Crew Inspirations

One thing I’ve noticed about BitD after running a few games with different groups of people is that a lot of players have trouble imagining how Crew Types might operate outside of the most obvious and literal interpretations. “Oh, Assassins just kill people for money. That sounds kind of boring.” I wrote up this little document to help inspire my players when deciding on what kind of Crew they wanted to run, it’s based on the Favored Operation types that each Crew Type has and I’ve found it very helpful in terms of getting people’s imaginations running.

Assassins

  • A society of socialites, artists and fallen nobles who acquire property and power through seemingly unconnected “accidents”.
  • An extended family of criminal businessmen who eliminate their competition through disappearances and other covert criminal acts.
  • A cell of revolutionaries who seek to overthrow the state through bloody murders of public officials.
  • A group of do-gooder vigilantes who ransom off the city’s spoiled rich to give back to the poor.

Bravos

  • A squad of mercenaries who go to battle for the highest bidder.
  • A cell of union enforcers willing to use violence and extortion to get the working man a fair shake.
  • A gang of violent criminals who use arson, explosives and sabotage to maintain a protection racket.
  • A team of corporate operatives who damage their employer’s competitors through expensive smash & grabs.

Cult

  • A circle of whispers seeking to increase their power through the acquisition of strange living reliquaries related to a newly discovered god.
  • A cult of demon worshipers desperate for signs and augurs from their god so that they may turn the tables on their powerful enemies.
  • A charismatic congregation seeking to consecrate the city for their deity’s imminent return through hedonistic and perverse rituals.
  • A militant cell of monks who use human sacrifices to grant themselves terrible demonic powers.

Hawkers

  • A crew of suave operators who arrange the sale of weapons for a mysterious benefactor to various gangs in the city.
  • A coven of paranormal scholars who supply strange services and products to demons and ghosts in exchange for forbidden knowledge.
  • A gang of criminals who sell drugs, alcohol and prostitutes to everyone in a district and maintain their market dominance through shows of force.
  • A society of artists and socialites who use their connections to socialize with the rich and powerful and supply their every vice.

Shadows

  • A group of childhood friends who stumbled upon a magical means of stealth and use it to enrich themselves through burglary.
  • A family of bored nobles who amuse themselves by engaging in espionage to further their own personal intrigues.
  • A gang of hardened criminals who specialize in train robberies.
  • A team of company operatives who use sabotage to destroy their competitors.

Smugglers

  • Arms merchants who smuggle weapons into the city to supply the highest bidders.
  • An order of monks who transport ghosts and other weird arcane relics through the city.
  • A gang of common criminals smuggling contraband for a powerful crime family.
  • A team of extraction specialists who smuggle criminals and other wanted people out of the city one step ahead of the law.
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