Biker Gangs in Journeylands

~ Every day for the rest of August, I'm posting content for the Journeylands mini-RPG playtest! Find out more and get the rules for free right here. ~

“Forgive us if we’re a lil jumpy… There’s a gang ‘round these parts, been stirrin’ up an awful lot of trouble of late. We heard your engine coming, thought you might be with ‘em! Say… You look like capable folk. Don’t suppose you’d be willing to chase ‘em out of town for us?”

Mark the gang’s hideout as a Point on your map. The gang controls all Routes connected to that point, and frequently venture further, causing mischief and mayhem in any connected Points.

The gang has 2 members for each XP point you’ve given each player so far (min 4, max 10), and a bike for each member and the boss plus 1d6 spare bikes at the hideout.

Each bike can be scrapped for about 1k’s worth of useful parts, but nobody will buy the bike as-is due to the gang connection. The hideout has about 2k’s worth of valuable goods/cash/treasure, and the boss has a bounty on their head of 1k plus 1k for each gang member.

By Default:

Bikers: ACT all d4. Grit 2. Trait: Driver.

Bikes: Handling 6, Power 4, Weapons 6, Body 1, Fuel 5.

Some Sample Gangs:

The Barracudas all drive sleek, silver-blue bikes, robbing places and making quick getaways.

Boss: Mama Shark. Voluptuous and deadly. Grit 4, Ad6, Cd4, Td8. Traits: Fighter, Driver, Thief.

Hideout: The Aquarium. A dusty old warehouse where the bikers keep their stolen goods.

1d10 Bikers:

1: Flippers. Short, fat, simple.
2: Davy. Tall, lean, conniving but cowardly.
3: Sharktooth. Muscular, broad-shouldered. Takes no nonsense. Toughness d6.
4: Billy the Squid. Mute. Carries twin pistols. Coordination d6, upgrade ACT die if firing a gun.
5: Nancy Wakame. Attractive, smells odd. Agility d6.
6: Archie. Scars across chest. Loud, affable. Toughness d6.
7: Ishmael. Big, thick, bushy beard. Hides a knife in there.
8: Luke “Big Fish” Rodriguez. Calm, cool. Always wearing a flashy jacket. Coordination d6.
9: Viper. Slender, mysterious. Upgrade ACT die if sneak attacking.
10: Slim Willie. Enormously overweight. Toughness d6.

The Lucky Sevens drive flashy, retro roadsters. They splash their cash around and cause a ruckus.

Boss: X. Lean, pale, a gambler’s confidence. Grit 3, A8, C10, T4. Traits: Gamer (playing, cheating).

Hideout: Gold Rush Casino. The most rigged joint in town.

1d10 Bikers:

1: Jimmy Violence. Slightly unhinged. Carries 2d6 grenades.
2: Slick Larry. Greasy, smoker, sharp suit. Coordination d6.
3: Mathilde the Card. Bushy hair, watchful eyes. Coordination d6.
4: Gunsmoke. Big shades, pinstripes, tommy gun. Upgrade ACT die in a firefight.
5: Maurice. Stetson, bolo tie, cigar. Upgrade ACT die on a quick draw.
6: Ace. Leather jacket, cool hair, handsome. Has a switchblade. Trait: Mechanic.
7: “Fingers” Malone. Pencil moustache, gold tooth. Coordination d10.
8: Smokey Jalfrezi. Prosthetic leg, knuckledusters. Toughness d6.
9: “Blind-Eye” Santana. Elderly, wears an eyepatch. Upgrade ACT die if using a firearm.
10: Frankie the Scoundrel. Scar on one cheek, well dressed. Agility d6.

The Mushroom Boys are all constantly off their heads on the substances they peddle.

Boss: Apparently none. They just kind of do stuff.

Hideout: The Devil’s Armpit. A dank old cave in the side of a mountain.

1d10 Bikers:

1: Strangles. Several missing teeth. Upgrade ACT die if grappling in a fight.
2: Loopo. Speaks in gibberish the others seem to understand.
3: Boltz. Carries a huge wrench. Trait: Mechanic.
4: Buttface. Bosses the others around. 3 Grit, spends it to aid teammates’ rolls.
5: Meep. Hairless, stares a lot. Agility d6.
6: Doof. Fuckin’ huge. Toughness d8.
7: Gizza. Speaks in third person.
8: Bosh. Dopey, doesn’t really seem to register surroundings. Toughness d6.
9: Nuts. Has broken legs, so rides with another biker or goes piggyback.
10: Choppa. Carries a big jagged saw-sword. Agility d6, upgrade ACT die if attacking.