Gang Operations
Gangs can be bands of criminals who form together into a thieves guild or they might form as a vigilante group against an oppressive king. There are a wide variety of reasons to join or form a gang, some might get you labeled as a villain and others might label you as a hero.
Gang Focus
There are three focuses the party can concentrate their gang on, which are detailed below. This focus is how the gang interacts with the mechanics of this adventure and how they benefit from taking certain actions.
It is not meant for the players to be constantly changing a gang’s focus, but if they want to, they can spend a number of weeks equal to their gang’s level to adjust their focus, as larger organizations are resistant to change. During this time they can not pick a weekly Gang Activity, but still roll on the End of Week table. This time period is largely to ensure that the party isn’t switching out their organization’s focus every week to circumvent any hurdles they might face with a particular focus over another.
Each focus is detailed later on, but outlines are below.
Brutes
Raw strength and physical presence. During gang fights, they are better at inflicting damage and at taking a hit.
Spies
This focus is best at sabotage and subterfuge. They seek out information before the party takes on different jobs and the gang functions the best when they have time to plan.
Thieves
With a focus on treasure and finding niche items for a discount, the gang can find money just about anywhere.
Gang Level
As the party gets stronger, so should their gang. A gang’s level is a direct reflection as to the total number of members in the gang but that number doesn’t include the gang leaders; the party.
Every time that the gang brings on a new member, they increase their Recruits number. If the number of Recruits equals the number associated with a new Gang Level, the gang levels up. If the number of Recruits decreases below the gang’s current Gang Level, then the gang decreases in level after one week if the Recruits are not replaced.
By-and-large, a party’s gang should stick to around the party’s level throughout the course of their adventuring career with some fluctuations depending on how major events play out and what actions the gang takes.
The number of Recruits needed for each level is based on the same formula tied to a player character’s level. It is equal to 1% of the experience points a player character needs. Characters need 300 XP to level up to Lv-2 and 1% of 300 is 3, so the gang needs 3 Recruits to reach Lv-2.
To increase the gang’s members, see the End of Week.
| Gang Lv | Prof. | Recruits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2 | 0 |
| 2 | +2 | 3 |
| 3 | +2 | 9 |
| 4 | +2 | 27 |
| 5 | +3 | 65 |
| 6 | +3 | 140 |
| 7 | +3 | 230 |
| 8 | +3 | 340 |
| 9 | +4 | 480 |
| 10 | +4 | 640 |
| Gang Lv | Prof. | Recruits |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | +4 | 850 |
| 12 | +4 | 1,000 |
| 13 | +5 | 1,200 |
| 14 | +5 | 1,400 |
| 15 | +5 | 1,650 |
| 16 | +5 | 1,950 |
| 17 | +6 | 2,250 |
| 18 | +6 | 2,650 |
| 19 | +6 | 3,050 |
| 20 | +6 | 3,550 |
Leveling Up
As a gang gets larger, they gain new features, increase their abilities, and more. Each Gang Focus has a chart that shows what each focus gains as they increase in level.
Hit Points
A gang doesn’t have hit points in the traditional sense. Instead, their hit points are the number of Recruits the gang has. If a gang takes damage, the amount of damage they take is put against their total number of Recruits. Typically, a gang will only take small amounts of damage at a time, but as they get larger and larger, new threats might appear that could easily wipe out a smaller gang.
Ability Dice
Gangs do not have ability scores, instead they are given a set of dice that are assigned based on the focus of the gang. These dice increase as the gang levels up, with their main ability increasing at a faster rate than abilities that they are not as skilled in.
| Difficulty | DC |
|---|---|
| Easy | 2 |
| Medium | 3 |
| Hard | 5 |
| Very Hard | 7 |
| Nearly Impossible | 11 |
When the gang is asked to roll, they roll these ability dice and must hit a target number based on how difficult the task is, as determined by the activity and the GM. This means that if an activity requires the gang to roll a d6 and is a Medium difficulty, the gang must roll a 3 or higher on the d6. Gangs start with a d4 in two abilities and a d6 in the final ability, as determined by their focus. As they get stronger, the dice steps up in size, i.e. a d4 turns to a d6, a d6 into a d8, etc.
The gang can gain bonuses and penalties to certain activities, but these will typically only be a +/- 1. In some extreme cases, it could be a +/- 2, but those are special circumstances. These bonuses are cumulative, so if a gang gains a +1 bonus from having a captain and a +2 from some other situation, they’d have a cumulative +3 bonus to their check. If there was a -2 penalty, then it would be added to their bonus, for a total of a +1 bonus to their check.
Most activities presented here have multiple associated DCs that a gang can attempt.
Abilities
There are three abilities that a gang gains ability dice in, Physical, Intellect, and Guile. A gang always has an ability dice for a given ability, though at a smaller size than their main focus. For example, Brutes are known for their strength and so have a greater Physical ability dice compared to their Intellect and Guile.
Brute Focus
Brutes are known for their intense physical presence and ability to knock down anyone who gets in their way. Those who enjoy violence should choose this focus for their gang.
Heavy Hitter
At Lv-2, the gang deals punishing blows. During a gang fight, or similar activity where the gang deals damage, the gang gains a +1 bonus to each damage dice. This damage increases to +2 at Lv-10 and +3 at Lv-18.
During gang fights, this bonus is added before the damage is multiplied.
Intimidating Presence
At Lv-2, the gang utilizes their size and strength and can easily intimidate others with their physical presence. When they attempt the Intimidate activity, they can use their Physical die instead of their Guile die.
Reliable Strength
Starting at Lv-4, when the gang rolls damage during a gang fight, they can choose to reroll any number of their dice. They must keep the second result, even if it is lower than their previous roll.
Defense
At Lv-6, the gang learns how to shrug off damage and keep going in a fight. Whenever the gang’s hit points take damage, they reduce that amount by 1d6. At Lv-14, they reduce it by 1d10.
This amount is not multiplied during a gang fight. An individual in a combat encounter fighting alongside the party doesn’t gain this benefit.
Brute Table
| Lv | Recruits | Proficiency | Physical | Intellect | Guile | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | +2 | d6 | d4 | d4 | |
| 2 | 3 | +2 | d6 | d4 | d4 | Intimidating Presence, Heavy Hitter +1 |
| 3 | 9 | +2 | d6 | d4 | d4 | |
| 4 | 27 | +2 | d6 | d4 | d4 | Reliable Strength |
| 5 | 65 | +3 | d6 | d4 | d4 | |
| 6 | 140 | +3 | d8 | d4 | d4 | Defense (1d6) |
| 7 | 230 | +3 | d8 | d6 | d6 | |
| 8 | 340 | +3 | d8 | d6 | d6 | |
| 9 | 480 | +4 | d8 | d6 | d6 | |
| 10 | 640 | +4 | d8 | d6 | d6 | Heavy Hitter +2 |
| 11 | 850 | +4 | d8 | d6 | d6 | |
| 12 | 1,000 | +4 | d10 | d6 | d6 | |
| 13 | 1,200 | +5 | d10 | d6 | d6 | |
| 14 | 1,400 | +5 | d10 | d8 | d8 | Defense (1d10) |
| 15 | 1,650 | +5 | d10 | d8 | d8 | |
| 16 | 1,950 | +5 | d10 | d8 | d8 | |
| 17 | 2,250 | +6 | d10 | d8 | d8 | |
| 18 | 2,650 | +6 | d12 | d8 | d8 | Heavy Hitter +3 |
| 19 | 3,050 | +6 | d12 | d8 | d8 | |
| 20 | 3,550 | +6 | d12 | d8 | d8 |
Spy Focus
Known for constantly planning and preparing, they are often hired to obtain information or embed spies in rival organizations. Those who are looking for well trained assistants should choose this focus for their gang.
Mindful Numbers
At Lv-2, the gang can fix bets, count cards, and more. When they attempt the Make Money activity, they can use their Intellect die instead of their Guile die.
Planned For This
Thanks to the gang’s incessant need for planning, at Lv-2, the party can recall dozens of different plans and strategies. When they roll an ability check, they can roll the gang’s Intellect die and add it to their total after seeing the result of their d20 roll but before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. They can use this feature two times per day. When the gang reaches Lv-10, this feature can be used four times, and at Lv-18, it can be used six times.
The total number of times this feature can be used per day is cumulative for the party and if one character expends all uses of it, all uses are expended for the party.
Sneaky Insight
Beginning at Lv-4, the gang can read their opponents with ease. During the start of a round in a gang fight, they learn how many dice their rival is allocating to one of the following of their choice: Attacking, Defending, or Assisting.
Scouted
At Lv-6, the gang is better at gathering information and sends out scouts before the party goes out on a job. The information they bring back is based on the result of a rolled Intellect ability die. The GM has final say on when the gang might not have enough time to scout out an area, like if the party is suddenly attacked in the streets or the party changes their plans at the last minute.
| DC | Information Gathered |
|---|---|
| 3 | Rough estimates of enemies that can be spotted from the outside or through windows, or anything that can be spotted with a DC 10 Perception check. For example, they might report that there are a dozen guards, that the front doors might be trapped, or any other basic information. |
| 7 | The spies provide more information, like guards carry crossbows or they are spellcasters, or anything that can be spotted with a DC 15 Perception check. For example, they can say that there is a spellcaster guarding the exterior of the building but still can't access the entrance and can only peek through any available windows. |
| 11 | A spy gains access to the inside and can provide a rough map of the common areas, better numbers of enemies, or anything that can be spotted with a DC 20 Perception check. They can not kill guards but might be able to steal something small like a key. Such an action can put the enemies on guard. For example, they can say that the front room is guarded by two guards, there is a well disguised trap in the hallway, or provide a rough map. |
Poisoned Foes
Starting at Lv-14, the gang has perfected the art of poisons and silent sabotage. When the gang successfully completes the Scouted feature, the party can choose a number of creatures equal to their proficiency bonus that their gang found and have their spies inflict them with a slow acting poison. This might be ingested through food or from a contact poison.
Each creature affected must make a Constitution saving throw, the DC is equal to the gang’s level. On a failed save, the creature is poisoned for 1 hour at a point in time of the party’s choice due to the delaying poison.
Thief Focus
Pickpockets, heists, gambling, and more are the specialties of this gang. Those who want to make a lot of money should choose this focus for their gang.
More Where That Came From...
At Lv-2, the gang is quite adept at accumulating wealth and finding ways to make money no matter what they earn. When the gang successfully completes the Make Money activity and makes any amount of treasure, they earn an additional 1d4 Treasure Die. This increases to a 1d6 at Lv-10 and a 1d8 at Lv-18.
Well Skilled
Starting at Lv-2, the gang can help instruct their leaders in new ways to use their abilities. All party members can be instructed by the gang and temporarily gain proficiency in the same skill. This proficiency lasts until the gang uses this feature again or they pick another skill to train the leaders in. At Lv-10, if a character is already proficient in the skill that the gang teaches them, they instead can double their proficiency bonus for the skill.
Suave Assistance
Beginning at Lv-4, when the gang takes the Assisting action for a character during a gang fight, the character uses the gang’s Guile die instead of their Physical die.
Members Only
At Lv-6, the gang has made a name for itself and it can capitalize on their reputation. When they roll for Membership, they can add their Guile ability dice to the d20 roll so long as they spend a 1d4 Treasure Dice.
Treasure Dice
One of the biggest reasons to form up a gang is the promise of money. Whether through illicit means or by buying low and selling high, a gang has to make money somehow, and they need a lot to keep their recruits happy.
Treasure Dice can be found by the players, they can also be earned by a gang, or stolen from businesses. They are an abstract measurement of wealth as it represents not just gold pieces but also supplies, food, trade goods, and other items that hold monetary value.
A gang is considered self-sufficient enough that the amount of money they bring in each week is enough to pay their members. A Treasure Die is rarely used to pay the gang except under specific situations.
Different Sizes
There are five different sizes of Treasure Dice with a 1d4 being the smallest and increasing to 1d6, 1d8, 1d10, and 1d12 being the most expensive. To reach a higher Treasure Dice size, it requires accumulating enough of the lower sized Treasure Dice equal to the die number associated with it.
For example, a 1d6 Treasure Dice is equal to 4d4 Treasure Dice, just as a 1d8 Treasure Dice is equal to 6d6 Treasure Dice, and those same 6d6 Treasure Dice would be equal to 24d4 Treasure Dice. A chart is provided below.
| Treasure Dice | 1d4 | 1d6 | 1d8 | 1d10 | 1d12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1d4 | 1d4 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1d6 | 4d4 | 1d6 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1d8 | 24d4 | 6d6 | 1d8 | -- | -- |
| 1d10 | 192d4 | 48d6 | 8d8 | 1d10 | -- |
| 1d12 | 1920d4 | 480d6 | 80d8 | 10d10 | 1d12 |
Spending Treasure Dice
For a basic number, a 1d4 Treasure Dice represents about 100 gp worth of goods, supplies, and money. By extension, a 1d12 Treasure Dice is worth about 192,000 gp. Treasure Dice are simply used to keep this number abstract though and specifics are not needed.
Instead, you might decide that while 1d6 might be about 400 gg, it’s fine to offer a 1d6 Treasure Dice instead of having the players pay a 500 gp bribe. These dice are meant to be representations of large amounts of money simplified to a simple dice token to help ease of play.
For most people, a bribe of a 1d4 Treasure Dice is enough to help them rise out of poverty. A 1d4 Treasure Dice stops being a powerful motivator for merchants though who might see that much wealth in a week or less. For kings and nobility though, not even a 1d12 Treasure Dice is enough to bribe them into doing something against their best interest.
Buying Magic Items
In large cities, just about anything might be found for sale. The prices just might be more than most are willing to spend. Treasure Dice can be used to purchase certain items, though the GM has final say on what is and what isn’t available within the city, as well as how much it will cost.
Below are rough guidelines on the cost of a magic item, based on the rarity of the item.
| Rarity | Treasure Dice |
|---|---|
| Uncommon | 1d4 to 1d6 |
| Rare | 1d6 to 1d8 |
| Very Rare | 1d8 to 1d12 |
Captains
While individuals of a gang are not a focus of this system, there are some individuals who are a bit stronger or more skilled than a typical gang member. These individuals quickly rise to the rank of captain, or require the title of captain before they deign to join the gang. They are often given control over specific operations of a gang, or their expertise simply lets the gang excel at different things better, even if the gang’s focus is different.
A gang can only benefit from a number of captains equal to their proficiency bonus, which is based on the gang’s level. From Lv-1 to Lv-4, a gang can only gain the benefits of 2 captains, from Lv-5 to Lv-9 the benefits of 3 captains, and so on. While a gang is not gaining the benefits of a captain, the NPC is still working but their influence isn’t considered for the gang’s overall strategy and focus.
The following captains act as examples for what benefits a captain could provide. The gang can change which captains they gain the benefit of once per week after they resolve Gang Activities.
- Money Focused. Money can be found anywhere, you just have to know where to look. Benefit: When the gang takes the Earn Money activity, this captain grants the gang a +1 bonus on the check.
- Supply Cache. This captain can secret supplies across a city. Benefit: This captain can secret supplies throughout the city for the party. Once per day, the party can visit a supply cache that has been set up and gather basic supplies like rope, a potion of healing, or any other common adventuring equipment that is 50 gp or less. The total weight of these supplies can not exceed 5 lbs. The GM has final say as to where these caches are created, but it is often in high traffic areas and small alleys, hidden under loose stone or in rubbish piles. Any unused equipment is then returned to the gang at the end of the day.
- Organization Focused. With a good head for numbers and organization, this captain can help keep track of a lot of information. Benefit: When the gang rolls for events during their End of Week, they add a +1 bonus to the roll.
- Notoriety Focused. This captain helps in gaining recruits. Benefit: When the gang takes the Recruit activity, this captain grants the gang a +1 bonus on the check.
Gang Activities
At the end of every week, the party determines what was the focus of the gang for that week. While these activities are “taken” at the end of the week, that is only to help ease of play. They party can announce their activity at any time.
The gang can only choose a single activity each week and the check is rolled before captains are switched out. This means that a captain must be in place first before the party can gain the benefits of having them as a captain.
The following activities are just a few suggestions on what the gang can focus.
Bodyguards
The gang looks to keep their officers safe and assigns bodyguards to each of their leaders. The total strength of the party’s bodyguards is based on the gang’s Physical ability die.
| Die | Bodyguard CR |
|---|---|
| 1d4 | 2 |
| 1d8 | 4 |
| 1d12 | 8 |
The total CR of all creatures must be equal to or less than the Bodyguard CR. The GM typically decides which creatures are available.
Based on the Physical ability die.
Border War
The gang starts to test the boundaries of another gang’s territory, attacking small patrols or scaring off rival members. The gang deals damage to their rival based on the outcome of the check.
| DC | Damage |
|---|---|
| 3 | 1d4 |
| 7 | 2d6 |
| 11 | 3d8 |
Roll a Physical ability die. In addition, there is a chance that the individuals attacked have a 1d4 Treasure Dice, multiple the result of the Physical die by 10, then roll a d100. If your result is equal to or less than the resulting number, the gang earns a 1d4 Treasure Dice.
If a gang is destroyed in a Border War, by reducing their recruits to 0, the party earns that gang’s Treasure Dice.
Intimidate
The gang decides to focus on its horrifying reputation. The gang decides to focus on its horrifying reputation. When the gang rolls their Membership during the End of Week, they can increase the result of their check by the bonus associated with the DC.
| DC | Bonus |
|---|---|
| 3 | +1 |
| 7 | +1d4 |
| 11 | +1d6 |
Roll a Guile ability die.
Make Money
The gang looks to make as much money as they can, this could come from stealing, cheating, or demanding more money from those they protect.
| DC | Treasure Dice |
|---|---|
| 3 | 2d4 |
| 7 | 2d6 |
| 11 | 2d8 |
Roll a Guile ability die.
Recover
The gang is focused on recovering from losses and damage. If the gang took damage since the last End of Week, they can be focusing on recovering and keeping their members alive.
| DC | HP Recovered |
|---|---|
| 3 | PBd4 |
| 7 | PBd6 |
| 11 | PBd8 |
The result of the check determines how many recruits can be recovered, up to the amount of damage that the gang suffered. If the gang suffered 5 damage since the last End of Week, they could only recover up to 5. If they recover 6 or more, the additional recovered hit points have no effect.
Roll an Intellect ability die.
Recruit
The gang focuses on increasing their numbers beyond what they normally receive at the End of Week. A gang can grant themselves a +1 bonus to this check by spending a 1d4 Treasure Dice before they roll.
| DC | Recruits |
|---|---|
| 3 | PBd4 |
| 7 | PBd6 |
| 11 | PBd8 |
This bonus increases to +2 if they spend a 1d6, or a +3 if they spend a 1d8.
Roll a Guile ability die.
Sabotage
The gang goes about creating devastation and destruction. The party decides what they are wanting the gang to destroy, like a building or structure, and the gang gets to work on it. The GM has final say on the difficulty of such a task and certain things might be impossible or a failed check will result in multiple recruits being captured or killed in the attempt.
| DC | Example Tasks |
|---|---|
| 3 | Destroy a public monument, a small house, or cause a wreck on the street. |
| 7 | Sink a small ship or cover up clues at a crime scene. |
| 11 | Destroy a gang’s watchpost or a small jailhouse. |
Roll an Intellect ability die.
Scour the Markets
The gang has all eyes out for specific magic items that the gang leaders want. The gang can be on the lookout for a number of items equal to their proficiency bonus.
| DC | Item Rarity |
|---|---|
| 3 | Uncommon |
| 7 | Rare |
| 11 | Very Rare |
The rarity of an item they can find is based on the result of their check. Not every magic item can be found and it is up to the GM to inform players of what items can’t be found by their gang before they take this activity.
Roll a Guile ability die.
End of Week
At the end of every week, the gang might gain new members, expand their territory, or take damage. Once a gang finishes their Gang Activity and changes their captains, they can proceed to the End of Week.
This process requires the rolling of 2d20, one d20 is for determining the growth of the gang’s members and the other is for determining a random setback, breakthrough, or event that happens to the gang during the week.
The abbreviation PB before a dice notation means that you roll a number of dice equal to the gang’s Proficiency Bonus. For example, PBd8 means that you would roll a d8 a number of times equal to the gang’s Proficiency Bonus so a Lv-3 gang would roll 2d8.
If you would gain Treasure Dice based on the gang’s Proficiency Bonus, instead of rolling those dice, the gang adds that total to their treasury. For example PBd4 Treasure Dice would mean the gang gains a number of 1d4 Treasure Dice equal to their Proficiency Bonus.
Membership
Membership within the gang ebbs and flows over time. At the end of every week, roll a d20 and consult the chart below. If the gang loses recruits, this can come from taking damage from a rival or recruits leave the gang willingly, which is specified. You might reroll a result of 1-7 during the first few week so that the party keeps recruits and their gang.
| d20 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Suffer PBd8 damage. |
| 2 | Suffer PBd6 damage. |
| 3 | PBd6 members leave. |
| 4 | Suffer PBd4 damage. |
| 5-6 | PBd4 members leave. |
| 7-9 | No change. |
| 10-13 | Gain PBd4 members. |
| 14-16 | Gain PBd6 members. |
| 17-19 | Gain PBd8 members. |
| 20 | Gain PBd10 members. |
Events
Every week can hold something different for the gang. It could be a rush of new members, additional treasure, a new gang rising nearby, or some other event.
| d20 | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Numbers. Roll Membership again with a -5 penalty (minimum result of 1). |
| 2 | Thief. Each character must make a DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check, for each failed check, the gang loses a 1d4 Treasure Dice. The gang loses 1d4 recruits. |
| 3 | Splinter. A splinter group forms. Roll the gang’s best ability die against a DC 6. On a success, the gang stops the group. On a fail, they lose PBd4 Treasure Dice. Regardless, the gang loses PBd4 members. |
| d20 | Event |
|---|---|
| 4 | Sloppy Management. The gang takes a -1 penalty to all checks until the next End of Week. |
| 5 | Sudden Problem. The gang reattempts their gang activity they chose as a sudden complication arises. They take the lower result of both attempts. |
| 6 | Ambushed. A rival gang strikes out at a patrol. Make a DC 5 Physical check. On a failed check, your gang suffers PBd4 damage. |
| 7 | Lost Territory. The gang loses a few businesses. They must make a DC 3 Guile check. On a fail, they lose a 1d4 Treasure Dice. They reattempt this check every week until they succeed. |
| 8 | Traitor. The gang has a spy within their midst. They must make a DC 3 Intellect check. On a fail, the gang takes PBd4 damage every week from lost patrols and stolen intel. They reattempt this check every week until they succeed. |
| 9 | Push Back. Smaller gangs are pushing back against your gang, causing problems for operations. The gang must make a DC 3 Physical check. On a fail, the gang takes a -1 penalty to their gang activities for the next week. They reattempt this check every week until they succeed. |
| 10-11 | Members. Roll membership again. |
| 12 | Easy Job. The gang takes on an easy job. Make a DC 3 ability check with the gang’s highest ability die. On a success, the gang gains a 1d4 Treasure Dice. On a failed result, the gang takes 1d4 damage. (You can choose to not take the job.) |
| 13 | Tough Job. The gang takes on a tough job. Make a DC 5 ability check with the gang’s highest ability die. On a success, the gang gains 2d4 Treasure Dice and 1d4 damage. On a failed result, the gang takes 2d6 damage. (You can choose to not take the job.) |
| 14 | Extreme Job. The gang takes on a challenging job. Make a DC 7 check with the gang’s highest ability die. On a success, the gang gains 1d6 Treasure Dice and 1d6 damage. On a failed result, the gang takes 3d8 damage. (You can choose to not take the job.) |
| 15 | Lucky Guess. The gang has found a lucky gambling strategy. Make a DC 5 Intellect check. On a success, the gang gains PBd4 Treasure Dice. |
| 16 | Second Chance. The gang can reattempt their gang activity they chose for the week. They take the higher result of both attempts. |
| 17 | Rush of Insight. Pick one of the gang’s ability dice and increase it by one size (1d4 to 1d6, 1d8 to 1d10, etc. to a maximum of 1d12). This temporary increase lasts until the next End of Week. |
| 18 | Reputation. A small gang asks to join, offering members and supplies. Your gang gains 1d4 x 1d4 recruits and a 1d4 Treasure Dice. |
| 19 | Cache. The gang found a cache of supplies. Gain 2d4 Treasure Dice. |
| 20 | New Members. Roll Membership again with a +5 bonus (maximum result of 20). |
Gang Fight
When two gangs come together in a bloody conflict, it might involve dozens or hundreds of people. Before a gang fight begins, each side must determine how many members they are sending to the event and how many members are staying back.
Recruits & Gang Activity
So long as half of a gang’s members stay back from the fight, the party can still gain the benefit of selecting a Gang Activity for the week. Otherwise, too many members have been called for and focused on preparing for a fight and then recovering from it, you then skip that week’s activity.
Proficiency Bonus
The number of gang members fighting determines the proficiency bonus for the gang during the fight. The proficiency bonus is an important number as it determines how many dice the gang has during each round of combat. This number can go down during the fight as the gang takes damage and loses members. Its important to keep track of just how much damage each gang has taken and as it might decrease their proficiency bonus during the fight.
Fighting
When a gang begins a gang fight, it is assumed that the party is facing off against the leaders of the imposing gang, though some massive gangs may have distinct units where the party won’t fight the entire gang at once but rather a section of them at a time, in which case the party fights the strongest members in that group.
The rest of the rival gang fights the party’s gang in the background. At the top of every round, before any characters or monsters take their turn in the initiative, the gangs take their turns.
During the Fight
The gangs take their turn at the same time. For ease of play, the gangs fight at the same speed as the party’s combat. There might be rare cases where the party defeats their rivals in a single round, at which point you may decide to continue the gang fight for another round or two while the party explains how they are helping their gang win.
The gang has a pool of dice equal to their proficiency bonus, the size of each die is based on their Physical die. Each gang, in secret, determines how many of their dice they are going to allocate to Attacking, Defending, and Assisting. Once both sides have made their choices, they each reveal their decisions at the same time. Then, the Attacking dice are rolled and contested by the Defending dice. Once that is finished, the gang then decides what they wish to do with their Assisting dice.
- Attacking. When a gang attacks, they deal damage to their rival. This might be killing or running them off. To determine damage, a gang rolls the dice they have allocated to Attacking and then multiplying the total by half the gang’s level, rounded down. That total is then dealt as damage against the rival gang.
- Defending. When a gang defends, they are attempting to mitigate damage and keep up their effectiveness. When damage is dealt against the gang, the gang rolls the dice they have allocated to Defending and then multiplying the total by half their level, rounded down. Then subtract the damage taken by that total, potentially reducing it to 0.
- Assisting. When a gang assists, they are helping their leaders, namely the party. They help one character per dice that they allocate to Assisting. A character that is being assisted can add the gang’s Physical die to a single d20 roll of their choice that they make before the start of the next round. If the die isn’t used by then, it expires to no effect.
Leaders
As the party is fighting the leader’s of the opposing gang, they can quickly cause the other gang to fall apart and lose morale. Whenever a leader is reduced to 0 hit points, including one of the party members, the gang witnesses this event and is shaken.
A gang must make a DC 3 ability check using their best ability die. If they fail, they lose PBd4 recruits immediately as the recruits flee from the fight. This doesn’t reduce the gang’s total recruits but rather reduces their current force. The DC for this check increases by 1 and the die increases by one size for every additional leader that is reduced to 0 hp, to a maximum of DC 7 and PBd12. This means that upon the second leader being reduced to 0 hp, it becomes DC 4 and PBd6, and for the third leader, it becomes DC 5 and PBd8.
End of Encounter
Once all of one gang’s leaders are reduced to 0 hit points, the gangs stop fighting. The winning gang can attempt to recruit the other side’s members and bolster the size of their gang. A character or leader can make a speech or some other display, making a Charisma (Intimidation, Persuasion, or Performance) check. They then multiply that check by three, and that is the percentage of the other gang that is willing to join their side. The others, unless attacked or some how hindered, slip away and melt back into the city.
For example, if the party wins and their bard gives a speech, the bard makes a Charisma check. If they roll a 15, they multiply that total by 3 for a total of 45. This means that 45% of the living rival gang is willing to join the party’s gang and the rest simply disperse into the city.
In Play
At the start of the round, each gang decides where to put their dice. If both gangs only have 25 gang members taking part in the fight, they each have a proficiency bonus of +2 and are Lv-3. This means they each have two dice that they can assign to Attacking, Defending, or Assisting.
One gang assigns a die to Attacking and the other to Defending. The other gang goes all in on Attacking and assigns both dice to it. Each gang then reveals their choices, rolling their Attacking die and multiplying the result by half of their gang’s level, rounded down.
Once the damage is totaled, the single gang that put a die into Defending rolls that die, multiplies the total by half their gang level, rounded down. They then reduce the amount of damage they took by their Defending total. Each gang then applies any damage they were unable to reduce. They repeat this until one side claims victory.
Example Gangs
A few example gangs are provided below.
Credit
If you like this homebrew and want to see it in an adventure, check out Trouble in Lower Bern by Dump Stat Adventures.
Sewer Gang
Territory: sewers
Physical Intellect Guile d4 d4 d6
- Level 4 Proficiency Bonus +2
- Recruits 35 Captains 2
- Leader Lizardfolk Treasure Dice 2d4
Ambushed. If the gang allocate a die to Attacking on the first round of combat, they can add their Guile die to the damage before it is multiplied.
Captain 1 Benefit. The gang gain a +1 bonus to their Intimidate check.
Captain 2 Benefit . The gang adds a +1 bonus to their Border War check.
Fight / 2 Dice
Attacking. Damage is equal to Xd4 x 2.
Defending. Defense is equal to Xd4 x 2.
Assisting. 1d4 to a d20 roll to a leader.
Tactics
During a fight, the gang allocates a die to Attacking, which allows them to include their Guile dice on the first strike, and then one to Defending. After that, they rely on their leader to quickly kill their enemies and stick to Defending and Assisting.
Distillery Gang
Territory: small distillery
Physical Intellect Guile d6 d4 d4
- Level 2 Proficiency Bonus +2
- Recruits 8 Captains 0
- Leader Brewer Treasure Dice 3d4
Distillery. The gang owns a distillery and gain a 1d4 Treasure die from its operations every week. If they consume 1d4 Treasure die worth of alcohol before a fight, they reduce the DC by 1, to a starting DC 2, if a leader goes down in the fight.
Fight / 2 Dice
Attacking. Damage is equal to Xd6 x 1.
Defending. Defense is equal to Xd6 x 1.
Assisting. 1d6 to a d20 roll to a leader.
Tactics
They only focus on Attacking during a fight, no matter the end result.
Street Gang
Territory: small neighborhood along a street
Physical Intellect Guile d4 d6 d4
- Level 3 Proficiency Bonus +2
- Recruits 13 Captains 1
- Leader Brawler Treasure Dice 1d4
Foul Reputation. If the gang is the target of a Border War check, they impose a -2 penalty to the check.
Captain Benefit. The gang gets a +1 bonus to Attacking damage before it is multiplied.
Fight / 2 Dice
Attacking. Damage is equal to Xd4 x 1.
Defending. Defense is equal to Xd4 x 1.
Assisting. 1d4 to a d20 roll to a leader.
Tactics
The gang avoids direct confrontation and instead trades in secrets. They act as spies for other gangs.