
to Ralphy, who takes his share and then passes the rest to Primo De Luca. Yup, a guy sure can make a lot of money here in Baybridge,
if he keeps his eyes open and his mouth shut, that is.

–Lundo Lipioni, De Luca Family Soldier

So you want to be somebody in this town, eh? Well, first you got to got to make a character. Character creation is a breeze. Just grab a
character sheet from the back of the book, a pencil, and follow the process outlined in this chapter to make your mobster.

Making a character is like making a rich red sauce. You start with some basic ingredients like tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, then you
add in your own personal details (like a strip of veal or fennel). The point is, make the character your own. The steps below are a skeletal
framework; they give you the nuts and bolts of a character, but you need to breathe life into it. Dig deep into what makes the character
tick. Figure out his psychology. Make him interesting.

Steps in Character Creation

1. Choose your character details: Name, age, etc.

2. Select Personality Type: Choose from one of the three types below

3. Mark your primary and secondary skills: Based on your personality type, mark down which skill groups are your primary and which
are your secondary skills.

4. Select Family: Choose which mafia family you belong to. This is very important.

5. Mark down your rank: At character creation, you are an Associate, lowest of the low.

6. Mark down your Respectability rating: At character creation, you have a 1.

  
7. Purchase Skill: You have 12 points to spend on each of your Brawn
primary skills groups, and 9 on each of your secondary skill You’re not the brightest bulb, but you’re one tough guy. Brawns
groups. See the cost chart below. Its cumulative baby. aren’t cut out for the higher ranks, but they make good Soldiers and
8. Purchase Expertise: These precious things are 1 point each, Capos. Most are physically strong and good in a fight. It’s important
and give you a whole extra d10 on your skill roll— in certain to have a Brawn in the crew (even two or three) because they deter
circumstances. would-be attackers and help intimidate the opposition.

9. Select your Connections: You got to be connected to make it Primary Skills: Combat OR Physical plus one other skill group.
in life. At Character creation you get 2 Connections (1 deter-
mined by personality, 1 of your choice). Connections: One Criminal Connection plus one other.

10. Select Shortcomings: Try to keep these to yourself. They give Casanova
you an extra character point, though. You’re a lover boy and charmer, a regular ladies man. You know
how to get what you want from people, and make them feel at
11. Determine Starting Cash: You begin with 500 dollars, plus 200
ease. Casanovas are versatile, and capable of surviving in both the
additional dollars for each rank in the Finance skill.
high and low ranks. Frankly, for a crew, Casanovas can be a double
12. Purchase Equipment: Spend that cash so you can walk heavy. edged sword. They can smooth over complications with a wink and
smile, but they can also be extremely dangerous because you never
Character Details really know what they’re thinking.
Pick any name, age, or sex you like. This is all up to you, and has
Primary Skills: Mental OR Defense plus one other skill group.
no impact on the mechanics of the game. Character details may
affect storylines though, so you might want to run them by your Connections: One Social Connection plus one other.
Game Master before making a final decision.
Primary and Secondary Skills
Personality Type After you’ve picked your Personality Type, mark down which of
Everybody’s got a personality, and in Crime Network there are only your skill groups are primary and which are secondary (the character
three to choose from, so pick carefully. Personality reflects your sheet has handy little boxes for this). Don’t pick your actual skills yet
gangster’s inner soul and natural aptitudes. It also determines your wise guy, just mark down which are primary and secondary for later.
primary and secondary skill groups. Characters get 12 character
points in their primary skill groups and 9 in their secondary skill
groups.
Family
From cradle to grave, it’s all about the family— not flesh and blood
Brain family, but the crime family. They feed you when you’re hungry,
give you jobs when you need work, and whack you when you get
You ain’t too tough, but you know how to work the numbers and
out of line. The family is the center of your world.
be a reasonable man. Brains don’t get so much in the lower ranks,
but they make great Bosses and Consiglieri. Brains are usually good A crime family is like a tribe or noble bloodline. Within the mob,
with money and strategy. It’s important to have a brain in the crew, each family has an area of control— usually geographic, but it
because they know how to maximize profit. can also be a crime specialty. For example, a family may have a
monopoly on a particular drug trade.
Primary Skills: Specialist OR Knowledge plus one other skill
group. If possible, you and your fellow players should always be from the
same family. An occasional member from an allied family is accept-
Connections: One Political Connection plus one other.
able, but the flavor of Crime Network requires players to begin the
game as members of the same crime family.

10  Crime Network   

 Character Creation Overview

James sits down to make his first character for Crime purchases rank 2 in Hand-to-Hand, Heavy Arms, and Small
Network. He’s watched plenty of mob movies and knows Arms, which costs him 9 points (3+3+3=9). He has 3 points
exactly what type of guy he wants to play: an enforcer- a remaining, so James decides to put 1 rank in Medium
big, muscle bound thug with plenty of street smarts. With Arms, for a total of 1. This leaves him with 2 more points
the basic concept in mind, James starts to work. for the Combat skill group (he’s spent 10 of his 12 points
Step One: so far). Knowing he will buy some Expertise, he holds on
James fills out all the background elements on the to them and purchases skills for all his other skill groups
character sheet. He selects a name for his enforcer: Vinnie (Note: It looks like James somehow spent a dot in sniper,
Clemenza, then marks down his sex, height, weight, and he does this by taking a Shortcoming- see below).
age. James decides that Vinnie is built like a pit bull, short
but packed with muscle (and maybe a couple of love Step Eight:
handles as well). He decides to make Vinnie 5’5” and 190 James buys an Expertise to round out Vinnie. Expertise
lbs. Figuring Vinnie is still young, James makes him 23 all cost 1 point. After completing his skills, James had 2
years old. points left over from his Combat skills and 1 point left over
from his Mental skills. He uses the 2 points in Combat to
Step Two: buy Hand-to-Hand-Bladed, and Small Arms-Single Shot,
James needs to choose a personality type for Vinnie. which he marks down in the Expertise box near the
Personality reflects a character’s core strengths and
relevant skill. Then he purchases Bully-Intimidate with
weaknesses, so it’s really important to James that he
his point in the Mental skill group and marks that down.
gets this right. Out of the three options (Brawn, Brain,
and Casanova), James thinks Brawn best represents his Step Nine:
concept for Vinnie. James needs to choose his Connections. Like primary
Step Three: and secondary skill groups, Connections are determined
James needs to record his primary and secondary by personality types. James sees that Brawns get one
skill groups. These are based on personality type and Criminal Connection plus another Connection of the
determine how many points players have to spend in player’s choosing. For his Criminal Connection, James
each skill group (9 for secondary and 12 for primary). chooses a Criminal Insider named Jeff Ryan. He decides
Brawns choose Combat skills or Physical skills as their first to take a Political Protector named Officer Hayden for his
primary, and then choose one other skill group for their second Connection.
second primary. James chooses Combat and then selects
Physical, giving him 12 points in those two skill groups, Step Ten:
and 9 points in all the other skill groups. James decides to take a Shortcoming. To mix things up a
bit, he selects Womanizer, imagining Vinnie as a bit of a
Step Four:
lothario. Shortcomings give players one character point
James must select his family. The GM has already told all
each. James takes the character point and spends it on
the players they will be members of the Martino family
1 rank in Sniper.
in the Baybridge setting, so James writes down Martino
on the top of his sheet. Step Eleven:
Step Five: James calculates Vinnie’s available cash. All characters
James marks down his rank. Since this is a new character, start with 500 hundred dollars, plus 200 for each rank in
he begins as an Associate. He writes that down as well. Finance. Since Vinnie has no ranks in Finance, he begins
the game with 500 dollars.
Step Six:
James records his Respectability rating. All beginning Step Twelve:
characters start with a rating of 1, so he circles the 1 on James spends his cash on equipment. He buys fancy
his Respectability tracker. clothes ($100) and a Glock ($200), for a total of $300
(100+200=300). He deducts this amount from his cash,
Step Seven: leaving him with 200 dollars (300-500=200).
James spends his character points to purchase skills.
All skills cost the rank desired, cumulative. So James Now James is ready to send Vinnie on his first adventure.
 Character Creation Overview

Crime Network
Vinnie Clemenza Male 5’5”/190 lbs 23
Name 1 Sex Ht. / Wt. Age
Brawn Martino Associate
Personality Type 2 Family 4 Rank 5
Defenses S Wo u n d Tr a c k e r
Hardiness 3 + = 9 Incapacitated -2d -1d
Stealth 3 + = 3 6
Evade 3 + = 3 Respectability
Parry 3 + = 3 1 2 3 4 5 6
Wits 6 + = 6
Resolve 6 + = 8

Combat P Expertise Physical P Expertise

Hand-to-Hand  Bladed Athletics 
Medium Arms  Swim 
Heavy Arms  7 Speed 
Small Arms  Single Muscle 
Explosives  8 Endurance 
Sniper  Vehicle: Car 
Vehicle: 
Specialist S Expertise 3
Mechanics  Knowledge S Expertise
Electonics  Crime: Theft 
Computers  Crime: Traffic-W 
Medicine  Crime: 
Finance  Places: Baybridge 
Security  Places: 
Places: 
Mental S Org: 
Expertise
Org: 
Bully  Intimidate
Org: 
Manipulation 
Things: 
Lying 
Things: 
Empathy 
Things: 
Reasoning 
Lang: Italian 
Detect 
Talent: 

Connections Equipment
Jeff Ryan- Criminal Insider Fancy Clothes
Officer Hayden- Political Protector Glock

9 12

C a s h 200 $ Short Comings

11 Womanizer
10
Families sonality, known for clever execution methods. Enzo rarely ventures
(From the Baybridge City Setting) from his office in Little Italy, and prefers his Under-Boss Nicki
Santo maintain the family’s presence. Members of the Corelli family
The GM can create his own crime families based on location. If receive 1 free point in Traffic (narcotics) and Traffic (weapons).
using the Baybridge location from this book, select from the fol-
Size: 500 men.
lowing families: De Luca, Lombardi, Romano, Baggio, Corelli,
Martino, Bartoli and Santini. Game Masters are also free to use Martino: The Martinos control much of the North Side area. They
these families in their own setting. control Reverence, North Bay Bridge, and parts of Chesterton. They
are involved in the skin trade and robbery and are have a reputa-
De Luca: The De Lucas operate in the North Side area, controlling
tion for being aggressive. Their Boss, Michael “Caesar” Martino,
October, Rosemary, and Ocean Park. They are sworn enemies of
is known for his loud mouth. Members of the Martino family get
the Martino family, who control the remaining parts of the North
1 free point in Traffic (women) and Theft.
Side. They keep themselves in power by extorting money from local
businesses and running illegal gambling operations. Their Boss is Size: 300 men.
Raphael “Primo” De Luca. Members of the De Luca family receive
1 free point in Gamble and Extort. Bartoli: The Bartolis run a smooth blackmailing operation in
Roebury. They are also involved in a number of other activities,
Size: 200 men.
including a nice protection racket in the busier business sections.
Lombardi: The Lombardi family controls South Baybridge and Alfonso Bartoli is the head of the family. Members of the Bartoli
Hill Park. They have to operate quietly, due to the large number clan receive 1 free point in Extort and Blackmail.
of Irish gangs controlling these areas. Bank robberies and gambling Size: 225 men.
are the hallmarks of the Lombardi clan. The leader of the Lombardi
Family is Vincenzo Lombardi. Members of the Lombardi family Santini: The Santini family controls Brookridge and Winterville.
receive 1 free point in Armed Theft and Gamble. They specialize in moving stolen goods and run a hostage racket.
Emilio Santini runs the family. Members of the Santini family
Size: 150 men.
receive 1 free point in Fence and Kidnap.
Romano: The Romano family keeps tight control of Chaplin and Size: 100 men.
Fowler Field. They deal mainly in prostitution and robbery. At the
helm of the Romano family is Vito Romano, a headstrong and
resourceful leader. Members of the Romano family receive 1 free
Ranks
point in Theft and Traffic (women). Mobsters are hierarchical. Soldiers take orders from their Captain,
who answers to an Under-Boss, who answers to the Boss. In addi-
Size: 175 men. tion to taking orders, gangsters must ensure a steady flow of income
through the ranks, from bottom to top. The Boss usually sets an
Baggio: The Baggio family works out of East Baybridge and amount for the Under-Boss to owe him each week. Based on that
Churchill. Their income is mostly from gambling, hijacking and number, the Under-Boss sets an amount of money owed to him
extortion. Their Boss is Remo Baggio, a slick character known for each week by the different Captains. Captains, in turn, demand
his quick wit and short temper. Members of the Baggio family a set income from their Soldiers, in order to keep the Under-Boss
receive 1 free point in Extort and Gamble, or Extort and Hijack. satisfied.
Size: 350 men.
Rank is your position within the Mafia hierarchy. Every character
Corelli: The Corelli family controls Little Italy, The Seaport Dis- starts out as an Associate and works his way up as the campaign
trict, and China Town. Based out of Little Italy, they provide a moves forward. You can advance in rank when you achieve impor-
steady flow of weapons and narcotics into the Baybridge area. The tant family goals, or prove your loyalty. If you’re a good earner, you
Boss of the Corelli family is Enzo Corelli. He is a confident per- can rise quickly as well. The bottom ranks are crowded. Advanc-

Character Creation  13 

ing from Associate to Soldier is easy enough. At the Capo rank or Boss of Bosses (Capo di Tutti Capi): This isn’t a real rank in Crime
higher, it gets a little packed. There isn’t as much opportunity for Network (or in real life for that matter). It basically refers to the
advancement, and sometimes people need to be bumped off for most powerful Mafia Boss inside the commission, the one who has
your career to progress. the greatest clout. It is a term usually used by outsiders. Anyone
claiming to hold the title of Boss of Bosses, risks making too many
Ranks and Mob Structure enemies. Even so, there usually is an unspoken Boss of Bosses.

1. Boss Acting Ranks: When a ranking mobster goes to jail, the Boss finds
a temporary replacement. This is an acting rank. For example, Joey
2. Under-Boss de Costa, a Santini family Capo, gets ten years in the slammer for
murder. Emilio Santini makes one of Joey’s Soldiers, Nick Moretti,
3. Consigliere
an acting Capo to hold Joey’s position until he gets out of jail.
4. Captain (Capo)
Respectability
5. Soldier Maintaining Respectability is important in the world of organized
6. Associate crime. If you lose your Respectability, you risk getting whacked.
Every character begins the game with a Respectability score of 1.
Associate: An Associate is not a made member of the Mafia. As- When characters advance in rank, their Respectability score in-
sociates can be people who aspire to become made men, or they creases by 1 for each advancement. Respectability functions exactly
could just be criminal contacts used by mobsters. Make no mistake, like other scores in the game. It indicates how many d10 you roll on
these guys get their hands dirty, they just aren’t official employees a Respectability check. Respectability never goes above 6 or below
of the mob. 0 (If you have a Respectability score of 0, roll 2d10 and take the
lowest result when making Respectability checks).
Soldier (Soldato): The bottom of the barrel. Soldiers do the grunt
work of the mob. They are made, and therefore members of “the Respectability represents your standing within the family, the com-
family”, but generally have very little influence and rarely deal with munity and in the criminal underworld. Frankly, guys who are
anyone beyond the rank of Captain. respected can get away with more things than guys who aren’t. They
can also call in favors more easily. Every time you do something
Captain (Capo): A Captain, or Capo, handles a large number of that violates the Omerta code of organized crime (see chapter 4),
Soldiers and controls a geographic area (usually one or two crews). you have to make a Respectability check. When a character fails a
A Captain may also be in charge of specific rackets. The Captain’s Respectability check, someone will try to whack him in the next
job is to make money, take his cut, and move it up the ranks of week. This will continue to happen until the character is able to
Crime Network. make amends for his transgression. The Target Number for Respect-
ability checks is 6.
Consigliere: The Consigliere functions as an advisor to the Boss,
and is typically in charge of the books. Another function of the In addition to your standing in the family, Respectability represents
Consigliere is to arbitrate disputes within the family and between your character’s influence over his Connections. When you request
families. There is only one Consigliere in each crime family. a favor from a Connection, make a Respectability check (see below)
to see if the Connection is willing to do it.
Under-Boss (Sotto-Capo): The Under-Boss takes care of the day-
to-day responsibilities of the family. He is also there to lead the At the GMs discretion, Respectability can go up or down for reasons
family should anything happen to the Boss. other than position in the mob hierarchy. Making friends with the
right people, keeping your mouth shut when the police question
Boss: The head of the crime family. The Boss is the highest rank a you, and being loyal to the Boss, are all things which can increase
player character can achieve in Crime Network.

14  Crime Network   

Respectability. Ratting out your crew, talking to the wrong people, well done. Use these to increase your skills, Connections and Exper-
and being treacherous can all decrease your Respectability. tise. The cost to do so is more after character creation. Review the
advancement entry in the Core Concepts section for more details.
Respectability Checks
It wouldn’t be very interesting if players knew the results of their About Skills
own Respectability checks. Whenever a player violates the Omerta, Skills represent your ability to do things in the world. Your char-
keeps money from his Captain or Boss, or does anything to tarnish acter performs tasks by using skills. There are no base attributes or
his standing in the Crime Network, a Respectability check must derived stats; every action, from your ability to fire a gun to your
be made. Respectability checks are made against Target Number 6; ability to impress a dame is a skill.
the GM adds any appropriate modifiers to the Target Number. He
then rolls secretly on the player’s behalf, and makes a mental note Skills are divided into six skill groups— Combat, Knowledge,
of the event it produces. Players can make their own Respectability Physical, Mental, Specialist, and Defense. Combat skills are what
checks when requesting a favor from a Connection. characters use to make attack rolls. Mental Skills are used to influ-
ence people, and perceive things. Defense skills help characters
Skills stay alive and avoid getting shot or pushed around. Specialist skills
Skills are about doing things; they are the heart of the game. Use help characters perform technical tasks. Physical skills are mostly
your character points to purchase skills and Expertise. And don’t athletic in nature.
try any funny stuff with your calculations. You only get 60 points
Combat skills and Non-Combat skills are used when your char-
to spend, and you can’t just dump them wherever you like. Your
acter does something, and are made by rolling a number of d10s
Personality determines how many character points you have to
against your opponent’s relevant Defense skill (See chart below).
spend on each skill group. You get 60 character points distributed
These are active skills that require a die roll. Use Combat or Non-
as follows.
Combat skills when your character performs actions such as shoot-
ing a gun, punching a stoolie, or jumping over a ditch.
Purchasing Skills
Spend 12 character points in each or your primary skill groups, and Defense skills are used when something is done to your charac-
9 character points in each of your secondary skill groups. Your pri- ter. Defenses protect characters against attacks, manipulation, and
mary and secondary skill groups are determined by your Personality surprise. In short, they provide protection against the actions of
(see Chapter Two). So if you selected Brain for your background, others. While Combat and Non-Combat produce active rolls, De-
that means you have 12 character points to spend on Knowledge fense produces a passive number. Use Defense skills when someone
or Specialist skills, 12 character points to spend in your remaining performs a skill on your character (see Relevant Defenses and Skills
primary skill group, and 9 character points for your secondary below). You never roll a die for your defense skills. They just create
skill groups. the Target Number for rolls made against you.

Every skill in Crime Network starts with a rating of zero and can
be raised by character points. The cost to raise a skill is the rating
desired, cumulative. For example, it costs 1 character point to bring
your Small Arms skill from rating 0 to 1 and costs 6 character points
to bring it from 0 to 3. You listening? Don’t go buying anything at Primary and Secondary Skills
a 1 to 1 cost, capiche? Primary Skill Groups: Players have twelve points to spend
in each of their two primary skill groups.
Note: You can also spend 1 character point to gain an Expertise (see
Chapter Four). Expertise indicates advanced training. Secondary Skill Groups: Players have nine points to spend
in each of their four secondary skill groups.
Advancing: Character advancement is different. At the end of each
session, your GM will hand you some character points for a job

Character Creation  15 

What the Numbers Mean For more information on how skills work, see the Rules and
Combat section.
In Crime Network, skills represent how good an individual is at
doing something. Don’t Forget
Skill 0 is an individual that is below average or generally just 1. All skills belong to one of the Six Groups: Combat, De-
not very capable. fense, Physical, Mental, Specialist, and Knowledge. These
groups help establish a character’s primary and secondary
Skill 1 is an individual that is average or reasonably capable. skills. Based on a character’s background, each group will be
marked as either primary or secondary for the purposes of
Skill 2 is an individual that is competent or above average. character point distribution.

Skill 3 is an individual that is greatly above average or the 2. There are three types of skill groups in Crime Network: De-
peak of human capability. fense skills, Combat skills and Non-Combat skills. Defense
skills are passive, Combat and Non-Combat are active.
Skill Rolls 3. Character points are the mechanism by which you increase
As stated before Combat skills and Non-Combat skills determine ratings in your character’s skills at the time of character
how well characters fight, how far they can jump, how much they creations. The cost for each proficiency level is cumulative.
know, etc. Combat and Non-Combat skills are active, like Jimmy Players get character point pools to spend on primary and
after a cup of espresso, and represent a character’s ability to do secondary skill groups. This is a pool of character points that
things. This is an important detail. Only these skills get skill rolls. they can spend in each of those groups. Characters have a
pool of 12 for each of their primary skills, and a pool of 9
To make a skill roll, characters roll a number of d10s equal to their for each of their secondary skills.
proficiency rating in that skill against a Target Number (which they
must meet or exceed). Only make skill rolls for Combat, Special- 4. Skills can be enhanced by taking an Expertise, which allows
ist, Physical, Knowledge, and Mental skills because these are the characters to specialize in specific uses of each skill.
active ones.

If you don’t have ranks in a skill, you can still make an unskilled
Defense Skills
roll. To make an unskilled roll, roll 2d10 and take the lowest die Defense skills are kind of lazy. They don’t give you a roll; they just
result. This works with every skill, because there will always be a sit there and provide a static defense number. Defense skills deter-
marginal chance of success. mine if characters take damage, how well they avoid being shot,
how stealthy they are, etc. Defenses represent a character’s ability to

Relevant Defense Skill Combat/NonCombat Skill

Wits Lying and Empathy
Hardiness Damage Rolls
Stealth Detect
Evade Small Arms, Medium Arms, Heavy Arms, Sniper, Explosives
Parry Hand-to-Hand
Resolve Bully and Manipulation

16  Crime Network   

resist the active skills. Each Defense is relevant to a set of Combat Parry
or Non-Combat skills. For example, Resolve is relevant to Bully If you want to light it up like Rocky Marciano, take some ranks
and Manipulation. If an opponent tries to use the Bully skill against in Parry. This Defense represents your ability to deflect Hand-to-
your character, he needs to meet or exceed your Resolve rating. If Hand attacks. Though called parry, it includes, slipping, bobbing
someone attacks your character or tries to manipulate them, the & weaving, positioning, ducking, and rolling. When an enemy
attacker must achieve at least one result on a d10 that meets or makes a Hand-to-Hand skill roll against you, he or she must meet
exceeds your relevant Defense rating. or exceed your Parry rating in order to hit you.
Use the chart on the previous page to determine which Defense
Resolve
skill is relevant to which Combat or Non-Combat skill.
Take Resolve if you’re stubborn or have nerves of steel. This defense
Hardiness protects you Character from the Bully and Manipulation skills. It
represents your force of will. High Resolve makes it more difficult
Take ranks in Hardiness if you want to be a tough guy. It determines
for opponents to persuade, intimidate or impress you. When an
how well you can take a hit and roll with the punches. When an
enemy makes a Bully or Manipulation skill roll against you, he
opponent scores a hit against you, he or she makes a damage roll
must meet or exceed your Resolve rating to succeed.
based on the weapon against your Hardiness rating. If your oppo-
nent’s single highest die roll meets or beats your Hardiness rating, Resolve Test: The world is filled with temptations, from alcohol
you take a wound. If your opponent rolls a 10, you take 2 wounds to beautiful ladies. If you have a Shortcoming like Drug Addict or
(and 1 wound for any additional 10s). Hot Tempered, you must occasionally pass a resolve test to avoid
succumbing to temptation. A Resolve Test is very simple. The GM
Stealth rolls 1-6 d10s (depending on the severity of the situation) against
Take plenty of ranks in Stealth if you want to snoop and sneak your Resolve. If he rolls a number that equals or exceeds your Re-
around. Stealth protects you from being seen by observers. It repre- solve rating, you succumb. If he rolls a total success, you suffer an
sents your ability to evade detection. Use this skill to move unseen ‘episode’, meaning you indulge your desire for a prolonged period.
against an opponent’s Detect skill. If you actively attempt to sneak While having an episode, you must pass a Resolve Test each day
up on some chump, he is allowed a Detect roll to hear or see you. (until you succeed), or seek out the source of your temptation.
If he succeeds, normal Combat begins and both parties roll initia-
tive. If he fails, you can land one free attack on him before normal Wits
Combat begins. If multiple opponents are present, they each re- If you got brains, take ranks in Wits. This Defense protects you
ceive a Detect roll. If any of them succeed, this prevents your free against deception and attempts to discern your motives. It repre-
attack. As with all Defense skills, you never roll for Stealth. Your sents your mental acuity. An enemy who makes a Lying or Empathy
Stealth rating just indicates the Target Number for Detect rolls skill roll against you needs to meet or exceed your Wits rating to
made against you. succeed.

Evade
If you got the moves, take ranks in Evade. It helps you avoid attacks
Combat and Non-Combat Skills
from Small Arms, Medium Arms, Heavy Arms, and Sniper Rifles. Combat and Non-Combat skills allow you to make skill rolls
Evade allows you to maneuver and position yourself so that ranged against objects, the environment or other characters. Always roll a
attacks are less likely to strike you. If someone makes a Small Arms number of d10 equal to your proficiency level to make a skill roll
skill roll against you, he needs to score a success with a d10 roll that (remember to include any pertinent bonus dice). Skill rolls are made
meets exceeds your Evade rating in order to make a damage roll. against other character’s Defense rolls when appropriate, or against
a Target Number selected by the GM. A skill roll that meets or
exceeds the Target Number or Defense rating produces a Success.

Character Creation  17 

Combat Skills
If you like to brawl, or settle disputes with a .22, pay attention.
Combat skills determine how good you are at attacking. These skills
are used for shooting, using explosive devices, fighting etc. To use
a Combat skill, roll a number of d10s equal to your skill rating.
If your highest single die roll result beats your opponent’s relevant
Defense rating, you score one success. If you get a 10, that is a total
success (see Rules Section).

Small Arms
You know how to use small firearms effectively in Combat situ-
ations. In Crime Network, small arms include Pistols, Revolvers,
and Submachine Guns. When your character shoots any of these
weapons, make a Small Arms skill roll against the opponents Evade
rating.

Medium Arms
You know how to use mid-sized firearms effectively in Combat
situations. In Crime Network, Medium Arms include Shot Guns,
Rifles, and Assault Rifles. When your character shoots any of these
weapons, make a Medium Arms skill roll against the opponent’s
Evade rating.

Heavy Arms
You know how to use large firearms effectively in Combat situa- Hand-to-Hand
tions. In Crime Network, Heavy Arms include Machine Guns, You know how to use melee weapons and your fists to take out an
Flame Throwers, and Rocket Launchers. When your character enemy in close quarters. When you character makes an unarmed
shoots any of these weapons, make a Heavy Arms skill roll against attack or uses a melee weapon, make a Hand-to-Hand skill roll
the opponent’s Evade rating. against the opponent’s Parry rating. Damage for Hand-to-Hand
attacks is determined by the weapon. For an unarmed attack, use
Explosives your muscle roll -1d for damage. Whenever you make an unarmed
You know how to set and throw explosives effectively inside and Hand-to-Hand you can either damage or restrain (see Rules Sec-
outside of combat. In Crime Network, explosives include Dyna- tion) your opponent.
mite, Molotov Cocktails, Grenades, etc. When your character
throws or sets any of these, make an Explosives skill roll against Physical Skills
the opponent’s Evade rating. This is also used to disarm explosive
Real men have raw physical ability. You need to hit the gym a little,
devices.
and eat big meals to be a true tough guy. Physical skills reflect your
character’s level of fitness and ability to move in the world. They
Sniper Rifles
come into play when your character reacts quickly to an event or
You know how to use Scoped Rifles and other stealth-related fire-
tries to outmaneuver someone. Normally, Physical skill rolls are
arms. When your character uses any of these weapons, make a
made against a Target Number set by the Game Master, but not
Sniper Rifles skill roll against the opponent’s Evade rating.
always.

18  Crime Network   

Vehicle Athletics
Take this skill multiple times for each type of vehicle you know how You’re a man’s man. Whether it’s throwing a baseball, jumping
to drive or pilot. For example, if you know how to drive a car, you over ditch, or climbing up a wall, you can do it. Use Athletics to
take Vehicle (Car) and then take ranks in it. Each time you take the handle most general athletic feats not covered by the other Physical
Vehicle skill, you can select from the following types of vehicles: skills. Characters who want to climb a wall or jump over a ditch
Motorcycle, Helicopter, Horse, Plane, Boat, and Car. should make an Athletics skill roll against a Target Number set
by the Game Master. Characters may need to use Athletics when
Every crime needs a getaway car, especially when the law comes climbing buildings, or to do things like jump from one moving
around. A successful Vehicle roll can help characters evade police vehicle to another.
cars and escape other harrowing situations.
For standing jumps, the Target Number is equal to the distance in
All vehicles have a Performance rating and some have a Handling feet. So a 10 foot ditch is TN 10. For running jumps, the TN is
Speed. Any time you try to perform a risky maneuver (see Chapter equal to half the distance in feet, so a 20 foot running jump would
One), you must make a Vehicle skill roll with a TN equal to the be TN 10. For stationary vertical jumps, the TN is equal to the
Vehicle’s Performance rating. When performing maneuvers with distance multiplied by two. So a five foot vertical jump would be
Cars or Motorcycles at or above Handling Speed, make a Vehicle TN 10.
skill roll against a TN equal to the Vehicle’s Performance rating.
Make another one if you throw in a risky maneuver. On a normal success for most Athletics rolls, you achieve your goal.
On a total success for most Athletics rolls, you achieve your goal
Car Chases: When chasing another vehicle, a normal success in- and gain one free skill action.
dicates you maintain your level of distance for that round. A total
success means you reach the other vehicle. Game Masters must Muscle
consider maximum speeds of the vehicles involved. You are one strong son of a gun. Characters with high ratings in
Muscle can lift, break, and throw objects well. Muscle rolls are
Maneuvers: On a normal success for any Vehicle skill roll, you
always made against a Target Number set by the Game Master.
maintain control of the vehicle. On a total success for any Vehicle
Muscle also improves Hand-to-Hand combat damage.
roll, you can perform maneuvers or move at Handling Speed with-
out making another vehicle roll for one full round. Use the chart in Breaking/Moving Objects in the rules section to
set Target Numbers for lifting or breaking objects with Muscle.
Swim
Knowing how to tread water can save your life. Swimming is an On a normal success you lift or move the object successfully. On a
important skill if you are lost at sea or caught in a raging river. Like total success you lift or move the object and gain a free skill action.
most Physical skills, Swim rolls should be made against a Target
Number, set by the GM and based on the water conditions. Char- Breaking an object is an Attack skill. On a normal success, you
acters who fail Swim rolls in dangerous situations begin to drown. damage the object and make a damage roll based on the weapon.
It isn’t so helpful when you got on a pair of cement shoes. Every On a total success, you roll an additional d10 on your damage roll.
skill has its limits.
Endurance
On a normal success for most Swim rolls, you swim at the normal You never get tired. Endurance represents your character’s cardio
swim rate (10 feet + 5 feet per Swim rating). On a total success for conditioning and stamina. Gangsters who need to endure elements
most Swim rolls, you swim at normal move rate (20 feet + 10 feet or run long distances will need Endurance. Endurance skill rolls
per Swim rating). should be made against a set Target Number, determined by the
Game Master.

Character Creation  19 

On a normal success for most Endurance rolls, you can remain convince someone to do or think anything they consider wrong
active without resting. A total success for most Endurance rolls or directly harmful to their interests (normal range of behavior).
imparts an automatic success on your next Endurance roll for the
same activity within the same period. On a normal success for most Manipulation rolls, you convince
the target to do or think something within their normal range
Speed of behavior. On a total success for most Manipulation rolls, you
You are fast. Speed is important in Crime Network, because it de- convince the target to do or think something beyond their normal
termines how fast your character moves in Combat, and how many range of behavior. If the target defies your character’s Persuasion
d10s he rolls for his initiative. Gangsters move 20 feet (4 Squares), attempt, they incur a –d10 penalty on their next skill action (-2d10
plus an additional 10 feet for each rating they have in Speed. For on a total success).
initiative, gangsters make a Speed skill roll and keep the highest
number for their turn order. Speed is also used to resolve chases, Bully
where one character needs to catch another. Every once in a while it takes a little more than words to get what
you want from people. This skill helps you get information from
Initiative occurs at the beginning of combat. Normally, you take guys who are just a little too stubborn. You know how to beat infor-
the highest number you rolled and use that for your initiative order. mation out of people. Bully includes a broad range of techniques,
On a total success, you add 1 for each 10 rolled. from pistol whipping to arm twisting, but the end goal is to obtain
information or money. The line between Manipulation and Bully
Chasing occurs when multiple characters are trying to outrun or is fuzzy at times. The primary distinction is that Bully is used to
catch one another. On a normal success, you maintain your distance get information and Manipulation is used to get people to act.
from the target. On a total success, you catch or surpass the target. Each day of Bully on a target normally adds +1d to your Bully roll.

Mental Skills On a normal success for most Bully rolls, you obtain partial dis-
closure from the target within one hour. On a total success for
You need brains to survive this thing. Mental skills encompass your
most Bully rolls, you obtain full disclosure from the target within
character’s ability think fast and act in the appropriate manner
minutes.
for a given situation. Characters that are clever, sophisticated, or
suave should have plenty of character points in Mental skills. Most
Mental skill rolls are made against other character’s Resolve or Wits
Detect
Defense rating or against a Target Number set by the GM. For You move through a room with the precision of a surgeon and can
example, a player who wants to get information out of a rat would find almost anything under the right circumstances. You know how
make a Bully or Manipulation skill roll against the rat’s Resolve to spot minor details or movements in any environment and how
Defense roll. Mental skills should be ajudicated with care by the to search for things. Use Detect to spot stealthy opponents. Detect
GM. Information obtained through a Mental Skill roll, should be can be used for searching a person, room, or vehicle. At its core,
within reason. Detect is the ability find something amid other things.

Searching for objects outside combat often takes time. On a normal

Manipulation
success, you find something significant or the object you were look-
You are a smooth operator, and know what others want. This might ing for in one hour. On a total success, you find something signifi-
mean you are charming, but it could also mean you are cunning. cant or the object you were looking for in minutes.
Characters with this skill seem to escape from trouble time after
time and always seem to have the right answers. A gangster trying Detect also works for hearing. This is very important when dealing
to talk his way into a fancy restaurant would make a Manipulations with assassins. If someone makes an attack (such as a firearm) within
skill roll against the host’s Resolve rating. Manipulation is a useful 100 feet of your character, you can make a Detect roll to see if you
skill, but it shouldn’t be abused. Game Masters must use common hear the shot. The TN is based on type of attack (see below). On
sense when adjudicating Manipulation rolls. You normally cannot a normal success, you hear the attack. On a total success, you hear

20  Crime Network   

the attack and know what direction the sound is coming from. This On a normal success for most Reasoning rolls you reach a valid
can also be applied to Surpise. conclusion in ten minutes. On a total success for most Reasoning
rolls you reach a valid conclusion in seconds.
Hand-to-Hand TN 10

Small Arms TN 7 Knowledge Skills

It doesn’t hurt to crack open a book or a bottle of fine wine every
Medium Arms TN 6 once in a while. Knowledge skills are what your character knows.
They include Crimes and Talents; any character that wants to be a
Sniper TN 6 smart criminal should spend character points on Knowledge skills.
Make Knowledge skill rolls against Target Numbers set by the GM
Heavy Arms TN 4
to see if your character has information on a subject that comes up
Explosives TN 2 during an adventure.

Lying Crime
You can lie to the pope and not bat an eye. Sometimes you even This is what it’s all about— breaking the law and making quick
convince people you aren’t who you say you are. This is a useful cash. Crime skills do not replace role playing. Player characters who
skill when used against your family’s enemies. Within the family, want to rob a bank must still carry out the operation themselves.
lying becomes more complicated. They cannot simply make an Armed Theft skill roll. Crime skills
modify the reward gained for performing a given crime and help
On a normal success for most Lying rolls, you convince the op- resolve its consequences. A character with the Armed Theft skill
ponent that you are telling the truth. On a total success for most knows what locations to target and how to get away without get-
Lying rolls, you are so convincing that you achieve an automatic ting caught. When a team of characters commits a crime, someone
success the next time you make a roll against the same target. must make a Crime skill roll. The base difficulty of the Crime roll
is based on the complexity and difficulty of the crime (See Sources
Empathy of Income and Crimes in The Way of the Gangster Section). The
You understand people, and what makes them tick. Empathy is used character closest to a leadership role in performing the Crime makes
to decipher the motives of other characters. It can also be used to the Crime roll. One Crime roll per Crime.
see if someone is lying or fearful. It can also help gangsters figure
out what cards to play during dangerous deals. Crime Skills are used to determine:

On a normal success for most Empathy rolls, you achieve partial 1. The Target Number for police investigations into the crime
insight into your target’s motives. On a total success, you achieve committed
full insight into your targets motives and know how truthful the
2. The amount of income the crime can generate
target is.
Player characters who achieve Capo rank or higher can make Crime
Reasoning Rolls to run ongoing Rackets carried out by their underlings. For
You can think on the fly, and put facts together to formulate conclu- more information on Rackets see Sources of Income and Crimes
sions. You also know how to be a reasonable man. When others lose in The Way of the Gangster Section.
their cool, or think violence is the answer, you formulate a plan.
Characters with high Reasoning scores know how to put two and The leader of the crew, or the character most involved in the plan-
two together. Game Masters can also request that characters make ning of the crime should make the relevant Crime Skill roll each
Reasoning skill rolls under certain circumstances, such as when a time the group commits a crime. In the event of an investigation
player misses clues his character would not. into the crime by the police, the success or failure of the Crime roll
sets the TN of the Police Investigation roll. On a failure, you leave

Character Creation  21 

lots of evidence behind; only the most incompetent investigator
fails to solve the case (Police Investigation TN 2). On a normal suc-
cess, you plan and execute the crime well enough to leave minimal
evidence. Only the best investigators could follow your trail (Police
Investigation TN 8). One a total success, you plan and execute the
perfect crime, leaving virtually no evidence behind. Only the most
dedicated Police Department with resources to burn will find any
evidence (Police Investigation TN 10). On a Total Success, you also
take double the reward for the Crime.

Crime can be taken multiple times from the following list:

Armed Theft: For those who have graduated from simple theft,
this is the big leagues. A mistake here can cost you and your team
their lives. A character with this skill knows how to execute these
high risk jobs and get out in one piece by controlling the room and
formation about someone and threaten to expose it unless proper
maximizing profit without increasing the risk.
payment is made. The Blackmail skill allows characters to uncover
Arson: Pesky rival gang holding up in a building you can’t get into? other people’s dark secrets.
Burn it! Need the insurance money for a failing business? Burn it!
Counterfeiting: From money to diamonds to watches, counter-
A building blocking your view? Burn it! This is for the character
feiting is a great way to turn lead into gold. A counterfeiting op-
that chooses results over finesse and knows how to make things go
eration can generate plenty of wealth, but it can also attract lots
up in smoke. Arson is the art of destroying property.
of unwanted attention. It can even get you in trouble with other
Assassinate: Okay, we lied. There is one crime skill that occasion- mobsters. It is hard to run an efficient gaming room if someone
ally replaces role playing: the assassinate skill. Not everyone is cut floods it with fake cash.
out to be in the mob, and those who aren’t, need to be dealt with.
Embezzle: The man who does the books for the various activities
Assassination is for those times when the problem just needs to go
conducted by the Mafia and legitimate businesses alike has a lot of
away, or when the bay needs a new buoy. This skill can be used to
power and if they know how to get away with it, can set up a nice
kill someone without engaging in normal combat (see Assassination
retirement plan for themselves by “cooking the books”. Of course,
in the Fighting section). In order to use assassinate, players need at
those who try and fail often find themselves with a new pair of
least one hour of preparation. In some circumstances, a GM will
shoes— cement shoes.
rule that more than an hour, perhaps up to a week, is required.
Using this skill without the consent of the higher-ups requires a Re- Extort: Every business needs money; some get it by skill and others
spectability check to avoid getting whacked. If used against anyone by force. The man who can bring in the cash for the group will soon
above your own rank (even with authorization), a Respectability set himself apart. Not everyone wants to pay the protection money
check is also required to avoid getting whacked. When you use or cooperate with the mob, and when that happens the gloves need
the Assassinate skill, your GM may require you to have ranks in to come off because, after all, this is a business.
relevant skills, depending on how you plan to use it. For example,
if you need to break into a Boss’ house to assassinate him, the GM Fence: There is an art to selling stolen products and those who have
may require you to have two or even three ranks in Security. The it stand to make good profit from their endeavors. Characters with
Game Master may also rule that a skill roll is not enough, and that this skill know how much to sell stolen goods for and also how to
you must role play the assassination attempt. alter the merchandise in such a way that it does not appear stolen or
come back to him or the mob in any way. Hey, it fell off the truck,
Blackmail: There is an art to blackmail. It’s more craft than crime, and you my friend can have it for a reasonable price.
and can be very lucrative. Blackmailers take harmful personal in-

22  Crime Network   

Gamble: Anyone who wants to be a bookie needs to have gambling Places multiple times. Each time you take Places, choose a city from
(it pays to know how to cheat too). This skill applies to all forms somewhere inside the U.S. or most cities throughout the world.
of gambling events, as well as organizing and running numbers.
On a normal success for most Places rolls, you know a piece of
Hijack: A great source of regular income, if you know how not important information to the place at hand. On a total success for
to get caught. The key to hijacking is to aim big, and establish the most Places rolls, you know multiple pieces of important informa-
right inside Connections. A typical hijacking job usually involves tion to the place at hand.
intercepting a large shipment of valuable goods (sometimes it’s
just a shipment of cash), and robbing it. This is more than simple Organizations
armed robbery though- it has to be carefully planned and executed. You know a lot about organizations, be they criminal or legitimate.
This skill is used for information about an organization and its
Kidnap: Rival families who don’t co-operate will not be tolerated. members. You can take Organizations multiple times. Each time
For these people, their fate is to be grabbed from their homes or you take Organizations, select an organization. Feel free to take
places of business and sent to a dark cellar where they can only any organization you like, but here is a sample list of relevant Or-
hope to see the light of day again. Characters that can successfully ganizations:
kidnap people are very valuable and may soon find themselves
rising through the ranks if they keep their mouth shut about what Army
they witness. Bloods
Theft: This is for people who need spending money, mostly. Brawn Catholic Church
characters may find this particularly appealing since they can use Knights of Columbus
their intimidating appearance and physical strength to simply steal Mafia
purses or wallets or even pull someone right out of their car on
MS13
the street.
Police
Traffic (Narcotics): Drugs are always in demand. But they are The Senate
high risk. Characters need to have a solid plan in place if they On a normal success for most Organizations rolls, you know a
want to run a drug operation or racket. This skill helps characters piece of important information to the place at hand. On a total
to make the right Connections and formulate cop-proof smuggling success for most Organizations rolls, you know multiple pieces of
operations. important information to the place at hand.
Traffic (Weapons): Gangsters don’t get their weapons from legiti-
mate sources. They prefer items that are both high powered and
Things
untraceable. There is a great deal of money to be made in smuggling You know Things. Stuff that interests you, you know about it,
and selling illegal weapons. This skill enables characters to secure whether it’s wine, music, or dancing. You know the details, but
weapons for the black market or personal use. that doesn’t mean you can make wine, compose an opera or do
the waltz (for that you need Talent). What you got is taste. You
Traffic (Women): The flesh trade encompasses a broad range of can distinguish between the good, the bad and the mediocre, and
activities from strip clubs to massage parlors to brothels. Operations you even know enough to teach people a lesson or two. You can
like these require having the right Connections to get them off the take Things multiple times. Each time you take it select from the
ground, and avoid getting busted. following sample list, or consult your GM for additional Things:

Places Animals
You have knowledge of, and can navigate different places in cities. Cars
This skill allows characters to know the layout, streets, geographic Cuisine
features and buildings in different sections of town. You can take

Character Creation  23 

 Skill List
Defenses Mental skills Physical skills
Parry Bully Athletics

Evade Manipulation Swim

Resolve Lying Speed

Stealth Empathy Muscles

Hardiness Detect Endurance

Wits Reasoning Vehicle

Combat skills Specialist skills Knowledge

Small Arms Mechanics Crime
Medium Arms Electronics Places
Heavy Arms Computers Organizations
Explosives Medicine Things
Sniper Rifles Finance Language
Hand-to-Hand Security Talent

Cumulative Cost of Skills

Proficiencey Level Cost Total Cost
0 0 0
1 1 1
2 2 3
3 3 6

24  Crime Network   

 Dancing Sculpting
History Singing
Literature Writing
Music
Religion Specialist Skills
Science Looks like someone went to a fancy school. Specialist skills are used
to perform complex tasks that often require extensive education,
Sculpture
training, and experience. Although many diverse fields of knowl-
On a normal success for most Things skill rolls, you know a piece edge might be required on some level to perform a Specialist skill,
of important information to the topic at hand. On a total success each is treated as a separate stand-alone skill.
for most Things rolls, you know multiple pieces of important in-
formation to the topic at hand. Computers
You got to know computers, even if you’re just a street level thug.
Languages With a computer, you can do virtually anything, from hacking into
You can take this skill multiple times, to represent your character’s someone’s credit card account to running license plate numbers.
ability to speak foreign languages. Each time you take it, start a You also understand computer programming, and how to install
new skill entry and pick the language you want your character to computer hardware.
know. One proficiency level in a language represents mastery of
basic conversation. Two proficiency levels represent strong com- Hacking into a computer system takes 1d10 hours. On a normal
mand of the language. And three proficiency levels represent native success, you successfully hack into the desired system, but leave
fluency. You can take this skill in any language that exists, but the evidence of your activity. On a total success, you hack successfully
following are important to the Crime Network Setting: (taking 1d10 minutes instead of 1d10 hours) and without being
detected or leaving behind evidence.
Hebrew
Programming a computer takes 1d10 hours. On a normal suc-
Italian
cess you alter the computer system as desired. On a total success,
Japanese you alter the computer system quickly, taking only 1d10 minutes
Polish instead of 1d10 hours.
Russian
Electronics
Serbian
A classic skill with broad applications. Not only can it be used to
Sicilian wire cars, it is also an excellent way to start a fire. It can also be used
Spanish to repair equipment such as radios, air conditioners, and televisions.

Talent Repairing/building simple objects or devices takes 1d10 hours.

You know how to do something special like croon or play the violin. Repairing/building complex objects or devices takes 1d10 days. On
You know how to perform with your special Talent. Use this skill a normal success you repair/build the object. On a total success,
anytime you perform your Talent. It can be taken multiple times. you repair/build the object or device in a faster increment of time:
Select Talents from the following sample list: days become hours, hours become minutes.

Cooking Using Electronics to alter performance (such as hot wire a car, dis-
Dancing able a unit or start a fire) takes 1d10 minutes. On a normal success,
you adjust performance as desired. On a total success, you alter it
Gardening
faster (1d10 seconds instead of minutes).
Performing (instrument)

Character Creation  25 

Mechanics the fine art of high risk robberies. You understand security systems,
Another classic skill. You know how to fix mechanical equipment: mechanical security devices, and procedures. Use the Security skill
cars, boilers, guns etc. This skill can also be used to rig mechanical to breach security systems, to open a safe or lock, and evaluate se-
devices for failure. curity procedures. Roll a Security skill roll against a Target Number
(based on the system, equipment, or set by the GM) to succeed.
Repairing/building simple objects or devices takes 1d10 hours.
Repairing/building complex objects or devices takes 1d10 days. On Breaching security systems allows you to enter a secured area. On a
a normal success you repair/build the object. On a total success, normal success, you breach, but leave evidence of you activity. On
you repair/build the object or device in a faster increment of time: a total success, you breach and leave no evidence.
days become hours, hours become minutes.
Opening a safe or lock takes 1d10 minutes. On a normal success,
Rigging an object for failure takes 1d10 minutes. On a normal you open the safe or lock, but damage it in the process. On a total
success, you rig the object for failure as desired. On a total success, success, you open the safe or lock without causing any damage.
you rig it for failure faster (1d10 seconds instead of minutes).
Evaluating a security system takes 1d10 minutes. On a normal
success, you form a partial assessment of the target’s security proce-
Medicine
dures. On a total success, you form a full assessment of the target’s
Sometimes wise guys can’t risk going to a legitimate doctor. It pays security procedures.
to know a thing or two about medicine: from pharmacology to
surgery. This skill can be used for a number of situations: removing Finance
bullets, diagnosing illnesses, or harvesting organs.
Making money is about vision and characters with this skill have
When treating characters exposed to toxins (poison, chemicals, etc), exactly that. These people see promise where others may see nothing
use the Medicine skill. The Target Number for successfully treating at all and that is what sets them apart and makes them valuable.
a toxin is determined by the toxin and found in the Equipment Skilled investors can funnel family money through legitimate com-
section of this book. panies and make it come out clean on the other side. People with
these skills don’t find themselves walking the streets for very long.
Treating a wounded character takes one round per wound suffered. Use the money skill to cheat, invest, and keep the books.
On a normal success, the wounded character is stabilized. On a total
success, the wounded character improves by one wound category Use Finance to cheat at gaming. Bookies and gamblers need to tilt
on the Wound Tracker and is stabilized. Characters can never be things in their favor. The Finance skill can be used to do just that.
healed more than one wound per day. Whether it is setting the fix in a boxing match or racing event, or
counting cards at a table in Vegas, this skill allows a character to
Treating a contaminated or sick character takes 1-10 Minutes. On put the odds in his favor. On a normal success, you move the odds
a normal success, the ill or sick character is stabilized, and the in your favor by double. On a total success, you move the odds in
toxin’s adverse effects stop increasing. On a total success, the ill or your favor by triple.
sick character is cured, and all temporary negative penalties form
the toxin disappears. Investing allows your character to make money by investing in
stocks, businesses and goods. On a normal success, you double
Diagnosing an ill character takes ten minutes. On a normal suc- your return. On a total success, you triple your return. Investments
cess, you accurately diagnose the ill character’s condition. On a take 1d10 weeks.
total success, you instantly diagnose the ill character’s condition.
Cooking the books allows your character to evade taxes and fi-
Security nancial scrutiny from the law. On a normal success, your finances
appear clean to most observers (only the most rigorous investigation
A man can make a lot of money in this town, provided he can dis-
finds any problems). There is minimal evidence of wrong-doing.
able the alarms. A guy with this skill is invaluable when it comes to

26  Crime Network   

On a total success, your finances are pristine. There is no evidence Medium Arms-Single
of wrong-doing. You have advanced training in single shot medium arms weapons.
This Expertise applies when you use your Medium Arms skill to
Expertise shoot a single shot weapon.
It’s one thing to know how to drive a car, and another thing en-
tirely to know how to cut corners down a narrow alleyway. Bosses Medium Arms-Burst
like guys with a few specialties, or Expertise. Skill ratings generally You have advanced training in semi-automatic medium arms weap-
indicate how good a character is with a specific skill. Some char- ons. This Expertise applies when you use your Medium Arms skill
acters have Expertise with a particular way of using a specific skill. to shoot a semi-automatic weapon.
Natural talent, focused training, and extensive experience allows the
character greater than usual ability to use the skill in that manner. Medium Arms-Auto
Some characters have specialized training in a skill’s use. Expertise You have advanced training in fully-automatic medium arms weap-
enhances skills by giving you an additional d10 on your roll. This ons. This Expertise applies when you use your Medium Arms skill
bonus only applies when making a skill roll when the Expertise to shoot a fully-automatic weapon.
applies.
Heavy Arms-Single
Example: Jonny Riggio has a 3 in Athletics, which means
You have advanced training in single heavy arms weapons. This
he rolls 3d10 anytime he uses his Athletics skill. But he is a
Expertise applies when you use your Heavy Arms skill to shoot a
skilled thief, and knows how to scale walls. By taking an Ex-
single shot weapon.
pertise in Athletics-Climb, he gets an additional d10 anytime
he uses his Athletics skill to climb. Now when he makes an Heavy Arms-Burst
Athletics skill roll to climb into an apartment window he
You have advanced training in semi-automatic heavy arms weapons.
rolls 4d10 instead of 3d10.
This Expertise applies when you use your Heavy Arms skill to shoot
One Expertise costs one character point. Each skill has two to three a semi-automatic weapon.
areas of Expertise to choose from.
Heavy Arms-Auto
Combat Expertise You have advanced training in fully-automatic heavy arms weapons.
This Expertise applies when you use your Heavy Arms skill to shoot
Small Arms-Single a fully-automatic weapon.
You have advanced training in single shot pistols. This Expertise
applies when you use your Small Arms skill to shoot a single shot. Sniper Rifles-Single
You have advanced training in single shot sniper rifles. This Exper-
Small Arms-Burst tise applies when you use your Sniper Rifles skill to shoot a single
You have advanced training in semi-automatic pistols. This Ex- shot weapon.
pertise applies when you use your Small Arms skill to fire bursts.
Sniper Rifles-Burst
Small Arms-Auto You have advanced training in semi-automatic sniper rifles. This
You have advanced training in fully-automatic pistols. This Exper- Expertise applies when you use your Sniper Rifles skill to shoot a
tise applies when you use your Small Arms skill to shoot a fully- semi-automatic weapon.
automatic weapon.
Sniper Rifles-Auto
You have advanced training in fully-automatic sniper rifles. This
Expertise applies when you use your Sniper Rifles skill to shoot a
fully-automatic weapon.

Character Creation  27 

Explosives-Thrown Athletics-Climb
You have advanced training in thrown-explosive devices. This Ex- You are an experienced climber, and know how to climb safely and
pertise applies when you use your Explosives skill to throw an efficiently. When you use your Athletics skill to climb, apply your
explosive device. Expertise bonus.

Explosives-Disarm Athletics-Leap
You have advanced training in disarming explosive devices. This You are adept at leaping over distances and heights. When you use
Expertise applies when you use your Explosives skill to disarm an your Athletics skill to leap, apply your Expertise bonus.
explosive device.
Athletics-Sports
Explosives-Set You are skilled at team sports. When you use your Athletics skill in
You have advanced training in set-explosive devices. This Expertise a competitive team event, apply your Expertise bonus.
applies when you use your Explosives skill to set an explosive device.
Speed-Initiative
Hand-to-Hand-Unarmed You have lightning reflexes, and react with perfect timing in combat
You are trained in a number of unarmed fighting styles and under- situations. When you use your Speed skill to make an Initiative roll,
stand the basic principles of striking and grappling. This Expertise apply your Expertise bonus.
applies when you use your Hand-to-Hand skill to make an unarmed
attack. Speed-Pursue
You are fast on your feet, able to run more swiftly than most. When
Hand-to-Hand-Bladed you use your Speed skill to make move fast, such as a foot pursuit
You know how to wield a bladed weapon. This Expertise applies or race, apply your Expertise bonus.
when you use your Hand-to-Hand skill to make an attack with a
bladed weapon. Speed-Elude
You move with cunning, and make an elusive target. When you
Hand-to-Hand-Blunt use your Speed skill to escape pursuit, apply your Expertise bonus.
You know how to wield a blunt weapon. This Expertise applies
when you use your Hand-to-Hand skill to make an attack with a Swim-Fast
blunt weapon. You are an experienced swimmer, and know how to move quickly
in the water. You may have been a competitive swimmer in your
Physical Expertise youth, or were trained by an expert. When using Swim skill to race
or move quickly, apply your Expertise bonus.
Vehicle-Race
You know how to move fast in your vehicle. When you use your Swim-Diving
Vehicle skill to go fast, apply your Expertise bonus.
You are an experienced diver, and know how to dive under water.
When using Swim skill to dive into water, apply your Expertise
Vehicle-Maneuver
bonus.
You know how to maneuver in your vehicle. When you use your
Vehicle skill to perform a stunt or unusual maneuver, apply your Endurance-Exposure
Expertise bonus.
You have experience in harsh environments, and know how to
pace yourself. When you use your Endurance skill to endure the
elements, apply your Expertise bonus.

28  Crime Network   

Endurance-Marathon Empathy-Emotion
You are a cardio king and can run at a steady pace when most others You read other peoples’ emotions with ease. When you use your
would collapse. When you use your Endurance skill to run long Empathy skill to assess another person’s emotional state, apply your
distances, such as a marathon, apply your Expertise bonus. Expertise bonus.

Endurance-Encumbrance Empathy-Intention
You can move while carrying heavy objects. When you use your You read other people’s intentions accurately. When you use your
Endurance skill to see if you are encumbered, apply your Expertise Empathy skill to decipher another person’s intent, apply your Ex-
bonus. pertise bonus.

Muscle-Lift Detect-Quick
You are strong and trained to lift heavy objects. When you use your You can find things at a glance. When you use your Detect skill
Muscle skill to lift something, apply your Expertise bonus. to find something at a single glance, apply your Expertise bonus.

Muscle-Break Detect-Prolonged
You are good at breaking things, from tables to reinforced doors. You are skilled at conducting exhaustive searches of homes, cars, and
When you use your Muscle skill to break something, apply your buildings. When you use your Detect skill to conduct a prolonged
Expertise bonus. search, apply your Expertise bonus.

Mental Expertise Reasoning-Wits

You think quickly on your feet. When you use your Reasoning
Bully-Intimidate
skill to think up a solution on the fly, apply your Expertise bonus.
You know how to instill fear. When you use your Bully skill to make
someone fear your or leave you alone, apply your Expertise bonus. Reasoning-Logic
You understand the principles of inductive logic, and know how to
Bully-Coerce
analyze information. When you use your Reasoning skill to form
You know how to get a man to perform an action such as return a conclusion from evidence gathered, apply your Expertise bonus.
money owed. When you use your Bully skill to coerce someone
into a course of action, apply your Expertise bonus. Manipulation-Charm
You are a charming person. When using your Manipulation skill
Lying-Denial
to seduce or influence another person, apply your Expertise bonus.
You know how to deceive, to convince someone you didn’t do
something you actually did. When you use your Lying skill to deny Manipulation-Convince
a fact you know to be true, apply your Expertise bonus.
You know how to convince people. When you use your Manipula-
tion skill to convince another person that your view is correct, apply
Lying-Tall Tale
your Expertise bonus.
You can convince anyone of anything. From stories of how you
took out ten guys with your hands behind your back, to letting
people believe you’re someone you are not. When you use your Specialist Expertise
Lying skill to tell a false story or impersonate someone, apply your Computers-Hack
Expertise bonus. You know how to hack into other peoples’ computers and access
files or spread viruses. When you use your Computers skill to hack
into a computer, apply your Expertise bonus.

Character Creation  29 

Computers-Program Medical-Diagnose
You know programming languages and how to program a com- You know how to diagnose illness and disease. When using your
puter. Anytime you use your Computer skill to program, apply Medical skill to examine a person, apply your Expertise bonus.
your Expertise bonus.
Medical-Treat
Computers-Debug You know how to treat illness and disease with prescription medi-
You know how to repair and debug a computer. When you use cation. When you use your Medical skill to treat a person, apply
your Computer skill to fix a computer, make it more efficient, or your Expertise bonus.
remove a virus, apply your Expertise bonus.
Medical-Surgery
Mechanics-Build You know how to perform surgery. When you use your Medical
You know how to build mechanical devices. When you use your skill to perform surgery on a person, apply your Expertise bonus.
Mechanics skill to construct an object like a gun, bomb, or watch,
apply your Expertise bonus. Security-Systems
You know about security systems and how to avoid triggering them.
Mechanics-Repair When you use your Security skill to assess, disable, avoid, or recon-
You know how to repair mechanical devices. When using your figure a security system, apply your Expertise bonus.
Mechanics skill to repair an object or device, apply your Expertise
bonus. Security-Procedures
You understand security procedures such as clearances and strate-
Electronics-Build gies. When you use your Security skill to evaluate an organization
You know how to build Electrical devices. When you use your or building’s security procedures, apply your Expertise bonus.
Electrics skill to construct and object like a cell phone, timer, or
fan, apply your Expertise bonus. Security-Mechanical
You know how locks and safes function. When you use your Se-
Electronics-Repair curity skill to bypass a mechanical security device, apply your Ex-
You know how to repair electrical devices. When you use your pertise bonus.
Electronics skill to repair an object or device, apply your Expertise
bonus. Knowledge Expertise
Finance-Analyze Language- (Dialect)
Normally you suffer a -1d10 penalty when trying to communicate
You are good at reading financial documents and knowing what
in a dialect you don’t understand. This Expertise nullifies that pen-
they mean. You can see behind the numbers and create a story.
alty. Simply select one dialect in a language you know. When you
Finance-Invest try to communicate in this dialect, you receive no penalty.
You are good at investing. When you use your Finance skill to
Talent-Perform
invest, apply your Expertise bonus.
You are a great performer. Anytime you use your Talent skill to
Finance-Cook the Books perform in front of others, apply your Expertise bonus.
You know how to cook the books so the feds don’t get suspicious.
Talent-Compose
When you use your finance skill to cheat on taxes or hide money,
You are a great innovator and artist. When using your Talent skill
apply your Expertise bonus.
to create a composition, apply your Expertise bonus.

30  Crime Network   

Crime-Violent Connections
You are a master of violence, and know how to orchestrate a violent Sometimes it isn’t what you know, but who you know. Rubbing
criminal act like nobody’s business. When you use your Crime skill elbows with the right people opens doors (and jail cells). Always be
for a violent crime, apply your Expertise bonus. on the look-out for useful Connections. Connections are people you
know— people with influence and inside knowledge. You begin the
Crime-Non-Violent game with two Connections (see Personality for starting Connec-
You understand the subtleties of non violent crimes, and know how tion). Each Connection is a specific person, tied to an organization
to make them go without a hitch. When you use your Crime skill and region. Connections help you in sticky situations, and provide
for a non-violent crime, apply your Expertise bonus. useful information. Once per session, you can make a Respectability
roll for each of your Connections. If you succeed, your Connection
Places-(District) can perform a single act to help you. There are two basic types of
You know a particular area of town really well. Select one district Connections as follows:
within a Place, and anytime you make a Places skill roll related to
it, apply your Expertise bonus. Protection Connections: Protection Connections give you physi-
cal support such as providing equipment, sending someone to help
Organizations-Structure you, or eliminating evidence at a crime scene.
You know a lot about an organization’s structure. When you use
Insider Connection: Insider Connections give you information
your Organizations skill to know about an organization’s structure,
about people, places, or events.
apply your Expertise bonus.
In Crime Network, Connections are divided into five categories—
Organizations-Territory Criminal Connections, Political Connections, Social Connections,
You know a lot about an organization’s territory. When you use Business Connections and Entertainment Connections. Characters
your Organizations skill to know about an organization’s territory, can acquire new Connections by spending character points. Con-
apply your Expertise bonus. nections are the social resources available to a character. They can
come in the form of important family members, political figures,
Organizations-People and bureaucrats. Connections are a malleable mechanic of Crime
You know a lot about an organization’s members. When you use Network, and players and Game Masters are encouraged to come
your Organizations skill to know about the people in an organiza- up with new and interesting uses for them.
tion, apply your Expertise bonus.
Connections perform favors for characters. Once per adventure,
Things-Cutting Edge players get one favor request from each of their Connections. Some-
You are quite hip and know a lot about cutting edge things. When times Connections are busy, or unable to provide the favor. Players
you use your Things skill to evaluate or talk about recent fashions seeking a favor request from their Connection, roll a Respectability
in one of your Things, apply your Expertise bonus. check against the Target Number 6. If they succeed, their Connec-
tion grants their favor request.
Things-Classic
Example: Baybridge Birdie, a Brain, has a Political Insider
You like the classics. When you use your Things skill to evaluate
Connection named Councilman McHarvey. His team is
or talk about classic fashions in one of your Things, apply your
planning a bank heist, but he suspects someone in the group
Expertise bonus.
ratted them out to the cops. He decides to use his Informant
Connection to find out if the police are on to them. The
Game Master decides that this is hard information to get,
so he adds a penalty of two to the Target Number for a TN
of 8 (6+2=8), and asks Baybridge Birdie’s player to make a

Character Creation  31 

 Respectability check. The player has a Respectability of 3, so It’s all about who you know, buddy. Think I lasted this long ‘cause I
he rolls 3d10 and gets a 1, 3, and 9. His highest result is a 9 got a nice smile? These pearly whites might make the women melt,
which meets or exceeds TN 8, and therefore succeeds. The but they don’t do a lick of good against a guy with a gun. My advice
Game Master reveals that Councilman McHarvey is aware of to you- make friends in high places. You never know when it might
a rat operating in the team. The police know what the players come in handy.
are up to, and have arranged an elaborate sting operation to
catch them in the act. –Mario “Ralph” Lipioni, De Luca Family Captain

Connections are a two way street, when a Connection performs a information, they usually help keep a player from getting whacked.
favor for you, it’s expected the favor will be returned at some point. They can call off hits, or help men rise quickly through the ranks.
It’s okay to hold off for a little while on this, but if owe someone two
or more favors, it’s best not to ask for any more until you’ve taken Arrange a Meeting
care of them. This is a matter of respect. Should you push a Con- The Connection arranges a meeting between a leader in his or-
nection for an additional Favor, when you still owe him, you have ganization and someone in your family. This is useful for making
to make another Respectability check. If you fail, the Connection important deals or setting someone up for a hit. Just beware it can
becomes an enemy (you get the Enemy Shortcoming). swing both ways. Always make sure you have good security at any
meeting.
Further if you put a Connection’s life in danger, without his knowl-
edge, by calling in a Favor that makes him a target, you risk losing
Provide Contraband
that Connection. Again make a Respectability check, to see if the
Your Connection supplies you with contraband at a reduced rate.
Connection becomes your enemy. You only have to make the check
if the Target experiences consequences for helping you that you
Whack Someone
didn’t inform him about.
Your Connection agrees to whack someone inside his organization,
Lost Connections can be regained (and removed as Enemies) if you but only a person beneath him in the hierarchy. This is dangerous,
make amends. The exact details of this are left to the GM to decide. and both you and the Connections need to make a Respectability
check if people find out or deduce who’s to blame.
Criminal Connections
You know someone inside a criminal organization (other than your Political Connections
own family). It doesn’t hurt to make friends in other outfits. Some- You know a politician or person who works for the government.
times they can give you good inside information or help you stay a Corruption and politics go hand in hand. Use that to your advan-
Boss’ hand. Your criminal Connections in other families can never tage and befriend people within the political machine.
be higher rank than yourself (without special approval by the GM).
Insider
Insider A Political Insider is usually a member of government or the police
Criminal Informants can provide useful inside information about force. They often have valuable information about ongoing criminal
ongoing criminal operations and planned murders. Characters that investigations. A Political Insider can help players to stay ahead of
are in danger of getting whacked would do well to build a rolodex the police.
of Criminal Informants.
Protector
Protector A Political Protector serves a number functions. Sometimes they
Criminal Protectors hold great sway in a crime family other than help facilitate movement through government bureaucracy. They
the one the player belongs to. Sometimes they even wield influence also have the power to redirect or stop ongoing criminal investiga-
outside their own family. While they might not always have inside tions. When characters find themselves in jail, Political Protectors
can usually help negotiate an early release.

32  Crime Network   

Stop Investigation
Your Political Protector halts a criminal investigation. Sometimes
the perfect crime ain’t so perfect. When things go bad, and the
police start looking into your affairs, this can be a handy favor.

Early Release
Your Political Protector gets you or someone you know a com-
muted sentence. If you go to trial and have to do time, this helps
get you out of jail.

Eliminate Evidence
Your Political Protector removes evidence from a crime scene or
police station. This is really useful if you left evidence behind.

Social Connections
You know someone you can rely on in times of need in a social Business Connections
capacity. Befriending pillars of the community can help keep you You know a legitimate businessman. Maybe he isn’t so legit, but
out of trouble. Always be on the lookout for such individuals. he knows how to get things done. Having business Connections is
key to keeping things under wraps and staying beneath the radar.
Insider
A Social Insider is someone who can give you information about Insider
their community or neighborhood. Social Insiders knows all the A Business Insider can give you valuable information about a com-
local gossip. pany’s weak points and assets- useful for planning a heist.

Protector Protector
A Social Protector is someone with influence in his community. A Business Protector can move people and things in his own com-
Others look up to him, and look away when he asks them to. pany and companies friendly to his own.

Host Party Materials

This is great for luring enemies into traps. Your Social Protector Your Business Protector supplies you with material to help you
agrees to host a party at a time and place of your choosing. He also commit a crime or evade the law. This can be in the form of weap-
adds anyone you select to the guest list. ons, vehicles, etc.

No Witnesses Services
Your Social Protector encourages all witnesses present at a crime to Your Business Protector provides you with a service, discreet and
keep their mouths shut. If the police have witnesses lined up for an off the record- great for avoiding a paper trail.
upcoming trial, this can silence them.
Alter Schedule
Safe House Your Business Protector alters the scheduled activities of his com-
Your political protector provides a safe house for you to hide. You pany. This can be anything from altering security procedures to
can stay at the safe house for a week before anyone finds you. re-routing a shipment of goods.

Character Creation  33 

Entertainment Connections Therefore, reward players who are able to do this routinely. Some
Shortcomings call for Resolve Tests, see the Resolve skill entry in
You know someone in the entertainment business- a famous singer,
the Skill Section for more details.
a wealthy producer, etc. These Connections are valuable, for they
make great middle-men, and you can use their favors as leverage Addict
in important business deals.
Addicts have a habit of jeopardizing operations and spending money
on their addictions. Each day, the player must pass a Resolve Test.
Insider
If they fail, the addict succumbs to his addiction (see Drugs in
Entertainment Insiders can provide inside information on per-
the Equipment Section for further details on the effects of drugs).
formers in the arts- great for blackmail. They are also great for
getting the names, addresses and telephone numbers of people in Black Belt
the entertainment business.
So you got a black belt in Karate? How about a couple of black eyes
to match? Gangsters learned to fight on the street, and they love
Protector
sticking it to guys who strut around telling everyone about their
An Entertainment Protector can be a performer or a mover and
black belts. You take a -1d to all Hand-to-Hand skill rolls.
shaker (like a producer). They usually have name recognition, which
is important. Just beware of the egos on these guys. Cowardly
Cowardly characters are terrified of getting whacked or going to
Perform
jail. They stay out of combat whenever possible, and frequently rat
If your Connection is a performer, he or she agrees to perform at
others out. When cowardly characters encounter danger, they must
a time and place of your choosing. A mover and shaker instructs a
pass a Resolve Test. If they fail, then the player must take whatever
well known artist to perform at a time and place of your choosing.
path he or she can to escape the danger.
Dedicate
Dim
Your Entertainment Protector dedicates a great work to someone
You ain’t too bright. In fact you’re one pill short of a bottle. You
of your choosing. Both performers and movers and shakers can
have a base 4 Wits instead of a base 6.
do this favor.
Egotistical
Mentor
Egotistical characters have a confidence that exceeds their ability.
Your Entertainment Protector agrees to mentor someone of your
They think that they are more capable than they actually are, and
choosing, to show him or her the ropes of the entertainment busi-
frequently over estimate their ability to produce results. On un-
ness. A performer can help an aspiring entertainer refine his or her
skilled rolls, they roll 3d10 take the lowest instead of 2d10.
act and make important Connections. A mover and shaker can
show people the ropes of the business or land them an important Enemy
role or gig.
Someone really hates you. In fact, this individual will kill you to
settle the score. Maybe you made off with someone’s wife, or killed
Shortcomings a person’s relative. Whatever it is, you better watch your back. This
Shortcomings are a great way to flesh out your character and get Shortcoming cannot be taken at character creation without GM
back some points for character building. Unless stated otherwise, approval. But, it can be bestowed upon you during the course of
every Shortcoming a player takes supplies one skill point useable the campaign by the GM when you acquire a serious enemy. As a
for other skills, and players can take up to two Shortcomings. Game general rule, your enemy makes one attempt on your life a month,
Masters must bring Shortcomings to life in the game. In all cir- and makes one very elaborate attempt at some point during the
cumstances it is better if the player can role play his Shortcoming campaign.
without prodding from the GM. The rules below are all suggestions.

34  Crime Network   

Greedy I admit it: I love the ladies. But the ladies love me back. All by itself,
Greedy characters are always trying to make an extra buck, and are this ain’t so bad. But it has gotten me into trouble from time to time.
willing to lie and cheat their team members to do so. When they You get too close to the wrong girl—Forget about it!
have an opportunity to steal from their own, Greedy characters
must make a Resolve Test. On a failure the character gives into his –Mario “Ralph” Lipioni, De Luca Family Captain
or her greed and takes the loot.
Mama’s Boy
Womanizer A mama’s boy loves his mama. He must visit her at least once a day,
Womanizers have difficulty being faithful to one girl, and often eat with her twice a week and take her shopping. If anyone talks
have an eye for their friends and Associates wives. This can be a bad about his mama, a mama’s boy will get violent.
particularly dangerous flaw in Crime Network. When a womanizer
encounters an attractive woman, the character must pass a Resolve Mental Disorder
Test. If the player fails, the womanizer becomes highly flirtatious. Mental disorders come in a variety of flavors, and GMs should allow
This can lead to problems within the family. Sweet talking the players to be as creative as possible when taking this flaw. Mental
wrong lady can land you a one way trip to the bottom of the sea. disorders impose a -1d penalty to Empathy, Reasoning, or Detect
(select the one most appropriate to the disorder).
Henpecked
What can you say? You married the wrong broad. Day in and day Obese
out, you are nagged about finances, errands, and minor domestic Being obese creates a base Evade of 2 instead of 3.
issues. But it gets worse— she gets you into trouble sometimes.
She mouths off to members of your crew, and even demands that Physical Disorder
they give you a bigger cut of the goods. Just pray she doesn’t get Physical disorders, like mental disorders, can vary greatly from one
you whacked one day. to another. The GM assigns a -1d Muscle, Endurance, or Athletics
(whichever is most appropriate to the disorder).
Hot Tempered
Hot tempered characters are prone to loud emotional outbursts and Rat
occasional fits of violence. When hot tempered characters don’t get You are not necessarily a rat yourself. But you come from a long
their way, they must pass a Resolve Test. If they fail, the character line of known talkers. Your father was a rat, your mama was a rat,
must attack the source of his frustration. your whole family was rats. You get a -1d on Respectability checks.

Impatient Shaky
Impatient characters can’t handle frustration. They hate lulls in The last thing any team needs is a shaky character when police or
activity and require constant stimulation to be happy. They can investigators arrive on the scene. Shaky characters are very bad at
be especially problematic during more strategic and slow paced hiding their intentions from people. They are susceptible to ner-
operations. vousness and anxiety. Take a -1d on Lying skill rolls.

Illiterate Speech Impediment

Illiterate characters have very poor reading and writing skills. Need to get the information out fast? Not with these guys. People
with a speech impediment are nervous and have a lack of confi-
Lazy dence- not the kind of guys you want to be making your deals with.
Lazy characters are difficult to motivate. They prefer moving at a Take a -1d on Manipulation skill rolls.
slow pace, and expending the least amount of energy possible. They
suffer a -1d to all speed rolls.

Character Creation  35 

 Chapter Two:
Equipment

Equipping your character

To last out there, you need a quality weapons. Use your cash to purchase weapons from dealers or on the black market. New characters
begin the game with five hundred dollars +200 for every rank in the Finance skill.

Weapons
Weapons are divided into four categories: melee, explosives, firearms, and toxins. Melee weapons are used for close quarter combat,
sometimes allowing an additional 1 square reach. Explosives cover a broad range of devices from grenades to C4. Firearms include all
held weapons that fire projectiles at a range. Toxins include caustic chemicals, gasses, etc.

Firearms
There are four groups of firearms: Small Arms, Medium Arms, Heavy Arms, and Sniper Rifles. When shooting a firearm within one of
these categories, use the corresponding Combat skill (i.e. use Small Arms skill to fire Small Arms).

*All firearms, except Tasers, normally inflict lethal damage. Shotgun slugs are available that inflict non-lethal damage.

Range
Distance is everything. The closer you are to your target, the easier it is to fill him with lead. All firearms have a range expressed in feet.
The range is divided into three categories, separated by a “/”: Close Range, Medium Range, and Long Range. There is also Point Blank
range, which is anything within ten Feet. Range modifies Combat skill rolls.

Firing within Close Range has no penalties or modifiers. Firing within Medium range imposes a penalty of 1d10 on the Combat skill
roll. Firing within long Range imposes a 2d10 penalty on the Combat skill roll. Firing at Point Blank range bestows a 1d10 bonus on
the Combat skill roll and on the damage roll.

Rate of Fire
Sometimes a single well placed shot does the trick. Other times, it takes a blaze of machine gun fire to get the job done. All fire-
arms have a rate of fire. Rate of fire is divided into three categories: Single, Burst, and Auto. This represents a firearm’s ability to
fire one round, three rounds, or the entire clip (approx. 30 rounds). The categories listed under a firearm’s rate of fire are the op-

  
tions available to those firing the weapon. It is usually better to go
for the higher rate of fire; the only drawback is it depletes ammo Deadly Point Blank (optional)
faster. To add an extra level of grit to the game, power up Point
Blank attacks by giving a +2d10 bonus to Attack and Dam-
Single Round fires one bullet and does not modify any rolls. Three
age rolls to any weapon fired at point blank range. Not
Round Burst fires three bullets, and adds 1d10 to the Combat
enough? Crank it up to 3d10.
skill roll. Full Auto fires 30 bullets and bestows a 2d10 bonus to
the Combat skill roll. Note: If your current ammo is less than 3
rounds, you can’t use the Burst rate of fire option. If your current Damage
ammo is less than 30, you can’t use the Full Auto rate of fire option. It has already been said, but it’s worth repeating: this indicates the
number of d10s used for the Damage roll. After any successful hit,
characters roll a number of d10s equal to the damage listed under
the weapon, to determine if their opponent(s) sustains any wounds.

Melee weapon damage is tied to the Muscle skill. If the entry is

“Muscle”, then roll a number of d10s equal to the wielder’s Muscle
rating. If the entry says Muscle -1d, roll a number of d10s equal to
the wielder’s Muscle rating minus 1d10.

Lethal
This states if the weapon is lethal or not. Lethal weapons can kill
characters by dropping them below Incapacitated on the health
tracker in a single roll. Non-lethal weapons do not.

Unarmed: Hand-to-Hand combatants with three skill levels and

Magazine
an Expertise in Unarmed Combat or Melee Weapon may choose
This simply indicates how many bullets the magazine of the firearm
to inflict lethal damage if they desire.
holds. Parenthetical entries indicate more than one magazine option
is available. It is important to track the number of bullets depleted Range
from the magazine.
Most melee weapons can only hit opponents in adjacent square
Melee weapons with a range of five feet can hit opponents one
Damage
square adjacent to the character on standard scale. These are great
It’s all about how much you hurt the guys trying to hurt you. The
for whacking guys in hard to reach places.
damage entry indicates the number of d10s used for the Damage
roll. After any successful hit, roll a number of d10s equal to the
damage listed under the weapon to determine if your opponent(s) Two Pistol Fire (optional)
sustains any wounds (see Chapter One for details). As always, 10s Two single shot firearms, held one in each hand, can be
on a damage roll indicate additional wounds. used to simulate the Burst Rate of Fire option, as a full
round action. Similarly, two firearms using Burst Rate of
Melee Weapons Fire (held in each hand), can simulate the Full Auto Rate
Close and personal, melee weapons are a great way to send a mes-
of Fire option, as a full round action. This cannot be done
sage. Some melee weapons inflict lethal damage, others inflict non-
with two firearms that already have the Full Auto Rate of
lethal damage.
Fire Option.

Equipment  37 
 Firearms
Firearm Type ROF Magazine Range in Feet Damage Price $
22SW Small Arms Single 8 60/120/180 2d10 150
44 Mag Small Arms Single 6 60/120/180 3d10 300
M9/Glock Small Arms Single 15 60/120/180 2d10 200
Burst
Mp5 Small Arms Single 30 (110) 150/450/600 2d10 400
Burst
Auto
FN Minimi Medium Arms Single 50 300/600/1200 3d10 3,500
Auto
Burst
MG4 Medium Arms Single 50 400/800/1600 3d10 4,000
Burst
Auto
RPK Medium Arms Single 50 100/200/400 4d10 5,000
Burst
Auto
Shotgun** Medium Arms Single 9 60/120/180 3d10 270
Lupara** Medium Arms Single 9 30/60/120 3d10 300
XM110 Sniper Single 10(20) 1000/2000/3000 3d10 1300
Burst
Rem700S Sniper Single 5 800/1600/2400 3d10 1100
SVD Sniper Single 10 900/1800/2700 3d10 1200
M60 Heavy Arms Single 200 600/1200/2400 4d10 8,000
Burst
Auto
KPV Heavy Arms Single 400 1000/2000/3000 5d10 9,000
Burst
Auto
Rocket Launcher Heavy Arms Single 1 1000/2000/3000 SeeRocket 10,000
(Ex)
Taser* Small Arms Single 2 20 1d10 200
*Non Lethal Damage

**Shotguns- Shotguns fire ‘Shot’ (multiple small metal balls) as a default. Shotguns firing shot lose damage dice equal to the body armor
worn by the target(1-3). Shotguns firing shot get a penalty of 1d10 and 2d10 on damage at medium and long range. Point blank range
for a shot gun firing shot is increased to be within 30 feet instead of 10 feet. Shotguns firing slugs(regular bullets) have twice the listed
range(120/240/360). Point blank range for a shot gun firing slugs is within 10 feet.

38  Crime Network   

 Explosives
Explosive Type Inner Blast Outer Blast Blast Radius Lethal Range Price $
Dynamite Set/Thrown 3d10 2d10 Medium Yes 50/100/150 80
Molotov Thrown 1d10 Focused Yes 50/100/150 30
Grenade Thrown 2d10 1d10 Small Yes 50/100/150 150
C4 Set 4d10 1d10 Focused Yes 2,000
Rocket Launch 4d10 2d10 Small Yes 300/600/900 3,000
Focused: blast radius of five feet. No outer blast.
Small: Total blast radius 30 feet. Inner blast 1-15; outer blast 16-30.
Medium: Total blast radius 60 feet. Inner blast 1-30; outer blast 31-60.
Large: Total blast radius 90 Feet. Inner blast 1-45; outer blast 46-90
Massive: Total blast radius 1 mile. Inner blast 0-0.5 miles; outer blast 0.6-1.0 miles
Super: Total blast radius 10 miles. Inner blast 1-5 miles; outer blast 6-10 miles.

Explosives Small Blast Radiuses encompass a 30 foot area. They have an inner
and outer blast.
The classics never go out of style. Explosives are devices that generate
a blast of force with enough heat to harm people and structures. Medium Blast Radiuses damage a 60 foot area. They have an inner
There are three categories of explosives: set and thrown. Set explo- and outer blast.
sives are put in place and programmed to detonate under a specific
condition. Thrown explosives are released by hand and detonate on Massive Blast Radiuses are very large, encompassing a 1 mile area.
impact or according to a timer. Launched explosives, such as missiles These kill or harm everything within their blast radius.
or rockets exist, but are not usually handled by the Explosive skill.
Super Blast Radiuses are enormous, damaging things beyond a 1
Type mile area. These kill or harm everything within their blast radius.
This is the category of explosive based on how it’s used. Set explo-
Explosives have inner and outer blasts, which correspond to differ-
sives are programmed and placed in advance. Thrown explosives are
ent zones of intensity in their blast radius. Inner and outer blasts
thrown at targets. Both set and thrown explosives use the Explosive
determine the damage roll. Most explosives achieve more damage
skill. Launched explosives, which are projected out of devices, use
in their inner blast.
the most appropriate skill. For example, a rocket fired out of a rocket
launcher uses the Heavy Arms skill, whereas a missile fired from a Inner Blast
plane uses the Vehicle-Plane skill.
The inner blast is the part of the explosion closest to the center
of the blast radius. Anyone inside the inner blast suffers the listed
Blast Radius
Damage roll.
Explosives damage everyone within an area-of-effect called a blast
radius. Blast radiuses are divided into five groups: focused, small, Outer Blast
medium, massive, and super.
The outer blast is the part of the explosion further away from the
Focused Blast Radiuses only damage a 5 foot area. They have no center of the blast radius. Anyone inside the outer blast suffers the
outer blast. listed Damage roll.

Equipment  39 
 Melee Weapons
Weapon Damage Lethal Range Price $
Unarmed (Muscle –1) d10’s No None 0
Cleaver Muscle d10’s Yes None 20
Machete (Muscle +1) d10s Yes None 40
Katana Muscle d10s Yes 5 feet 150
Knife/Switch blade/Shank Muscle d10s Yes None 10
Tire Iron Muscle d10s Yes 5 Feet 12
Bat/Club Muscle d10’s No 5 feet 15
Black Jack See Entry No None 15
Golf Club Muscle d10s No 10 Feet 50
Garotte d10 (See Entry) Yes None 5

Toxins the number listed, their character suffers the negative effects of
the toxin.
Looks like Sal drank a little too much bleach. Toxins are a great way
to kill with style. They include things such as poisons, gas, and acid.
Effects
Characters exposed to any of these things suffer increasing penalties
to all their skills and risk death if they do not seek treatment. All This is how long the effects of the toxin remain. Each toxin is rated
these deadly agents impose a 1d10 penalty to some or all skills. As permanent or temporary. Penalties from toxins with permanent
time passes, the penalty increases by an additional d10 at a set rate effects stay with character forever. Penalties from toxins with tem-
determined by the toxin. Each toxin is rated by lethality, speed, porary effects disappear after medical treatment.
effects, and Medicine skill TN.
Medical Skill TN
Lethality This represents how difficult the toxin is to treat. Use this Target
Lethality refers to how quickly toxins kill. Each toxin’s lethality is Number for Medical skill rolls made to cure characters exposed
rated by minute, hour day, or week. This is how long characters die to toxins.
after exposure to the toxin without medical treatment.
Skills
Speed These are the skills the Toxin affects. C represents Combat, D rep-
This is the rate at which the d10 penalty imposed by the toxin resents Defense, M represents Mental, and P represents Physical.
increases. Each toxin’s speed is rated by minute, hour, day, or week.
Weapon Descriptions
Contagious 44 Magnum: A 44 caliber revolver hand gun. Classic, classy, and
This indicates if the toxin is contagious and spreads from person lethal.
to person.
Black Jack: A concealable club used mostly by police. A black
Infection Rate jack does Muscle -1d10 damage. If a target does not see you (fails
to make a Detect roll against your Stealth), the black jack inflicts
The percentage number in this column indicates the likelihood
1d10 damage.
of infection after exposure. Players must make a percentage roll
(2d10) when their character is exposed to a toxin. If they roll under

40  Crime Network   

 Toxins
Contaminant Lethality Speed Effect Medicine skill TN Contagious I.R. Skills
Fire Hour Day Permanent 6 No 60% P, C
Acid Hour Hour Permanent 7 No 80% P, C
Carbon Monoxide Minute Minute Temporary 5 No 100% All
Poison Hour Hour Temporary 4 No 70% All

Dynamite: Dynamite is a great weapon for mobsters as it can be Machete: A solid weapon with many functions. While this weapon
easily acquired and is small enough to conceal. is often used to clear heavy brush, it is equally effective at cutting
down an enemy and making a pretty significant statement at the
FN Minimi: A light machine gun which is sure to leave lots of same time.
destruction in its path. This weapon has the lowest range of the
common LMG (Light Machine Guns) but is also the cheapest. Lupara: A lupara is just a sawed off shotgun. It functions just like
a regular shotgun except it has a shorter range. Luparas are easy to
Garotte: If you can sneak up on someone undetected, then you conceal before and after attacks. Characters need to make a detect
can use a Garotte. Using a Garotte is similar to Restrain, except roll (TN 7) to notice a Lupara deliberately concealed in a coat or
you do not have to forgo damage. Again, the Garotte only works jacket.
if you make an attack before being detected.
M249 Light Machine Gun: A fully automatic military portable
Glock: There are many versions of this pistol, but the one being machine gun. Don’t let the feds catch you with one of these.
referred to here is the semi-automatic version that is made out of a
high density plastic. The Glock is a very durable weapon that can Molotov Cocktail: A Russian inspired explosive that is very popular
even fire underwater, albeit not very effectively. among street gangs. This weapon is easy to assemble and involves
taking a bottle with high alcohol content, stuffing a rag down the
Grenade: Standard military explosive projectile. Pull the pin, throw, top of the bottle and then lighting to make a fire ball out of some-
and watch the bodies fly. one’s car or home.

Katana: The sword used by people who consider themselves tough MP5: This is a fully automatic machine pistol. Great for filling
and stylish. This blade is well balanced to deliver a clean blow, guys with holes.
capable of taking a man’s head off.
MG4: A military grade LMG that is accurate at about 100 feet and
Knife: This category includes knives you might find in a kitchen is a rare sight on the streets.
and are not meant to kill, but in a pinch they are much more reli-
able than just fists. They are easy to conceal. Rem700S: A bolt action 5 round capacity sniper rifle.

KPV (Vladimirov): Manufactured in Russia, this is the big boy Rocket Launcher: These are tough to get on the black market,
of the heavy machine guns or HMG’s. This is typically only seen and the Bosses frown on using them (too loud, too dangerous, too
in military settings. This weapon is very heavy and therefore lacks much attention). A shoulder launched rocket, not a finesse weapon.
mobility but the punch it delivers is well worth the weight.
RPK: This is the Cadillac of LMG’s. This weapon is similar in
M60: A military grade heavy machine gun that has been around appearance to an AK-47 with the exception of its clip. Instead of
for years. This weapon is still a reliable means of clearing out a the highly recognizable banana shape, the RPK ammo clip has the
crowded room. This weapon requires a bi-pod to use due to its shape of a circular drum, for increased ammo capacity. This gun
weight and size. is mobile enough to carry around and fire with relative ease, while

Equipment  41 
providing the firing power and accuracy that is so crucial in a light
machine gun.

Shank: This is the term for any small improvised blade. This type
of weapon is most commonly seen in prison but there may come a
time when you have to use a letter opener to eliminate an enemy,
and in those situations, the shank comes in handy. A Shank is very
easy to conceal.

Shotgun: This is a broad category, but generally refers to semi-

automatic shotguns that people use for hunting. The bullets fired
from this weapon tend to spread out and impact many areas of the
body at once, which is why the range is so limited. The good thing
about shotguns is that if you hit someone at close range, they are
pretty much a goner. Shotguns can be fired with slugs or buckshot.
Slugs are more precise and have a longer range, while buckshot has
a shorter range, but can hit multiple opponents using the Shooting
at Multiple Opponents rule in Chapter Three. Point blank for a Drugs
shotgun is within 30 feet, when firing shot. Similar to Toxins, drugs have a profound effect on the human body,
but are normally administered deliberately by the user. They are
Sig: A very high grade pistol that is favored by many members of
also addictive. Any character that uses drugs with great frequency
Special Forces and various other military factions throughout the
risks acquiring the Addict Shortcoming (at the GMs discretion).
world. This gun lacks the ammo capacity of a Berretta and the
versatility of a Glock, but it can outrange both, and with a higher Alcohol: Alcohol can be any type of fermented (and distilled) bever-
caliber bullet that can make all the difference. age. From beer to whiskey Alcohol is a depressant and effects judg-
ment and reaction time. Any character who drinks enough Alcohol
Sniper Rifle: There are so many different types of sniper rifles,
to become inebriated suffers a -1d10 to all skill rolls.
but this category generally refers to rifles that have optical scopes
on them. The largest sniper rifles, like the kind that fire 50 caliber Opiates: Opiates are drugs derived from Opium Poppies, including
bullets, can hit a target from about a mile away. The thing about Heroin, Opium, and Morphine. Characters under the influence of
sniper rifles that has always plagued gangsters is the need for cal- Opiates suffer a -2d10 to all skill rolls.
culating a shot. The further away you are from a target, the more
you have to adjust your shot to ensure a quick kill. Most rifles are Stimulants: We’re not talking about a cup of Joe here, though
good from about 1000 yards, but most mobsters are going to want coffee is technically a stimulant. In the context of Crime Network,
to get closer to confirm the kill and limit the possibility of errors. Stimulants refer to potent drugs such as Cocaine, Crack, and Crys-
tal Meth. Unlike other drugs, Stimulants can improve mental acuity
Switch Blade: This is a concealable weapon which is, quite frankly, and athletic performance. They also induce a sense of Euphoria.
rather stylish. The blade often extends out the side of the shaft and Characters under the influence of Stimulants Experience a +1d10
then locks in place. This weapon is great because it can allow you
to easily carry a large blade due its compact nature.

XM110 Sniper Rifle: Talk about deluxe, this sniper rifle is semi- Armor Hardiness Bonus Price $
automatic. Mow down your foes from a distance. Light +1 1,000
Medium +2 2,000
Heavy +3 3,000

42  Crime Network   

 Vehicles
Vehicle Performance Rating Handling Speed Top Speed Hardiness Health Price $
Sports Car 5 100 MPH 200 MPH 4 3 15,000
Utility Vehicle 8 40 MPH 110 MPH 6 4 12,000
Family Car 7 80 MPH 140 MPH 4 3 10,000
Luxury Car 6 90 MPH 130 MPH 5 4 25,000
Truck (18 Wheel) 9 30 MPH 120 MPH 7 5 60,000
Light Plane 8 ** 300 MPH 4 2 240,000
Sports Motorcycle 4 80 MPH 180 MPH 3 1 12,000
Hog Motorcycle 7 60 MPH 150 MPH 3 2 10,000
Speed Boat 6 100 MPH 100 MPH 5 3 20,000
Sailing Boat 8 50 MPH 50 MPH 6 4 40,000

bonus to Reasoning, Detect, Athletics, and Speed but suffer a -1d10 Light armor is most often a standard ‘bullet proof ’ vest used by
to Empathy, Manipulation, Endurance and Vehicle. police and civilians. Light armor is not bulky or heavy enough to
impose penalties on the wearer. The protection provided is not
Body Armor particularly strong, but does increase the chance of surviving an
otherwise lethal wound.
Sooner or later, you’ll probably get shot. Wearing body armor really
boosts your chances of survival when that occurs. The main purpose
of body armor is to reduce the probability that a wound will be Vehicles
fatal. Body armor is generally incapable of making you invulner- There are a number of Vehicles available in Crime Network. .
able to being harmed, however. Body armor turns lethal weapons
into non-lethal weapons for the purpose of taking damage. Lethal Vehicle
weapons still receive normal Damage rolls, but they just can’t drop This is the type of vehicle and category.
you below incapacitated (and into death) in a single roll.
Performance Rating
Body armor is grouped into three categories, based on overall effec- This represents how easy the vehicle is to control. It is also the
tiveness at improving your survivability: light, medium, and heavy. Target Number for any Vehicle skill rolls made using that vehicle.
Armor provides a bonus to your Hardiness Defense.

Heavy armor is the best protection available and favored by Swat

Handling Speed
and Soldiers. Most heavy armor consists of a jacket with protec- This is the speed at which the vehicle becomes unsafe. Perform-
tive plates attached and/or inserted. The relatively high protection ing any maneuvers at or beyond a Vehicle’s handling speed always
comes at a price in mobility, reducing your Athletics and Speed requires a Vehicle skill roll.
rolls by 1d. Heavy armor greatly increases the chance of surviving
an otherwise lethal wound. Top Speed
This is the maximum speed of the vehicle.
Medium armor is a less armored version of heavy armor, but oth-
erwise similar. It provides more protection than light armor, but Hardiness
has a modest penalty due to its weight and bulk, reducing your This represents the strength of the vehicle in a crash. Vehicle Har-
Athletics rolls by 1d. Medium armor greatly increases the chance diness functions just like character Hardiness. In a crash, or when
of surviving an otherwise lethal wound. attacked with a weapon, roll damage against the vehicle’s Hardiness.

Equipment  43 
Health
This represents how many “wounds” a vehicle can sustain before
Equipment
being disabled or destroyed. Item Price $
Antacid pills 3
Equipment Bug 300
Cars: Cars are mainly a means of conveyance, but can also be sold
Cane 20-100
or used as bribes on occasion. Cars also serve an important function
in mob life as they are the typical getaway method, and they serve Cards 6
as a standard of excellence for most experienced mob members. The Cell Phone, Disposable 45
rule is simple: the nicer the car, the more important the man. Cars Chains 10 to 200
can be used as weapons as well as a form of transportation, and it
Clothes, Street 40
is not uncommon for a man to get run down to save time on a hit.
Clothes, Fancy 500
Clothes: Clothes function here the same as in real life. They can Clothes, Casual 80
be used as disguises or simply to convey a certain status by appear- Cologne, Cheap 15
ance. Clothes range from the ultra high end suits to the very low
Cologne, Fine 150
end rags, and many times the clothes a man wears can accelerate
his rise through the ranks. Cologne, The Best 8,500
Fake I.D., Low Quality 50
Jewelry: Jewelry is not much of a concern to wise guys except when Fake I.D., High Quality 1,000
they’re stealing it or getting something for their wives or mistresses.
Flask 20-2,000
Some mobsters have been known to wear flashy jewelry to impress
people and show off their money-making skills. Jewelry functions Hat 20
essentially the same way as clothes- some people spend a lot to look Hair Cut 25
good and others don’t. The main thing here is simply how a person Meal, Cheap 15
wants to be perceived and whether or not they feel comfortable Meal, Fine 60
drawing attention to themselves.
Meal, The Best 400
Silencers: These come in a variety of sizes, each fitted for a particu- Money Clip 25
lar category of weapon. They are available for Small Arms, Medium Rings 20 to 15,000
Arms, Sniper Rifles and Heavy Arms. All silencers add a penalty Silencer 250
of 2 to the TN of your opponents Detect roll to determine if they
Watches 20 to 15,000
hear your attack (see Detect for more information).
Shoes, Fancy 180
Bugs: You probably won’t use these yourself, but you should be on Shoes, Sport 80
the lookout for bugs and microphones at all times. These minia- Slot Machine 1,000
ture devices come in three types: Visual, Audio and Dual. Visual
Smokes 6
devices provide viewers with visual evidence of events. Audio de-
vices provide audio evidence of events. Dual devices provide both. Track Suit 80
These babies can mean the difference between walking free and a Wine, Cheap 8
life behind bars. If used in an investigation, prosecutors gain a +2 Wine, Fine 100
bonus to the Target Number of the Trial roll (see Trials in the GM Wine, The Best 2,000
section). The TN to spot a bug with the Detect skill is 9.

44  Crime Network   

Equipment  45 
 Chapter Three:
Combat and Non-Combat Rules

Being a wise guy has its perks, but when things go bad, they go real bad. A man needs be able to defend himself if he wants to last. Now
I am pretty good with my fists, but this ain’t no fist fight. You should always carry heat, my friend. You best know how to use it too. You
don’t want to end up like my buddy Frankie, with a bullet between the eyes.

–Lundo Lipioni, De Luca Family Soldier

Read this section if you want to last. It contains information on combat and other important rules. It also tells you how to handle unusual
situations like falling out of a tree, or searching a dead a body in total darkness.

Rolling the Dice

When you want to do anything (punch a guy, lie to the Boss, jump over a ditch, etc), roll one to six d10s and retain the highest single
die result, then compare it to a Target Number to gauge success or failure. Your proficiency rating in the skill and any situational modi-
fiers determines the number of d10s you roll. The Target Number is determined by the difficulty of the task being performed. There
are two kinds of skill rolls in Crime Network: character vs. character and character vs. environment. Both function the same- a roll of
d10s against a Target Number. Character vs. character skill rolls are made against your opponent’s relevant Defense rating. Character
vs. environment skill rolls are made against a Target Number set by the GM.

Character vs. Character: Some rolls occur between characters. One character attacks another or tries to take some action against an-
other. The acting character makes an action roll against the defending character’s relevant Defense rating. The attacker’s highest single
die result must meet or exceed the target’s relevant Defense rating to succeed.

Character vs. Environment: Some rolls occur between characters and their environment. For example, if your character tries to climb
a wall, he makes a roll against a static number based on the difficulty of the task. To climb the wall successfully, your character’s single
highest die result needs to meet or exceed the Target Number.

Example: Victor Salerno, a Corelli Soldier, fires his pistol at a Luca Bruno, a Martino family Capo. Victor has a Small Arms pro-
ficiency level of 2, so he rolls 2d10 for his attack. Luca Bruno has an Evade of 3. Victor rolls 2d10 and gets an 8 and a 2. Victor’s
highest result is an 8. That beats Luca’s Evade rating, so Victor can roll for damage.

Rolling 10s
10s indicate greater than normal success in Crime Network. Rolling 10s always has a special effect, but the effect varies based on the
type of roll being made: Combat roll, Damage roll, and Non-Combat roll.

  
On Combat rolls: Every natural 10 result means you roll an addi-
tional d10 on your Damage roll for that attack. This increases your Setting Target Numbers
chances of inflicting a wound against your target, and of rolling a Target Number Difficulty
10 on your damage roll. 1 Routine

On Damage rolls: A successful damage roll normally inflicts one 2

wound on your target. In addition, each natural 10 result means you 3 Simple
inflict 1 extra wound on the target. For example one 10 indicates 4
the attack results in 1 extra wound to the target and two 10s inflict 5 Challenging
2 extra wounds. This applies only to Damage rolls.
6
On Non-Combat rolls: A natural 10 indicates total success (See 7 Hard
Adjudicating Non-Combat Skills below). 8
9 Formidable
Example: Victor Salerno rolls 2d10 for his Small Arms skill
roll and gets a 6 and a 10. Because his opponent has an 10
Evade of 7, he succeeds. Victor’s Glock normally uses 2d10,
but because he rolled a 10 on his Combat roll, Victor rolls an answer when you kick the lamp against the wall. Objects func-
an additional d10 for a total of 3d10. He rolls and gets a tion like characters; they have Hardiness, Evade, and take wounds.
6, 8, and 10. The TN for a Damage roll is the opponent’s Your GM should use the following guidelines to set the Defense
Hardiness rating, which in this case is a 3. Victor’s highest ratings, weight, and max wounds for objects.
roll beats the 3, which means he inflicts 1 wound. Because
The Lifting Objects Chart (next page) represents a character’s ability
his highest result was a natural 10, he inflicts 1 additional
to move and lift heavy objects in high stress situations with time
wound, for a total of 2.
constraints.
See Setting Target Numbers below for rolling 10s against TN 10.
Target Number: The number characters must meet or exceed to
strike or manipulate the object in a significant way.
Setting Target Numbers
Every task has a Target Number, ranging from 1-10. Skills that are Evade: The object’s size and speed determine the Target Number
routine enough not to require a skill roll have a Target Number to hit.
of 1. Skills that are virtually impossible have a Target Number of
10. When you perform an action, the GM uses the chart below Weight: The weight of the object sets the difficulty of lifting or
to assign a Target Number. moving it.

When targeting a TN of 10, the first natural 10 rolled is a Success Taking Damage
but not a Total Success. The first Total Success is in effect consumed. Some guys can take a hit, and others can’t. After a successful attack,
All nautral 10s after that function normally. make a Damage roll against Hardiness to see if you wound your
target. Damage is determined by the weapon used, and functions
Attacking/Moving Objects much like a skill roll. Hardiness is the relevant Defense to a Damage
Take it easy Compare, the chair didn’t do anything to you. If you roll. Success on a Damage roll indicates one wound. Each result of
insist on breaking it, at least use these handy rules for attacking and 10 on a Damage roll inflicts one extra wound. Each wound drops
moving objects. It is important for the GM to know the defenses of a character’s wound level on the wound chart by one. Wounded
inanimate objects when your character tries to break down doors, characters suffer a -1d penalty per wound to all their Defenses and
shoot gas tanks, and take apart devices. Everyone takes their anger skill rolls. At three wounds, characters become incapacitated. In-
out on furniture and walls once in a while, and the GM better have

Combat and Non-Combat Rules  47 

capacitated characters are motionless and cannot perform actions.
They also start to die the following round (see Dying below).

Example: Victor shot Luca Bruno with his pistol and scored
one success. A pistol has a Damage rating of 2, which means
it rolls 2d10 against the target’s Hardiness to see if a wound
is scored. Victor rolls 2d10 and gets 6 and 10. Luca Bruno
has a Hardiness of 3, so he takes one wound (10 meets or
exceeds 3). Because Victor’s highest result was a natural 10,
he inflicts an additional wound, for a total of two.

Wounds
Nobody can take a bunch of shells to the chest and remain steady.
The truth is, taking damage in a fight impacts your performance.
Each point of damage you take is one wound on the wound tracker.
Once you take damage, you are considered wounded until the
damage heals. When wounded, you suffer a –1d10 penalty per
wound to all your rolls (then subtract 1d10 from all active skill
rolls). If you reach 0d10 or lower, roll 2d10 and take the lowest
number.

Example: Victor Salerno gets shot while walking to his car

and takes one wound. The next round, he fires his Glock at
one of the attackers. Because he has a proficiency level of 2 Dying
in Small Arms, he normally rolls 2d10, but because he is Everyone dies sooner or later. For men of respect, it is just a matter
wounded, he can only roll 1d10. of time before someone decides to take you out. When you become
incapacitated from a lethal weapon, you begin to die. Dying takes
You heal one wound per week naturally, and can recover wounds a number of rounds equal to your Hardiness rating. So if you have
faster with a successful Medicine roll (see Medicine skill). a Hardiness rating of 5, it takes 5 rounds to die after becoming
incapacitated.
Lifting Objects Characters wearing body armor that become incapacitated do not
Target Number Weight die. Body armor shifts lethal weapons into the non-lethal category
1 20 lbs for the purposes of dying.
2 40lbs
Dying characters can be stabilized or healed with a Medicine roll
3 60lbs
(See Skill Section for details).
4 80lbs
5 100lbs Characters that are wounded again, after being incapacitated, die.
If your character takes enough wounds to become incapacitated,
6 120lbs
and then takes another wound, he or she dies immediately.
7 140lbs
8 160lbs
Assassination
9 180lbs
While regular Soldiers and Associates often resort to all-out gun
10 200lbs fights, real hit men never allow things to get that messy. When the

48  Crime Network   

mob wants a guy killed, they want it done clean, quick, and quiet. higher in rank still need to make a Respectability check to avoid
Anyone with the Assassination skill can use it when making hits. being whacked.
Here’s how it works:

When a player with the Assassination skill wants to whack a non-

Surprise
Surprise in Crime Network is very simple. When one character
player character or another player character, he makes it known
surprises another, he gets a free action (move or attack) and then
to the GM (through words, notes, or a sit-down). He informs the
both roll initiative if combat is to begin. To Surprise a character,
GM when he plans on striking. Based on this information, the GM
simply declare that you intend to sneak up on him or her. The
can assign ad hoc modifiers to either the attacker or defender. The
target then makes a detect roll against your Stealth Rating. If he
player attempting the hit makes an Assassination roll (d10 equal
fails, you succeed and get surprise. If he succeeds, both roll initia-
to Assassination score) against his opponent’s Wit score. If the at-
tive if combat is to begin.
tacker scores a higher roll than the defender’s Wits, he wins. The
defender dies quickly and quietly. That’s that. If the attacker fails,
then a normal Combat round begins. Capping the Numbers
To maintain game balance, numbers and dice are capped. You may
Assassination attempts often result in retaliation, but only if the never roll more than six dice. Proficiency levels allow your skill rolls
attacker’s identity becomes known. Characters attempting the as- to go as high as three dice, and situational modifiers can add up to
sassination need to make an additional Assassination roll (TN 6 three more. Defense ratings and static Target Numbers never go
+1 for every rank of the victim above Associate, to a max of 10). If higher than 10. Penalties cap out at -3. Rules are rules, capiche?
they fail this second roll, the family of the victim knows the assas-
sin’s identity. This indicates that the Assassin left some clue or trail
behind that can eventually lead people back to him.
Turn Order, Movement & Timing
You want to perform an action? You gotta wait your turn. Like
Characters who assassinate members of their own family that are most other role playing games, Crime Network divides Combat
beneath their rank, do not risk retaliation. Characters that attack into rounds. A round is approximately 5 seconds of time, during
members of their own family without consent from the higher ups which each character is allowed to act. Each round you get an
must make a Respectability check with a +2 penalty on the TN. attack action and a movement action, in a turn order set by your
If they fail, the Bosses target them for a hit. Even with consent, Speed skill roll.
characters that assassinate members of their own family who are

Attacking Objects
Target Number Evade Hardiness/Max Wound Weight
1 Can’t Miss Fragile 20 lbs
2 Large Stationary Thin Wood 40 lbs
3 Medium Stationary Thin Stone 60 lbs
4 Small Stationary Thin Metal 80 lbs
5 Large Moving Thick Wood 100 lbs
6 Medium Moving Thick Stone 120 lbs
7 Small Moving Thick Metal 140 lbs
8 Large Fast-moving Reinforced Wood 160 lbs
9 Medium Fast-moving Reinforced Stone 180 lbs
10 Small Fast-moving Reinforced Metal 200 lbs

Combat and Non-Combat Rules  49 

Turn Order in a chase situation, make an opposed Speed skill roll to see who
Action order is determined by a Speed skill roll. Everyone makes completes their movement first.
a Speed skill roll to determine the order they act during the scene
In most circumstances, one square on the battle mat equals 5 feet.
(GMs can make collective rolls for groups of NPCs to make things
For large scale combat, one square equals 100 feet.
easier). Retain the single highest die roll total on the Speed skill
roll, and add one for each natural 10 rolled. This number sets the Miniatures and Map Scale
order each round, and this order does not change during the scene.
Use a standard battle mat to determine movement and range during
Each action round, characters and non-player characters act in the
combat. Battle mats are available at most hobby or comic stores.
order determined by Speed skill result. Anyone that rolled a 10,
Use miniatures on the battle mat to represent characters. Miniatures
for example, acts first, followed by the next highest result. You
are also available at most hobby and comic stores.
don’t always have to act on your turn (See Setting Sights below
for details). There are two map scales in Crime Network: standard and large.
Standard scale is used most often and is ideal for combat situations
In the event of a tie, compare Speed skill proficiency ratings. The
where small scale tactics are important, and long range weapons
highest number wins. If there is still a tie, player characters act
are not being used. In standard scale, one square on the battle mat
before non-player characters. If both are player characters, let the
represents five feet. Characters each occupy one five foot square.
players choose who goes first, or the Game Master can decide.
Large scale is used less often, but important for adventures that
Number of Actions involve large shoot outs or the use of long range weapons such as
Each round you can make one attack action and one movement sniper rifles. In large scale, one square represents 100 feet. Char-
action. All actions are either skill actions or movement actions. You acters are handled as units in large scale; that is, one miniature
can use as many Defense skills as you need in a single round. The represents everyone on the same team within a 100 foot square.
skill actions and movement actions may be performed in any order. Large scale also uses a different time scale for rounds. Each round
Skill actions can be traded in for a second movement action or a +1 in a large scale scenario represents 10 seconds, and characters can
bonus on your Defenses. Alternately, you can trade in your move- only make a skill or movement action, not both. Because it is
ment action for a 1d10 bonus to your attack. See the options below: more abstract than standard scale, large scale should be limited to
scenarios that require a lot of space.
Options:
1. Skill Action and Movement Action Combat Tactics
2. Two Movement Actions Good gangsters understand tactics, and in the game of Crime Net-
work, tactics are key to survival. It may look cinematic to burst in
3. One Movement Action, no Skill Action, add +1 to
with both barrels blazing, but that gets you killed. You gotta fight
Defenses
smart, or you won’t last. Use the following tactics and rules to get
4. No movement Action or Skill Action, add +2 to Defenses an edge over the competition.
5. No movement Action, add +1d10 to your attack skill action.
Facing
Movement What an ugly face you got- better point it in the right direction.
In Crime Network, you can move 20 feet plus an additional 10 You want to get shot in the back or something? Always try to face
feet for each proficiency level in your Speed skill. If swimming or the enemy, and hope your enemy isn’t facing you. You must declare
climbing, move 10 feet plus an additional 5 feet for each proficiency which direction you are facing at the end of your move: north,
level in Swimming or Athletics, respectively. This is the basis for south, east or west. Characters suffer the following penalties when
all movement during action rounds. In most circumstances, no they are attacked from a direction they are not facing:
skill roll is required to determine your movement. When you’re

50  Crime Network   

 Attacked from behind: -2 to Evade, Parry, and Hardiness Targeted Shots
Defense. Sometimes you just want to wing a guy, and other times you want
to get him through heart. This is called a targeted shot, and it you
Attacked from side: -1 to Evade, Parry, and Hardiness De-
can use it to hit vital or non vital areas of the body. Any weapon can
fense.
be used to make a targeted shot, except for explosives and firearms
Facing is very important in Crime Network. Be aware of your using the Burst or Auto rate of fire option. A targeted shot uses
character’s facing during combat to minimize the chance of taking up all your actions for the round (in the following round, on your
a wound. Use your opponent’s facing to gain advantage in combat. next attack, you make your targeted shot) with a -1d10 penalty to
Everybody forgets this rule, so don’t worry if you do, but if you your attack roll. If you choose to target a vital area (such as the head
know how to use it, it can help you survive. or heart) and succeed, you receive a +1d10 bonus to your damage
roll. If you choose to target a non vital area (such as a hand or leg),
Restrain you do non lethal damage regardless of the weapon you are using.
Take those meat paws of yours and use them to disarm or slow However, if you target a non vital area and roll any natural 10s on
down your opponent. First, make a Hand-to-Hand skill roll. If your damage roll, those wounds are lethal. This can also be used
you succeed, you forgo damage, but restrain your opponent. Re- to bypass body armor.
strained characters cannot move, but they can attack, though they
get a -1d10 penalty for anything except Small Arms, Unarmed Suppressive Fire
and Knives. To maintain the restraint, you must make a successful Suppressive fire requires the burst rate of fire option. You can lay
Hand-to-Hand skill roll each round. If on your Hand-to-Hand down suppressive fire on a four square line or 2x2 block of squares
roll at least one natural 10 is rolled, you can do one of the fol- to protect your allies. If firing full-auto, you can lay down suppres-
lowing: disarm, wound, or pin your opponent. While restraining, sive fire on an eight square line or 2x4 block of squares. All non-
your movement is reduced to five feet. If you move five feet while sniper firearms can lay down suppressive fire out to their medium
restraining someone, they move with you and remain adjacent. range. Only sniper rifles can lay suppressive fire out to long range.

Restrained: Reduce movement to five feet, but can attack. A To lay down suppressive fire takes up all your actions for the round
-1d10 penalty with anything other than Small Arms, Hand- and lasts until the beginning of your next turn. Any enemies inside
to-Hand weapons and unarmed attacks is incurred. your suppressive fire suffer a -1d penalty to their Combat skill rolls.
Multiple player characters can lay suppressive fire to the same area.
Pinned: Cannot move or attack. The effect stacks. Multiple player characters can lay suppressive fire
to the same area, up to a maximum of -3d.
Wounded: Sustains one wound.
Shooting at Multiple Opponents
Disarmed: No longer holding weapon. Position of weapon
You can spray multiple opponents with gunfire using the Auto rate
transfers to the restrainer, but takes one round to ready.
of fire option. This allows you to target as many opponents was
Setting Sights you like within a four square line or 2x2 block of squares (like the
Burst Suppressive Fire rule). Each opponent you target bestows a
A good hit man knows how to take aim. You can forgo your normal
cumulative -1d10 penalty to your attack roll and a separate attack
attack to set sights on an anticipated target. To do so, you sacri-
and damage roll is made for each target (the damage roll is not
fice attacking on your turn, and only take one movement action.
penalized). Shotguns firing shot (not slugs) may also be used to
Then, announce the direction your character is facing. This allows
target multiple opponents in this way.
you to interrupt, with an attack, any opponent that enters your
character’s sight.
Falling
Falling from tall buildings or cliffs can be deadly. When a character
falls, make a Damage roll against his or her Hardiness, based on

Combat and Non-Combat Rules  51 

the size of the descent. For every 10 feet fallen, the damage roll
increases by 1d10. So a fall of 10 feet is a d10 damage roll, a fall of Condition Modifiers
30 feet is a 3d10 damage roll. To explain another way, the falling Condition Bonus/Penalty
Damage roll is 1d10 per 10 feet fallen. Good +1d10/+1
Ideal +2d10/+2
E n v i ro n m e n t a l M o d ifi e r s and Perfect +3d10/+3
Hazards Bad -1d10/-1
Illumination Awful -2d10/-2
Lighting is everything. If you can’t see, you can’t hit your target.
Miserable -3d10/-3
Illumination affects the Parry skill, Evade skill, Combat skills, Physi-
cal skills, Specialist skills, Vehicle skills and the Detect skill. Special
equipment, such as night vision goggles, can nullify illumination Medium Cover: Medium objects such as couches and small
penalties. cars provide medium cover. . Characters with medium cover
receive a +2 Evade bonus.
Dim: It is dim when only 3/4 of the environment is illumi-
nated. Situations where there are lots of shadows, despite the Full Cover: Objects that cover 3/4 of a character’s body
presence of light sources, are examples of dim illumination. provide full cover. Standing behind a corner, or crouching
In dim environments, characters suffer -1d/-1 to affected behind a barrier are examples of full cover. Characters with
skills and Defenses. full cover receive a +3 Evade bonus.

Dark: It is dark when only 1/4 of the environment is illumi- Prone Position: One can simulate cover by crouching on the
nated. Walking in the woods by moonlight, or in a building ground in a prone position to reduce one’s profile. This effect
with emergency lighting are examples of dark illumination. can be combined with regular types of cover, to the normal
In dark environments, characters suffer -2d/-2 to affected cap. Prone Position bestows a +1 bonus to your Evade rating,
skills and Defenses. and a -1 penalty to your Parry rating. It takes one Movement
Action to get up from prone.
Lights-Out: This is total darkness, with no light source. In
lights-out environments, characters suffer -3d/-3 to affected Condition Modifiers
skills and Defenses. When circumstances arise that are not covered by the environment
modifiers and hazards listed, the GM assigns ad hoc modifiers.
Cover Sometimes it is just harder to take aim, or get into position. Some
Taking cover isn’t for cowards; it’s for people with brains. To sur- circumstances allow for a bonus or a penalty, given the discretion
vive, you need to make use of cover. Cover improves your Evade of the GM. They can assign a -3d/-3 to +3d/-3 modifier (keeping
and Stealth Defense temporarily. There are three degrees of cover: in mind capping rules) to unusual situations or circumstances in
slight, medium and full. It is important to remember the capping combat.
the numbers rule (above) when calculating cover, or when cover
bonuses stack with bonuses from other sources. No matter what, Terrain
your character can never get more than +3 to each of his or her Some terrain features impede movement. When passing through a
Defenses. square occupied by obstructive terrain, deduct the movement pen-
alty from your total movement. Each movement action is subject
Slight Cover: Small objects such as desks, tables, and chairs to the following penalties:
provide slight cover. Characters with slight cover receive a
+1 Evade bonus. Clear: No Modifier

Light Impediment: -5 to Movement.

52  Crime Network   

 Medium Impediment:-10 to Movement skill roll did not achieve what your intended. For example, if your
character tries to use Athletics to jump over a fence, and you fail
Heavy Impediment:-15 to Movement your Athletics skill roll, your character doesn’t make it over.
Impassable: Cannot move through
Normal success means your Non-Combat skill roll met or exceeded
the Target Number or your target’s relevant Defense rating, but
Adjudicating Non-Combat Skills you did not roll any 10s. It also means your Non-Combat skill roll
So, you think talking is for chumps with no backbone? You think achieved much of what you intended. How much will vary depend-
real men use violence at the first opportunity? You’re wrong Com- ing on the skill and what your intentions were. As a rule of thumb,
pare, a good gangster avoids combat because it’s messy and ex- a normal success achieves most of your intentions. For example, if
pensive. Always look for non-violent solutions. Non-combat is your character tries to use Bully against a rat to obtain information
important in Crime Network. Sometimes characters are better off about an impending hit, and you get a normal success on your
avoiding combat altogether to achieve their mission objectives. roll, you get most of the information you wanted. Maybe the rat
Given the lethality of the combat system, it is usually more effective tells your character where the attack will take place, but not when.
to resolve conflict with Non-Combat skills.
Total Success means you rolled a 10 on your Non-Combat skill roll.
Non-Combat skill rolls function like Combat skill rolls, except most It also means you achieve everything you intended (within reason).
are rolled against a Target Number set by the GM. A few, such as For example, if your character is negotiating with a ‘big time’ Capo
most of the Mental skills and the Stealth skill, are rolled against and uses Manipulate to convince him to stop an operation, and
your target’s relevant Defenses. you roll a 10 on your Manipulate roll, the Capo may give in (or
receive a penalty to his rolls if he does not).
Before making your Non-Combat skill roll, state what your inten-
tions are. This is very important for gauging the success or failure
Non-Combat Condition Modifiers
of your roll.
Conditions affect your character’s ability to perform Non-Combat
Failure, Normal Success, and Total Success skills. For example, using the Swim skill in perfect conditions (calm
waters, a wetsuit, and flippers) gives you a +3d bonus on your roll.
Gauging success for Non-Combat skills is important. Sometimes
GMs should assign condition modifiers to Non-Combat skill rolls
an entire adventure hinges on a single Non-Combat skill roll. There
using the Condition Modifier Chart:
are three possible outcomes with any Non-Combat skill roll: failure,
normal success and total success.
Vehicles
Failure means you rolled below your Target Number or below your Car chases, emergency helicopter rescues, and shootouts on boats
target’s relevant Defense rating. It also means your Non-Combat add excitement to any game. Crime Network takes a very simple
approach to vehicles: each vehicle has a maneuverability rating,
handling speed, top speed, Hardiness and max wounds.
Approximate Speed of Crash
Low Speed Crash- Make a 1d10 damage roll and apply it to Any time you try to perform a risky maneuver or perform a normal
both the vehicle and the passenger(s). maneuver at handling speed (applies only to land vehicles), make a
Vehicle skill roll using the vehicle’s maneuverability rating for the
Medium Speed Crash- Make a 3d10 damage roll and apply Target Number. Maneuvers include turning, stopping, jumping,
it to both the vehicle and the passenger(s). diving, and landing. Maneuvers become risky maneuvers when
High Speed Crash- Make a 6d10 damage roll and apply it conditions are dangerous, or when there is a high probability of
to both the vehicle and the passenger(s). crashing (i.e. a motorcycle turning sharply between cars that are
close to one another). On a failed roll, you crash the vehicle (see
Air Crash- Roll 6d10 twice and apply it to both the vehicle crash chart below). Using Vehicles in normal conditions does not
and the passenger(s) require Vehicle skill rolls. Using Vehicles to get from point A to

Combat and Non-Combat Rules  53 

point B without pushing the vehicle to the edge of its performance When rolling to see how far away from the target the grenade lands,
does not require Vehicle skill rolls. roll another d10 and multiply your result by 10, and that is the
number of feet away from the target the grenade lands.
To determine how much damage the vehicle and its passengers
sustain in a crash, use the Approximate Speed of Crash Sidebar.

When Grenades Miss

When you throw a grenade and miss, you better take cover, because
it still has to hit something. To determine where missed grenades
10 1-2 3
land, roll 2d10, using the first roll to determine where it landed in
relation to the intended target, and the second roll to determine
how far it landed from the intended target.

When rolling to see where the grenade lands, your result is keyed
9 4
one of eight compass points. Imagine that your intended target sits
in the center of a compass, and the squares around him or her form
the cardinal directions (Use the chart below). Direction: North
1-2, North East 3, East 4, South East 5, South 6-7, South West
8, West 9, North West10.
8 6-7 5

54  Crime Network   

 Chapter Four:
The Way of the Gangster

You see, us wise guys got rules too. It’s called The Omerta. You don’t ever want to violate the Omerta, or you’ll end up in a pair of cement
shoes at the bottom of the ocean. Always listen to your Boss, earn your share, never look at anyone’s girl, and keep your hands out of other
guys’ operations. I knew this guy once. His name was Mikey, and he liked to talk. He talked a little too much one day; ended up getting’
whacked. Don’t be stupid like Mikey. Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.
–Lundo Lipioni, De Luca Family Soldier

The American Mafia and its History

The American Mafia is really a fusion of multiple Italian crime traditions, imported and adapted to America, then re-interpreted and
emulated by second and third generation Italian criminals, and shaped by an interaction between Italian-American gangsters and their
counterparts in Italy. The history of the American Mafia is a cloudy one, not easily distilled into a single narrative. Because it was a
criminal enterprise, its activities were mostly done in secret; as such, the records available to historians are an inconsistent variety of
police reports, dubious autobiographies, crime reports in the papers, and transcripts from trials. When the Mafia did leave a historical
footprint, it was the product of error or, in some cases, self-aggrandizement.

Appropriately enough, the first agreed-upon historical evidence of mob activity in the US was a murder. In 1890, New Orleans Police
Superintendent David Hennessy was found shot outside his home days before he was slated to discuss (and, by his own admission, testify
against) members of prominent Italian-American gangs in a public hearing.

The response to Hennessy’s death was immediate and extreme – with no prime suspect in the killing, literally hundreds of Italian-Amer-
icans were arrested (many on baseless charges). The immense list of perpetrators was winnowed down to just 19 over time – however,
within just a few weeks, all 19 suspects were acquitted of any charges. Rumors of bribery and intimidation in the courts infuriated the
citizens of New Orleans, and, in the largest mass lynching in American history, eleven of the defendants were hanged or shot, with the
remainder escaping.

Public outcry over Hennessy’s fate and the subsequent furor over the ethnic gangs alleged to be responsible painted an easy picture of
the U.S. Mafia as an Italian-born organization, but far more so than ethnicity, it was Sicilian traditions and symbolism that led to the
later homogenization of the mob. The most prominent of these traditions, the “Black Hand,” a blunt, but effective extortion technique,
was imported to New York in the late 1800s from Sicily, where it quickly gained traction with poor immigrants as a means of rising in
station. To carry out their aims, participants would send a letter to a victim threatening them with murder, kidnapping, or assault if they
did not deliver money to a predefined location. The iconic letters, regularly signed with a handprint in black ink, were quickly alleged

  
in newsprint as evidence of a unified criminal organization, though
criminal prosecution at the time suggests that anonymous extortion
was far more widespread (and less organized).

The true organizational footprints of the modern mob are more

likely to have their roots in Prohibition-era racketeering – a thin
business veneer placed over the blunt instrument of Black Hand
tactics, and driven by charismatic would-be warlords. America’s
most famous criminal, Al “Scarface” Capone, was among those
who first took “organized crime” to its logical extremes in the States,
thanks to syndication, politicization, and commercialization.

Capone’s approach to crime was timely, stemming from the popu-

larity of liquor bootlegging (and other prohibited activities, like
prostitution and gambling) during a decade of prosperity in which
personal enjoyment and recreation were embraced more whole-
they were able to build relationships with local families, ultimately
heartedly than they’d been in the past. But the constraints of Pro-
bridging the gap between several of the states’ established criminal
hibition weren’t solely to blame for Capone’s unprecedented success
groups. However, the most critical contributions to the structure of
– the kingpin also tendered bribes to Chicago politicians and even
the modern Mafia came from New York, and were born, unsurpris-
helped rig elections in Cicero in order to plant sympathetic candi-
ingly, from infighting.
dates in office. As Capone expanded his empire, he found himself
increasingly involved with other criminal magnates – divvying up In the late 1920s, Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, a pair
territory and sharing rackets with (or eliminating) competition of extremely prominent New York mob Bosses, vied for the title
became common, then constant. “Il Capo di tutti capi” (Boss of all Bosses) in order to assume un-
contested control over the state’s criminal activities. The title did
Capone’s accomplishments bred jealousy in the underworld and
not seem to stem from any known Italian criminal convention,
as the 20s marched on, he turned to high-profile assassination of
but that did little to curtail the two crime lords’ desires for greater
his syndicate’s enemies in order to maintain tight control of his
control over the Mafia.
most lucrative operations. Dean O’Banion, an Irish-American
mobster and one of Capone’s most prominent rivals, was killed in The conflict between Masseria (a Sicilian expatriate who’d lived in
his flower shop, sparking a five year gang war between Capone’s the US for decades) and Maranzano (a recent emigrant who had
Italian-American “South Side” gang and the “North Side” Irish- been directed by his Boss in Castellammare del Golfo to consoli-
American gangsters. Their conflict culminated in the infamous Saint date the American Mafia under Sicilian control) was driven by a
Valentine’s Day Massacre of seven North Side affiliates. Though far more sensational force than the egos and ambitions of a pair
Capone was never brought to trial for his part in the killings, the of mobsters. It was, in many ways, a generational battle between
flagrancy of the whole affair led to increased public attention on conflicting interests - Masseria’s faction desired increased diversity
organized crime, increased police surveillance, and, ultimately, Ca- and cooperation with non-Italians, while Maranzano’s faction was
pone’s arrest on tax evasion charges. The lesson of Capone’s ”rule” more conservative.
became a cornerstone of modern Mafia activities: whenever possible,
work within “the system.” Charles “Lucky” Luciano, one of Maranzano’s lieutenants, was able
to end the two year battle (referred to at the time as the “Castel-
Aside from Capone in Chicago, mobsters elsewhere in the States lammarese War” due to Maranzano’s hometown) by assassinating
laid fair groundwork for the modern mob - the Patriarca gang of Masseria, an act that ushered in a new age of the mob. Together
Boston demonstrated unique mobility for a Mafia family, relocating with Lucky, Maranzano declared that the New York Mafia would be
completely from Massachusetts to Providence, Rhode Island, where

56  Crime Network   

organized into five families, and the heads of those families would one-dimensional. The new-world ambitions that drove groups of
form a group he called the Commission. petty extortionists and impoverished immigrants to seek to better
their lot through extortion, combined with an old-world reverence
Resentment and jealousy over earlier conflicts, promises of money for tradition and a pervasive code of behavior, created a unique
and doubt over the equal distribution of wealth among the newly brand of criminal that continues to capture attention, fear, respect,
christened “Five Families” led Lucky Luciano to have Marazano disgust and condemnation – all with good reason.
killed less than a year after the end of the war, but not before the
two had solidified the tenets of the Commission. Mafia Structure
The rules of the Commission, though simple, were immensely ef- See ranks in the Character Creation section for details.
fective— a combination of modern American pragmatism, ruth-
less efficiency, respect for Sicilian history and lessons learned from The Commission
decades of Mafia infighting. Luciano stipulated that disputes among The Commission is a board of seven or more important Mafia
families could be brought before the Commission for resolution and family Bosses created by Lucky Luciano in 1931 (though Salvatore
recompense, and he leveraged the Commission’s reach to establish Maranzo really got the ball rolling on this one—before Lucky had
family territories and rackets with less overlap (and, thus, fewer him whacked). They adjudicate intra-family disputes, and rule
bloody shootouts). To help ensure the security and solidarity of by consensus. This helps limit gang wars, and ensures all sides are
the mob, Luciano also required that the Commission approve the treated fairly. There is no official leader of the commission, but
membership of any new ‘Soldiers’, and stressed the code of Omerta men with a great deal of clout sometimes have more influence and
(‘silence’), declaring that random killings were to be abolished and become the unofficial Boss of Bosses (capo di tutti capi).
sharing information with the police was punishable by death. In so
doing, Luciano shaped the American Mafia into its present form. Sources of Income & Crimes
In Crime Network there is an important distinction between ongo-
Luciano’s brainchild evolved fairly little through the middle of the
ing rackets and operations. Being involved in a single operation is a
20th century. Simple shifts with the times– expanding from num-
great way to make a big burst of cash at high risk. But an ongoing
bers running and loan sharking into narcotics and pornography,
racket provides a more moderate, steady, stream of income, with
for example– did fairly little to change or fragment the established
minimal risk. Only characters with ranked Capo or higher can
structure. What did catapult the mob into its current era of change
manage an ongoing racket.
was a weapon far deadlier than a Tommy gun: publicity.
In an operation, the character must physically be present during the
Despite the importance the mob had placed on the code of Omerta event. He oversees and participates in the crime. He also needs to
for three decades, the testimony of mob Soldier Joe Valachi before give his crew a fair cut of profit, keep some for himself, and make
the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Operations revealed sure there is enough to pass to the higher ups. Use the chart below
several crucial details of its history and membership (including in- to determine the TN of the Crime roll. The score column indicates
duction ceremonies and the names of several low-ranking Soldiers). the size of the payoff, and that determines the TN. So, to rob a bank
1951’s Kefauver hearings led FBI director J. Edgar Hoover to pub- with a payoff of 8,000 requires a TN 6. Remember, the character
licly acknowledge the existence of the Mafia, and police attention leading the group makes the Crime roll, and in an operation, it
(and the resultant legislation) only intensified from that point. The doesn’t replace role playing. The Crime roll is to determine how well
one-two punch of the Witness Protection Program and RICO act the crime is planned and if any evidence is left behind (see Crime
in the 1970s encouraged defection and promised far harsher penal- Skills in the Skills section and Police Departments and Investiga-
ties for crimes committed as part of a criminal group, leading the tions in the GM section for more details). The person leading the
mob out of the ‘Golden Age’ of organized crime and into decline. crew and doing most of the planning should make the Crime Roll.
Today’s Mafia is many things – diverse, self-interested, clandestine, In a racket, the character need not be physically present for the
corrupt, fractured, and simultaneously invested in criminal and crime. He has a crew of Associates, led by a Soldier, who handles
legitimate enterprises. What it is never, however, is homogenous or

The Way of the Gangster  57 

 Rackets and Operations
Difficulty Number for Score for Score for
Crime Committed Operation Racket
2 $ 500 $50
3 $ 1,000 $100
4 $2,000 $200
5 $4,000 $400
6 $8,000 $800
7 $16,000 $1,600
8 $32,000 $3,200
9 $64,000 $6,400
10 $128,000 $12,800

the details. Because he is doing the planning and organizing, he In Crime Network, characters can be targeted for a hit for any
must make a Crime roll each month to see if any of his Associates number of reasons. Violating the Omerta will certainly warrant a
get caught. If he fails the roll, the racket earns no income that entire Respectability check, which might result in being whacked. Game
month, and a number of his men, equal to the degree of failure, Masters should keep careful track of who their players cross or
get arrested. To start a racket, the character must invest an amount anger. This is meant to be a fluid part of the game. Don’t simply
equal to the ongoing racket “score” multiplied by ten—or equal let the dice determine what happens. Build a story and create an
to the “score” for the equivalent operation. Each week he pulls in interesting narrative surrounding one player’s attempt to survive
10% of that amount (see chart below). So, for a TN 4 Crime, you while there is a contract out for him. Use this part of the game to
must invest 2,000 dollars, and you bring in 200 dollars each week. create an air of suspicion and fear. If players are on their toes, it
If you fail your Crime roll for that month, you make nothing, and helps maintain the tone of the genre.
your underlings get arrested. The purpose of Rackets is to allow
high ranking player characters to devise money making ventures. One important thing to consider: the Mafia likes to play the odds.
The GM can assign modifiers based on the quality of the associates They don’t like botched hits. Usually the person making the hit is
and soldiers carrying out the crime, and the amount of funding someone very close to the target: a good friend, an in-law, or even
the Capo provides them. a brother. Loyalty to the family demands that wise guys set their
personal feelings aside and take out whoever the Boss asks them to
The Vig take out. For this reason, Game Masters are encouraged to throw
The Vig refers to the interest on loan sharking debts (in most cases hits at players from unexpected directions. This can come in the
due on a weekly basis). Also refers to the a bookie’s cut in gam- form of a fellow crew member, a close contact, or even another
bling (typically 10-20 percent). Failure to pay the Vig gets people player. After all, this isn’t a game of Candy Land.
whacked. The truth is, someone always owes you money and you
always owe someone else. Going to Jail or Prison
Going to jail is something that every mob member has to face at
Respectability Checks and Getting one point or another. Some people view going to jail as a failure or
Whacked as a punishment, but for many members of the family looking to
Mobsters live under the constant threat of getting rubbed out. That’s move up in rank, this may indeed be the place for them. With so
just the way it is. Part of being in the Mafia is accepting that you many high ranking crime figures serving time throughout the state
have to kill, and could be killed yourself. for tax evasion and other crimes, prison is often the place where

58  Crime Network   

tough guys can really make their mark and impress the high ups.
The GM section contains information on Police Investigations and
Becoming a Made Man
All player characters start the game as an Associate, which means
Trials. The basic mechanic for avoiding a jail or prison sentence is
they are not full members of the Mafia yet. In order to be accepted
a Respectability check.
by the family, a character must become a made man. And getting
Jail these days is not as glamorous as it was in the hay-day of the made is not an easy thing.
mob during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, but as with any enterprise, there
First of all, only full blooded Italians can normally be made men.
are always benefits, which in this case include bribing guards and
If a character is not 100% Italian, he will usually be an Associate
other prison officials to secure better cells, special privileges, and
forever. In some families, there is simply no way around this rule.
in some cases…early release. The mob can offer many things to a
In other families, family background is not as important as the skills
man behind bars. So long as they don’t ever discuss family business
people bring to the table.
with police or law enforcement officials, they will be taken care of
(as well as their families) while they serve their time. Second, in order to become a made man, a character must kill for
the family— a baptism in blood, making your bones. There are
Although the mob offers many benefits for a man behind bars, occasional exceptions to this rule, but they are rare.
there is still a duty to perform. Many men find themselves locked
Third, once the family decides to accept a character and make him
up in isolation for weeks at a time because of these duties. For the
a made man, he has to take the oath of silence (the Omerta), and
man that can perform faithfully for the leaders in jail, they are sure
swear loyalty to the family.
to be remembered on the outside. After all, every Boss needs their
Soldiers, perhaps in prison most of all. A man has to be careful while Fourth, once someone is made, there is no going back.
incarcerated, despite the many protections offered by the mob. Made men are protected by the family. Once a guy is made, any
When a job is assigned to a Soldier, he must accept. On the outside, attempt on his life must first be cleared with the Boss. Sometimes
a man can refuse a job on rare occasions, but in jail there is no such it requires the okay of multiple Bosses from different families.
leniency because the Bosses don’t have access to the same number
of Soldiers they do on the street and they need every member to The Omerta Code
perform to their fullest. A man who refuses the duty they have The Omerta is the code of silence that permeates mobster culture
been charged with will not last long. While the family is quick to and encompasses their concept of manliness. It also includes a loose
reward loyalty, they are just as quick to punish disloyalty. Prison is collection of requirements that every gangster is expected to abide
first and foremost about respect, and the family is skilled at making by. Made men must dress sharp, be clean shaven, keep their family
examples out of rebellious members, in order to garner respect and life in order, and keep their mouths shut. Anyone who is known
make sure their position is never compromised. Jail these days is a to openly violate the Omerta will be whacked.
proving ground, an opportunity, and for those who can rise to the
challenge, it may be a shortcut to long-term success and for those Contractors
who can’t, it is simply a shortcut to their final resting place. Sometimes you just don’t have the talent, despite having the re-
sources. It may be you aren’t skilled enough to plan a bank rob-
One final note about going to jail: guys that are staring down a long
bery, or you don’t have the guts to kill your Boss yourself. In these
prison sentence are often just whacked by the Bosses. They know
circumstances, consider hiring a contractor— a mercenary for hire.
that the feds will try to cut a deal with anyone involved in organized
Contractors are hired for their skill set and Connections. Use the
crime. Usually this means a shorter sentence (or no sentence) in
exchange for taking the stand against high ranking mobsters. If list below to determine the cost of a Contractor:
the Bosses are worried a character may squeal, he needs to make a +200 dollars for each rank in the desired skill(s)
Respectability check.
+200 dollars for each rank held by the target, or for each TN of the crime.

+200 for each relevant Connection the contractor will need to possess for
the job.

The Way of the Gangster  59 

 Chapter Five:
The Game Master

I am in charge of this town. Here, I am the king. That’s what I’m always telling these guys. They give me respect— forget about it! Every
once in a while, you gotta bust their chops, or they might get out of line. Fear. Fear is a useful tool. Don’t ever forget that.

–Mario “Ralph” Lipioni, De Luca Family Captain

This part of the book is just for the Game Master, and no one else. If you’re a player, please stop reading now.

(Hey, we’re serious, wise guy. Put the book down, and mind your own business.)

In Crime Network, you get to make your crime families and design your own location. The location is the backdrop of your Crime
Network campaign, the city or geographic region where all the action takes place. Within your location will be a number of established
crime families. These two elements, combined with storyline and NPCs, make up your campaign. This section of the book explains
how to have fun making campaign.

Crime Network is about anti-heroes. The characters inhabit a world of vicious criminals, where the villains rise to the top. Conflict
between players is an important element of the game. Game Masters should encourage in-fighting and even combat among player
characters. These are criminals after all, living in a world where life is cheap and fast. Just make sure that conflicts within a group reflect
a broader storyline, try to keep things dramatic, interesting and fun.

Location
Your own backyard: Use your hometown to create a believable and fun location. The Baybridge setting provided in this book is based
on the city of Boston, where the designers live and work. This enabled them to use their local knowledge to create a detailed setting.
When using this approach, you can play the setting straight (as it really exists) or use the real location as a spring board for a fictional city.

This method has many advantages. Since you live your life in the real location, you know the lay of the land. You know what it feels
like to walk through the streets of the city or cities of your location. When your players get on a train and cross town, you probably
know how long it takes and the sights and smells of the experience. You also know the local culture— in fact, you are part of it. Maybe
people on the north side of town are tougher than the people on the south side. And maybe the locals on the east side make their living
as fishermen. This is important information to have if you want to add believability to your location.

There is one big disadvantage to the In-Your-Own-Backyard method of location design: it is so close to home, players may have trouble
taking it seriously. Even if you change the names, the players will catch on. This is especially true if you deal with familiar local personali-

  
ties or locations. For most groups, this isn’t an issue, but some have
trouble when fantasy and reality travel so close together.
NPC Design
Designing NPCs is similar to character creation, except you can
Distant Cities: You can set your location in any region of the choose their primary and secondary skill groups. Skill point distri-
country you want (you can even set it outside of the country—the bution is based on the challenge level the NPC poses to the players:
Godfather Trilogy moves from location to location- New York to
Very Easy: 6 Points in each skill group.
Nevada with frequent stops in Sicily and Rome). This gives you a
chance to take a place that interests you and really explore it. You Easy: 9 Points in each skill group
will want to research key details, such as important political figures,
local culture, landmarks, and history. Challenging: 12 Points in 2 primary skill groups,
and 9 points in every other skill group.
Crime Families Difficult: 15 Points in 3 primary skill groups,
It is easier and more fun to make your own crime families than to
and 9 Points in every other skill group.
use existing ones. This gives you the freedom to make crime Bosses
that fit the needs of your campaign. On the other hand, there is When you need NPCs on the fly, refer to the NPC Chart at the
nothing wrong with using real crime families. In a New York cam- back of the book.
paign, using the five families is a fine idea. Whichever path you
take, follow the system set out in this section. NPC Types
Gangster movies are filled with interesting characters, so don’t hesi-
Every crime family should have a name, region of control, Boss,
tate to borrow them for your campaign. Use the following list of
and two bonus Crime skills (which represent their primary sources
Mafia movie tropes as a starting point for NPC design, or when
of income). Sample crime families are provided in the character
you need a cool character in a flash.
creation section. Use these as models for your own.
The Rat: From Joe Valachi to Henry Hill, rats are found on the
Name: The name can be anything you want, anything that works
big screen and real life. Every rat has his reasons for going against
for you and your players. Traditionally, crime families use the last
the family, but that doesn’t make it right. Even among law-abiding
name of important Bosses, but not necessarily of the current Boss.
citizens, rats are often viewed with contempt. The ultimate survi-
Region of Control: This can be a contiguous part of your location, vors, rats look out for number one. Rats make great supporting
separate areas inside the location, or a type of crime (perhaps your characters in a Crime Network campaign (doubly so, if they’ve
family doesn’t control territory, but controls the drug trade in the earned the player’s trust). Some words of caution: don’t over-use
city). The area of control should also reflect the power of the family. rats. If your players don’t trust anyone, then they won’t be surprised
A strong family should have a large region of control. when Uncle Joey sings to the feds.

Boss: This is the fun part. Make your Boss interesting, larger than The Softy: Sure, he can crack heads when he needs to, or when
life. Everyone loves an entertaining mob Boss. You can make him the Boss orders it, but this big lug has a heart of gold. If he can get
nasty, kind, suave, or any other quality you like: but he should be away with it, he might let enemies get off easy. Some softies even
defined by one or two key traits. You aren’t making a literary figure turn against their Boss when asked to do the unthinkable. Softies
here. You’re making someone for your players to love and loath. are great contrast characters. Paired with a vicious higher up, they
work well.
Bonus Crime Skills: Assign two Crime skills appropriate to the
family’s operations. All characters in this family receive 1 free rank The Flash Madman: Everybody’s favorite mob character. Perhaps
in each skill. For example, a family that makes most of its money most famously associated with Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito in Good-
from gambling and prostitution should receive bonuses in Gam- fellas, the flash madman is calm one moment and vicious the next.
bling and Traffic (women). Often this character reacts to triggers that drive him into a mur-

Game Master  61 

derous craze. Use this character to create tension during otherwise
mundane moments.

The Gentleman: A classic character. The gentleman knows how to

treat people. He is suave and good at easing other peoples’ defenses.

The Reluctant Criminal: Some thugs long for a respectable life, but
they can’t seem to extricate themselves from the criminal lifestyle.
Michael Corleone is the ultimate reluctant criminal. He tries to
turn the family business into a legitimate and legal enterprise, but
is forever blocked by circumstance.

The Mama’s Boy: Most gangsters have a little mama’s boy in them.
A real mama’s boy takes it even further. He adores his mama, and
spends as much time with her as possible. He also follows her
advice. Even if mama knows how he makes a living, the mama’s
The Abusive Husband: This loser doesn’t know when to quit. He’s
boy shields her from the gory details.
married to, or dating the relative of a mobster and thinks nothing
The Little Man: Another classic character, the little man need not of giving her a black eye. Gianni Russo’s portrayal of Carlo Rizzi
literally be small of stature. He may just lack something that others in The Godfather is a well known example of the abusive husband.
possess; something that instills in him a need to overcompensate.
The Charming Crooner: A famous entertainer connected to the
This is what drives the little man. Again, Joe Pesci’s character in
mob, the charming crooner is a common character in Mafia films.
Goodfellas is an excellent example of the little man. In fact, the
He never gets his hands dirty for the Bosses, but he is a valuable
little man who is also a flash madman is a traditional combination.
asset to any crime family. He can make appearances at events, or
The Cruel Boss: Some guys kill because they have to; others do help the family form Connections in the entertainment business.
it because they enjoy it. The cruel Boss falls into the latter camp.
The Methodical Criminal: So skilled some may call him an artist,
He not only likes killing, he likes causing pain, and engineering
the methodical criminal knows how to plan the perfect crime. He’s
clever demises for his enemies. The cruel Boss works great in any
all business, and doesn’t appear to enjoy his work, but he survives
campaign, as a feared ally or nemesis.
because he knows how to bring in the money.
The Fatherly Boss: On the other end of the Boss spectrum is the
The Bully: No one, not even criminals like bullies. The bully doesn’t
fatherly Boss. This classy patriarch guides the family with a nurtur-
just bully on behalf of the family, he bullies within the family. He
ing hand, and treats his men like his own children. But make no
bullies because he can, and he knows others are too afraid to con-
mistake— the fatherly Boss is not to be trifled with. He does not
front him. The bully rarely bullies in an upward direction, instead
hesitate to wield the rod against an unruly child.
he picks on those beneath him. This character works well as an ally
The Greedy Wife: The greedy wife married for money, and expects or an enemy. As an ally, the bully can make an interesting character
her man to bring home the bacon in increasing amounts each day. if given redeeming qualities.
She may even go over her husband’s head when he is denied ad-
The Cool Headed Consigliere: Guided by his intellect, this stoic
vancement or a cut of the loot. Sooner or later, most greedy wives
character doesn’t allow emotion to interfere with reason. He makes
share their husband’s fate.
choices based on what offers the best outcome for the family’s
The Loyal Wife: She may be devout, even saintly, but the loyal wife interests. Sometimes his calculations anger his more hot tempered
will kill to protect her spouse and their children. She’ll lie to police, colleagues, but in the end he usually charts the correct course.
lie to the Boss, and lie to her husband if it will help protect him.

62  Crime Network   

The Scheming Consigliere: Just as smart as the cool headed con- use his position to live the good life. Not one to follow rules, the
sigliere, however the scheming consigliere takes greater risk. He crooked clergyman indulges his desires, and forms Connections
thinks in terms of big payoffs, doing the least work for the most with unsavory characters.
gain. This sometimes creates outcomes that harm individual family
members. The scheming consigliere can be loyal or disloyal to the The Unwanted Relative: Well connected by blood, the unwanted
family; it depends on the individual character. A loyal ‘scheming relative usually lacks the skills needed for his position. He may be
consigliere’ takes chances and puts family members in harm’s way, a cousin, brother, or even a son of a higher up. Whatever the case,
but only for the ultimate good of the family. A disloyal consigliere this relationship secured him a position within the family that he
schemes against the family for his own purposes. probably doesn’t deserve.

The Ambitious Gangster: From Al Pacino’s Scarface, to Andy Setting Mood and Creating Tension
Garcia’s Vincent Mancini, the ambitious gangster is bold. He has In the spirit of mob cinema, Crime Network emphasizes the high
big plans for himself and for his family. He takes calculated risks stakes culture of Mafia life. Players can be targeted for death when
to advance his criminal career. Some ambitious characters make it they violate the Omerta code, or are simply considered too great a
big while others become victims of their own ambition. Ambitious risk for the family. Members of their own crew could be assigned
gangsters work well as enemies or as leaders. the task of taking them out. It is up to the Game Master to use this
aspect of the game to establish a mood of tension, distrust, and fear.
The Aficionado: This character takes a peculiar interest in an object
or topic. He may be a great connoisseur of game meat, or a lover The Game Master has many tools at his disposal. Most importantly,
of exotic felines. Whatever the interest, it stands out and lends the he should pay close attention to player actions, and make mental
aficionado an eccentricity. notes of anything that might be used against them down the road. It
is always more exciting for a player to find himself in trouble weeks
The Manipulative Mama: The manipulative mama does anything
or months after an event. This helps to keep players on their toes.
for her boys. She may act devout, but is really tough. The quintes-
sential manipulative mama is Livia Drusilla from I, Claudius. When it does come time to target a player character for assassina-
tion, first you must decide if the job should go to a member of his
The Cry Baby: The cry baby may be a tough guy, but he cries easily.
crew (most likely another player) or someone else inside the family
He cries when someone gets whacked, he cries when the pasta is
(an NPC). Mob hits are typically done by someone who knows the
too spicy, and he cries when someone holds a gun to his head. The
routine of the target. Someone who can get close enough to make
cry baby is an interesting enemy to send against the players—who
a clean kill. So the ideal candidate will either be a member of the
may find it hard to pull the trigger when he starts to blub.
target’s crew or be a close contact.
The Religious Hit Man: This character need not be an actual
If you decide that another player character should be given the
hit man (but he is in most depictions). Capably of cold blooded
task of ‘whacking’ his own crew member, convey this message in
murder, he also says all his prayers and carries a rosary. He attends
secret. Either have a sit down in another room while the rest of the
mass, gives confession, and respects the bible (even if he fudges the
group is pre-occupied, or use notes. But remember, this is Crime
not killing or stealing parts).
Network. If you are going to pass notes to your players, do it with
The Dimwit: The dimwit is loyal, but not bright. And this trait is class—a white sealed envelope will do—and away from prying
easy for enemies to exploit. It isn’t that he lacks book smarts (though eyes. The trick is to generate an atmosphere of vague paranoia, so
he may), he lacks basic social smarts and is easily manipulated by that the players are always nervous that the person to their right
characters with a stronger will. A common trait possessed by dim- or left might be plotting their doom. Sometimes a blank note is
wits in film is physical strength. enough to unsettle your players, and establish a mood of paranoia.
By the same token, taking a player aside for no reason at all, can
The Crooked Clergyman: A man of God and the world, the help keep them guessing.
crooked clergyman enjoys the perks of both. He knows how to

Game Master  63 

Mafia Themes and Storylines Love: Love is an eternal theme that works well in the Mafia film
genre. Whether it is love of one’s wife, love of a mistress, love of
Crime Network tries to emulate the best in mob cinema: the Mafia
one’s self, or of one’s family, love moves stories forward. It is a
as it is understood in the popular imagination. Game Masters unfa-
deep emotion that anchors characters to one another. It can be
miliar with the genre should watch select films from the list at the
used effectively by a GM to anticipate character actions and prod
end of this section to get accustomed to its themes and storylines.
character development. Prizzi’s Honor, where a husband and wife
Here we address key themes of the Mafia movie genre.
are contracted to kill one another, has fun with this theme.
Corruption: Corruption of institutions and individuals is a major
Food: Every Mafia movie worth it’s salt pays homage to food. Be-
Mafia theme. Dirty cops, corrupt politicians, and fallen heroes are
cause the Mafia is associated with Italian Americans, Italian Ameri-
staples of the genre. In the Godfather Trilogy, we witness the moral
can cuisine gets a lot of attention. Food is the glue that holds
corruption of Michael Corleone, culminating in the murder of his
together other themes like family and friendship. It’s what brings
own brother. The last film charts his final attempts at redemption.
people together. Some of the most famous scenes in Mafia cinema
Ultimately, the corrupting lifestyle taints all his relationships and
are about cooking or eating.
he dies a lonely man.
Friendship: Some people say mobsters have no real friends, but
Family: Movies like the Godfather and shows like the Sopranos
this isn’t really the case. Friends in the mob world are just faced
use the family as a core theme. Both the nuclear flesh and blood
with the possibility of doing the unthinkable to one another. But
family and the extended crime family are at the heart of the genre.
that doesn’t mean friendship doesn’t exist. Cross-family friendships
Gangsters, no matter how ruthless and crazy they may be, still visit
especially can create interesting and complicated storylines.
their mother, take their nephews to the park, and visit sick uncles
in the hospital. In mob cinema, family is important. It is a source Revenge: Revenge is a great theme, whether it is addressed on a
of strength, and also a source of conflict. micro level with a single character, or a macro level with an entire
family. It really plays well off the other established themes. The
Loyalty: Related to the theme of family, loyalty plays an important
sample adventure in this book “Remo Loves Lucy” deals with the
part in many Mafia films. Characters are expected to be loyal to
theme of revenge.
the crime family and their immediate family. Betrayal is an unfor-
giveable crime. In Goodfellas, the protagonist (Henry Hill) turns Italian American Identity: This is the double edged sword of the
against his former Bosses to save his own life. Mafia genre. The Mafia is associated with Italian Americans, even
though only a very small percentage has any ties to organized crime.
It is further complicated by debates within the Italian American
community about the Mafia itself. Most Mafia films deal with Ital-
ian American identity at some level.

Violence: Violence is a canvas in Mafia cinema, and how it is

framed makes a big difference in terms of tone. Is it sudden and
horrifying? Is it laced with melodrama? Is it an ecstatic expression
of artistry and emotion? How you depict violence in your game
determines how players react to it. It should have meaning in any
session of Crime Network.

Fear: Mobsters never know if and when they are going to get
whacked. Donnie Brasco is perhaps the best portrayal of this on
film. In it, the mobsters get jumpy every time they are called to a
meeting because they know it could be a set up, and they know
their best friend could be the guy who pulls the trigger. The idea

64  Crime Network   

 The Story
The story is more than a series of preplanned events; good stories
develop out of the character’s own actions and choices. As the
GM, you provide the characters, events, and conflict to get things
moving; but how the players respond to these things is what pro-
duces the real drama. The key is to allow players the freedom to steer
their own destiny and impact the world, while avoiding periods of
inaction and drift by ensuring a storyline always develops.

Being the Game Master is hard work, but rewarding. Between game
sessions, the GM must prepare material to keep the storyline going.
This preparation includes creating characters, mapping events, craft-
ing key encounters, and guessing which direction the players will
go next. The last point is important. You never really know how
the players will react to your storyline. For example, you may plan
an adventure about a hit-man who tries to take out the player’s
Capo. In your preparation, you expect them to confront the hit-
man, if and when their Capo gets whacked. But to your surprise,
the players decide to flee to Mexico after the hit-man pulls off the
job. You hadn’t considered the possibility, but the players believed
the family Boss would be angry at them for letting the Capo down.
And they are worried the hit-man will come after them. Instead of
pushing them back in the direction you planned (confronting the
hit-man), go with it. Let them go to Mexico. Now they are being
hunted by their own family. Maybe another family contacts them,
and offers protection if they do some jobs. This sort of storyline is
great, because the players had a hand in crafting it.

Letting the characters move the story is useful, but has some draw-
is, you never know when it is coming or from what direction. Use
backs- namely drift. If the players aren’t motivated, or don’t take
false alarms in your game to establish a mood of fear.
initiative, they could spend hours doing nothing. You never want
War: Wars between families are an important theme. The Godfather this to happen. If things start to lag, introduce some conflict. If
movies addressed this very well, particularly the first one. Going they’ve been sitting in a hotel room ordering room service, do
to war is a big deal, because everyone becomes a potential target. something- anything. Perhaps the phone rings, and the person on
And wars happen for all kinds of reasons: turf disputes, personal the other line asks them to meet at a construction site. Maybe their
grievances, etc. Sometimes even just the build up to a war can Capo shows up, and demands his cut of their earnings—maybe
sustain an entire storyline. Family war is a great theme, but it gets they don’t have the money. As a rule of thumb, if the players are
old quick if used too often. A certain amount of restraint is called moving of their own free will in an interesting direction, let them.
for when using it as a theme. But if things get dull, you need to do a little steering to bring back
the excitement. The best storylines usually combine player choices
Use the preceding themes to bring your game sessions together. with conflict designed by the GM.
Even unrelated plots appear more interesting if bound by a common
theme. Alternately a GM may use a firmer hand in guiding player actions,
with a story driven campaign. There is nothing wrong with this ap-
proach either, and to a certain extent, it is unavoidable. Unless you

Game Master  65 

 Trials
Defense Prosecution Modifier
Witness/Jury Intimidation Eye Witness +1d10/+1
Crack Legal Team Star Prosecutor +1d10/+1
Appropriate Connection Defendant with Prior Conviction +2d10/+2
Witness Elimination Good Physical Evidence +2d10/+2

are letting the story evolve entirely out of the player’s own choices, Road Trip: The Boss wants to expand, but doesn’t want to cause
you must prepare some basic plot elements and hooks before-hand. tensions among the local families. He decides to open up casinos
Some of these are entirely outside player control, but the key is to out west (perhaps in Las Vegas or maybe on Indian Reservations),
avoid railroading the players into a predetermined course. and sends the players to oversee the project. There they must con-
tend with local politics, police, and crime lords.
In a story-driven game, events occur around the players and the
GM gently guides them to complete his vision of the story. This The Land Grab: The family has its eye on a piece of real estate to
doesn’t mean the players must do everything the GM expects; in develop into a casino. Several other investors, with Connections to a
fact this will rarely happen. Rather, the GM more clearly lays out rival crime family, are also vying for the property. The players must
the terms of success at the beginning of the adventure, and he either convince the bidders to go away, or convince the landowner
makes it easier for the players when they choose “the right” path, to accept the family’s offer.
and harder when they don’t. Still the GM must continue to consider
the consequences of player choice here. Rival Clan: A rival family has taken over a key piece of territory
and set up business. In order to avoid an all-out war and maintain
Remo Loves Lucy (the sample adventure provided in the Crime the image of the family, the lost territory needs to be reclaimed
Network rule book) is an example of a Story Driven plot. The with minimal loss of blood.
players are given instructions to kill Remo’s pet crocodile, Lucy,
and the adventure assumes this is what they set out to do. But even The Heist: A large shipment of currency is scheduled to land at the
in a linear adventure such as this, the GM needs to adapt if the Airport. The player’s Captain has gone over the Boss’s heads, and
players change course. Suppose they turn on their Capo and cut directed them to hijack the shipment. They will need a solid plan,
a deal with Remo? A good GM won’t say “well that isn’t what the and a foolhardy crew to succeed.
adventure is about, so you can’t do that.” Instead he will honestly
The Mole: Offer one of your players the opportunity to act as a
consider how Remo, and the players’ Bosses, would respond to such
police informant. This will be a high risk role, but he will receive
an offer. Maybe Remo agrees but asks them to prove their loyalty
benefits (money, leniency, Connections etc). The player needs to
by taking out their own Capo.
wear a wire, and record his Boss or Captain saying something in-
Ultimately the GM should blend the character driven and story criminating. Of course, once the family discovers his treachery, the
driven aspects of his campaign. full weight of their vengeance will be upon him.

The Perfect Crime: An Associate of the family approaches the play-

Story Ideas
ers with a perfect plan to rob one of the local banks. He has inside
Use the following list as starting points for adventures. Tailor them
men, and schematics of the building. All he needs is the brawn to
to your own personal style and the preferences of your players.
pull it off. He offers the party half of the take. What the players
Find the Rat: The Police have been busting a lot of the family’s don’t know is that he plans to wipe them out and take their share
operations. Someone from the inside appears to be feeding them once the job is done.
information. The players are asked to find out who it is, and bring
them to ‘justice’.

66  Crime Network   

The Dilemma: The players’ Captain tells them he has a plan to previously uncontested areas. Can the players stop the new weapons
rise through the ranks by taking out the family Boss. He promises flow before things escalate out of control?
the players a generous reward and his undying respect if they go
along. The players must decide if they want to turn on their Boss, The Books: Recently the family consigliere was arrested and his
and reap the financial benefits, or turn on their Captain and take books were taken in as evidence. The books contain incriminating
their chances. information about family activities. The players must figure out a
way to get the book back.
New Sheriff in Town: The sheriff position for the local county
has recently been vacated. The family knows the perfect man to The Hit: This is the players’ big chance to please the Boss. A Cap-
fill the role. He has pledged privately not to put any pressure on tain from a rival family has been causing problems, and needs to
organized crime. His poll numbers have been lagging, and with the be taken care of. If the players can take him out, they are certain
election just a week away, the family needs his opponent out of the to advance in rank.
picture. The players must use what resources and charm they have
Young Turks: A younger generation of gangsters emerges among
to persuade the other candidate to step out of the race.
the families, and they’re tired of the old way of doing business.
Arms Race: A rival family has secured access to high powered They form a secret alliance, and plot to take out all the old Bosses.
weapons at low cost. This has enabled them to get a foothold in They have big plans, and only one of them can come out on top.
Depending on how the players react, they could find themselves
on either side of the conspiracy.

P o l ic e D e p a r t m e n t s and
Investigations
Every city, county, and state has a police department, and every
police department has a Police Investigation rating based on its
resources and talent. This rating is similar to Respectability. It is a
score of 0-6, which indicates the number of dice that department
rolls when investigating a crime. The department gets one roll per
crime, should it take the time to conduct a proper investigation.
If it succeeds, evidence is found leading to the perpetrators and a
case can be built against them. To succeed, the highest single result
of the Police Investigation must meet or exceed the Target Number
set by the perpetrator’s Crime roll.

Trials
Most successful investigations are followed by a trial. Trials take
1d10 months, after which the character must take the stand and
make a Respectability check (TN 6), or go to jail. The Respectability
roll and the TN can be modified by the actions of the character,
the police department, and witnesses. Use the following chart to
adjudicate trials.

Prison
Characters that lost their trial are sentenced according to the severity
of the crime. Roll 1d10 to determine the length of the sentence.
For non-violent crimes, the result indicates the prison sentence in

Game Master  67 

months. For violent offenses, the result indicates the sentence in Reservoir Dogs (film, 1992)
years. For crimes like murder, the result indicates the sentence in
decades. Characters are still in the game even behind bars. But it Running Scared (film, 2006)
is a good idea to have the player run a back up character until the
The Cotton Club (film, 1984)
sentence is complete. Prison breaks and commuted sentences are
also available possibilities. The Departed (film, 2006)

Suggested Viewing and Reading The Funeral (film, 1996)

A Bronx Tale (film, 1993)
The Godfather (film, 1972)
American Mafia: A history of its rise to power, Thomas Reppetto
The Godfather II (film, 1974)
(2004)
The Godfather III (film, 1990)
Analyze This (film, 1999)
The Godfather, Mario Puzo (1969)
Bugsy (film, 1991)
The Last Don, Mario Puzo (1996)
Carlito’s Way (film, 1993)
The Mammoth Book of the Mafia, Nigel Cawthorne (2009)
Casino (film, 1995)
The Professional (Leon) (film, 1994)
Corky Romano (film, 2001)
The Sicilian, Mario Puzo (1984)
Donnie Brasco (film, 1997)
The Sopranos (Television Series, 2000-2007)
Donnie Brasco: My undercover life in the Mafia, Joseph D. Pistone
and Richard Woodley (1999) The Untouchables (film, 1987)

Get Shorty (film, 1995) The Valachi Papers, Peter Maas (1968)

Ghost Dog: The way of the samurai (film, 1999) The Way of the Wiseguy, Joseph D. Pistone (2004)

Goodfellas (film, 1990) True Romance (film, 1993)

Hoffa (film, 1992) Wise Guys (film, 1986)

Mafia! (film, 1998) Wiseguy, Nicholas Pileggi (1986)

Miller’s Crossing (film, 1990)

My Blue Heaven (film, 1990)

Once Upon a Time in America (film, 1984)

Organized Crime: An inside guide to the world’s most successful

industry, Paul Lunde (2004)

Prizzi’s Honor (film, 1985)

68  Crime Network   

 Chapter Six:
Remo Loves Lucy (adventure)

What a beauty! I got this crocodile from a Connection of mine out west. Don’t know how he got it, don’t care. But look at the size of this
thing. It’s pure class. I’d like to see Martino top this. What, you don’t like reptiles? You think their dangerous or something? You’re too
good for a crocodile; they’re beneath you or something? How about I put you in her pen for an hour and see how you feel then. Come on
you little punk, let me show you how we do corporate downsizing around here.

–Remo Baggio, Baggio Family Boss

This sample adventure is suitable for a group of 3-5 characters. It can be tailored to any family or location.

Introduction
The players are summoned to a meeting with Ricky Benedetto, their new Capo. He was brought in to replace Lou Foscella, their previ-
ous Capo who was recently killed by the Baggio family Boss, Remo Baggio (if the players work for the Baggio family, simply replace
with another). The family isn’t just upset that Remo murdered Foscella, but how he murdered him. Remo has a pet crocodile that he
uses from time to time to intimidate his enemies. Last month, after Foscella hit a truck on Baggio turf, Remo fed him to his crocodile,
Lucy. Now the family wants revenge, and Ricky has a plan to make sure it goes smooth. He tells the players to sneak into Remo’s house
and whack the crocodile. If they can, he wants them to bring back the body so they can make some shoes to send as a gift to Remo.
Also, Lou’s wallet contained a key and a pin number to his deposit box. In order for Lou’s wife to access the box, they need to retrieve
his wallet from Lucy’s body.

Background
Remo recently moved to an estate on a small island in the bay. He brought his mother, and his nephew, Johnny, to live with him. He
also set up a massive terrarium for Lucy and Ricardo (Remo’s two pet crocodiles) in the basement. When word reached Remo that a
shipment of his was intercepted by Lou Foscella, he demanded Lou answer for the transgression. His men kidnapped Lou, and Remo
fed him to Lucy. He then sent a thank you note to Lou’s Boss (see handout in Part One).

After the family got the news, the Boss made Ricky the new Capo. Ricky immediately planned an attack on Remo; one that ensured
Remo suffered and died. But the Boss put the breaks on Ricky’s plan. Concerned about a war between the families, the Boss instructed
Ricky to think smaller- to work out a plan that restored honor to Lou and the family without risking an all-out war. Reluctantly, Ricky
developed the idea to whack Remo’s crocodile.

  
The Hook as he leaves, followed by the bodyguards. The Boss arranged to be
present when the players arrived, so they would understand that
The players are out on a small job when they get a call from Ricky
Ricky has his support. When the Boss leaves, Ricky motions for
instructing them to meet at the Close Shave barber shop. This is
the players to follow him into the basement.
their normal meeting place, and at this point the players don’t know
that their Capo, Lou, is dead. The night Ricky summons the players In the basement, Ricky asks everyone to seat themselves around a
to a meeting, Remo is away visiting his girlfriend. table. The room is stocked with barbershop supplies and there is a
refrigerator on the northern wall. He lights up a cigar and blows a
Characters few rings before speaking:
Stat are located in the last pages of this Chapter.
You might know that something happened to Lou. The Boss got this
Remo Baggio: See NPC Section note today, and he wants you all to read it real close.

Lillian Baggio: Lillian Baggio is in her mid 70s, and the center Ricky hands them the following message:
of her world is Remo. She moved to the US from L’Aquila, Italy
To Men of Honor:
with her husband in 1956. They had three children: Remo, Flora,
and Rose. Flora and Rose live in a penthouse in Churchill. Her It is with sincere gratitude that I send you this message of thanks. My
husband was gunned down by one of the Martinos twenty years crocodile has a discriminating palette. Your recent gift of Scarafiuni
ago. Now she enjoys caring for her only son, by cooking his meals Foscella with the meat sauce was much appreciated. If Lucy could talk,
and cleaning his home. In the evening, she relaxes by watching her she’d thank you herself for the delicious cuisine.
television programs with a bowl of popcorn.
Yours,
Johnny Colombo: Johnny is the son of Remo’s sister Rose and
her husband Carlo. He is just eight years old, and adores his uncle Remo
Remo. Presently, he is staying at Winter Island for two weeks to
be with his uncle. When everyone has read the note, Ricky leans back and asks: “What
should we do about this?” He lets them consider the options until
Ricky Benedetto: Ricky is a well respected member of the family. someone says “kill the crocodile.” He then gives his instructions
He started out robbing trucks, but quickly rose through the ranks. (see boxed text below). If no one suggests killing the crocodile, he
As a Soldier in Lou’s crew, Ricky was a good earner. When Ricky complains that “you guys don’t know nothing. Here’s what we’re
opened the Close Shave, Lou turned the basement into his personal going to do…” and then instructs them on what to do:
office space. Countless enemies of the family spent their final mo-
ments in Lou’s office. Rick and Lou were good friends who worked We kill the crocodile, this Lucy of his. Making a move against Remo
well together. When Lou died, the Boss made Ricky the new Capo could start a war; it would be too dangerous. I want you’s guys to go to
of his crew, and ordered him to plan a revenge that would hit Baggio Remo’s new house on Winter Island, break in, and kill the croc. Then
hard, but not cause a war. I want you to bring me the croc’s body so I can make some shoes and
send them to Remo. You got that? [Awaits response]
Part One: The Close Shave Barber
Shop Now, Lou was a good friend of ours. In fact, I thought of him as my
The adventure begins when the players are summoned to a meeting best friend. So it pains me to go into grisly details here. But Lou had
with their new Capo, Ricky Benedetto, at the Close Shave Barber something in his wallet when he died, and we think his wallet may be
Shop. Ricky owns and operates the Close Shave; he also uses it to inside the crocodile’s belly, if you know what I mean. So I need you to
hold meetings and store contraband. The players are told to arrive bring that back if you can’t take the whole thing. But I will be upset if
at five o’clock. When they get there, they see Ricky giving the Boss I can’t make me some shoes.”
a haircut. Three bodyguards keep watch as the players enter. Ricky
finishes as soon as the players walk in; the Boss gets up and nods

70  Crime Network   

The item in the wallet is a key and a pin number to a safe deposit The Sleeping Dog
box. The family wants it so Lou’s wife can have access to funds You walk inside the Sleeping Dog, right into a wave of grumbling chat-
and messages Lou intended for her in the event of his death. Ricky ter. The patrons, fisherman judging from their bright orange overalls,
explains that tonight is ideal to strike because Remo is visiting his look up from their drinks and bite you with their eyes. Suddenly you
mistress in another city. The only people aside from guards at the feel vaguely out of place. As you absorb the army of brawny seamen,
house are Remo’s mother and his little nephew. Ricky makes it clear you realize this is place where men of respect ain’t so respected. Soon
they are not to be harmed in any way. If the players ask the best a group of five fishermen strut in your direction. One of them frowns
way to get to Winter Island, Ricky tells them to acquire a small as he addresses you: “What do you guys want? Take a hike before we
boat and steer it to the island’s beach. They may be able to hire a throw you out of here.
local Captain as well. They will need to go to the docks to secure
transportation. The fishermen are looking for a fight, and they don’t care who the
players are. If the players don’t leave immediately, the leader attacks
Part Two: The Docks them, but doesn’t use any weapons; they are just looking for a fist
Finding transport is the most difficult part of getting to Winter fight, nothing serious. If any of the players pull out a firearm, the
Island. The waves in the harbor are choppy, and the sailing condi- fighting comes to an abrupt end.
tions are less than ideal. Winter Island can be seen from the shores,
If the players frighten the fisherman with firearms or beat them
but it takes a Vehicle-Boat roll (TN 8) to make it across without
in a fist fight, the bartender tips his hat to them, and asks them
capsizing. They may want to hire or convince a Captain to take
what they came in for. His name is Sean O’Malley and he can
them across. They can go to the Sleeping Dog, which is where most
direct them to a Captain if they need it. The best Captain to call
of the fisherman can be found in the evening.
in Sean’s opinion is Captain Bob Hayes, who pilots the Athena (a
small fishing boat). Captain Bob lives down the road on 13 Water
Street. He is probably sleeping, but the players can try to wake him.

Fisherman
Defenses Combat Physical Mental
Hardiness 5 Hand to Hand ••• Endurance • Bully ••
Stealth 3 Medium Arms Athletics • Manipulation
Evade 3 Heavy Arms Swim • Reasoning
Parry 6 Small Arms Muscle • Empathy
Wits 6 Explosives •• Speed • Lying ••
Resolve 6 Sniper Vehicle: Boat ••• Detect ••
Expertise Specialist Knowledge
Mechanics ••• English •••
Electronics •• Sailing •••
Computers Navigation ••
Medicine
Finance
Security

Remo Loves Lucy  71 

72  Crime Network   
Remo Loves Lucy  73 
13 Water Street There is a guard patrolling the pier and the players need to make
The Streets here are uneven, winding and rugged--and Water Street a Detect roll (TN 5) to see him as they approach. From distance,
is no exception. You climb the road at a 60 degree angle, so steep it they can take him out with a sniper rifle. Otherwise, they will have
burns your ankles. Half way up, you reach number 13, a slanted house to sneak up on him. Use the Thug entry in the Stock Character
wedged between two other weather-worn buildings. The shingles are sheet for the guard’s stats, including his Detect skill.
swollen and frayed from the salty fog, but this just gives number 13
The Winter Island house is Remo’s dream home. He built it for his
the look of history.
mother, so she can enjoy her final years in opulence. It also serves
This two story home belongs to Robert (Captain Bob) and Patricia as an effective fortification against attempts on his life. Presently,
Hayes. Both are in their mid-fifties, and they have been married Remo is away visiting one of his girlfriends (Remo prefers not to
to one another for nearly thirty years. The Captain and his wife bring them home out of respect for his mother). Only a handful
go to bed each night at nine o’clock after watching their televi- of guards (5), Lillian Baggio, and Remo’s nephew pose a threat to
sion programs. They both despise uninvited guests, but Patricia the player’s mission. For the most part, the guards remain outside
is especially hostile to disruptions of the nightly routine. Should and in the cabin. But Lillian and the nephew have free reign of the
the players ring the bell once, there will be no answer. A second house. If the players do anything to attract their attention, the GM
ring will prompt Patricia to answer the door and give the players should have them act accordingly.
a stern speech about manners. If they come up with a good story
and roll a successful Lying check (TN 8), Patricia will let them
Complications
speak with her husband. If they offer him over one thousand dol- Use these situations to add a little more flavor to the adventure.
lars, he will take them out on his boat, wherever they want to go. Only use them if you feel things are lagging, or the players need a
If they make a Bully roll (TN 9), they can cow him enough to take nudge in the right direction.
them to the island. If they use force or the threat of force, he will
1. Johnny Colombo, Remo’s nephew, loves dinosaurs. He knows
go wherever they want, but he and his wife will file a police report
Lucy and Ricardo live in the basement and sometimes sneaks
immediately after.
down there to get a look at the reptiles. If the GM desires,
Johnny can go to area 16 before the players arrive and attract
The Pier
the attention of Ricardo. When the players reach the base of
If the players secured Captain Bob’s help, he brings them aboard
the terrarium, they see Johnny is in danger of being eaten.
his fishing vessel, the Athena, and pilots them to the island. The
They will either have to save him, and figure out a way to
Athena is docked at the pier and can cross the choppy water with-
keep him quiet (without putting him in danger), or allow the
out a problem. If they don’t secure Captain Bob’s help, they need
crocodile to eat the boy. If the latter option is chosen, Remo
to steal a boat. It is late enough that stealing a boat isn’t terribly
blames the PCs (if he is able to identify them).
difficult. But they need to make a Security roll (TN 6) to steal any
of the small motor boats at the pier. They will also need to make a 2. Lillian Baggio, Remo’s mother, wakes up in the middle of the
Crime roll to avoid leaving evidence. Once they have a boat, if they night from her place on the couch and investigates noises the
are piloting it themselves, they will need to make a Drive-Boat roll players made while exploring the mansion. She may be old,
(TN 8) or their boat tips into sea, forcing them to swim ashore. but she knows how to use a .22 (which she always keeps in
her night robe). She confronts the players and demands to
Part Three: Remo’s Winter Island know why they are in the house. She then tells them to go
Estate before she shoots. The players need to figure out how to stop
Winter Island crops out of the ocean like the bow of a sinking ship. It her without killing her. If they harm her at all, it will cause
is cut into two parts by a high cliff. From the top of the cliff burn the a war between the families.
lights of Remo’s estate. At the base of the cliff is a beach with a small
3. In the middle of the night, Remo places a call from his girl-
pier and a yacht.
friend’s place to the mansion, and Lillian answers the phone.

74  Crime Network   

 The players can hear one side of the conversation, and it When the players reach the yard, the guard may make another
appears Remo will be coming home early (within the next Detect roll against their Stealth. If he sees them, he immediately
half hour or so). attacks (use the Thug entry in the Stock Character sheet for the
guard; he also has a guard dog). When the players approach the
Beach front, they can make a Detect roll (TN 9). If they succeed, they
Loose sand gives beneath your feet when you step ashore. The sound notice a camera pointed along the path. Characters that make a
of surf and the occasional seagull makes it hard to listen for threats. point of avoiding the camera will not be recorded on the security
A narrow tower of wooden steps crawls up a bluff which separates the footage. Those who don’t will be recorded and marked for death
beach from the rest of the island. by Remo when he returns.

From here, players can make a Detect roll (TN 7) to notice the The house is also protected by a security system and a lock. It re-
guard standing duty at the top of the steps (area 2). If they know quires a Security roll (TN 7) to avoid setting off the alarm system
he is there, they get a +2 situational modifier to their Stealth when and open the lock. If the alarm system is set off, a siren wails as the
they go up the stairs. Either way, the guard can make a Detect roll remaining guards in area 3 rush to confront the players.
against their Stealth as they move toward the house.
Cabin
Yard Smoke billows from the chimney of this rustic-looking cabin. Through
A pebbled walk-way leads to the front door of the Baggio estate. The the windows, you see figures chatting as they smoke cigars and listen
entire yard is lit by flood lights, and the windows of the place are secured to music.
with iron bars.

Remo Loves Lucy  75 

This cabin has a small kitchen, some cots, and a living room with Kitchen
a wood stove. Remo’s bodyguards usually sleep here. Unless the Familiar aromas greet you when you enter the kitchen. You detect the
players set off the alarm earlier, there are three bodyguards here (use sweet smell of grated cheeses and bologna. It looks like Remo invested
Thug entry in the Stock Character sheet). If the players try to sneak in a top of the line professional stove. Its stainless steel surface offers a
up on the cabin, the guards may make a Detect roll, but at a -2d10 cool contrast to the warm scent of the tomato sauce that lingers in the
penalty because they are distracted by music and conversation. room. There is an oak stand that contains dozens of fine wines on the
northern wall.
Baggio Estate
There is nothing of interest here, unless Johnny comes in for a
Entry
midnight snack. The bottles of wine are worth nearly 5,000 dollars.
You walk into a grand entry-way. Two windows yawn against the
If the players can transport them out of the house, they are free
western wall and let the blue light of the moon shimmer on the marble
to take them. If they inspect the pantry, the players find protein
floor. To your left is a coat rack, brimming with furs and leathers, and
powders, dietary supplements, and aged spices.
before you there is an open doorway that leads into another room.
Bar
Living Room
This room is layered with thick red carpet and textured paintings. There
You detect a flickering and murmur of voices as you walk into the living
is bar table at the back of the room, stocked with liquors in crystal
room. An old lady lies snoring, her head leaning over the edge of an L
bottles. Beside the bar is a complete sound system and CD towers filled
shaped couch. She holds a bowl of popcorn in her lap; the odor of burnt
with the classics.
kernels hits your nostrils. The sights and sounds you heard come from
the television set she failed to turn off. A staircase winds up from the This is where Remo comes to unwind. A quick glimpse of the bar
room into the second floor, and there is a door to your right. shows a preference for aged scotches and brandies. There is a .22,
fully loaded, taped behind the bar counter.
Mrs. Baggio is sleeping. Only if the players approach her do they
risk waking her. Still, she needs to make -2d10 Detect roll against Gym
their Stealth. Apparently, Remo likes to work out. This brightly lit place is stuffed with
the latest gym equipment: bench presses, curl machines, treadmills, squat
Dining Room devices, and an entire wall of free weights. Motivational posters adorn
Silver cutlery and a crisp table cloth adorn the vast dining table that the walls, instructing the reader to “stick with it”, and “feel the burn”.
dominates the room. The northern and southern walls are made entirely
of glass, affording a vista of the white surf and rocks below. There is a Remo is a zealous weight lifter. His small stature indicates otherwise,
door on the eastern wall. but he lifts twice a day. Turning on any of the equipment, such
as the electric treadmill, generates enough sound to alert Remo’s
This is where the Baggio family eats every night at six o’clock. There nephew.
is nothing special in this room, but the players are free to take what
they can. The silverware and plates are worth over 4,000 dollars. Guest Quarters
This tidy area appears to be a guest room. There is a queen-sized bed
Bath and a nightstand, and signs of recent habitation. In the corner of the
You smell soap and chlorine bleach when you enter the 1st floor bath- room, you see a chest made from antique oak.
room. Everything in the room is gold, brass, and marble.
If the players inspect the oak chest, they find thick winter blankets
There is nothing unusual to find here. and a bag of moth balls. The drawer to the nightstand contains a
pack of cigarettes. This is where Remo’s nephew sleeps. Most likely
he is in the bed sleeping.

76  Crime Network   

Mother’s Room Lucy’s Pen
You enter a simple, yet elegant bed chamber. You see nothing of inter- You walk down a set of stairs, hewn from the surrounding sandstone.
est here, except indications that this room belongs to Remo’s mother. The entire room seems carved out of the island rock itself. As you work
Pictures of a young Remo smile at you from the walls and dress. your way down, the air warms and you can feel its moisture in your
lungs. Once at the base of the stairs, you realize you are inside a ter-
This is Mrs. Baggio’s room. She keeps it clean, and the only objects rarium. The floor is covered in earth and imported plants; a dark body
of value are some expensive perfumes in the dresser draw (total of water occupies the northern half of the chamber, and before it lurks
value $2,000). Behind the perfumes is a photo album that contains a massive crocodile, its eyes lit with malicious intent.
images of Remo’s father and the rest of his family.
This Crocodile is Ricardo. He is about the same size as Lucy, but
Remo’s Room more docile. He doesn’t attack unless he feels threatened. Lucy
A massive sleigh bed takes up most of the room. It stands on top of a sensed the players approach and hid at the back of the pond. The
bearskin rug; the bear’s vacant face gazes at you with a silenced roar. only part of her that is visible is her eyes. If a player specifically asks
There is a shotgun mounted on the eastern wall, and a case of vintage to inspect the pond, they may make a Detect roll (TN 10) against
wines beneath the shotgun. The dresser is layered in countless greeting Lucy’s Stealth in water to see Lucy. Otherwise, they don’t see her,
cards, each one illustrated with hearts and golden writing. Against and she waits until after they kill Ricardo to strike.
the dresser mirror you see a black and white picture of Remo’s mother.
Lucy’s Pen is dark, so everything the room, including the PCs,
The bearskin rug is a trophy Remo acquired on a trip to Canada. suffers the dark illumination penalties.
The cards are love letters, all addressed to Remo. If the players take
the time to read the cards, a pattern emerges. Most of the cards are
desperate pleas for his affection. Remo bores easily, and can never
stay with the same woman longer than a few months. The cards
are worthless, but the wines are worth nearly 10,000 dollars.
Lucy & Ricardo (Crocodiles)
Defenses Skills
Meeting Chamber Hardiness 9 Bite •••
There is a card table surrounded by three chairs. The floor is made
Stealth 7 or 10 (water) Muscle •••••
from cold cement, and the whole room feels clammy. There are
doors on the southern and eastern walls. Evade 4 Detect •••
Parry 3 Swim •••
This is a meeting room for Remo and his Associates. He keeps it
Wits 2 Speed •••
bare to minimize clean up.
Resolve 5 Empathy •
Walk-In Fridge Wound Tracker
The air gets cold inside this walk-in refrigerator. You can see your
Incapacitated -2d -2d -1d -1d
breath, and smell the odor of fresh meat. Shelves rim the chamber and
support dozens of plastic crates. Power Jaw: A Crocodile restrains others with its powerful jaw.
Unlike other Combatants, creatures with this ability do not forgo
The crates contain butchered poultry. Remo uses them to feed damage on their Restrain roll.
Lucy and Ricardo. If any player reaches for the crates on the upper
shelves, he or she must make an Athletic roll (TN 8). If failed, one Bite: A crocodile bite does 5d10 Damage.
of the crates falls and splatters the player’s clothes with raw chicken.
Scales: A crocodile’s scales provide +3 to Hardiness, giving it a
If the sullied player goes to room 16, he or she is immediately at-
total of 9.
tacked by the crocodile.

Remo Loves Lucy  77 

Johnny Colombo (Age 8)
Defenses Combat Physical Mental
Hardiness 2 Hand to Hand Endurance Bully
Stealth 2 Medium Arms Athletics Manipulation ••
Evade 2 Heavy Arms Swim Reasoning
Parry 2 Small Arms Muscle Empathy
Wits 3 Explosives Speed Lying •
Resolve 9 Sniper Vehicle: Detect •
Expertise Specialist Knowledge
Mechanics English •••
Electronics Italian ••
Computers • Dinosaurs ••
Medicine Video Games ••
Finance
Security

Lillian Baggio
Defenses Combat Physical Mental
Hardiness 2 Hand to Hand Endurance Bully
Stealth 2 Medium Arms Athletics Manipulation
Evade 2 Heavy Arms Swim Reasoning ••
Parry 2 Small Arms • Muscle Empathy
Wits 6 Explosives Speed Lying ••
Resolve 8 Sniper Vehicle: Car • Detect ••
Expertise Specialist Knowledge
Mechanics English •
Electronics Italian •••
Computers Cooking •••
Medicine •• Cuisine •
Finance ••• Baybridge •
Security

78  Crime Network   

Remo Baggio
Defenses Combat Physical Mental
Hardiness 3 Hand to Hand •• Endurance Bully •••
Stealth 6 Medium Arms •• Athletics •• Manipulation
Evade 3 Heavy Arms Swim Reasoning
Parry 3 Small Arms ••• Muscle •• Empathy
Wits 6 Explosives ••• Speed •• Lying
Resolve 6 Sniper Vehicle: Car Detect ••
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Crime-Violent Entertainment Protector Mechanics English (L) •••
Criminal Protector Electronics •• Assasinate (C) •••
Computers Extort (C) ••
Medicine Kidnap (C) •••
Finance
Security •••

Ricky Benedetto
Defenses Combat Physical Mental
Hardiness 6 Hand to Hand ••• Endurance Bully •
Stealth 3 Medium Arms •• Athletics •• Manipulation •
Evade 5 Heavy Arms •• Swim Reasoning ••
Parry 5 Small Arms •• Muscle •• Empathy •
Wits 5 Explosives Speed •• Lying
Resolve 7 Sniper Vehicle: Car •• Detect ••
Expertise Specialist Knowledge
Mechanics English •••
Electronics ••• Italian ••
Computers Car Jacking ••
Medicine Fence ••
Finance
Security •••

Remo Loves Lucy  79 

 Chapter Seven:
The Baybridge Setting

Welcome to Baybridge Baby, and say hello to its future king, yours truly. Life here is pretty good for a guy like me. I got the cops wrapped
around my little finger, and all the ladies love me. If I can just get that no good Baggio out of the way, I can set my sites on Enzo Corelli.
He’s in my way, and I won’t let nobody stop my rise to the top.

–Michael Caesar Martino, Martino Family Boss.

Baybridge and its Northern Suburbs (Sample Location)

Baybridge is a coastal city with a diverse population and continuous crime problem. Ruled by gangsters and corrupt politicians, Bay-
bridge is a perfect place for the mob. Despite so many shadowy elements, the city is filled with beautiful vistas and a popular destination
for tourists.

Established in 1640 by settlers from England, Baybridge always had its share of criminals. Indeed, its founder, Nathaniel Morris, was
rumored to be a pirate, and many established families in the area can trace their wealth to privateer ancestors. By the early 19th century,
Baybridge was a booming port city, with a reputation for lawlessness. When the Volstead Act and the 18th Amendment passed in 1919,
prohibiting the sale or manufacture of alcohol in the U.S., criminals of all stripes seized the opportunity and bootlegged alcohol. Fortunes
were made during this era, particularly in crime ridden cities like New York and Chicago. Baybridge was no exception. By 1930, the city
was flooded with members of Cosa Nostra. By the end of Prohibition, eight crime families reigned over the city.

In the decades following Prohibition, the eight families held their grip on the city. But things started to change one year ago when Jimmy
Marino was elected mayor of Baybridge. Marino started out as a prosecutor who confronted organized crime head on, a dangerous tactic
in a place like Baybridge. Despite, or perhaps because of, numerous attempts on his life, Jimmy Marino launched a successful campaign
for mayor promising to eliminate Cosa Nostra from the city. Since his election, Marino purged the police department of crooked ele-
ments, and flooded its resources. He had less success cleansing the city of its crooked politicians.

Baybridge remains a city governed by organized crime, but Marino intends to keep his promise. Armed with a loyal police force, he is
willing to bleed the streets in order to remain faithful to his campaign agenda. The eight families will go to any length to stay in power.

  
Territories become more and more popular among the gambling crowd, many
of the gyms have added Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Jui Jitsu to
Baybridge is a large metropolitan with a number of districts and
their repertoire. A lot of mobsters frequent boxing gyms and learn
suburbs. The districts are governed by the mayor of Baybridge and
M.M.A. because it’s good practice for the street. They also make
fall under the Baybridge Police Department’s jurisdiction. The sub-
important Connections with trainers and managers- which pays
urbs are independent communities governed by their own mayors
dividends when they need a fight fixed.
or city councils, and protected by their own police department.
There is a lot of money to be made in Reverence, but anyone who
The North Side Suburbs wants to make a dime has to go through Michael “Caesar” Mar-
The North Side has a low reputation among the Baybridge’s blue tino. He won’t allow anyone to operate in Reverence without his
collar Italians. It’s where they go when they want to move up in personal approval.
the world. This is the domain of working class families who aspire
The Chief of Reverence Police, William McClellan, is in the pocket
to be middle class and bluebloods. But it still has rough areas, like
of the Martino Family. He makes sure Michael Martino knows of
Ocean Park, Reverence, and parts of October.
any upcoming raids or sting operations. He also lets Martino run
Reverence the city with impunity. McClellan is so close to the Martino family,
he is regarded as an Associate.
Population: 47,283
Settled: 1630
Sites
Incorporated: 1871 (Used to be North Chesterton)
Pinnacle Park: This place has everything: dog racing, illegal gam-
Mayor: James Antonelli
bling, drinks, fine food, and women. Pinnacle Park is a three storey
Police Chief: William McClellan (Corrupt)
paradise. The first floor has a bar, a stage with live musicians, and
Police Rating: 1
a backroom filled with slot machines and card tables. The second
Sites: Reverence Beach (a summer hotspot), Lorenzo’s Boxing Gym, floor is built for dining and viewing the races. The whole floor is
Pinnacle Park (greyhound race track), Club Martino (dance and set up like a fine restaurant, with a massive window overlooking the
fight venue), The Shire strip club. race track. Waiters walk around taking orders, and bookies move
about taking bets. The third floor is a small hotel for overnight
Reverence is just north of Baybridge. It can be quiet and peaceful, guests with all the amenities, including prostitution.
but still has a lot in the way of night time entertainment. Reverence
has its share of rough quarters. There are still many Italians living in In any other town, a place like Pinnacle Park would be closed by
Reverence- sausage shops and Italian grocery stores are a common the police, but Martino’s been greasing the palms of the Reverence
site on August Avenue, the main thoroughfare. It is also one of Police since he came to power. They are even some of the Pinnacle’s
the few places in the North Side where the Mafia is firmly rooted. best customers.

One of the few dog tracks in the state, Pinnacle Park, is in Rev- Club Martino: Another place of business owned and operated
erence. Just across the street from Pinnacle Park is where Club by the Martino family, Club Martino doubles as a night club and
Martino is located. Club Martino is a great place to go for drinks boxing venue. Michael “Caesar” Martino loves boxing and dancing,
and dance. On Saturdays, it is often used as a venue for boxing so he built a place where he could witness both from the comforts
and mixed martial arts fights. Boss Martino and his men are seen of a private booth. Club Martino is an enormous one storey hall.
at the club frequently. There are also a lot of strip joints and mas- It’s so large, it accommodates a full bar, a stage (for live music), a
sage parlors, Courtesy of “Caesar” Martino. The Shire strip club is dining area, and a dance floor which converts to a boxing ring on
a popular meeting ground for the Martino crew. Saturday nights.

Boxing gyms are a common site in this North Side community. This is Caesar Martino’s base of operations. It’s where he conducts
The biggest place is Lorenzo’s. A lot of good fighters have cut their important family meetings and he uses it to wash money from illicit
teeth training under Vinnie Lorenzo. As mixed martial arts have

Baybridge Setting  81 

82  Crime Network   
activities. For this reason, he insists that Club Martino be 100%
clean: no gambling, no drugs, no criminal activity of any kind.

Chesterton
Population: 35,080
Settled: 1627
Incorporated: 1739
City Manager: Ash Stevens
Police chief: Eric Meier (Corrupt)
Police Rating: 1

Sites: Lancelot’s Lounge, The Cat House, The Lion’s Club, The
Chesterton River Hotel

Chesterton is currently the focus of a small dispute between the

Baggio family and the Martino family. Both are vying for a piece
of the Chesterton skin trade. It’s also a hotbed of hijacking and
theft. The town is crawling with pawn shops looking to make a
quick buck.

Wedged between Reverence and East Baybridge, Chesterton is a

natural fault line between the hot tempered Baggios and Marti-
nos. In the past several months, police have been finding bodies
of known wise guys in the Chesterton River. Both families have
enough influence with city manager Ash Stevens, and the Ches-
terton Police Department, that they have been able to keep these
crimes on the down low and out of court.

Sites Remo Baggio owns the Chesterton River hotel, and uses it as a
Lancelot Lounge: Lancelot’s Lounge is a favorite venue for the skin legitimate front for his criminal activities. It’s a posh place that
trade. It’s run by an Associate of the Baggio family named Nicki caters to people in the entertainment business. Remo loves to rub
Benza. Some call it the poor man’s Pinnacle Park, but this couldn’t elbows with the rich and famous, and running the Chesterton River
be further from the truth. Benza is a shrewd business man, and Hotel gives him plenty of opportunities to do so. It also helps him
knows how to keep clients coming back for more. All the girls at establish important contacts.
Lancelot Lounge are from foreign countries (mostly Europe) and
Benza markets the place as an upscale gentlemen’s club. That it Ocean park
doubles as a hotel ensures a steady flow of truckers and salesmen. Population: 89,050
Settled: 1629
The Chesterton River Hotel: The Chesterton River Hotel is a
Incorporated: 1850
fifteen storey luxury hotel built in the mid 1970s. Its amenities in-
Mayor: Skip De Quincy
clude a day spa, fitness center, a small movie theatre, entertainment
Police Chief: Bruce Ebrey (Corrupt)
complex, three bars, two restaurants, and a large dining hall. The
Police Rating: 0
cheapest rooms cost 500 dollars a night, and the most expensive
cost over 3,000 a night. Sites: Ocean Park Park, High Rock Tower, Jack’s Place, The Pro-
duction Plant

Baybridge Setting  83 

Ocean Park is a community that was once famous for the button October
trade. It also had a strong Italian community in its day. Now it is Population: 40,400
mostly rundown and rife with street violence- so much so, that one Settled: 1626
local reporter has renamed it “Baghdad by the Sea.” The city’s bum- Incorporated: 1626
bling mayor, Skip De Quincy, has only just begun to acknowledge Mayor: Emily Peterson
the crime problems plaguing his city— though he has yet to make Police Chief: Jeremy Winters
any public statement to that effect. Police Rating: 4
These days, Ocean Park is mostly controlled by street gangs, but Sites: The Spiritualist House, Seaside College, October Museum,
mobsters still have influence here. There are still night clubs on October Bay Park
Onion Street, where the De Lucas run many of their gambling
operations. October, known as the City of Specters, has a lot of history. It also
has a lot of interesting “Business Opportunities”.
Drugs are a big problem in Ocean Park, and the drug trade is a
source of conflict between the North Side mob families and street There are a number of restaurants, grease joints, trinket shops,
gangs in the city. Both the Martinos and the De Lucas have lost a cafes, and hotels because of the booming tourist industry. This is
lot of good men to violence in Ocean Park. the site of a well known spiritualist craze in 1840. Large numbers
of residents at the time claimed to see ghosts at night. October
Despite its many flaws, Ocean Park is still a nice place for a lot of was soon flooded with charlatans masquerading as mediums. The
residents. The Old Ruby district (once home to the city’s Yankee city has capitalized on its history in recent years. All over the city
population) is a picturesque neighborhood by the ocean, with a are New Age stores run by “mediums” who sell their spirit sessions
very low crime rate. Tano’s Pizza, on Easter Avenue, still keeps to unwary visitors. Each year, a massive Halloween celebration
local bellies full with the best pizza around. Ocean Park is one of takes place in October. It is so large, that the surrounding cities
the few communities around where family is important- just ask experience miles-long traffic jams for days. While occult stores are
the Lipioni brothers. generally outside Mafia interests, the business they bring in is not.
Captains from the De Luca family make money fencing stolen
The Ocean Park Police Department is one of the most corrupt in
goods to walkers in the street.
the nation. The Chief of Police, Bruce Ebrey, is not only an As-
sociate of the De Luca’s, he also conducts his own extortion racket Sites
with local businesses. Every month, local store owners get a call
The Spiritualist House: This is an old colonial home, erected in
from one of Ebrey’s detectives, asking for “donations”. Anyone who
1760. Maintained by the October Historical Society, The Spiritu-
doesn’t pay, gets raided.
alist House is famous for being the residence of noted Spiritualist
Dr. Calvin McKay. McKay was the leader of the 1840s spiritualist
Sites
movement in October, and claimed to speak with the dead. His
Jack’s Place: Jack’s Place is an old fashioned Italian pizzeria. People
home is now a museum visited by tourists and academics.
come to Jack’s Place from all over Baybridge to enjoy Jack’s brick
oven pizza- a thin, crisp, and slightly charred delicacy for true pizza The Pig Pub: The Pig Pub is a small rundown bar by the waterfront.
lovers. Jack enjoyed some fame twenty years ago as a one-term sena- Surrounded by poverty, the pub is a favorite of bikers, thugs, and
tor, and he loves to entertain customers with tales of his glory days. drug dealers. It is also an ideal meeting place for the De Luca family.

Jack’s most loyal customers are the Lipioni brothers, Ralph and Red rock-Gibraltar-Nathan
Lundo. In fact, Ralph is the real Boss of Jack’s place. There is no
These wealthy sea side communities are hardly worthy of any men-
paper trail to indicate his authority, or any sign that Ralph manages
tion in Crime Network. A lot of the more successful wise guys
the joint, but after hours, Jack answers to Ralph. They hold key
move to these towns once they save up enough money. These are
meetings at Jack’s Place.
predominantly WASP communities, however, and they don’t take

84  Crime Network   

 Sites: Rosemary Commons, Le Fantastique Cinéma

Rosemary is an interesting community. It covers a large area, and

contains many diverse elements. It feels like several cities crammed
into one.

Rosemary is a popular place for walking, especially along its beau-

tiful ocean shores. Unfortunately it has bad areas, like any other
location. The De Luca family has done a good job of maintaining
order in this North Side district. But in recent years, a gangster
known as Leon has been disrupting the streets by shaking down
local businesses and burglarizing homes. This resulted in an almost
full-scale gang war between Leon and his men, and the De Luca
crime family.

Sites
D/L Waste Removal Company: Owned and operated by Raphael
“Primo” De Luca and his sons, the D/L Waste Removal Company
appears to be a normal waste management company. Their trucks
are familiar to residents all over the North Side, especially on trash
day. The D/L Waste Removal Company has contracts with Rose-
mary, October, Ocean Park, and Red Rock. The De Lucas also use
the trucks to remove dead bodies and stash stolen goods.

too kindly to “new immigrant groups” like Italians, Jews, and Irish Le Fantastique Cinema: This old style movie house remains in
folk. In the last twenty years or so, this has begun to change. Red business by pampering its customers and keeping its prices low. It
Rock has been slowly opening itself up to these groups. And Nathan plays movies that are mostly available on video, but the plush car-
became much more hospitable to them, especially since Michael pets, the fine food, and the array of private viewing balconies give
Martino decided to live there. Gibraltar remains a bastion of Yankee Le Fantastique an air of sophistication. Owned by Maurice Mar-
society. One important thing to note about Nathan, Gibraltar and couf, an American whose real name is Martin Shane, the cinema
Red Rock is the police. The close proximity of these communities to is popular with locals and the mob. Raphael De Luca comes every
Ocean Park has placed their town officials on high alert. The police Friday, and enjoys a film from his own private booth.
closely observe anyone entering or leaving. They know enough not
to bother important members of the Mafia, but Associates and Baybridge Proper
Soldiers would do well to steer clear of this part of the North Side
Population: 800,000
(at least while conducting family business).
Settled: 1640
Incorporated: 1693
Rosemary Mayor: Jimmy Marino
Population: 40,000 Police Comm: Joseph Mansfield
Settled: 1626 Police Rating: 3 (going up)
Incorporated: 1626
Mayor: Bill Tamlin Sites: The Winterville Theatre, Rusty Square
Police Chief: David MacDonald
Police Rating: 3 This is where the action is. Baybridge is built on reclaimed wet-
lands. Its streets are packed and winding and its people keep to

Baybridge Setting  85 

themselves. It is a high traffic port city, which makes it perfect for coffee houses, and crime. There is certainly a lot of opportunity in
the Mafia. These are the neighborhoods of Baybridge that will be Winterville. Presently, the Irish gangs hold the most sway in the
your playground in Crime Network. community of Winterville.

Baybridge is rife with criminal activity. It is populated by organized Roebury

crime of all stripes: the Russian Mafiyah, the Yakuza, MS13, etc. Sites: Roebury Center for the Arts, Gary’s Bull Dogs
But Cosa Nostra runs the city. Anyone who wants to operate here
needs to go through one of the families for approval. Those who Roebury is one of Baybridge’s most violent neighborhoods. Street
don’t, do so at their own risk. violence, fueled by drugs, has plagued Roebury for years. There
have been some signs of improvement though. New businesses are
Mayor Marino recently appointed Joseph Mansfield as the Bay- starting to move in, and a small art scene appears to be on the rise.
bridge Police Commissioner. Mansfield is working hard to cleanse
his department of corruption, and has established a zero tolerance Biker gangs, street thugs and drug cartels all have a hand in the
policy. Roebury crime scene. Members of the mob must contend with these
elements to get their piece of the pie. Violence between the cartels
Blue Hill and the mob are increasingly common. In the past six months the
Sites: The State House, The Bull Hop cartels have amped it up, by deliberately stepping on the toes of
the Bartoli family, under the leadership of a man who calls himself
This is the center of the city government. Baybridge Politicians El Tiburon.
operate here. This section of town is rich in money, power, and
corruption. Politicians may talk sweet and dress in nice suits, but El Tiburon has Connections with Mexican drug cartels, and is
then so do most gangsters. trying to carve out a piece of Baybridge for himself. He is still too
weak to challenge Bartoli directly, but he is beginning to test the
Sites waters, and is looking to form an alliance with one of the Baybridge
The Bull Hop: The Bull Hop is a classic bar and eatery, frequented crime families (he figures they can split the spoils).
by politicians and high ranking police officers. Mayor Marino comes
here at least three nights a week. He and Commissioner Mansfield Sites
meet at least once a month, before the press, to show their solidarity Gary’s Bull Dogs: This boxing gym is run by Gary “The Bulldog”
against corruption and Cosa Nostra. Malone. A former welter weight champ and Bartoli Associate, Gary
escaped the criminal lifestyle and now helps at-risk youth by teach-
Winterville ing them how to box. The Bartolis respect Gary for his achievements
Population: 77,478 in life, and have an unspoken agreement with him. They don’t mess
Settled: 1630 with any of his students. Occasionally, Alfonso Bartoli stops by to
Incorporated: 1842 give a donation to the gym.
Mayor: Joseph Ramone
Police Chief: Robert Thorpe Fowler Field
Police Rating: 1 Sites: Fowler Field Park, Baybridge Ocean Museum

Sites: The Winterville Theatre, Rusty Square Fowler Field is a rich tapestry of cultural blocks packed together.
Really, it is bunch of different neighborhoods made into one. It is
Winterville has large Hispanic and Asian populations. There is mostly a middle class neighborhood and is home to a number of
still a sizeable Italian community, however. It has undergone some significant Baybridge Landmarks.
gentrification since the mid-1980s, and this has been a source of
conflict in the community. A phenomenon known as “Yarns”- anti One landmark of particular interest to members of Crime Network
rich/anti middle class graffiti- is an expression of this problem. is Fowler Field Park, a popular baseball stadium. In addition to
Winterville runs the cultural gamut, possessing a strong art scene,

86  Crime Network   

making some quick cash scalping baseball tickets, mobsters also Home to middle class and wealthy folks who have good jobs in
land a lot of profit taking bets on the games. the city, Brookridge also has great places to unwind. A number of
decent restaurants, cafes, and shops can be found in these places.
Site It is also inhabited by a large numbers of college students and a
Fowler Field Park: Fowler Field is a baseball stadium and home vibrant art community.
turf to the Baybridge Eagles. It is viewed as neutral territory by
the families. They often meet here while catching a baseball game. Sites
Brookridge College: Brookridge College is one of the most pres-
China Town tigious learning institutions in the country. Politicians and elites
Sites: Super 98, The Salon, The Hot Puma, The Golden Buddha send their children here to study and enter into a rich tradition of
scholarship and sportsmanship. The Dean of Brookridge College,
China Town in Baybridge is home to Cambodians, Vietnamese, Howard Gutmann, receives a monthly stipend from Emilio Santini.
and Chinese mostly. From the gentle waft of Asian cuisine that In exchange for the stipend, Gutmann allows the Santini Family
permeates the alleyways, to the array of businesses sporting signs access to the files of students with powerful family Connections.
in Mandarin, Thai, Japanese, and Cantonese, China Town feels
more like a part of Asia than the United States. Corelli has made East Baybridge
numerous attempts to extract what money he can from it, but Sites: Ma Vatti’s Restaurant, Wood Meadows (horse track), Bay-
the cultural gap, and the presence of the Triads, has forced him to bridge Airport.
use softer tactics. He works with the local Triad leaders, so both
groups benefit. East Baybridge is the turf of the Baggio family. They have occasional
conflicts with Latino street gangs, but for the most part they remain
Sites on top. Wood Meadows, a major horse track in the area, is also a
The Golden Buddha: This is the home base of the local Triad good source of income for Remo Baggio. Though he knows very
leader, Yan Wenjun. It is a palatial three story restaurant, though little about numbers or gambling, his men regularly get protection
one wouldn’t guess this from the humble exterior, packed with money from the place and its patrons.
native Chinese. It serves only the most authentic cuisine. Yan re-
cently formed a partnership with Enzo Corelli and Nicki Santo. The most important source of revenue for the Baggio family in
They supply him with rare and highly illegal delicacies, which he East Baybridge is Baybridge Airport. They have a lot of contacts
serves in the Golden Buddha’s special guest lounge. working security and information at the airport, and are able to use
it both for smuggling goods and hijacking shipments which they
Chaplin later fence on the street.
Sites: Baybridge Monument
Sites
The second oldest community in Baybridge, Chaplin is known for Wood Meadows: Wood Meadows is a basic horse racing track.
its easy access to good food, large Irish population, and good times. It’s also a favored meeting place for Associates and Soldiers of the
It is full of great restaurants and pubs. Baggio Family. Wood Meadows serves beer, hot dogs, gambling,
and excitement. It’s affordable, and attracts lots of blue collar Joes
Sites hoping to turn a quick buck.
Baybridge Monument: This large statue of Baybridge founder
Nathaniel Morris, was erected in 1915. Since then it has become Churchill
an icon of the city. Sites: Winston Park, Lena’s Lounge

Brookridge Churchill is a tough place; one of of Baybridge’s oldest and least

prosperous neighborhoods. People get shot just passing through
Sites: Brookridge College
on their way to work. Gangs rule the streets here, crowding the

Baybridge Setting  87 

sidewalks in the early morning and at dusk, so the mob has to be Most criminals doing business in the harbor need to worry about
careful how it conducts itself. It is a violent place, and the Baggio the Port Authority, not the Corelli family. They have most of the
clan has adapted to the climate well. Members of the family can higher-up port officials in their back pocket. They only need to
walk the streets of Churchill in relative comfort, almost never the watch out for the Coast Guard, but their informants feed them
targets of random violence. regular information about Coast Guard maneuvers and activi-
ties.
Sites
Winston Park: Winston Park is a large one square mile of public Sites
land. It consists of grass, groves, and pebbled walkways. A few The Rumgold Ship: The Rumgold Ship is a floating museum in
dim lamps provide illumination at night, but smart people try Baybridge Harbor. An old schooner believed to have carried the first
to avoid Winston Park after sunset all together. During the day, settlers to Baybridge in 1640, the Rumgold Ship is a key attraction
people come here for a stroll or to walk their dogs. As night gets for tourists. Though there is no truth to the rumor, many believe it
closer, drug dealers, pimps, and people with way too much time served as a pirate ship after Baybridge was settled.
on their hands congregate the area. Shoot-outs are common here,
as are police sirens. South Side Districts
North Baybridge Hill Park
Sites: White Horse golf course
Sites: St Mary’s Cathedral.
Hill Park is an elite blue-blood community in Baybridge’s southern
North Baybridge is a posh neighborhood near Blue Hill. It is one
quarter. It is mostly residential and not particularly interesting for
of the best, and most expensive, places to reside in the Metro Bay-
mobsters. In fact, spending time in Hill Park can be dangerous for
bridge Area. Most of the residential apartments and townhouses
a gangster’s Respectability around town.
are old brownstones. It also has a pricey commercial district, loaded
with high end stores. Wealthy travelers often stay in one of North
Sites
Baybridge’s many luxury hotels. For most mobsters, North Bay-
bridge is a place to live, not to conduct business. The White Horse Golf Course: The White Horse golf course is
an old fashioned, bigoted country club. Owned and operated by
Sites Robert T. Bird, the club has a strict policy regarding who is allowed
to join. Of course, it is illegal to discriminate, but the committee
St. Mary’s Cathedral: Saint Mary’s Cathedral is the seat of the
in charge of registering new members always manages to find dis-
Baybridge Bishopric and popular among the Baybridge crime fami-
qualifying characteristics when applicants don’t have the appropriate
lies. It’s also strictly neutral territory. No one talks business at the
Anglo-European heritage.
cathedral. When high ranking family members pass, the mass is
held at St. Mary’s. Some of the locals call the place Mob’s Cathedral,
because so many gangsters fill the pews during important holidays.
Little Italy
Bishop Umberto Guerra presides over mass every Sunday. Sites: Amore Restaurant, Artoro Rustica, The Comedy Theatre,
Cacciatore
Sea Port District
Little Italy is as good as it gets in Baybridge. This is where the real
Sites: Baybridge Harbor, The Rumgold Ship, Italians live, eat, and do business. It is also the prize of Baybridge.
Whoever controls Little Italy gets respect from all the other gang-
The Sea Port District, located right next to Little Italy, is where a
sters.
lot of drug and weapon shipments arrive via Baybridge Harbor. A
main port, it is also a location for shady deals and the elimination Enzo Corelli rules Baybridge from King Street in Little Italy. It’s a
of unreliable Associates. The Corellis have a firm grip on the Sea great place for gangsters. The streets are compact and narrow, with
Port District, controlling the narcotics, weapons, and people that
flow in and out.

88  Crime Network   

eateries and restaurants on each corner. Mob informants mix in The 65th Precinct House: Of all the police stations in Baybridge,
with the regular crowd. one has to be the most corrupt. The 65th has claimed that ‘honor’
in leaps and bounds. Virtually every cop in the 65th has ties to the
The food in Little Italy is to die for— real, quality Italian cooking. Irish mob, and all supplement their paychecks with various criminal
You won’t find a more authentic pizza pie anywhere else, even New activities. Corruption runs deep here and few efforts to ‘clean up’
York. This is where the famous Artoro Rustica is located. Numerous the 65th ever amount to much.
other pizzerias are located in Little Italy.
Primecut Meats: Originally a reputable butcher shop started by
Site Irish Immigrants, Primecut has grown over the years into a very
The Comedy Theatre: Owned by a Corelli Associate, Chris “Bam profitable business. Of course, the true source of most of this money
Bam” Spinelli, The Comedy Theatre is a great place for an evening is from shipping illegal goods in meat trucks. The great grandson
of cocktails and laughs. Some of the country’s best comedians got of the man who first set up shop runs the business today. Rumors
their start here. Out of loyalty to Enzo Corelli, who helped them abound that some men who have crossed him ended up ground
get their first big break, most make a point of performing one week into hamburger and delivered in a white wrapped meat package
out of the year at the Comedy Theatre. Those that don’t, do so at with the victims name written on it, to send a message.
their own risk.

Cacciatore: This fine dining establishment is owned by Enzo

The South Suburbs
This is the southern suburb of Baybridge. Once known for a hap-
Corelli’s Capo, Jules Viti. It’s also where Corelli and his men like
pening jazz scene and squalid tenements, the South Side has made
to spend most of their time. Located on King Street, Cacciatore
something of a comeback in recent years. A lot of Irish mobsters
is known for its authentic red sauce, and especially famous for its
work out of the South Side. It’s not North Baybridge, but it’s still
signature Cacciatore dishes. Inside, the restaurant is pretty low key,
a nice neighborhood live in. Callahan and his men run the South
with simple place settings, dim lights, and the scent of the best pasta
Side streets.
this side of the country. There is also a back room where Corelli
and his men can unwind and play darts.

South Baybridge
Cosa Nostra has to operate carefully in South Baybridge, because
the area is controlled by the Irish mob. This is where the infamous
Shamrock Gang was based. Under the leadership of Patrick Doran,
they terrorized Baybridge (Shamrock was mainly an Irish operation,
but they worked closely with some Mafia crews). An Irish Catholic
neighborhood, south Baybridge is packed with Irish pubs that cater
to the working class. Still, Italian mobsters can make some cash if
they know the right people.

Sites
Paddy’s Place: This old time Irish pub looks harmless enough,
but it’s the home base of one of the most violent and ruthless Irish
gangs in all of Baybridge— the Southies. Paul Callahan, an up-and-
coming mobster, rules his gang of violent thugs from this pub and
few who know anything about him want to get on his bad side.
Although a man of unexpected intelligence, Callahan identifies
with, and is popular with, the working class stiffs.

Baybridge Setting  89 

Michael “Caesar” Martino (Difficult)
Aliases Mickey the Chin, Baby Face, Motor Mouth
Family Martino
Rank Boss
Personality Casanova
Date of Birth January 27, 1962
Respectability 6
Shortcomings Mamma’s Boy, Hot Tempered
Crimes Narcotics, Trafficking, Prostitution, Murder

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 6 Hand to Hand •• Endurance •• Bully •••
Stealth 3 Medium Arms Athletics Manipulation •••
Evade 4 Heavy Arms Swim Reasoning •
Parry 5 Small Arms ••• Muscle ••• Empathy
Wits 6 Explosives Speed Lying •
Resolve 9 Sniper Vehicle: Car •• Detect •
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Bully-Intimidate Political Protector Mechanics •• English (L) •••
Political Insider Electronics Italian (L) •
Social Insider Computers Traffic Wm. (C) •••
Social Protector Medicine Traffic Narc. (C) ••
Finance •• Theft (C) ••
Security •• Assassinate (C) ••

Description
Michael Martino is a charming man with a violent temper and loud mouth. He keeps his dark hair combed back, dresses in comfortable
suits and always wears a 24K cross around his neck. People call him baby face for his youthful looks and weak chin.

Martino grew up in Reverence where he started out as the head of a small gang at the age of 12. His father was a prominent Under-Boss
in the Patriarca family. Michael came to power ten years ago, when a large mob war left a power vacuum in the North Side area. He is
both feared and loved by his men, and smart people think twice before crossing him. He just recently moved his family to Nathan.

90  Crime Network   

Vincenzo Lombardi (Challenging)
Aliases The Captain, Bulldog Vince
Family Lombardi
Rank Boss
Personality Brain
Date of Birth December 10, 1940
Respectability 6
Shortcomings Impatient
Crimes Bank Robbery, Gambling

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 3 Hand to Hand Endurance • Bully ••
Stealth 3 Medium Arms ••• Athletics Manipulation ••
Evade 3 Heavy Arms •• Swim • Reasoning ••
Parry 3 Small Arms Muscle Empathy
Wits 9 Explosives Speed ••• Lying ••
Resolve 8 Sniper Vehicle: Plane • Detect ••
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Criminal Protector Mechanics English (L) •••
Criminal Insider Electronics A. Theft (C) ••
Computers • Gamble (C) ••
Medicine Cuisine (Th) ••
Finance •••
Security ••

Description
Vincenzo Lombardi wears heavy black glasses and a tight cropped crew cut. He does not tolerate failure from his men, having little pa-
tience for excuses or groveling.

Vincent got to the top by using his brains. He climbed through the ranks by pitting his Bosses against one another, and forming clever
political alliances.

Criminal Profiles  91 

Remo Baggio (Challenging)
Aliases Body Bag Baggio, Baggs
Family Baggio
Rank Boss
Personality Brawn
Date of Birth May 16, 1967
Respectability 6
Shortcomings Hot Temper, Egotistical, Mammas Boy
Crimes Murder, Extortion, Kidnapping

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 3 Hand to Hand •• Endurance Bully •••
Stealth 6 Medium Arms •• Athletics •• Manipulation
Evade 3 Heavy Arms Swim Reasoning
Parry 3 Small Arms ••• Muscle •• Empathy
Wits 6 Explosives ••• Speed •• Lying
Resolve 6 Sniper Vehicle: Car Detect ••
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Crime-Violent Entertainment Protector Mechanics English (L) •••
Criminal Protector Electronics •• Assasinate (C) •••
Computers Extort (C) ••
Medicine Kidnap (C) •••
Finance
Security •••

Description
Remo Baggio grew up in Churchill, in a large Italian family. Being small didn’t give Remo much of an advantage, so he had to resort
to violence just to survive. His mother, Lillian, is the center of his life. She cooks for him every night, and he has killed more than one
unfortunate wise guy who thought he could get away with joking about Remo’s mama. Remo also provides for his two sisters, Flora and
Rose. They are very close with Remo, but when all three are together, they do nothing but argue and bicker. Unlike some of the other
bosses, Remo isn’t just hot tempered, he is a little crazy as well.

A perpetual bachelor, Remo lives in an unassuming three storey house in the suburbs of East Baybridge. He recently purchased a man-
sion on Winter Island, off the coast of Baybridge. He makes most of his money through hijacking operations out of Logan. His control
of Lancelot Lounge brings in a pretty penny as well. Remo owns the Chesterton River Hotel in Chesterton, which he uses as a front to
wash his money.

92  Crime Network   

Alfonso Bartoli (Challenging)
Aliases Alfonz the Bronze, Fonzie
Family Bartoli
Rank Boss
Personality Casanova
Date of Birth October 17, 1970
Respectability 6
Shortcomings Womanizer, Egotistical
Crimes Extortion, Blackmail

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 4 Hand to Hand ••• Endurance • Bully
Stealth 4 Medium Arms Athletics •• Manipulation ••
Evade 4 Heavy Arms •• Swim Reasoning •
Parry 5 Small Arms Muscle • Empathy •••
Wits 8 Explosives Speed • Lying •
Resolve 6 Sniper Vehicle: Car •• Detect •
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Political Insider Mechanics • English (L) •••
Criminal Insider Electronics •• Extort (C) ••
Computers • Blackmail (C) ••
Medicine Singing (T) ••
Finance •• Cooking (T) ••
Security •

Description
Alfonso Bartoli is regarded as the most charming of all the Mafia Bosses. He is always on the peak of fashion and brandishes fancy suits as
well as custom sunglasses. He is known as Alfonz the Bronze for his tan, which appears to be permanent, and called Fonzie for his smooth
and charming ways. Alfonzo is good at reading other people and turning their weaknesses against them.

Alfonso was at one time considering being a model, but when he had a chance to make some quick money running jobs for the mob, he
jumped at the opportunity and soon found a different profession. Alfonso’s good looks got him in with the higher ups and it wasn’t long
before he charmed his way into a leadership role. Alfonso now runs a very serious blackmailing and extortion ring in Roebury.

Criminal Profiles  93 

Emilio Santini (Difficult)
Aliases Emilio the Saint, St. Santini
Family Santini
Rank Boss
Personality Brain
Date of Birth August 5, 1932
Respectability 6
Shortcomings Womanizer
Crimes Embezzlement, Fencing, Gambling

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 3 Hand to Hand Endurance •• Bully ••
Stealth 3 Medium Arms •• Athletics •• Manipulation •••
Evade 5 Heavy Arms Swim Reasoning •••
Parry 3 Small Arms ••• Muscle Empathy
Wits 8 Explosives Speed •• Lying
Resolve 8 Sniper Vehicle: Car •• Detect ••
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Manipulation-Charm Political Insider Mechanics English (L) •••
Entertainment Insider Electronics Italian (L) ••
Computers •• Fence (C) ••
Medicine Gamble (C) •••
Finance ••• Embezzle (C) ••
Security •••

Description
Emilio may look like a harmless old man, but beneath his trademark Dolce Gabana shades, peer the eyes of a calculating crime lord. Emilio
has a head of curly gray hair, and is bent with age, but still keeps in shape and is actually very healthy for his age. He loves to surround
himself with young women for a night on the town, and is often seen at Baybridge’s hippest establishments.

Emilio began as a numbers guy- a bookie. He earned a name for himself in the Baybridge area, and was known as the go-to guy for gam-
bling and money laundering. He has used his smarts to rise to the top, and now controls Brookridge and Winterville, where he maintains
a number of steady rackets.

94  Crime Network   

Vito Romano (Difficult)
Aliases Boss Cheese, the Cheese, Head Cheddar, True Shot
Family Romano
Rank Boss
Personality Brawn
Date of Birth April 3, 1967
Respectability 6
Shortcomings Egotistical, Hot Tempered, Impatient
Crimes Assault and Battery, Armed Robbery, Trafficking of Women

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 6 Hand to Hand ••• Endurance Bully ••
Stealth 3 Medium Arms ••• Athletics •• Manipulation ••
Evade 5 Heavy Arms Swim Reasoning
Parry 6 Small Arms •• Muscle ••• Empathy
Wits 6 Explosives Speed •• Lying
Resolve 6 Sniper Vehicle: Car •• Detect ••
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Political Protector Mechanics English •••
Political Insider Electronics A. Theft (C) ••
Criminal Insider Computers Traffic Wm. (C) ••
Medicine Hijack ••
Finance
Security

Description
Vito Romano is a violent man who dresses down most of the time and is known to carry brass knuckles and a shotgun everywhere he
goes. Viewed as one of the most down to earth Bosses, he typically wears a leather jacket under a tan trench coat. He is also known to
wear a baseball cap to blend in.

Romano was raised in Churchill and knows the streets there very well. He came to prominence within the Mafia by being good with guns.
He eventually worked his way up as a young and talented hit-man, to a personal bodyguard for some of the Mafia’s elite. Eventually, a spot
opened up in the leadership after some FBI crackdowns and Romano was rewarded with a nice piece of the pie in his local area of Churchill.

Criminal Profiles  95 

Raphael “Primo” De Luca (Difficult)
Aliases Bumps, The Bump, The Press, Primo the Press, Laces
Family De Luca
Rank Boss
Personality Brain
Date of Birth March 14, 1955
Respectability 4
Shortcomings Greedy, Physical Disorder (Endurance -1d10)
Crimes Extortion, Murder, Racketeering

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 3 Hand to Hand Endurance Bully
Stealth 3 Medium Arms •• Athletics Manipulation •••
Evade 3 Heavy Arms Swim • Reasoning ••
Parry 3 Small Arms Muscle • Empathy
Wits 9 Explosives ••• Speed • Lying •••
Resolve 8 Sniper Vehicle: Plane ••• Detect •••
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Political Protector Mechanics English (L) •••
Political Insider Electronics ••• Extort (C) •••
Computers Gamble (C) ••
Medicine •• Assasinate (C) ••
Finance ••• Fashion (Th) ••
Security

Description
Raphael De Luca is an ugly man with horrible bumps all over his face. When pressed, he reveals it is a skin disorder he has had since he was a child.
This disorder also affects his immune system. In any country, he would be considered short and highly overweight but he carries a confidence in his step
and mannerisms that seem to overshadow his unimpressive physique. He also likes the finer things in life and dresses very well; there are even rumors
circulating that he sleeps in a suit.

De Luca grew up in Rosemary as the son of a wealthy businessman who was known to grease a few wheels. De Luca quickly used his intellect to get
key politicians into office, a fact he uses to corrupt them even to this day. By the time he was 30, his business savvy and uncanny ability to pick up on a
lie earned him the name ‘The Press’. His reputation on the street earned him a place in organized crime and he solidified this by forming his family in
1988 at the age of 33. His grip on Ocean Park, Rosemary, and October is not the picture of perfection, but he has a lot of muscle and has been known
to eliminate rivals in the past. His privileged background earned him the name ‘Laces’ among his enemies.

96  Crime Network   

Enzo Corelli (Challenging)
Aliases Corelli the Killer, Corelli the Belly
Family Corelli
Rank Boss
Personality Brawn
Date of Birth January 9, 1964
Respectability 6
Shortcomings Addicted (food), Obese
Crimes Murder, Weapons Trafficking, Narcotics Trafficking

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 4 Hand to Hand • Endurance Bully
Stealth 3 Medium Arms Athletics Manipulation ••
Evade 2 Heavy Arms ••• Swim Reasoning
Parry 4 Small Arms •• Muscle •• Empathy ••
Wits 9 Explosives • Speed Lying
Resolve 7 Sniper • Vehicle: Car ••• Detect ••
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Political Insider Mechanics English (L) •••
Criminal Insider Electronics Traffic Wp. (C) •••
Computers ••• Traffic N. (C) ••
Medicine • Assassinate ••
Finance •
Security •

Description
Enzo Corelli is a fat and lazy man but still well respected. He is often seen wearing sweat pants for comfort, but also wears suits well tailored
suits when conducting business. They call him ‘The Belly’ simply because he is fat.

Corelli survived by being consistent and staying one step ahead of his competition. Corelli ascended to power when his weapons traffick-
ing operation became the most efficient in Baybridge. His political informants helped keep him out of trouble while he rose to power
in his early years and he hasn’t looked back since. Recently, rumors have spread that Corelli has been making a fortune through a black
market organ donor racket.

Criminal Profiles  97 

Lundo Lipioni (Challenging)
Aliases The Kid, Champ
Family De Luca
Rank Soldier
Personality Brawn
Date of Birth 08/04/1959
Respectability 2
Shortcomings Mamma’s Boy
Crimes Murder

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 4 Hand to Hand •• Endurance Bully
Stealth 6 Medium Arms •• Athletics •• Manipulation
Evade 6 Heavy Arms • Swim Reasoning
Parry 3 Small Arms ••• Muscle •• Empathy
Wits 6 Explosives •• Speed •• Lying ••
Resolve 6 Sniper Vehicle:: Boat Detect •••
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Crime-Violent Criminal Insider Mechanics English (L) •••
Small Arms-Single Shot Social Insider Electronics •• Italian (L) ••
Computers Assassinate (C) •••
Medicine
Finance
Security •••

Description
The hit-man with a heart of gold. Everybody loves Lundo. He treats everyone with respect, and always seems to wear a smile. Short, but
built wide like a tank, he is one of the most feared hit-men in the De Luca family. He has grown a slight paunch, in recent years, which
compliments his stocky physique. He has a swarthy complexion, and styles his dark kinky hair with pomade.

Lundo Lipioni was once a boxer, and achieved a degree of notoriety in his day. He is the brother of Ralph Lipioni, a respected Captain
in the De Luca family. They were both introduced to the family through a bookie that was known for fixing boxing matches. In time,
Lundo established a reputation as a reliable and efficient hit-man. He is loyal to his brother and to the family.

98  Crime Network   

Mayor Jimmy Marino (Difficult)
Aliases The People’s Mayor, Grumbles Marino, Cicero
Family None
Title Mayor of Baybridge
Personality Brain
Date of Birth July 14, 1947
Respectability 0
Shortcomings Speech Impediment, Impatient
Accomplishments Reduced Corruption in Baybridge, Confronted Cosa Nostra

Defenses Combat Physical Mental

Hardiness 4 Hand to Hand •• Endurance Bully •••
Stealth 3 Medium Arms Athletics Manipulation ••
Evade 3 Heavy Arms Swim Reasoning ••
Parry 3 Small Arms ••• Muscle ••• Empathy
Wits 8 Explosives Speed Lying
Resolve 9 Sniper Vehicle: Car •• Detect ••
Expertise Connections Specialist Knowledge
Political Insider Mechanics English (L) •••
Political Protector Electronics Italian (L) •
Computers •• Police (O) ••
Medicine Law (Th) •••
Finance •• Cosa Nost. (O) ••
Security •• History (Th) ••

Description
Mayor Jimmy Marino is a no-nonsense, straight talker born and raised in Baybridge. He is noted for his lack of eloquence while speaking,
and a tendency to use malapropisms.

Mayor Marino was born in Hill Park. Since becoming mayor nine years ago, he has taken the mob head on. He is an effective mayor and
a man of the people. But he has made a number of enemies.

Criminal Profiles  99 

 STOCK CHARACTERS

Gang Member
Police Officer
Clever Thug
Consigliere

Elite Thug

Politician
Associate

Hit Man
Reporter
Citizen
Soldier

Thug
Capo

Boss
Hardiness 3 4 6 3 5 3 5 4 3 3 5 3 3 3
Stealth 3 3 3 4 5 3 4 3 3 3 3 5 3 6
Evade 5 6 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4
Parry 3 6 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 4
Wits 6 6 6 9 7 5 6 7 5 8 6 8 5 7
Resolve 6 6 6 6 9 5 6 6 5 6 6 6 8 7
Hand-Hand 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 2 2
Medium Arms 1 2 2 1 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3
Heavy Arms 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 3
Small Arms 2 2 2 1 3 1 2 1 0 0 2 0 2 2
Explosives 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 3
Sniper Rifles 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 3
Endurance 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 3
Athletics 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 2
Swim 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 1 2
Muscle 2 2 2 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 0 1 1
Speed 0 0 2 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 2 1 3
SKILLS

Vehicle 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 3 1 1
Bully 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 3 0 0 2 1 0 0
Manipulation 0 0 2 2 2 1 2 3 1 3 1 3 0 0
Reasoning 1 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 2 1 1
Empathy 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 0 0
Lying 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 0 3 2 2 1 0
Detect 0 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 0 0 2 2 2 3
Mechanics 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Electronics 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
Computers 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 2 0 1
Medicine 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 1
Finance 0 1 2 3 2 0 0 3 1 3 1 2 0 1
Security 1 2 2 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 3
Crime A 1 2 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 3
Crime B 1 1 2 2 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1
Language 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 0 0
Places 2 2 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 1
Organizations 0 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 1 2 1 2 0 0
Things 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 2 1 3 2 2 1 0
Talent 0 2 1 2 1 0 0 2 1 2 1 3 1 2
100  Crime Network
 Crime Network
Name Sex Ht. / Wt. Age

Personality Type Family Rank

Defenses Wo u n d Tr a c k e r
Hardiness 3 + = Incapacitated -2d -1d
Stealth 3 + =
Evade 3 + = Respectability
Parry 3 + = 1 2 3 4 5 6
Wits 6 + =
Resolve 6 + =

Combat Expertise Physical Expertise

Hand-to-Hand  Athletics 
Medium Arms  Swim 
Heavy Arms  Speed 
Small Arms  Muscle 
Explosives  Endurance 
Sniper  Vehicle: 
Vehicle: 
Specialist Expertise
Mechanics  Knowledge Expertise
Electonics  Crime: 
Computers  Crime: 
Medicine  Crime: 
Finance  Places: 
Security  Places: 
Places: 
Mental Org: 
Expertise
Org: 
Bully 
Org: 
Manipulation 
Things: 
Lying 
Things: 
Empathy 
Things: 
Reasoning 
Lang: 
Detect 
Talent: 

Connections Equipment

Cash Short Comings

  Appendix 101
 Index Capping the Numbers 49 Drugs 42
Casanova 10 Dying 48
A Chapter Five:
The Game Master 60 E
Adjudicating Non-Combat Skills 53
Failure, Normal Success, and Total Chapter Four:
Electronics 25
Success 53 The Way of the Gangster 55
Emilio Santini 94
Chapter One:
Advancement 7 Empathy 21
Character Creation 9
Alfonso Bartoli 93 Chapter Seven: Endurance 19
Assassination 48 The Baybridge Setting 80 Entertainment Connections 34
Athletics 19 Chapter Six: Environmental Modifiers and Hazards
Attacking/Moving Objects 47 Remo Loves Lucy (adventure) 69 52
Chapter Three: Condition Modifiers 52
B Combat and Non Combat Rules 46 Cover 52
Baybridge Chapter Two: Illumination 52
Baybridge Proper 85 Equipment 36 Terrain 52
Blue Hill 86 Character Creation 9 Enzo Corelli 97
Brookridge 87 Character Creation Overview 12 Equipment 44
Chaplin 87 Steps in Character Creation 9 Equipping your character 36
China Town 87 Character Details 7, 10 Evade 17
Churchill 87 Combat and Non-Combat Skills 17 Expertise 6, 27
East Baybridge 87 Combat Expertise 27 Combat Expertise 27
Fowler Field 86 Combat Skills 18 Knowledge Expertise 30
North Baybridge 88 Combat Tactics 50 Mental Expertise 29
Roebury 86 Facing 50 Physical Expertise 28
Sea Port District 88 Restrain 51 Specialist Expertise 29
Chesterton 83 Setting Sights 51 Explosives 18, 39
Ocean park 83 Shooting at Multiple Opponents 51
Suppressive Fire 51
F
October 84
Red rock-Gibraltar-Nathan 84 Targeted Shots 51 Facing 50
Computers 25 Failure, Normal Success, and Total Suc-
Reverence 81
Condition Modifiers 52 cess 53
Rosemary 85
South Side Districts 88 Connections 7, 31 Falling 51
Business Connections 33 Families 11
Hill Park 88
Criminal Connections 32 Baggio 11
Little Italy 88
Entertainment Connections 34 Bartoli 11
South Baybridge 89
Political Connections 32 Corelli 11
The North Side Suburbs 81
Baybridge and its Northern Suburbs Social Connections 33 De Luca 11
(Sample Location) 80 Contractors 59 Lombardi 11
Baybridge Proper 85 Cover 52 Martino 11
Becoming a Made Man 59 Creating Crime Families 61 Romano 11
Blast Radius 39 Crews 7 Santini 11
Body Armor 43 Crime 21 Family 7, 10
Brain 10 Criminal Connections 32 Finance 26
Brawn 10 Cumulative Cost of Skills 24 Firearms 36
Bully 20 G
D
Business Connections 33
Defense Skills 16 Going to Jail or Prison 58
C Detect 20
H

102  Crime Network

Hand-to-Hand 18 Mental Expertise 29 Restrain 51
Hardiness 17 Mental Skills 20 Rolling 10s 46
Heavy Arms 18 Michael “Caesar” Martino 90 Rolling the Dice 46
Miniatures and Map Scale 50
I S
Movement 50
Illumination 52 Muscle 19 Security 26
Introduction Setting Mood and Creating Tension 63
N
Character Details 7 Setting Sights 51
Character Elements 6 NPC Design 61 Setting Target Numbers 47
Connections 7 NPC Types 61 Shooting at Multiple Opponents 51
Expertise 6 NPC Types 61 Shortcomings 34
Family 7 Number of Actions 50 Skill List 24
Mechanics 6 Skills 15
O
Personality Type 6 About Skills 15
Rank 7 Organizations 23 Combat and Non-Combat Skills 17
Respectability 7 Combat Skills 18
P
Skills 6 Explosives 18
Target Numbers (TN) 6 Parry 17 Hand-to-Hand 18
The Crime Network Setting 7 Personality Type 10 Heavy Arms 18
Tools of Play 6 Brain 10 Medium Arms 18
What Is A Role Playing Game? 6 Brawn 10 Small Arms 18
Casanova 10 Sniper Rifles 18
K
Physical Expertise 28 Cumulative Cost of Skills 24
Knowledge Expertise 30 Physical Skills 18 Defense Skills 16
Knowledge Skills 21 Places 23 Evade 17
Police Departments and Investigations Hardiness 17
L 67 Parry 17
Languages 25 Prison 67 Resolve 17
Location 60 Trials 67 Stealth 17
Lundo Lipioni 98 Political Connections 32 Wits 17
Lying 21 Primary and Secondary Skills 10 Expertise 27
Prison 67 Knowledge Skills 21
M
R Crime 21
Mafia Languages 25
Becoming a Made Man 59 Rank 7 Organizations 23
The American Mafia and its History Rank Advancement 8 Places 23
55 Ranks 11 Talent 25
The Commission 57 Ranks and Mob Structure 14 Things 23
The Omerta Code 59 Raphael “Primo” De Luca 96 Mental Skills 20
Mafia Themes and Storylines 64 Reasoning 21 Bully 20
Story Ideas 66 Remo Baggio 92 Detect 20
The Story 65 Resolve 17 Empathy 21
Manipulation 20 Resolve Test 17 Lying 21
Mayor Jimmy Marino 99 Respectability 7, 14 Manipulation 20
Mechanics 26 Respectability Checks 15 Reasoning 21
Medicine 26 Respectability Checks and Getting
Physical Skills 18
Medium Arms 18 Whacked 58
Respectability Checks and Getting Athletics 19
Melee Weapons 37 Endurance 19
Whacked 58

  Index 103
 Muscle 19 Vincenzo Lombardi 91
Speed 20 Vito Romano 95
Swim 19
W
Vehicle 19
Purchasing Skills 15 Weapon Descriptions 40
Skill List 24 Weapons 36
Skill Rolls 16 Explosives 39
Specialist Skills 25 Firearms 36
Computers 25 Melee Weapons 37
Electronics 25 Toxins 40
Finance 26 Weapon Descriptions 40
Mechanics 26 When Grenades Miss 54
Medicine 26 Wits 17
Security 26 Wounds 48
Small Arms 18
Sniper Rifles 18
Social Connections 33
Sources of Income & Crimes 57
The Vig 58
Specialist Expertise 29
Specialist Skills 25
Speed 20
STOCK CHARACTERS 100
Story Ideas 66
Suggested Viewing and Reading 68
Suppressive Fire 51
Surprise 49
Swim 19

T
Taking Damage 47
Talent 25
Targeted Shots 51
Terrain 52
The American Mafia and its History 55
The Commission 57
The Crime Network Setting 7
The Omerta Code 59
The Story 65
The Vig 58
Things 23
Toxins 40
Turn Order 50
Turn Order, Movement & Timing 49

V
Vehicle 19
Vehicles 43, 53

104  Crime Network