Episode Twenty-Three - Generational Campaigns and Organized Crime

In which Jim and I listen to a voicemail, list some more sci-fi RPG’s, and talk about campaigns that span multiple generations of PC’s. Then we explore the genre of organized crime (mafia, mob, syndicate, etc.) stories, listing typical tropes, example movies, and some RPG systems / supplements that would help you add this to your campaign.

Listener Challenge: Tell us about a campaign you played in (or ran) that featured organized crime. Especially if the PC’s were members of the crime organization. You can email me at “steve (at) pftdcast (dot) com“, or Jim at “jim (at) pftdcast (dot) com“, leave us a voicemail message at 617-302-PFTD, or add a comment in this forum thread.

Mentioned Media

Note: I'll finishing adding links to all of the mentioned media, in the show notes, some time today (Monday, 30-Aug-2010).

Still listening to the cast, but loving it so far! I've always wondered what a generational game would be like.

As I'm listening, I thought of an interesting spin on this idea. Instead of playing different generations of characters, why not play the same characters in different times?

During the first generation, there was a mishap that stranded the characters in time for a spell--either frozen in carbonite, or a curse from the big bad. After they get free, the have to "fix" where the big bad did in their absence.

During this time, they figure out how to control the mishap of gen one. Now they freeze themselves for when the relm needs them again. Heck they could even start a secret society that decides when their expertise is needed. This society could even be run by the players during the "between times." This helps keep the players in the know of what is going on, even if the characters don't.

Just a thought.

-EF

That's a great idea! Like King Arthur returning when England most needs him. Or, old King Bluetooth who is also supposed to return when needed. I was also thinking of the children from the Narnia series. They keep stepping to Narnia at different times, so they can watch something they've put into place, grow and change between visits.

It could be very difficult to get a typical game group to buy into a generational game, since tradtional RPGs involve building characters in which you are supposed to invest yourself. How well can you play a character that you KNOW is going to be left behind at some point in favor of some other character?

I suggest that a better way to approach this might be by way of "ambush". That is, let the players design their characters, then play them in campaign mode until they have accomplished the big goal. That's usually the point where most groups will decide to try something else--and that's when you introduce the next generation into the story! You can even change rule systems, so long as the genres are compatible. Imagine the looks on the players faces as they realize that they know the locations, NPCs, and history of the world, because they made it!

Jim's Arcanum campaign sort of brushed against this when he brought a D&D setting hundreds of years into the future--players who gamed in that world before might well recognize areas and names that still exist.

If you state up front that this game and its objectives will span several generations, I think it could become more of a tactical simulation than a role play exercise, since the focus will be on completing the objective rather than developing the PCs.

Of course, that said, I just thought of a cool generational game setting--a spaceship that is a "generation ship" sent to colonize another world. One generation launches it, but the journey is so long at sub-light speeds that many generations will be born, live, and die before the ship arrives. Players can play members of different generations, all at a crisis point that needs to be overcome or the ship will face destruction. For example, factions can arise in transit that do not believe the "religion" of colonization, and players can either defeat them or join them. Some disaster may befall the ship, and players can either correct them or fend for themselves. Then of course, the ship arrives, and a whole new series of challenges begin.


As for organized crime: Over the years I have noticed a decided reluctance on my own part to play "bad guys" as protagonists. Rogues, yes, but usually rogues with a moral code. I enjoy gangster movies, but I wouldn't want to BE any of those guys, or run a game for people who would. This even extends to video games in which you have a moral choice to make--I can't even bring myself to become a Sith Lord in a Star Wars game. In Fable and Fallout and games like that, I almost always "do the right thing." So if organized crime makes an appearance in a game of mine, it's usually as adversaries.

You'd better watch out with dissing the Protection Racket, Rune or you might just wind up sleeping with the fishes...

Though the ear thing confuses me. I don't think I could honestly recognize if an ear came from someone I knew or not. I always thought it was supposed to be a picture of the person holding the current day's newspaper.

Mafia/Organised Crime and empire building really work well together. I mean, where's the difference really? Governments only work, because people believe in them, and if there's no majority backing up the Law, the police is nothing more than another gang of thugs.
And since RPGs are a nice way of playing what-if scenarios, it might be worthwhile to tip-toe the fine line between government and mafia. You mentioned that the Mafia operates similarly to feudal structures, yet we pretty much accept that a king can be a rightful ruler. Does might make right?
Or is it the modern aspect of "No taxation without representation" that makes a government? I think in many countries in this world the line is very difficult to draw between organised crime and unorganised governments.
And why is Robin Hood a hero? Isn't the Sheriff of Nottingham merely fighting organised crime?
I think an interesting campaign could be made from playing on these nuances, maybe the freedom fighters that rebel against the unlawful oppression really are the bad guys?

Government and law only work when those in power believe in them. Our culture of self empowerment is far from constant throughout history. Your average serf had no choice but to be obedient, and didn't believe that they had a right to disobey.

As for the nuances between organized crime and government, I think the cyberpunk genre plays with this line pretty well through corporations. Granted, there's a huge difference between legitimate business and a criminal empire, but I think that distinction is very hard to make within that genre.

I was listening to the organized crime part of this, and came up with a cool idea for a crime-fighting game. Crackdown the RPG. The GM prepares a crime family with a boss and a number of lieutenants, with the LT's having a specific job that affects the family in some way, like recruitment, or training, or weapon purchases. The PC's choose which LT to go for, and if they take them out, it affects the mooks guarding the rest of the LTs.

The Crackdown video game series does present a number of interesting elements for RPG play. It has a very Judge Dredd kind of feel. The over the top action of Crackdown could be translated very well into an RPG.

I think I would go for more of the background feel of the environment rather than the actual game play elements. But having a mechanical link for the effects of the PCs actions on the criminal organization could be fun.