Street GangsSource Pact Worlds pg. 178
Street gangs look for opportunities to score credits and protect their turfs. Most claim territories in run-down neighborhoods of big settlements, particularly Absalom Station, Nightarch on Apostae, and the fringes of Verces's Ring of Nations. Akiton faces a particular proliferation of these gangs; there are few ways to make an honest living on this planet, so many of its small mining towns are overrun by criminals. The most successful street gangs often work for far-reaching employers such as the Golden League.
Street gangs usually get involved in all manner of illegal activities: engaging in petty theft, making and selling drugs, fencing stolen goods, and running protection rackets, to name a few. A respectable-looking member of the gang or an individual connected to the gang might operate a front for these criminal enterprises, giving the gang a veneer of legitimacy within the community.
Though they operate on opposite sides of the law, street gangs and security forces are usually found in close proximity. The presence of a street gang in a neighborhood is sometimes answered by an increase in security, but if the street gang is too tough, officers of the law looking after their own safety will refuse to tread on the gang's turf. Alternatively, members of a crooked security force might be working hand-in-hand with a street gang to cover up evidence of crimes in exchange for a handful of credits or other favors. Sometimes an officer of the law works with a criminal organization out of a fear for his life or the lives of his family. In either case, when a street gang is able to set down roots, it can rot the morality of a community from within. Example Gang Members Three example gang members are presented below, along with advice on how to use them in similar NPC roles. Adaptation: Street gangs can represent wasteland marauders on Akiton, aspiring space pirates in ports among the asteroids of the Diaspora, or smugglers flying between any parts of the Pact Worlds or beyond. However, by changing their alignment or circumstances, members of a street gang can also be used as a force fighting for freedom on an oppressed world. Encounters Gang members normally favor encounters where they can overwhelm their enemies with intimidating displays of numbers.
Troublemakers (CR 4): Three gang toughs, one gang pusher.
Hit Squad (CR 5): Five gang toughs, one gang machinist.
Rumble (CR 7): Six gang toughs, one gang pusher, two gang machinists.Aliens in the "Street Gangs" FamilySource Pact Worlds pg. 178Gang Pusher CR 2XP 600
Ysoki operative
NE Small humanoid (ysoki)
Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +13
DefenseHP 23
EAC 13; KAC 14
Fort +1; Ref +4; Will +5
Defensive Abilities evasion
OffenseSpeed 30 ft.
Melee tactical baton +8 (1d4 B)
Ranged static arc pistol +8 (1d6 E plus stun; critical arc 2)
Offensive Abilities trick attack +1d8StatisticsSTR +0; DEX +4; CON +0; INT +1; WIS +1; CHA +2
Feats Veiled Threat
Skills Acrobatics +8, Bluff +13, Culture +8, Engineering +13, Intimidate +13, Sleight of Hand +13, Stealth +13, Survival +8
Languages Common, Ysoki, up to 2 others
Other Abilities cheek pouches, moxie, operative exploit (uncanny mobility), specialization (thief)
Gear freebooter armor I, static arc pistol with 1 battery (20 charges), tactical batonDescriptionGang pushers sell the illegal wares their gang collects, most notoriously dangerous and addictive drugs and cheap, shoddy implants. These augmentations might be simple pleasure stimulators or more practical devices of questionable workmanship. Some collect debts owed to the gang or trick marks out of money when subtlety is of more importance than force. Pushers can also be gang bosses who handle all the money their underlings collect by various unsavory means. These pushers might have machinists as elite toughs or personal guards.
Pushers often single out potential threats as soon as they enter the gang's turf, gathering information as thoroughly as reasonably possible before moving to intimidate and drive out the intruders. They spread rumors against any perceived threats, especially nosy adventurers. Most pushers seek to scare residents of their turf into silence regarding any real or potential crimes and thereby stall most investigations in the area.
Adaptation: Pushers can serve as street-savvy scouts and spies for most organizations. A pusher on her own could be a daring thief, stealing for the thrill of it.
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