A city of crime and high jinks
To the extent possible under law, Benrob0329 has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work.
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Welcome to Earth. The year is 2022, the world still reeling from the global pandemic, many people have opted to work from home on a more permanent basis. Many are finding new hobbies, even careers doing things they couldn’t have dreamed of making a living off of but a few years prior. While we may never know the full extent of the changes the pandemic has brought, it’s given everyone a unique perspective that will be impossible to repeat without having lived through it.
Now forget all of that because the world ended in 2012.
Welcome to Baxfield, New York. A smaller city somewhere north of the Big Apple. When the world ended in 2012, most major governments pulled funding from the lesser populated areas and outlying territories, resulting in civil unrest. In the ensuing power-gap, a lot of criminal organizations seized the opportunity to take portions of the city for themselves, sometimes even whole districts.
Over the years, these factions have fought with each other and attempted to stamp the others out, resulting in continued unrest for those uninvolved. The general turmoil of the area caused many companies to either go out of business or close up shop and move elsewhere. What little remained was either under the control of a mafia group, or in the sparse neutral zones between. “Now that funding is trickling back in, a local police force has been slowly pushing back the influence of the various criminal organizations. For most, that would be a good thing; for you however, that might spell disaster, or..opportunity.
In this city, you are a criminal, perhaps a vigilante, who’s bread and butter relies on the chaos that had brought this city to it’s knees for so long. Now, with the threat of order rising once again, you’ll have to ride the line of reputable and dangerous if you want to survive.
Ruffles of water ebb off the shoreline, while a pinch of salt mixes with the air. Weathered boards creak to the step of each dock hand, as crates of supplies and nets of fish are carried from their floating canisters.
These parts are home to some of the hardest working men and women of this city, but they are also home to some nasty smuggling operations. While no one organization lays claim to it, there are many portions which are fenced off as private land for the likes of marina companies and mafia alike.
A crumple of paper rustles softly in the wind, only to be overpowered by gunshots in the distance. The sun stretches over the tips of buildings towering down the street, glistening in the windows not yet illuminated over the evening light.
People live here, people of many creeds and kinds. Some are just passing though, while others have been here since this city was a much smaller place. Condos, hotels, gated communities from a bygone era all find their place here. For many, it’s the only home they can afford in these trying times, though even then it’s hard to imagine that anyone else could be doing much better.
Further outside the inner city are the suburbs. Here, some of the better off denizens of the city hold down what little is left to claim as their own.
Further out still are the out-of-townies: farmers, animal tenders, etc. Not a lot happens out here, and it’s residents would like to keep it that way.
On the north end of town are the shops, a combination of old storefronts and some industrial buildings. Much of the mafia holds up here, usually in old warehouses and parking garages.
In the middle of the city is the old downtown area. This is where many of the historical buildings, small stores, and the governmental building reside.
During the collapse, a local power gap left much of the city in disarray. In the chaos, one man would assemble his forces and form a local militia: Rufo Medici. Over the years, his mafia would bail out businesses with loans to get other mobs off their backs, offer protection from other organizations, and then collect “taxes” from people under his thumb and in his debt.
At one time, if you asked anyone they’d tell you that this was Medici’s city, but with the local police force reforming he’s been pushed back. His mob is a shell of it’s former self, but he’s still holding out that he can maintain a foothold long enough to sneak away before the law catches up with him.
In the past year or so, the federal government has restarted funding to many outlying territories, and this city is no exception. A local police force has been formed, many members having originally hailed from New York City. They’ve managed to take back a lot of mob territory, but the footholds held by many of them still hold firm.
After the collapse, after the grid went down, after most access to the outside world was gone, many simply gave up on the tech they had come to rely on so much in the years prior. However, wherever there’s tech, there are nerds who just don’t know when to throw in the towel.
Hooking up solar panels, generators, and HAM radio modems some locally started to setup a close-nit intranet in the surrounding area. Utilizing the outdated but functioning tech that many had simply thrown out. It kept them connected, kept them moving, and eventually, it even helped them organize.
Through a series of disjointed IRC chats, hypertext documents, and other facilities, a number of small groups started to crop up from the local hacker’s scene. Many of these members meet in a handful of local nightclubs, such as the venerable Black Orchid.
In a city full of nobodies, someone’s gotta have the reputation. Freelancers come in all shapes, sizes, and moral characteristics. Some are filling in the gaps where the cops can’t get to yet, others are sweeping the last of the mob’s cooked past under the rug, while the rest take what they can get, where they can get it.
The man, the myth, the mob boss. Rufo used to rule the town with an iron fist, but more recently his empire is crumbling beneath him. He still has a lot of influence and money though, which he uses to hire various contractors and freelancers to do his bidding. Those within his circles will know to meet his summons in an abandoned parking garage in The Shops.
Rufo’s right hand man, good at gathering intel and blending in to a crowd. Doesn’t usually say much, but is always around.
A notable arms-dealer, most well known for her cut-throat attitude. She’s made a lot of enemies, and is rumored to live out on the water when not actively making contracts.
A black market car dealer. Sells stolen and stripped vehicles to whoever needs them. If push came to shove, she could probably out-hire Rufo if a clash happened, but Rufo gives her a lot of business so she doesn’t meddle, much.
Private investigator who started working for the cops a few years back. He’s got a criminal background snuffing out back stabbers for the mob, but spends his time now plotting to take them down.
First and foremost, we need to know who our intrepid malice makers are! Anyone with returning characters can leave them as-is, including items and money.
Build character with the following guidelines:
This module has a handful of additional character features that you can choose from.
Steady Source of Income
Feature
It’s not much, but you have a steady source of income between jobs. Whenever there is a time jump between jobs, you gain 2d6 dollars.
The right place, at the right time
Feature
You have a knack for showing up just in the nick of time. Once per job, you may appear at a place you can see in an insignificant amount of time, having already made the move to be there before having used this ability.
I know a guy
Feature
Once per job, you can name an NPC that you know and have decent rapport with. They are nearby to your current location and available to meet with you.
Oh yeah, I’ve got one of those
Feature
A bit of a pack rat, you’ve collected a number of useful items that come in handy every now and again. Once per heist, you can name a pocketable item that you have on your person, or a larger item you have stashed somewhere you have access to.
Coupon Clicker
Feature
Wth your connections and experience, you have more ready access to guns that others don’t. You can purchase guns for half-price.
Car Jacker
Feature
You have a shop you can go to with all of the items needed to strip and repaint a stolen vehicle. You can do this in a matter of hours, and the vehicle appears to be a completely different unit to the untrained eye.