"read these words, get set to learn, this ain't an option

cuz whatcha got before ya is a bomb droppin

this ain't a treatise or a reason to stress
it's a game, clean and plain.• don't be rnakin a mess
this ain't meant to dignify or signify
this ain't an attempt to explain or to justify
this ain't an endorsement or some kinda judgment
use some discretion, don't be obsessin or oppressin
and use a cool head in your enforcement
i ain't sayin this is how you should be playin in real life
i ain't sayin i understand the strife
this is just a world, just a pearl, and just a little grain of truth
the rest is fiction causin friction, and i got the proof
so be smart and be level-headed
and give your people just a little bit of credit
so chill, get set for thrills, and let's get it on
and find out what it means when i say wyrd is bond."

-f~o~ ~ j:j 8o~D (Dj:jCl..AiM£~ Mi)()

&Y £0E.E.-{9 ro~1V~E. ~ 'DA HA~<:i 't> '1A~

•
 b(tf\\ ~~om( ~~ ~~
Elissa Carey Carlo Barros
Sean Benjamin Jaffe Leanne Buckley
-ect'tfed ~ TS Luikart
Elissa Carey Gareth-Michael Skarka ~~
Leanne Buckley

'<'d tlte .Jo lfl've "ij ~ OCAI- .Jo

Seth Ben-Ezra, F Scott Blair, Jason Gintert, Mike Holmes, Michelle Lyons, Shelby Mallow,
Juergen Mayer, Ralph Mazza, Chris Meulleners, Cynthia Celeste Mil ler, CJ Mobberley, Clinton
R Nixon, Abe Peterka, Steve "Bull" Ratkovich, Too Sexy, Zev Shlasinger, Matt Snyde r, Jared A
Sorensen, Jason Valore, Josh Wasta, Eddy Webb, those I kn ow I forgot, and R&J&M from the
IN.N-:ij{{~'JOCA~~ '. ~;- ~-l-, ~ ~~.
-1\l(c; OOot..:rt,tledl~, -lo -"'6 ~ ~Vij(
, · ~An ~!'-J:!:: •~ AVA \l.u
- ". .·.~ ;,f() ~ ~ 1..>-

'At&:l ~ -lo "ij(( ""'6 ~ "l~ -who have helped me and supported me
since the release of Little Fears. This follow-up is a long time coming but you didn't forget
about me. My gratitude goes to you all, especially: Shane Lacy Hensley (for the way in),
George Vasilakos (for reading on the plane), Jon Leitheusser (for the unexpected but appre-
ciated nod), Philip J Reed (for the truth), Ron Edwards (for the booth), Jacob Norwood (for
the swordplay), Peter Adkison (for the game), all the guys at Human Head-even my arch
nemesis, Matt Forbeck (for the silver medal), Greg Stolze (for the books), Dennis Detwiller
(for the plush), Ken Hite (for the apologies and the sales), Brad Elliott (for the dinner), Todd
Luikart (for the annual game), Gareth-Michael Skarka (for the lingua and the sass), Aaron
Rosenberg (for the trade), Jesse Scoble (for the story about beer), Adam Jury (for his hair),
Sean & Pidge Jaffe (for the note), Joe Tierney from Tyranny Games (for the missed opportu-
nity), Oliver & Oliver from Feder und Schwert (der Ton und die Wut), John & Neko from ?eme
Cercle (pour !'argent), and everyone else who gave me hugs, handshakes , and high-
fives (for the hell of it).

~ ~ded ~Jurassic 5, Outkast, Public Enemy, Gorillaz, lce-T, Snoop Dagg,

De La Soul, Eminem, and whatever was on the radio at the time.

/HE. [Link].K of 1Hl5 ~ORK 15 Cot>YCRIGHf 2..00'3

~50~ (_ 'E>[Link] U~[Link] [Link].~5£ lo
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KE.Y 2..0 "?us.L.151-ll~G.

~~W.. This game is a complete work of fiction. All people, places, and associa-
tions referenced herein are fictitious. This game is not meant to simulate or condone gang life, magic,
drug use, alcohol, sex, or vandalism. Did I really need to say that? Th is work was wholly constructed
by its creators. Any resemblance to previously published work is entirely coincidental.
 ~~
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~o~ 11-ti~ f-tE.~E. i~11-tE. ~10~ of a hot
--j-GI
-,
The night progressed and soon the battle was on._ ;
August night when a five-percenter from the 'hood I'll give the West Coast pack their props; there was ,
found his Wyrd and with it, a new name. 'Course definitely some talent at Mack's that night. All else
he wasn't looking for either, but that's how it go. was eclipsed, though, when Heaven's Echo
Our boy, we'll call him 'Jeffrey' for now, began his mounted the stage. Damn, ya'll, what can I say?
fateful evening with a battle and ended it with a They were sweet, but their tones were dark. They
fight. Along the way, he got a bit tore up, met some cut ·some ill beats, and while most of the crowd was
weird folk, and learned a few things. Not a bad impressed, the sensitives in the house, like yours
night in the City of Angels, though Jeffrey likely truly, were sick to our stomachs. That is to say,
thought otherwise at the time. Jeffrey was one of they rapped about wicked acts with style, but any-
those hard cases who had managed to better him- one with the Wyrd knew they were bad news, a'ight?
self and get up an' out. He could've chosen other-
wise, but he didn't. After college, he came back to Then Jeffrey, up he steps to the mike. After
South Central to help clean up his old community. Heaven's Echo, he didn't look like much, just a
There were fools who said he returned to lord it strapped guy in his twenties with a grey hoodie. I
over everybody, but most everybody respected him think everybody pretty much figured the D-Men al-
and knew better. They said he was the sort of ready had the cash in [Link] then Jeffrey got his
brother you could always rely on. When things grip on. There are nights when nothing goes right
would get rough, though, Jeffrey would get his game and nights when our muses wax us hard. He had
on at the open mike, and his grip was widely re- himself one of those latter nights.
garded as solid.
Check yo-self. What do you see?
So one night, Jeffrey had made his way to a little You think I'm ta/kin to you,
place off Crenshaw called Mack's Flak Shack for But I'm ta/kin to me.
an evening of slam poetry and impromptu duels. Think you see a baller?
The Flak Shack was hosting a battle for prizes, and Think you see a playa?
Jeffrey was formally invited. The streets filled the OG on the mic, honey s/ay'a.
place, out to see theirs represent on center stage Dope in the fly ride,
'cause the Flak Shack is definitely neutral ground. chrome ready at yo side.
Bloods eyed Grips through the smoky haze, while Blind'n fools with a flash
gangstas traded snaps in the shadows. The buzz of your bling-bling.
had it that real talent was going to step up, and Is that what you see?
some industry heavies were present on the low Yo, this is gonna sting.
down to check out all the mad rhymes. I knew that I see corpses and walkin' dead.
part was true. My partner and me were kick'n it Our doctors, our nurses,
incognito style, which is why this story is partially they all shovel lead.
mine to tell. Black Kali's singing,
four arms swinging.
But Jeffrey, he was just there to chill and do his Hindu goddess cal/in',
thing. And my boy and I weren't actually there to every mother bawlin'.
see Jeffrey. We'd heard some ominous stories You wanna be a banger,
about a new trio of cold slingers from the D-Men, an ice slick ganger?
called Heaven's Echo, who were going to take the Sippin' from the nectar,
stage that night and we wanted to scope them for all you be is Lecter.
ourselves. They weren't hard to spot. Their spin- Feeding on ya own kind,
ner, DJ Echo, wore a silvery-grey suit with a pearl fucking up your only mind.
tie tack. Their beat master was half the size of a Think I'm dissin',
Buick and looked twice as hard. He wore black this is an attack?
robes and answered to Type 6. I knew their front Who holds your little sister,
man, Foolcarver, was a dangerous piece of work when she's screaming from the crack?
the moment I saw him. He looked like a snake that
had figured out how to stand upright. That was his warm up; he just got tighter after that.

5
 I looked over at Heaven's Echo, and saw the ex- "Yeah, that sounds cool."
pression on Foolcarver's face. It wasn't pretty. I
was thinking about goin' over to talk to him when I So we hopped in my car and we drove for a while,
felt the energy in the room twist. The crowd started talking and laughing and having a good time. Just
straight trippin' as a corona of light began playing about the time I was thinking this girl was really
around Jeffrey. His words threw up images in the special, my ride exploded into flames. Not the en-
energy display, but he was so intent on his rhymes gine, the whole thing. I grabbed Claire and we dived
he didn't even notice. I suppose it's a good thing out the door as my baby rolled to a blazing,
we were in L.A., 'cause I could hear people talking crumpled stop in the middle of a street lamp. I
about the "special effects." Wasn't no FX, homes, looked at her and started to say something, but a
Jeffrey's powerful emotions tapped into the power fist the size of two 40s strapped together knocked
of the Wyrd. I told my nigga, Da Hang'd Man, that it out, along with one of my teeth. I slammed back-
we had to have a chat with that brother soon. ward into bricks, managed to duck the next punch
and threw a couple of my own. It was like punch-
Jeffrey's set ended and the Shack just lost it. If ing iron, but I heard a satisfying "uh" as I caught
there was anybody left in line, they didn't want to him in the kidneys. He reared back and I saw who
go on. He was declared the winner and he took his I was fighting for the first time: Type 6. I heard a
prize. laugh that sounded like a rusty buzz saw and looked
around to see Foolcarver standing over Claire.
Right then, dumb luck smacked me upside the
head. A little ganger that'd been eyeing me for hours "Get the fuck away from her."
saw through my disguise while I was trying to ap-
proach Jeffrey. "Hmm. I think you should be more worried about
yourself, bro."
"Holy shit! Wee-Lo Fortune! Fuck, ya'll, it's Wee-
Lo!" What was I gonna do? I couldn't front, he had "Ya'll are some sore losers."
me. Fans mobbed Da Hang'd Man and me, and
Jeffrey slipped away. Next time I saw him, he was "This has nothing to do with losing, and you know

----
bleeding, dazed and lucky to be alive. it. Using the power of the Wyrd like that was petty,
boy."

So I walked out of Mack's with 500 dollars in my Actually, I didn't have any idea what he was talking
pocket, which can be fairly dangerous if you don't about. The Wyrd? Type 6 lunged at me again, but I
have a clique with you, but I didn't give a damn dropped and ball-shot him. I leapt past him as he
because that night, I was the man. The stars looked fell and kicked ol' Foolcarver upside the head.
right, my game had been on. All I needed was a girl When he staggered back, I noticed he was carry-
S;~~ito be ball in'.
ing, which changed the game real fast. I followed
up, hurled him towards my burning car, grabbed
Claire and ran.

This stupid fly honey comes walking towards me, I don't know how long we ran, maybe a mile or two.
smiling, and I'm looking around to see the lucky I know we were somewhere near south Compton
bastard she's smiling at when I realize he's me. when we finally stopped to catch our breaths. After
· ·she said her name was Claire. Anything Claire a minute or so, I realized that Claire wasn't breath-
didn't have, Claire didn't need. We chatted for a ing hard; in fact, she hadn't even broken a sweat. I
while, long enough to know that we were diggin' studied her as I leaned against an alley wall.
each other, and then she smiled at me through
- - - - -Polly-Style Pink lips and asked what I felt lik.e do- "You must work out a lot."

She smiled slowly.

"Something like that. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For saving my life. You could've left me to burn."

"I'd never do something like that."

"Something like what?" said a new voice. I turned "When will I see you again?"
to see four women, each one as beautiful in her
way as Claire was. The first, the one who had spo- She smiled, a little sadly I th ink.
ken, was an ebony sister with long cherry red nails.
Claire smiled at the newcomers. "I like you, Jeffrey. That's why I never want to see
you again." She walked away, then paused, con-
"Leave a lady to burn." sidering. She turned her head, winked at me, and
smiled one last time.
"Oh-ho. A genuine hero. Rare these days. Then
again, I always like 'em rare." All the women but Her smile was a row of razor sharp fangs.
Claire laughed. Claire said, "Please Scylla, let him
be." I sprinted the way she pointed, towards Peristyle
Street.
The one called Scylla studied me for a time and I
met her gaze, but I didn't say anything, waiting to Two things you should know: I'd never heard of Peri-
see how this bizarre little conversation was going style Street before that night and I've never found it
to play out. She finally looked at Claire. again since.

"Did he truly save your life?" Peristyle Street proved to be a long winding series
of chain-link fences, decaying houses and the
"Yes." burned-out husks of old cars. The only light, other
than a few blinking street lamps was a neon sign
Scylla slowly ran her hand over my jaw where I'd over a flophouse that read, "Guinea." Two mean
been cut. She studied my blood on her fingers for looking bloods with shades, even though it was 4
a time and then she nodded. a.m. or so, regarded me as I approached. When I
was close enough to see them clearly, I could see
"Fair is fair." Claire breathed what sounded like a they both had cross-shaped scars on their fore-
sigh of relief. Scylla produced a handkerchief and heads.
wiped her hand off, then handed it to me.
"I'm looking for Kingston?"
"Keep it as a souvenir, stud."
Their expressions didn't change; their faces didn't
"Thank you." I really didn't know what else to say. even twitch. One of them turned and opened the
"Boy, if you had any idea how lucky you just got." door. A visible cloud of sweet-smelling smoke rolled
She shook her head. "Come on ladies, the night's out of the opening and past my feet. I walked into
still young. We'll have to dine elsewhere." Claire Guinea and looked around. The smoke came from
walked up to me as the rest casually strolled away. a whole load of seriously huge ganja joints, a
"You need to go now, Jeffrey. Those D-Men are hardcore looking crew of dread locked brothers gath-
still coming for you." ered around a table playing cards the ones doing
most of the smoking. The rest of the room was lost
"How do you know that?" in shadows and flickering candlelight. One by one,
they looked up until all of them were looking at me.
"I can smell them." One of them had wh ite face paint smeared across
his face and razorblades threaded through his
"What? Who were those women? They're your plaits. None of them said a word.
clique, right?"
"I'm looking for Kingston?"
"You don't have time for twenty questions, Jeffrey.
 ·~

"Are ya, now? And who might you be?" asked Then he pulled a gat.
Facepaint.
I was going to die, in the park that I'd built for chil-
"My name's Jeffrey. I don't want any trouble; I'm dren, gunned down by a weird head case because
just trying to go home. A girl, well, I guess she was one night I put together words smoother than he
a girl, told me to come here and ask for Kingston did. It just wasn't fair. I spat at him and what I
and tell him the Blood Queens would like it if he thought were my final words came out, much to my
would help me out." surprise, in rhythmic meter ....

Facepaint leaned forward. "Now, did she say they

would like it, or it would be a favor?"

"A favor." Which is where ol' Wee-Lo slides back in. Da

Hang'd Man and I walked up to find Type 6 trapped
"Well all right, then." It was as if sound suddenly in a twisted set of monkey bars and a screaming
returned to the room. The brothers around the table Foolcarver impaled on a spinning Merry-Go-Round.
started playing their game again. One of them of-
fered me a pull, but I shook him off politely. My ever-eloquent partner summed it up nicely.
Facepaint stood up and walked around the table, "Daaaaaaammmnn."
holding out his hand as he did so. I shook it.
Jeffrey was sitting on a bench, staring at, well, noth-
"I'm Kingston. Now where is it that we be going, ing. He blinked at us for a few seconds, then said
mon?" in the voice of a man waking from a dream, "Wee-
Lo Fortune? The Dread say whazzup."
Kingston dropped me off within a few blocks of my
house an hour later, following a trip in a seriously We took him home. He blinked at his ride, which
dilapidated Caddy with the two front doormen, who sat, spotless, in his driveway.
at close range smelled really bad. Along the way,
we'd talked about music, ganja and women. I liked "What the hell?"
him a lot. As the car rolled to a stop, he took a long
look at me. "Yeah, we took the liberty of fixing that up for you."
He looked at us for a very long time.
"You're a good mon, Jeffrey. You keep it real. Don't
let the Wyrd go to your head, bro." "So what, you're like, wizards?"

"The Wyrd?" "Slingers, bro. Like you." Da Hang'd Man nodded.

"Word."
He grinned. "The nothing and the all, mon. When
•·~;:::::::...,_,You see Wee-Lo, you tell him the Dread send their "Did I kill those guys?"
. ,..;:;;,o........;;,_..·egards, no?"
"Nah, D-Men are tougher than they look. But I think,
I nodded, though I didn't know what he meant, as I for a while, maybe you should hang with our crew.
climbed out of his ride. I watched his red lights I can show you some things ."
disappear towards the pre-dawn, then headed
home. As I passed through the small children's He nodded slowly. "A'ight."
playground that I had helped build, two figures
_ _ _.stepped out of the shadows. Somehow, I wasn't "But you need a new name."
l!J~~~ urprised to see them. Foolcarver and Type 6. "A new name?"

"Where's Echo?" I asked. "Uh-huh. Whatchoo think, homes?" I said.

Da Hang'd Man scratched his forehead. "Rods.

Definitely rods."
"He reminds me of a cat."

"A lucky cat."

opened his mouth to speak, closed it and shook
his head, and then tried again.
--·
"Tonight I won a battle, I was almost set on fire, I've
"Straight up. He had to give up one life, at least, been in a couple of wicked fights, and I met some
tonight." seriously trippin' women and a few weird Jamai-
cans. My rhymes twist metal, my totaled car looks
My nigga grinned. "Hard Eight." brand new and now you tell me I've got a new
name."
"Word." I slapped Jeffrey on the shoulder and gave
him my best pearls. "Hard Eight it is." Da Hang'd Man grinned. "Sounds like same-ol',
same-ol' to me."
The whole time we'd been talking, Jeffrey had been
looking confusedly back and forth between us. He I laughed and nodded. "Welcome to our world."

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K~O~AS.L..E. 'ff-fi~G~, has been around as long
i~ i1?
11
as the world itself or, rather, as long as anyone has GVY'RD? G\)HAI
ever remembered. It's the intangible force that fills /H£ ~o1Hi~Ci A~'D fH£ AL.L.,
in the cracks where reason and reality don't com- IH£ ~£A~o~ t-J£ ~i~£,
pletely come together. It's the all-spirit, the way, the A~'D fH£ ~£A~o~ G0£ FAL.L.. •• "
omni-soul that connects life in all its forms. It is the
source of all probability and, as these things go, all Wyrd is where the power comes from. It is the eter-
improbability as well. Magicians and shamans are nal ethereal force that magicians and shamans have
people who, throughout history, have learned to per- tried to understand for eons. Slingers are taught
ceive and manipulate the Wyrd. They have attuned how to sense and tap into the Wyrd, but each draws
themselves to it and become comfortable weaving from different aspects. The 3XStars draw from the
its complex patterns into desired shapes and forms. spiritual realm as their forebear, Hermes
Trismegistus, did. The Crows draw from the em-
This has gone on for thousands of years. You've pirical-the world of flesh that The Alley Star, Aleister
heard of these people-the sorcerers, the faith Crowley, preached adherence to. The D-Men draw
healers and medicine men-who have tapped into from the Infernal, the power of the Devil from whom
an "other world" and wielded the power within. This they are born or have pledged allegiance.
"other world" was merely the perception and real-
ization of the Wyrd. The power these people held All magic stems from the Wyrd. But magic has be-
was simply the knowledge of metaphysical persua- come something we've forgotten, that we've
sion, of making the Wyrd do what you want. They shunned. It was pushed into the shadows to be-
called this ability "magic" and they were "magicians." come the plaything of subcultures and radical move-
ments. It ranges from the swing kids copping against
There have been some very famous magicians the Nazi regime to the jazz men fighting for a seat
throughout history. Most folk know them by name on a bus to the white boy from the River City lead-
or, at least, reputation. While some have striven to ing the rock 'n roll revolution, magic has been there.
perfect and augment their teachings, these have Suppressed, yes, but it was there all the same.
IB!~~~?S urvived the ages with few changes. As secrets are
~~--uncovered and new powers manifest, practitioners The aspect or realm of the Wyrd tapped is the
add to the glory and majesty of the Wyrd. source of a slinger's power. This source determines
•t;;r;.;:.:;;;::;;.~-.
a lot about the gangs: how their power is displayed,
how they gain and share power, and their overall
demeanor and wardrobe. This source, or more likely
the affiliation, tends to bring out a certain sound in
the slinger's music as well. The Crows are very
much the partiers; their music is all about "bitches
and riches and leavin' fools in they ditches" (to quote
Da Beaztfrom Summonin Syrkle). The 3XStars tend
to have more of a "music of the world/people of the
world" vibe while maintaining some street sensibil-
ity. The D-Men tend toward a heavier style that high-
lights guest appearances by metal bands just as
often as other rappers.

10
From the cave-scrawls of ancient tribes who knew
-
into popular culture. When the Blues birthed Roc~f
'N Roll and Funk, each in turn mutating and chang-
ing, the Wyrd's essence and its practice followed. •
no tongue other than the Wyrd, to the oracles and
star-gazers of Imperial Rome, to the second-sighted Eventually the 1970s crowned and with it grew a
Pharaohs descended directly from the gods and new musical form. The hipsters called it rap and it
up to the dark-robed diabolists of Medieval Europe, was a powerful unifying tool to those who sought it.
use of the Wyrd has ebbed and flowed throughout Its background was a mix of old hits, heavy bass,
the course of man's recorded history. and a hypnotic looping rhythm. Over this a vocalist
slung street poetry, fast and lyrical, and these Mas-
Even when employed by the gilded ranks of soci- ters of Ceremony had something to say-about the
ety, manipulation of the Wyrd was always a poor world and about them.
man's trade, a utensil of the underdog. This is true
even when faced with the names of affluent practi- Despite its relevance, this music was shelved as
tioners, as they were the exception and not the rule. "black music" and didn't make it into mainstream
True magic has always wound its way through the airwaves. Still, the music and the movement grew,
peasants and the gypsies and the indentured ser- and rap (along with its cousin, hip-hop) proved that
vants. Magic spread from parent to child, from they didn't need the approval of the syndicates to
house-maiden to stablehand. Knowing this, it should be heard. Enjoying a fair amount of play on college
come as no surprise that when the European prac- radio and a booming presence on the club scene,
titioners of the Wyrd (whose philosophies and ritu- rap endured and finally, after a few false starts, won
als are still the strongest and most common) a place in mass media. A handful of superstars were
crossed the pond to the New World, certain aspects born, their songs hit the music channels, and some
of the Wyrd were already there. The tribal natives, of the artists went on to make movies and sign lu-
who were downright poverty-stricken as far as the crative endorsement deals.
European practitioners were concerned, had at-
tuned themselves to the transcendent and ances-
tral aspects of the Wyrd long ago. Soon another
set of tribal natives, this time transplanted from the Rap hit the mainstream first, with the environment
veldt of Africa, would bring even more of the Wyrd it stemmed from finding the limelight second. The
to America. public's first opinion of it all was that this was just
the music of the inner-city. It wasn't until almost a
As the twentieth century loomed and the Nuclear decade-and-a-half passed that the magical subcul-
Age along with it, a large concentration of the Wyrd ture made the news. Of course, by that time, gangs
found itself in the homes and hangouts of the Deep and the gangster lifestyle were already making
South. More than one famous blues musician wove headlines-in a bad way.
a little magic in the strings of the guitar and tied a
bit around the very notes he lifted out of his throat. The very idea of gangs was upsetting to the public.
One guitarist in particular wanted to master the They saw young kids murdering each other in the
Wyrd so bad he sold his everlasting soul to the Devil street over drugs, shoes, or for wearing the wrong
himself. Such a tale is a classic example of just colors in the wrong part of town. Since gangs and
how intertwined magic and music are. Many an- rap came from the same source, they were inextri-
cient cultures employed music in their rituals-ev- cably tied together in the zeitgeist-even prior to
erything from the ululations of a communing high the proliferation of "gangsta rap." When slinging sto-
priestess to the practiced chords of the swami's si- ries broke, everyone saw that it was happening in
tar to the pulsing primal beats of tribal drums, mu- the same areas and slinging got rolled in with gangs
sic has always been a great focusing tool for those as well.
who perceive the Wyrd. The Blues brought that mar-
riage into the modern world. Unlike rap which was initially an innocent bystander,
slinging and gangs are actually tied together. For
As the Blues spread along the banks of the Missis- one thing, the new breeds of magicians were
sippi River and ventured west to the bright lights brought into magic through gangs. As the run-of-
and palm trees, the Wyrd slowly integrated itself the-mill member was known as a "gangster" or

II
 "gangsta," their magical counterparts became
known as "slingers"-a diminutive of the term
"spellslinger." While some non-ganging magicians
are around, most are ex-gang members. For an-
other, all the major rap and hip-hop slinger acts
boast gang affiliation. Even peace seekers such
as Wee-Lo Fortune and Da Hang'd Man proudly
flaunt their gang signs during interviews and on
magazine covers.

Street gangs, the Wyrd, and rap/hip-hop form a

confused bundled mass of interconnectivity, cau-
sality, and symbiosis. Their histories and threads
are blurred in some ways so much that it has be-
co1-1£ lo
come almost impossible to see how exactly one
has affected another. Though it is obvious that the
Wyrd predates street gangs and street gangs pre-
date rap and hip-hop, they're relationship, though
ir f-t,.\:5 A L..A"R<::i£"R M£A...)i...)q, Ho0£v£"R,
i~ 11..Jo"RDiC. ni'1HoL,.o<::iY: 11 I::> 1H£
fresh, is quite strong.
::>om::c£ of AL.L. K...)O!VL.£"Dq£ :5i...)C£
1fl£ &£Gii...)...)j...)q of · ii1-1E.. i"r £...)co1-1-
?A5::>E.::> 1H£ co::>1-10::> · •f"ROM ?01£...)iiAL..
ro f"RUifio...) 10 "Di::>::>[Link]...) A...)"D [Link]
1
A<::iAi...). YE."RHA?!> 1Hi5 i!> !VHY ' 0Y"R"D"
The first sling ing act to break through were a group !VA::> i...)CL,.U"DE."D A!> A S.L,.A...)K "RU..)£ (...)
of Crows called Drum Trybal. Its members, Rkane, A V£"RY Dif>?V1E."D "RU...)£$£1 CDMMD...)L.Y
Vudu Chile, and MC Majik, released an album in COt-11-16."RCiAL.L.Y [Link].L.£> i1, [Link]. 1HE.
1986 that was pretty standard hip-hop fare. Their ...)()MS.E."R 0 o'R Ai..). So?H Am:: i...) 1HE.
next album, 1987's Qabala in Queens, made people KA&[Link], ::>£8-15 fo s.£::>1 "RE."?"RE.5£...)"f
stand up and take notice that there was something 'THE. Co...)C£?1 of "1H£ AL.L,. A...)"D 1H£
very different hitting their airwaves. This album was ...)b1f-li...)q" Al o...)CE.. SHAKE.::>?E.A'RE.
a tell -all behind magic, gangs, and the power of the ?Q?UL..A'R1 E."D fHE. fE.'Rl-1 0i1f-I f-li5 1f-l'RE.E.
Wyrd. Their first video, for the album's title track, Q-f"RD 5i:51E."R:5.
dominated the rap programs of the national music
channels and sparked controversy in news pro- . i~ £ACH (...):51A~CE. [Link]., fHE. 00"RD
grams and talk shows from coast to coast. Soon i:!> ?'RO...)Q()~C£"D 1H£ :5Al-1£ A:!> "0E.i"RD."
after its release, music retail outlets that carried the ,j,_) 1f-lf$ <::iAME., Hol0£V£'R, ~ i5
~~~~"""--~··.album were being protested. Most pulled it off their ~o...)ou~cG.n A::> rr !::> o...) 1HG. ::>f"RE.E.r:
~~"'""··shelves but continued to sell it from under the l\.)O"Ri).

•'•~·· --House 0 Cards was the next big act to break

through. Five young men from Compton released protests evened out after a while with only a few
their album Make It Yours to even more sales and small groups attempted to raise a ruckus. That is,
· critical acclaim that Drum Trybal. The House 0 until the release of 9Circles' 1992 album Pitch Black:
Cards members were Da Hermit, Da Fool, and DJ Songs from the Inferno. Rappers professing to be
Strength as well as well-known 3XStars-members magicians were one thing-rappers professing to
Wee-Lo Fortune, and Da Hang'd Man. DJ Strength's be demons in the flesh were something else en-
- - -death at the hands of a Crow sparked some of the tirely different. Everyone from local PTAs to the 700
deep hatred between the two gangs. · Club started to cry out and riots between fans and
protesters closed down more than a few concerts.

12..
 ~~~~ -I
-·
-•
Despite its current surge in popularity, magicians
lit, universally believed the Wyrd and its power were
r always meant to be secret. Well, okay, that got
1
blown but there are still many magical secrets on
the street that few magicians even know about.
Magicians, in general, and slingers, specifically,
are surrounded by the Wyrd and possess only
the basest knowledge of how to use or perceive
it.

AfrE.~ ~[Link]~
The increased visibility and proliferation of the
Wyrd in slinger culture brought other magical,
mystical entities out of the woodwork. Though
these creatures stay out of the public view, they
have increased their activity in what is becoming
a thriving magical underground.

So, magic has hit the big time, magicians are sell-
ing out stadiums, and kids are blowing stuff up
with their mind. Everything's changed, right?
Wrong. Just because The Sopranos is a popular
show doesn't mean every person who watches
· is a mobster, does it? Magic has hit, yes, and the
CDs and clothing lines are selling like mad but
magic is still a very guarded process.

Again, not just anyone can be a slinger. There's

an initiation involved, a mindset that must be
ach ieved. Slinging 's not as easy as picking up a
book of incantations and scrawling concentric
circles on your basement floor. It's a change in
lifestyle (usually for the economically better in the
case of slingers) and, frankly, Joe P. Whitebread
simply would not be invited to the party.

However, that's not to say tricks haven't bled out

in the way of artifacts. One thing slingers can do
(and do often) is empower objects. Slingers can
give a wide variety of properties to clothing, cars,
guns, and whatever strikes their fancy. These
things are not limited to use by those of a magi-
cal bent, and are not as safely guarded as one
might hope.

1'3
 Detroit. Los Angeles. Brooklyn. Any city where there
are gangs and gang violence, Wyrd is Bond fits.
Moving it out of the city, however, can cause prob- A5iD8.. F~Ol-'1 !HE. C'JA~E,5 YOU
lems. Inner-city culture is too well-woven into this K~Oc.0 i~ THE. ii::E.A~ k>Oii::L.<p, 1Hi5 . oAl-'1 E.
game's threads. Moving it to an affluent, upscale i~Tii::oDUCE.:S [Link]::A~D ~£ C'JA~(j5 (S.01"'-L
city doesn 't work, either, as economic depression "'1U~DA~E. A~D "'1AC'JiCALJ A~D AL.5 C'JE.15
is a major motivation for gang wars and gang affili- ik:l"fo fHE.i~ [Link].5TYL.E., C'JOAL.5, AJ.::)D D~ivE.5.
ation. There's also just something dangerous and At..5o, ... ~[Link].«: E.~C E.5 ro ACTUAL C'JA~C'J5 !~ ­
mysterious about tenements filled with squatters, [Link]. A L.0 1 o f' f'(ClilioU5 i~fOii::l-'1AliO~.
free clinics at two in the morning, barred up conve- "ft4i~ GAf"IE. ~HOUL.t> ~o1 &E. U~E.!> A
nience stores, and cops too tired and brow-beaten HA~D&ooK rOi: GE.1'11~G 10 l<.~060 Oi:
to do anything more than clean up the mess. These V~!>E.i:~1A~!> GA~G~. QA~C'J!> 5it-1?L.Y ~o­
may not be great places to visit in real life, but they vto E. THE. [Link].£ f' o~ IE.L.L.i~C'J IHE. 5fo~iE.5
fit the tone of the game perfectly. 5 E.T i~ THE. c.00 ii::L.D of' t0YRD is 'Bot.)D. tf' '
YOU Aii::E. u~ co1-1fo~1AS.L.E. "?[Link]~C'J "?E.o"?L.E.
This game was written with the mid-1990s in mind. [Link] 'ROU1i~£L.'¥ E.~C')AC'JE. i~ ~OMi5CVOU5
However, since it's mostly fictitious , you can easily 58X, 1)~(.)C'J5, A~D vioL.E.~cE., Do ~or ? LAY
transplant it to the modern day. tJyf?D is '80..)D.

&0f·fAI f-fA~ Cf-M~<=JE."D

Fashion, slang , and youth culture is what the Wyrd
has affected the most. A drive through the seedier &0f-IAI f-fA~~ ,, Cf-IA~<=JE."D
part of your average mid-level city will expose you Pretty much everything else, really. There's still
to arcane script spray-painted on billboards and of- crime, love, music, and violence of a very mundane
fice brick, punks lighting blunts off their burning nature, all of which is more prevalent and available
hands, and oddly shaped chalk outlines in the (though not as controversial) than their magical
street. counterparts .

These changes have not all been cosmetic or one- Still magic's effect cannot be discounted and no-
sided, either. People started taking gangs more se- body has been affected as much as those who live
riously after slinging hit-and that includes every- and die on the streets. National headlines, gold
one from the buying public to suburban home dwell- records, mass protests, and magical symbology and
ers to John Q. Law. The threat shifted when the terminology spreading like gas on the torch through
~~~:!llla-,Wyrd was introduced into the equation . That which
youth culture all told the same story: the Wyrd was
could once be considered a mundane black-on-
hot.
black threat became something that shattered re-
._-;=::;;;;:;.;;.,,,,,...-oality as people knew it. Their biggest saving grace
"'llc;-...-.,has been a combination of the public's relative ig-
norance about the nature of the Wyrd and the true
scarcity of its practitioners.

I~
 I "Cuz SACK 1.::. rttt. DAY, 5Ll.:><'!£«5 DtD.:> 'r qsr ?LAYE.D
lHE.Y C,o1 f-IA~GE.D A~'D S.U'R~E.D, S.U1 1!-IE. L..E.~~o~~ G0E.'RE. L..E.A'R~E.'D

/HE. ~o~L..1> of c0Y~ i~ 'So~'D is

AI~ '1 1f-IA1 S.12.A'R'RE. ?"

street-level, eye-to-eye to drive-bys, and infused

--
~ oG0 f-IE.'RE. G0E. A'RE., '[Link].f-ll~G oU1 '[Link]. f A'R, C,[Link]~G C,oL.."D A~'D C.A'R~,

...........--------~
booty over the Midwestern morals that occupy most
other channels and feed such people as Congress-
with magic symbology and culture. Imagine a world men and lobby groups. They have become an eas-
where street gangs took their orders from eldritch ily disdained group as far as Joe and Jane Public
masters in back rooms and where you heard ref- is concerned. Slinger-haters watch movies such
erences to the occult in modern music on all the as Colors, Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Soci-
top radio stations and video channels. Imagine a ety and see nothing but stereotypes: young, poor,
world in wh ich the yellow sign is sprayed on sub- black, and angry. But there's a lot more brewing in
ways just as often as peace signs and gang tags. the inner city and in the minds of gangbangers
This game came from an idea for a world where and urban culture than all that.
rap and urban culture owe their roots just as much
to the mythos of Enochian magic as the scratched You play folks who not only have the potential to
wax of the Sugar Hill Gang . Imagine an urban cul- change things but have studied the art of slinging
ture that grew up on equal parts Aleister Crowley and have taken sides in a war of money and sur-
and Fab Five Freddy-a world where Tupac was vival. The three most popu lar slinger gangs out
a shaman taken down by a rival street magician. there are the Crows, the 3XStars, and the D-Men.
Lock-load-sling, kid. Other slinger gangs exist such as Los Reyes out
of Santa Cruz and the Blood Queens from
That's Wyrd is Bond. Compton, but they are smaller gangs that we will
get into later. The top three are the ones whose
Inspiration aside, however, the majority of rap mu- members are signing music deals and whose lives
sic in the game world is not occult-based, nor is are being dramatized at the local multiplex.
most of urban culture. Regardless, slingers
(gangstas who practice the magical arts) are gain- A variety of gangs exist in the game world, but most
ing prominence fast and the movers and shakers slingers prefer to directly affiliate with other slingers.
are quickly cashing in. As slinging is the focus of Some do it to feel the kinship one has with others
the game, that is what we'll be directing our atten- of similar power, while others do it because they
tion and effort to. feel that slinger gangs can offer the protection and
brotherhood a mundane gang cannot. A few
l,kl~~~:. Gangs live and die inside their territories and while slingers affiliate directly and solely with mundane
R~::Jthe foot soldiers are there to protect each other, gangs, where they often are given positions of sta-
•tJm8'fftlftthe
higher you climb the hierarchy of a well-estab- tus in exchange for being the gang's first and last
ti lished gang, the more money and power you see line of defense. Slingers are not universally revered
switch hands. That is what this game is about. (a bullet will still peel a slinger's cap the same as
Blackface and stereotypes have no place here. If anyone else's) and they often have more enemies
you're just gonna front, put the book down. If you're than they care to imagine. On the other hand, some
ready to get real then let's enter an underbelly of are voluntarily isolating themselves and creating
action, magic, music, and folks getting what they rifts between those who sling and those who don't.
can from a world that's not going to just give them Some areas are becoming downright unfriendly to-
anything . ward non-slinging fol k.

Slingers aren't the only magicians around. In fact,

there are plenty of magical and mystical beings
roaming the earth. Wampyri , zombi, serpent kings,
and some even creepier B-movie horrors are hid-
ing in the shadows. The magical traditions slingers
1(0
use are ancient-or, at least, built upon ancient been slingers before who became quite we ..
_ .....
-..!!}
beliefs-and everyone you've read who could known, though most of the deeds ascribed to the~I
shapeshift, turn lead into gold or heal the lame used are as much invention as fact. There have even -
techniques and rituals still in practice today. been famous musicians who dabbled in magic and
made deals with dark forces. This is the first time,
Slingers have busted magic out big-and some however, that the code has been busted so wide
people are pissed. Look at it from the perspective and by so many. Only in the here and now will you
of a group of people who have been oppressed see basketball players with ENOK on their jack-
and ostracized their entire life. In most cultures, ets, angelic script on park benches or hear refer-
magic-users have been stoned, crucified, burned ences to the Silver Star or Golden Dawn coming
alive, and tortured throughout history. Those cul- out of cars at the mall.
tures that did embrace communion with the ultra-
sensorium hid their practices from outsiders forfear
of violence against them. The people who taught
modern slingers their tricks know all too well how
hysteria and public outcry play out; they know what
"Ya think just cuz ya sling
it feels like to be shunned. It isn't a far stretch to
ya got a bullet-proof vest,
understand where they're coming from. Magic was
Watch me drop ya, bitch
theirs and theirs alone. It was something that most
yeah, surely you jest ... "
people didn't even believe in, let alone know how
to use. And now a generation of young punks has
Now, slingers didn't invent gang culture but they
decided to not only use magic but use it out in
did change the rules. People saw their homies get-
public-to make it a spectacle for the six o'clock
ting gunned down in the street and they felt help-
news. They've made it marketable and trendy.
less. The only option they saw was to suit up and
follow that same path-until word of a magical un-
There's nothing really new about slinging aside
derground started to spread. It was just a few at
from the popularity of the culture that is using it
first, and those brave few went through the same
and the style that has risen from it. Of course, that
popularity speaks volumes. It isn't
known whether slingers sought out
fame or whether the fame just
came. Sure, there have

'~
arcane initiation their forebears did. Animal sacri- people who are running the show. Not to say that
fices were made in their name, initiates were bled power players don't get called out, but that's cer-
for days, their flesh was seared, but they came tainly the exception and not the rule.
away with greater wisdom and a new power: the
power of the Wyrd. In Wyrd is Bond, you're looking at two wars: the
magical and the mundane. The mundane should
This handful of gangers became the new kings in be familiar to you; it's a war about money. Gangs
town. They could do things the others couldn't trade in what other venues, by law, cannot. They
believe: start old cars just by touching them, shoot sell drugs, weapons, and whatever miscellaneous
fire from their fingertips, and sometimes their en- contraband comes into vogue. Again, this is all at
tire bodies would crackle with energy. Those who the higher levels. They shift drugs and guns and
saw this wanted it for themselves. For every newbie sex down to the street level in order to placate their
that was brought in, the slinger who referred them own personal mob of pissed-off, misguided kids.
was given a little bit more of the good stuff. Quickly,
word (and Wyrd) started to spread. The boys in Imagine two corporations both dealing in some-
the backroom simply smiled; they were building thing the local government has banned. Now, these
an army, which is something they conveniently corporations are in direct opposition but they can't
failed to tell anyone else. make any big moves against each other. Instead,
they build armies and those armies do the dirty
work. What's the point? It's an expression of power,
a gauge by which each corporation can measure
its level of influence and control. All the news re-
The war on the street is being fought by punks- porters ever see are rival gangs capping each
usually juvenile, always expendable-and is really other, however, and the veil remains, keeping the
just the light show that diverts attention from what's truth nicely shrouded.
really going down. Think about it: what gets solved
when two newbies splatter each other on the The magical war is very similar, but the prize is
street? Maybe some passing crackhead gets taken information and a different type of power. The big
out, but the conflict is of no real concern to the
 should be theirs while those responsible for he-.o.;;;;;.........,._
__ =-~· 3XStars be lieve that cohabitation is possible- .......-
(though improbable). The D-Men appear to be
here just to fuck over the others. The smaller
gangs either ally with one of the larger ones or
are trying to build up their ranks to stake their
own claim in the war of Wyrds.

The slingers are fodder to keep folks and prob-

; lems away from those with true power. Of course,
almost all of the slingers are oblivious to this fact.
They think they're getting respect, that they're fi-
nally getting some comeuppance. Granted, yeah,
they are being handed some pretty powerful tools
f"Ro~1.
but they'd feel more than just a little slighted if
they knew how much more power was available.
boys in this war don't want money and they aren't
interested in running guns. Instead, the power they SL..i~<:iE.~~ \IS QA~<:J~1A~
want lies in artifacts, forces of magical energy, se- On the surface, there's not much of a difference
crets, the blood of ancients-things local govern- between your run-of-the-mill gangsta and a slinger.
ment has not only failed to regulate but even com- The basics are the same: similar dress, similar mu-
prehend. This war is far dirtier than its mundane sic, and similar slang. Differences do exist, though
counterpart and the stakes are even higher. Magic they are subtle. First, the two usually-but not al-
is quite possibly the most potent energy in exist- ways-run in different circles. Most slingers stick
ence and the ramifications of an all-out magical with other slingers and most gangstas hang with
war are inconceivable. other gangstas. Now, people will still use "gangsta"
as a general denominator that includes slingers.
Enter the slinger gangs. The high-end mages trick-
led a little bit of power down to some kids who didn't Not all gangstas are accepting of slingers, and that
have much else working for them. A promise in ex- brings us to the second big difference: street cred.
change for absolute allegiance was the first step While slingers may enthrall the outside world, think-
along the magical pyramid scheme that is at the ing they are awesome, fire-breathing, reality-shap-
heart of this war. Those few recruited others in ex- ing, hardcore sons of bitches, some gangstas think
change for even more power. Those new recruits they're just, well, bitches. Whether it's because of
in turn brought others in. The promise of power jealousy or fear or something else, who knows?
works quickly and soon the strata were set with all When you're a slinger, you need to realize that
the good bits still locked away, as those who were you 're not universally welcome just because other
shown their way seemed content with slings that gangstas are. Normal gangstas outnumber magi-
amount to parlor tricks in the world of magic. Now, cal ones, and bullets still drill right though you. So
these high-end mages all have different origins and be careful where you roll and what you say. Don't
agendas. These differences led to the creation of let your mouth write checks your ass can't cash.
similarly different gangs. The three most prominent
and potent leaders helm the three most popular CL..i"1&i~<:i rt-tE. ~A~K~
gangs. Who these mages are is unknown, and no Below is an abstracted look at the political hierar-
one climbs up high enough to find out. But tasks chy of a gang . Keep in mind that these are not
are handed down; rival ries and alliances are dic- titles on some gang member's business card; they
tated from high above. Their war goes on . exist as an easy reference point so you can ap-
proximate the power and influence a person has.
To talk concretely about what the war is. over is
hard to do. It's mostly a war of differing ideologies. Punks are the lowest level of gangsta. They are
Those who control the Crows think everything newbies and shamed gangstas who are thrown at
l'I
 situations in hopes of overpowering and/or intimi- Find a Sponsor: Nothing brings people up faster
dating the people causing problems. To the top, than having someone higher up take a liking to
punks are disposable trigger fingers. you. They can get you into places your ass wouldn't
normally dream of and they hang around the
Thugs are just above punks and are whom the people you want to be. The bad thing about spon-
punks answer to. Thugs aren't let in on any se- sors is that they're usually fickle people whose
crets but they think they are, which makes them whims don't last long. The more youngbloods a
more easily sated than the punks. sponsor brings up and the more people realize that
the sponsor's people are not only temporary but
Dealers are the commercial arm. They control the unimpressive, the more diluted the sponsor's repu-
street-level flow of information, drugs, guns, sex, tation gets and the less their endorsement means.
and whatever else the higher-ups feel like leaking
onto the street. Dealers are the ones the authori- Do Something Big: The second fastest way to
ties lean on when they want to start putting pres- come up in this world is to make a showing. If you
sure on a gang. They know more than they should cap a well-known slinger in a publ ic place, take
but less than the cops think they do. possession of a highly-sought artifact, or learn
someth ing new about the Wyrd (flashy new slings
Soldiers are the upper-level heavies of a gang. are always popular), your name and reputation will
Mix a banker with a bouncer and you'll get an idea get around. As with anything, the nature of that
of who a typica l soldier is. Soldiers know things reputation is subjective. For instance, the allies of
but are removed enough from the street as to not that well-known slinger are probably going to want
arouse the authorities. Soldiers are the lowest level blood and the rightful owner (or anyone who thinks
with any true autonomy-meaning they can make they are) won't hesitate to kill you for that artifact.
some decisions on their own. Of course, they have
to be careful to make the right decisions or that Work Hard: There's always this. It takes the long-
privilege will disappear quickly. est, sure, but it usually grants the greatest staying
power. If you always come through on your prom-
Players are just under the top. Players are as far ises and show others you can shoulder responsi-
up as most authorities get. Anything higher is blurry bility, eventually you'll get more of it. Going this
in a normal gang, and potentially unknowable in a route also allows you to better determine the type
slinger gang. Going this high in a slinger gang can of reputation you want to have as you won't be
be either a brilliant turn or the dumbest mistake trad ing on someone else's name or being judged
you'll ever make. Players have a wide level of au- for a single incident.
tonomy. They even control their own sectors for
drug and weapon trade. However, if they fuck up it
will all crumble beneath them. The people players
answer to are bullet-proof and stain-resistant-they What's so hard about being a slinger, or any type
won't let shit get heavy on them, but they'll sell out of ganger? Well, street life is as much a passion
"°'a player without a second thought. play as a power play. Choices made and actions
taken are as often fueled by personal reasons as
Normal bangers populate every strata of the gang professional. It's a business, sure, but everyone
hierarchy from punks to dealers to players. Slingers has a line you can only know by crossing it.
who are members of slinger gangs share the same
_dynamic but slingers who are members of normal You have to keep in mind that everyone's differ-
gangs are mostly reserved as soldiers in that gang. ent. What some people laugh off, others take of-
fense to; what slides by some folk gets others riled.
The higher you climb the ranks, the more petti-
ness, greed, ego, and "delicate situations" you
have to deal with. Let's be blunt: There are a lot of
whiny bitches out there who throw fits if they have
to eat Wheaties instead of Cheeri-Os for break-
fast. Difference in this game is that the wrong bowl
of cereal can cost you your life.

2...0
 Most of the old-school slingers aren 't happy - ith.....;,,,;;;;.;;.._-
the fact their beloved craft is plastered all over MTV.&.- - -
The more popular a slinger gets, the less likely he
is to be welcomed back into the fold. Of course,
It's almost impossible to talk about gangs without
most of the celebrities who practice and preach
talking about race, as the media finds it really hard
the craft couldn't care less about the dusty old
to separate the two. Yes, most of the gang mem-
tomes and dank backrooms of their apprentice-
bers in Wyrd is Bond are black, followed by a
ship. They're making fat stacks of cash now; mu-
heavily Latino contingent, but we're not talking
sic has been good to them and they've gotten as
about "black gangs" or "Mexican gangs." We're talk-
much as they want out of magic.
ing about groups of people brought together by
locality, economy, and common interest. The lo-
Unsurprisingly, the first slingers to go public were
cality is the inner city. The economy is the low- to
attention-loving Crows. They realized that their
lower-class income. The common interest here is
magic, which is fueled by ego and excess, could
the pursuit of power. Slingers should know full well
pay for itself if they showed the world what they
that their power comes with a high cost: allegiance,
could do. Acts like Summon in Syrkle and Kid Wicca
unwavering loyalty to those who brought you in
were overnight successes. Their fresh style and
and the mettle necessary to do what you have to if
attitude got their singles in constant rotation and
you ever want to climb the ranks.
their national Magik N Mayhem Tour trumped such
favorites as Lollapalooza and the Monsters of Rock
tours.

Slinging and subcultures go way back, but sling- ~01 ~~1 ~[Link]~ SAL.E.~
ing and the mainstream is a new development. Ma- Aside from topping Billboard charts, slingers are
gicians around the world have hip-hop and rap to also signing movie deals and flexing their brand
thank for the rise in popularity. It used to be that recognition with clothing lines. Popular Crow
magic was a secret and forbidden dark art, now slingers and headlining act Summonin Syrkle re-
you have people using the Tarot to sell malt liquor. cently released their own Syrkle S label. Every-
 one from movie stars to basketball players is sport-
ing their threads, and Summonin Syrkle is not the To a lot of people, rap and gangs are inseparable
only group getting into it. but that's a dangerous and inaccurate viewpoint.
As discussed in the first chapter, most gang mem-
Chicago-based ENOK are an established competi- bers may listen to rap but rap is simply a musical
tor and were the first slingers to use their talent as art form. In actuality, it is used and enjoyed by many
a sales angle. Not musicians themselves, ENOK people who are not gang-affiliated. To even ven-
founders LeRoi A Morte and N-Kantashun have ture a guess to the ratio of non-gang to gang lis-
been active in the slinging scene since the mid- teners is impossible.
eighties. ENOK produces a lot of sportswear and
related paraphernalia. They have also just Also, to a lot of people, rap and hip-hop are the
launched a record label. same. Again, that's a terribly inaccurate viewpoint.
What separates rap from hip-hop is content and
Hip-hop group Bell, Booke, and Candell launched outlook. While both are generally identified by the
the BBnC brand out of Philadelphia just a few years implementation of samples, scratching, and quick
ago and though they don't get much support from lyrics, rap can best be characterized by its self-
the slinging community, their sales in footware and serving message that has come to glorify sex,
ability to market their brands are the strongest of drugs, and violence. Hip-hop, on the other hand,
the three. spoke of the problems found in the inner-city with
a message of hope. It reported the problems and
Y~oy£~ Y£~~y£C~v£ asked for solutions; it didn't wallow or capitalize
The fame of the slinger has nothing to do with the on the problems.
quantity of slingers but, conversely, the rarity of
the slinger. The uniqueness of such acts, and the 0~ <::JA~<::J CUL.1U~£
freshness of the styles based on the arcane sym- It would be easy to simply dismiss the public per-
bols and belief they help popularize is what is so ception of gang culture as crude ignorance but it's
attractive about it. Sure, there are money-making not like the gangs-slinger or mundane-are do-
music acts headlining world tours and filling stadi- ing anything to clarify or correct the perception. If
ums, starring in Spike Lee joints, and licensing their anything, those who have access to the main-
likeness for video games-but it's only a few who stream media (the larger music acts, the more
are doing all that. It's the same names over and prominent social leaders, etc) are perpetuating the
over. The Magik N Mayhem tour consists of the stereotype of mindless violence and hedonism to
acts you'll see referenced throughout this book. further remove them from the rest of America. I
There are only a handful of slingers acting, namely said earlier that the gangs are not as easy as black
Mr. Lin, Rkane, and Vudu Chile. and white-and that's true, but it's not what the
gangs are conveying to the rest of the world.
_£'--~II this is to say that slingi~g, ~~d the i~ea of magic,
-- 1s more popular than the 1nd1v1dual sllngers them- By portraying gang life and gang culture as a "black
'1!~-=~·selves. This game is about slingers, which is why culture," this gives the power-seekers a tack to
l~fruii~Rwe're constantly describing them, their culture, their hang their rebellion on. They get to excuse their
fl contributions, etc. But only the surface of all this actions and beliefs as being misunderstood by
has leaked into the public. Still, that was enough "white media." Since race is such a hot-button is-
to not only incite panic but create a music and fash- sue, no one calls them on it. In the end, who gets
ion sensation. hurt? The African-American community at large,
that's who. No one is more resistant to the per-
petuation of the "gangs" equal "black" mindset than
a black professional. Because if "gangs" equal
The following represents how the general public "black," then "black" invariably equals "gangs" in
Rrit:.~;-';;...;;.!''sees
gangstas, slingers, and the culture associ- the zeitgeist.
ated with them. This can best be used to show
What the general public has right is that gang life
is violent. Anytime you have cliques of people who
are joined in ideology, even if that ideology is sim-
 can't get enough of it: The music, the clo es
...,
the attitude, the lifestyle, the mystique. The - .. ,, ...,.,..,."-I
_"""""'_......,, know they don't like it. Not only does it fly in the -
face of their values and nice quiet lives but it
" flies in the face of their religion-and that has
rattled cages from Podunk city councils to the
Vatican.
''
! What they don't know is the truth. They don't
know anything's truly at stake (except the moral
' fiber of their children) or just how deadly sling-
ing is. They know they see commercials for
Rider-Waite malt liquor and baggy jeans with
pentagrams on the back pocket but they don't
know there's a giant serpent living under East
Los Angeles or that bloodthirsty man-eaters
prowl the street at night.

When it comes to the typical slinger stereotype,

look to the Crows. They're the glamour-hounds,
after all, and when Mothers Against Rap is look-
ing for a poster child they need look no further
~HE.«!E. 1Hi:S co1-1E.:S i~1o ~AC1iCE. i:S~ '1 i~ than Summonin Syrkle's own Da Beazt who
1HE. <1Al-1E.. 0o'i;!L.1>-&U1 Al IHE. <1Al-:1E. 1ABL..G.
CHA'Rlf\[Link].«!:S ~ t0YRD is ·8o~ri -:Rou1i~E.L..Y more-than-gladly plays the martyr.
11-f«!00 IHE. 00~ A«!OU~l> &[Link]:SE. il':S
l?A'R1 of. IH£i"R CUL.1'U"RE. O~E.. :SCHOOL: of' The only group who really tries to broadcast a
IHoV<:iHI 1~ ro ?[Link] ro "fHE. ~Af'E.:S1, Ho0- positive image of slingers and hip-hop are the
[Link].'R, A~l> :JU:SI ~01 U~E.. 1HE.. ~o~ if' if 3XStars. The gang's most famous sons, Wee-
1-1AKE.:S :So1-1E..0~8 Af IHE. IA&t:.E. U~Col-1f'O"Rf­
A&eE.. A~c>rHE.'R i:S THA1 ir A:S:Si:ST:S i~ A Lo Fortune & Da Hang'd Man, are vocal in their
~S'AL.i:SftC ?o«!~A'V' AL. of' <:'lA~<l [Link]'E.• . 't:i:fHE.'R/ stances regarding renovation of the inner city,
o'R, if DoE.,:Si.:) 'r l-1A11E.'R ro 1-1E.. A5iDE. f'«!©l-1 getting guns out of children's hands, and turn-
1HE. i~~ol>VCfo«!Y f'!cfio~ A~l> 1Hi:S &L.V'R&, ing crack alleys into neighborhood parks but
YOO 00~ 1[ Pi~t> if A~Y0HE.'RE. E.L.:SE. i~ ff-fi:S they're running up against a lot of resistance-
&ooK.
even from their own gang. The simple fact is
positivism doesn't make for a catchy headline, so
what the general public sees and hears is the
darker side of gang culture, rap, and hip-hop.
ply mutual hatred of a third party, you are bound to
have conflict when cliques of opposing ideology OvE.~AL..L..
meet. After all, that's why multipartisan govern- What the general public knows and feels is a mix
ments make all those rules about when and where of speculation, exaggeration, and half-truths, just
is appropriate for debate and what said debate may as it was in the real world when everyone was up
and may not entail. in arms about the rise in popularity of the inner-
city gang culture. This is not to down-play the se-
o~ ~L..i~<:iE.~~ verity of either the fictional or factual aspects of it;
So what does the rest of humanity know and think this is just to say that the only ones who really know
of slingers? A lot. .. and also very little. They know what's going on aren't getting airtime and aren't
there are gangbangers out there claiming to do protesting record labels or calling televangelists
freaky shit-and some actually can. They know with their problems. They're keeping the game
there tends to be a lot of crime in neighborhoods going because the lifestyle and the music, in spite
with a high slinger population. They know their kids or because of controversy, is profitable for them.
 . ---
,,.-,;;-/
o r
rt-'lc::.~
1
o r
[Link]::. ~o~, YOU "'[Link]. ~Ho YoU A~E.
t0HE.~E. YOU ~ E. t~Ot-1 "Do~ 1 t-1AifE.~ I~ IHE. COt-'lr~G ~A~
1
--·
--·-
t0HA1 t-1AiTE.'R~ I~ ~o~, YOU'R ~E.A'?O~~, Yo~ t0Y"RD
S~l~G, [Link].'R, ~~l~G, o~ E.L.~E. , You GE.I ~E.'RvE.u."

~1 1 ~ GE.1 1o i1. Track One covered the ing sides on the street: hook up with a like-minded
history of the Wyrd. Track Two revealed the cur- crew, join a mundane squad, or go solo and choose
rent state of affairs in the magical community and not to affiliate with any gang. Each option has its
the world of the gangsta . While these are impor- pros and cons.
tant to understanding the background of Wyrd is
Bond, these don't cover the most important aspect Hooking up with a slinger gang gives a character
of the game: the slinger. Track Three explores what access to arcane information shared only with mem-
this game is all about, which is the individual por- bers. Also, the slinger can count on backup if he
trayed in the tales told with Wyrd is Bond. gets into trouble. Gangs rarely invade each other's
turf (at least, not without an express reason for do-
ing so). This means your slinger has a safe haven
if he needs to escape from something or chill while
they wait for a rap to blow over. On the negative
Wyrd is Bond is not meant for traditional "party" play.
side, you get all the baggage that comes with join-
This means the characters the players create are
ing a gang: enemies of one member become your
not required to band together against a common
enemies as well, you become responsible for pro-
goal the gamemaster assembles and throws at
tecting the secrets you learn, you have to answer
them in chunks. Rather, the player characters are
to someone any time you fuck up or go against regu-
expected to be the heart of the story. Whether they
lation, and you can lose your affiliation far easier
are all friends , all enemies, or an odd mix doesn't
than you acquired it.
invalidate the game; it simply alters the structure of
the story.
Slingers joining a normal crew carry the same nega-
tives as joining a slinger crew, but some of the posi-
The stories told should derive from the characters'
tives differ. Instead of having access to secret
pasts, their affiliations and rivalries, and how they
knowledge, you get automatic status and respect
feel about each other. Wyrd is Bond is a passion
due unto a god among mortals. The people around
play about people desperate for fame, money, or
you will most likely look at you with as much fear
notoriety. Characters should have a driving goal.
as respect, however, so don't be a fool-most folk
Why were they chosen? What made them stand
distrust slingers more than cops. You are also ex-
out? What intense hunger impressed another
pected to be the front line defense for your crew.
slinger enough to bring them into the fold? Anyone
However, you can grow in your magical talents any
who truly feels passionately about something has
way you see fit without having to answer to some
a story worth telling-and other stories will natu-
backroom council.
rally branch from that story. Concentrate on that
story when developing a character for Wyrd is
Choosing to go alone means just that-you're
Bond-not alignment or likeability. "Compatibility"
alone. You can do whatever you want. You can pick
is a concern only in that individual stories should
your own alliances and feuds, learn whatever magic
tell one larger story. It is fine if one character is
you wish, but you'll have no one to call on if you get
based in Chicago and another in Los Angeles if the
backed against the wall.
story is spiraling toward their eventual convergence,
or a third party plays them against each other.
This section primarily addresses your character as
a member of a slinger gang. Mundane gangs and
going solo are covered later in this chapter.

Slingers have three choices when it comes to pick-

2..5
 Before you do anything else, think about your
character's personality and demeanor. This will be Why did your character decide to take the step from
the foundation for everything that comes next. Is the world of banging into the world of slinging?
she serious and reserved, or is she easy-going and There are a myriad of reasons, but the following
always cracking jokes? Does she prefer to negoti- are the most common.
ate or let her trigger finger do the talking?
~[Link] tHA'f SHi'f
In this game, your personality can determine which The Wyrd is intriguing, to say the least, and your
gang you might join. This in turn will determine how character may have just seen something that was
you attune to the Wyrd, how you use it, how you so odd and so inexplicable he just had to find out
gain power, and so on. what was really happening.

~OG0E.~ ~ft>
Your character may have decided to join for the
Consider first why your character became a power and reputation slinging brings. It's a hell of a
gangsta. This is different than why he became a thing to be able to cast magic, and nowadays it
slinger, as this predates his initiation into the magi- seems to lead to instant celebrity even if it is on a
cal aspect of gangbanging. Becoming a gang mem- small scale. This is probably the most common rea-
ber is a big decision, but it's usually made out of son folk choose to become slingers.
passion and not careful consideration. Some ex-
amples follow. OV1CA~1
Maybe your character burned too many bridges with
~o c0Av Ov1
the mundane gangs and the slinging ones are the
Your character may have seen joining a gang as only ones who would take him.
his only option. Like going into the family business,
it was what his peers expected of him. His options ii..)'fo 'THE. roL.."D
were to join or become ostracized. Worse yet, not Your character may be one of the rare few who
joining may have made him the group's enemy. stumbled onto the Wyrd independent of a gang. In
this instance, a gang may have adopted you in or-
#HE. ~"D<=JE. der to protect you (or, more likely, to keep tabs on
Your character may have joined for protection. you).
3i~~~~Maybe others pushed him down and kicked him
!!!!!!!=!!i'---,around for so long, he became tired of being weak
·~~=~_;and looked to a gang for protection and strength.
Most characters are brought into slinging by a
"( 1Zi..)E.~"(1~ 1Zi..)E.~ gangsta. If your character was a gangsta before
Your character may have joined for revenge. His she learned of the Wyrd, she may still retain her
. . . . sister may have been raped or murdered by a gang old affiliation . So, a 3XStar may have inducted your
member so he ended up joining the perpetrator's slinger, but he still rolls with the Crips and not the
rival gang. If you choose this route, it may be best 3XStars.
to leave this unresolved; revenge is a great dra-

- 'BACK Ar YA
~;;;;..;;;;;,;;~
matic motivator.

Fii;;;~E'll"!f;'y'our character may have joined to pay someone

~~:=:--•1back . A gang member may have saved his life or
e~~~the life of someone he cares about. In return, he
Slingers who thus "cross over" are still due respect
from their master's posse. Because of this, the
slinger still knows the gang signs and slang used
by his magical other half. If a group of Crows comes
up to some punks they think are needling their turf,
that group of punks would do well to have a slinger
~~~~::=:::;:;l~lo~w~ :ed her to take him under her wing. in the midst who was brought up by a Crow. Gangs
2..r;,
~~~~
 •
I
some things gangs don't leak out to others if ey- ·
are nominally part of the same crowd. Cross-overs . ..
are respected and rarely crossed but they chose
to be outsiders so there will be information they
are not privy to .

The path your character takes is up to you.

Either way, his roots-even if strictly magical-
are with one of the gangs below.

Your character's gang affiliation will be the cause

of many disputes and altercations. It also deter-
mines the jobs he pulls and the battles he starts.
Most importantly, this choice determines his very
Wyrd so choose carefully.
S o ME.1iME.:S THE.i'R ~AME. i:S A
UE.~1vA1ivE. of' THE. 'ROOT <='!A~G ':s,
:suc f-f "f:'"A:sr '1 1H SIA'R:S" o 'R uCo L.E. CirY
Ki~<:i:s." SoME.1iME.:S THE. ~AME. S.E.A'R:S Rule number one in the hood: Know your en-
L..iif'L.E., if A~Y, 'RE.:SE. S.L..;A~CE. 1o 1HE. emies. Rule number two: Know your friends. Rule
O'Ri<?ii~A1i~(i (lA~<:i':s ~AME., :SUCH A:S number three: Know the difference. Each gang
""THE. '1-2. '?o :s:sE." A~U ''DIAMo~u is different in their whys, whos, and whats. But
AvE.~uE. ~i2.A'RU:S." grey areas exist in gang culture, and the deal-
ings behind alliances and trades often leave even
the experts scratching their heads.
A:s A ?L..AYE.'R, f'E.E.L.. f''RE.E. ro ~AME.
YOU'R Cf-fA'RACIE.'R ':s L..OCAL. :SE.I. if'
Slinger gangs on the whole are smaller than the
MUL.1i?L.E. Cf-fA'RACIE.'R:S A'RE. i..:S THE. others. Gangs such as the Bloods and Crips have
:SAME. :SE.I, t00'RK fo([Link]-fE.'R ro C:[Link]. them outnumbered by 20 to 1 at least. What the
.. :[Link]-fi~(l :SL..iCK. t<[Link].E.'R lf-fAI slingers have, though, is the juice-their magical
1HE. ~AME. :Sf-fo UL.U :sou~u iM?o :Si~G, talents. This allows them to stand alongside gang
lf-f'R [Link].~i~G, [Link] AL.:S6 f-fAiL. ff-f£i culture as a separate respected entity other than
~E.r':s o'R C:V'R'RE.~1 cE.~1E.'R of' a bunch of start-ups looking to be squashed .
AC1ivi1Y. There are other slinger gangs besides the ones
listed here, but these are the prominent ones.
Often, the smaller slinger gangs are splinters from
SE.r:s A'Rb AL.:SC> K~ot0~ A:S :SQUAU:S,"
11

one of these . However, rumors of new and pow-

"c 'RE.t-J:s, " "t>o:s:sE.:s," A~U "u~ir:s. '~
erful slinger gangs have crept up that could be a
serious challenge if they decide to stake a claim.
rarely give respect-but they will always give it
to their own. Cross-over slingers usually check
in with their masters from time to time. Anything
stirring in the darkness is bound to cast ripples First, each entry will cover a bit of the gang 's his-
in the mystical network, and people need to stay tory, the rudiments of its magical beliefs, and how
informed. they come together in this modern age. Then comes
its personal and musical style, magic, common
The majority of slingers choose to hang with their weaknesses, and magical tricks that give each gang
new gang, however. It not only offers them some its unique style. Gang-specific slings , special rules
hellacious protection , it keeps them keyed in on pertinent to the gang, miscellaneous notes, and a
the goings-on of the magical underground in a few scenario ideas to give brand new slingers a
way that being a cross-over can't. There are boost will cap it all off.

••
 After each gang's history is a list of facts about it. this is the type of music members of the gang usu-
These are the following sections and what they ally listen to.
mean:
[Link]~E.~~= Every gang has a weakness, ei-
A:~i?[Link]: This is the particular aspect of the Wyrd ther in philosophy, organization, what they teach
around which the gang was built. As a player, this their members or how others treat them.
is something to keep in mind when it comes to your
character's personal spells and how they plan to ~ici<: All gangs have a "trick." This is a sling
gain Wyrd. This aspect is not the end-all be-all of they get to do without rolling. Any limitations or rules
the gang, however, and the Wyrd is malleable for that trick are listed.
enough so each gang can impart its own belief and
interpretation upon it. [Link]~<:J ~vicE.: Each gang has its own way
of getting juice. For most, getting juice is a con-
i~i1iA1io~: This details both how people are scious effort the slinger must initiate. This means
usually chosen and the process the prospective the player must specify vocally that his slinger is
member must go through before being accepted going to charge. Only in certain instances (named
into the gang. It is during his initiation that a slinger below) are charges automatic.
gets his first point of Wyrd. This is usually bestowed
upon him by his "sponsor,'' the person that intro- 'So~v~ "DicE.: Slingers can add extra dice to a
duced him both to the Wyrd and to his gang. roll, but every die must be justified according to
these guidelines. They don't have to say anything
i~1oL.E.«:A~cE.: This is something newbies need specific until after they actually roll; however, a dif-
to memorize and old-schoolers need to respect. Ev- ferent rationale must be supplied per bonus die. A
ery gang has a limit, something they will not abide slinger can have up to two bonus dice per roll.
their membership doing, and this is it.
QA~<=J~E.L..A1E."D SL.i~<:J~: Each gang sl ings
~A,...,E.~: These are some sample names that for a different reason and wields a different type of
gang members might have. You're free to use these power outside the standard effects common to all
or make up your own. These are here simply to slingers. You can think of these slings as the mod-
inspire you. ern equivalent to "spells" as opposed to most slings
which are more off-the-cuff and spontaneous. These
IH~E.A1>~: Each gang typically prefers a particu- slings are governed by different ru les than normal
lar style or brand of clothing. This is never an abso- slings. See Track 4 for details.
lute, but members of the same gang do tend to wear
ililf~~~~complementary styles and colors. ?t..o1 f-fooi<.~: Scenarios need starting points.
Being a member of this or that gang can provide
~::;;:::~~1A<:J~ f #E.t..t..~: Each gang has its symbology. unique beginnings to a larger story. As a player,
UCJ"-";:?i!IJ_ __,i his goes beyond threads , as these are used spe- you should use these to inspire you to come up
cifically to let others know that the gang owns, con- with your own way of introducing your character to
trols, or is affiliated with a person, object, or terri- the story.
tory.
As you read through these overviews, think about
A gang's "sound" is what one can ex- which gang interests you enough to portray a mem-
pect of the music gang members produce. In turn, ber. If you have a character sheet in-hand, mark
down the relevant information after you make your
decision.
 . -
I -
.........
-·
'7H£ MA~ SAf'D, 'Do &0HA1 1Hou &0(L1 SHALL a.£ 1H£. &0HoL£ Or 1H£. LA&0.'
11
So L(s1£.10 U?, G£1 QU(CK, oR G£1 A K (CK U?Sf'D£ 1H£ '1"A&0.
-from Da Beazt Speakz by Summonin Syrkle (featuring Golden Dawne)
#HE. C~o~~ A~E. E.M'Pi~ici~1~ A~t> l-1A1E.~iAL.i~1~. They believe in what they can see, hear,
smell, taste, and touch. To them, gold and goods beat all other juju out there. One's status is directly
proportionate to one's gains. A shiny new car, an expansive spread along the California coast, and a
house full of beautiful women in skimpy bikinis is the lifestyle a Crow strives for.

The Crows have based their magic

on the teachings and fundaments
laid down by everyone's favorite
magical madman , Edward
Alexander "Aleister" Crowley.
Crowley's misplaced public
association with the Devil
has blurred the line be-
tween the Crows and
the D-Men to the out-
side world, but the
Crows have never ex-
pressed concern. Be-
hind it all, what Crowley
was interested in was the world
of the flesh and the physical
senses. Crowley wanted lots of
sex; his agenda was hardly in
line with the one held by the D-
Men. In fact, Crowley had little
concern outside of his sexual
pursuits, with the possible ex-
ception of projecting a dark and
mysterious image that obfuscated
his true nature and made promises
Crowley rarely had any intention of
keeping .

Crowley shook off his Christian up-

bringing early in his life to further his
magical (or, as he preferred to spell it,
magickal) pursuits. Aleister (often called
"The Alley Star" by modern Crows) told
others that he was on the verge of a new
magical eon-one of Thelemic magic.
Thelema referred to the indomitable force
of the human will. That "Do what thou wilt. .. " line
that Da Beazt loves to quote is the dictum laid forth by
Crowley to summarize this pursuit. His search for magic even-
2..'1
 ua y e e1ster to the erme 1c Order of the While os rows o 1n u ge in sex, booze, and
Golden Dawn. But that pairing didn't last long and drugs as an expression of their Wyrd, a few look
Aleister soon found himself on his own. In 1920, toward alternative avenues of physical expression
Crowley established an abbey in Sicily that he put such as dance, sports, and tantric yoga. A lot of
under his pet magical project, the Order of the Sil- Crows are deep into meditation as a way to center
ver Star. Here his sexual bent took the forefront of the Wyrd into the self.
his life with a terrible hunger. It wasn't long, how-
ever, before Crowley got his crate shipped from Italy f~i1iA1io~: Crows seek out people interested in
and he found himself back in England where e wealth, fame, and power, obviously, but they're not
was the subject of great scandal and the Lon on as shallow as people think. They look for those with
press's favorite whipping boy. Crowley die penni- great potential. They're not looking to just fill their
less in 1947. His ashes were sent to a group of ranks, they're looking to bring in those people who
followers in the United States. His was not an alto- have something special. Becoming a Crow brings
gether glamorous existence. with it a moderate level of luxury but there is kin-
ship there as well.
So why follow Crowley's path? Because, when
Crowley was on top of his game, he got results. Females who wish to become Crows are "sexed
More importantly, he got immediate results. His in ." This means they are required to sleep with a
magic was self-contained with no thought to the certain number of existing Crows (usually four to
appeasement of gods or the seeking of a balance. five) before being accepted. Those who sleep with
He did, he juiced, he released, and he did again. the initiates gain some Juice from the encounter.
The true story behind Crowley's fall is, and will for- Males have to rob someone, either on the street or
ever be, the subject of great debate and specula- on the job, and bring back items with a high rarity
tion. A true Crow knows the only trick is to not be or market price.
played and to remain at the top of your game. They
have collectively vowed to not make the same mis- f~roL.E.«:A~cE.: The Crows do not tolerate lazi-
takes their forebear did. ness in any form. Once you're a Crow, you will work
to earn your keep or you will find your sorry ass on
People like to dismiss the Crows (particularly the the curb.
music put out by certain Crows) as shallow, de-
meaning, and harmful to the teenage demographic. ~AME.~: Older Crows, such as Da Beazt, took their
The record executives agree wholeheartedly with names from Crowley's supposedly Devil-driven
that summary but would never dismiss the Crows past. However, there is a lot in Crowley's history
because of a fourth adjective often tacked onto this that can be twisted into a slick street name; Golden
brand of slinger: profitable. Of the money slingers Dawne is an example of that. Some sample names
;fJle~~~f ring in, Crows hold 60% of the market and that's are Lola Girl, 0-Cyrus, Sista Cybele, and Brother
~..._...~ ust record sales. With clothing lines and movies Will Endure.
coming into the picture, the cash pile just keeps
~le;==~-getting bigger. More and more Crows are movin' ~«:E.A'D~: Even though Crowley's connection to
, t..;:::.i.a.;;a...--on up and making neighbors of entrepreneurs, the Devil is dubious at best, you will still often find
bankers, and Hollywood superstars. traditional devilish and demonic references such
as Summonin Syrkle's group name (and the names
The Alley Star would be proud. of its members). This has become less popular
since the rise of the D-Men, though. In fact, some
A~t>[Link]: Physical
of the older Crows have re-imaged themselves in
Not just hedonism, though that is how it normally order to distance association with the D-Men's
.._:Jd~~lii~'""'anifests, the Crows practice the Wyrd in its physi- darker and more threatening style.
'9 tal manner. Anything that alters body chemistry,
H~~;:-::=::.__composition, or adornment falls under this banner. Crows, like Crowley himself, also display an affin-
~~!!!'-•Not only that, their aspect covers the respect and ity for the style and philosophy of Ancient China.
idolatry of the material world. More and more Crows are choosing Asian-inspired
outfits to make it all the more obvious that Crows
'30
 . ---
I
are not D-Men
and vice versa.
If something is obsolete or has been used · - - ·
source of Juice three times then the item is effec-
tively dead. This is not to say people won't be im-
-
~ IE.L..L..~: Thepressed by it, but the slinger won't get a charge out
Crows' tag is the outlinedof it. Crows also get juice from sex. The more part-
profile of a crow. This is ners, the more juice (roll 1d6 per partner) with a
used for marking their turf maximum of three (even if the total number of part-
and property. Their hand ners exceeds that number). Roll an extra 1d6 (to-
sign is the thumb and index tal, not per partner) if the sex is particularly kinky.
finger of the right hand curled
into a "C" with the three remain- 'So~u~ "DicE.: Crows get bonus dice when
ing fingers fully extended (like a they have just done something extremely physically
bird's wing). This is done so the "C" taxing. They also get a bonus die when they are
circles the slinger's heart. A Crow's tell high or have been drinking (they must have at least
is usually a silver crow tag worn as an emblem or a a good buzz to get a bonus). Crows have an amaz-
piece of jewelry. ing ability to remain lucid while out of their gourd.
They get one bonus die at the very beginning of
Sou~"D: Crows have a lighter, hipper and more the round; they do not get one bonus die with ev-
fun sound to their music. They make heavy use of ery toke or swig they take.
old pop samples spread throughout lyrics that ex-
tol the virtues of rank and power. The music em- QA~<?J~E.L..A1E."D SL..i~<?J~
phasizes partying and sex, and the backbeat is Check Yo'self: With this sling, a Crow can deter-
meant to be at high volume during both. mine someone's weakness. This weakness can be
physical, mental, or emotional but once the Crow
~[Link]~E.~~= On the whole, the Crows' major knows it, the Crow gets a bonus die to all rolls where
weakness is that they are not being taken as an the person's weakness could work against them.
actual threat. Just as with the D-Men, the image This may only be done once per target, and the
they are projecting is making it hard for people to type of weakness the Crow is looking for (physical,
take their craft seriously. Mind you, the ones mostly mental, or emotional, for example) must be stated
responsible for this degradation of props are not beforehand. This sling has a Strength equal to the
the ones on the street every day, but the chart top- target's Wyrd + 2.
pers whose new digs and [Link]§ are keeping them
up in Beverly Hills and away fromWhere they came Product Endorsement: This sling is placed on ob-
from. Recently, more and more highly successful jects and makes others want to have it (or one iden-
Crows are migrating back to their old haunts to undo tical to it) immediately. Crows lead the trends, not
what damage they feel has been done. Those follow them. Only one sling can be placed on a
Crows fear that new slingers are getting into the single object, and each object requires its own sling.
game half-assed and aren't taking the work and This sling has a Strength of 3. To make someone
words of The Alley Star to heart. They fear the new want that exact object, the Strength is 5.
crowd isn't looking past the sex and glamour and
putting the time into the traditions and concentra- ?L..o1 f-(001<~: Crows have a long-standing feud
tion required to be a Crow. with the 3XStars, and are often called to act against
them. Robberies are common and the target is usu-
~iCK: Crows get an extra die to Power when ally not the local Jif-E-Mart. The Crows are covet-
they are trying to persuade, seduce, or intimidate ers and when they decide something must be theirs,
someone. This Trick only works once per person in it must be theirs at any cost.
any given conflict.
Crows are notorious for having bad debts from their
[Link]~<?J ~uicE.: Crows get juice from pos- past returning to collect. It is not uncommon for a
sessing expensive and rare things that other Crows particularly offensive Crow to go underground for
would envy. They must own the object outright and extended periods of time in hopes of cooling her
they can only get juice while the novelty is still there. trail.
'3'
 "[Link] rr
[Link] E. YA 001 A S1ACK 1' [Link], RiSK ii AL.L., loss /HE. BAL.L.,
s1icK our YA i.:::[Link], DR ?[Link] ii U? [Link]. Ai.:::iD 0£1 [Link] 1'.
11

-from Play It by Wee-Lo Fortune & Da Hang'd Man

/HE. foL.L.o~E.~~ of HE.~~E.~ ~i~~E.<?Ji~ru~ are risk-takers and rule-breakers. But if any of
the three major gangs will bring any kind of peace, it will be the 3XStars. The slingers in this gang are an
eclectic mix because the 3XStars (pronounced "Triple X Stars" or just 'Stars, for short) have a pretty
open admissions policy. What does bond the 'Stars
more than anything is their distrust (and oft times
outright disdain) of the Crows and D-Men; a loath-
ing that has pushed the 'Stars into a strength-in-
numbers mentality.

The truth behind Hermes Trismegistus is muddled

with speculation and theory, but the 3XStars found
their clarity through the interpretation of a set of
texts called Corpus Hermeticum (literally "The
Body of Hermes") where their forebear is a
prominent figure and hailed as a deity who has
taken human form. Some occultists and slingers
believe that Trismeg istus himself penned the
works and that he was not only an Egyptian
sage, but a contemporary of the Biblical (
Moses.

The world is all about balance to a 'Star. The

world is seen as light and dark, good and evil,
lf!ti:!F~~-~spirit and matter. Practitioners preach a mind
-~~!*'-- and body dualism and strive to obtain posses-
sion of a true and divine knowledge. The
[Link]==~~·Ghosts, a gang who profess a duality of ex-
remes as opposed to balance, could be con-
sidered the polarity of the 'Stars. This is a point
that has not gone unnoticed by 'Stars's higher-

Allegedly, Hermes wrote a text called "The Em-

--- erald Tablet", which Alexander the Great dis-

)., J~!!=--;covered. While scholars cite that the text is pur-
~ posefully oblique and contradictory as proof
lt~~iiirmm,.against its legitimacy, the 3XStars realize that
Uiii.......,..-...;':same contradiction and randomness is what al-
lows their magic to work. Alchemists used the Em-
,-_.._ _erald Tablet for centuries, and the 3XStars strive to
 •
I
unlock its full of a burning building, or walking the double-yellows- I
potential in of a busy highway. 8I
that regard.
i~1oL.E.~A~cE.: The 3XStars do not tolerate cru-
The 'Stars elty or oppression. Unprovoked violence is frowned
have an upon but, if brought upon someone who is notori-
ancient feud ous for the same , they will let it slide as long as it is
with the Crows that not too severe.
stems from the belief
that Crowley's entry into ~Al"IE.~: Common magical terms, phrases, and
the Hermetic Order of the names of mystical objects are a great basis for a
Golden Dawn forever de- 3XStars' name. For example, Wee-Lo Fortune and
fi Ied the word of their Da Hang'd Man took their names from the Tarot.
founder with Crowley's in- Sample names are Maji One, Big Sister Sling, Die-
sistence on appeasing only one's desires. The Cast, and Mr. Lin.
Crows claim he livened up the place. Of course,
the 3XStars don't hold much respect for the Golden IH~E.A'D~: A 'Star's wardrobe tends toward the
Dawn as a group, but certain members of the guild eclectic. Common styles are all over the map on
have been exalted in their society. One of the most this one. However, because the other gangs tend
revered is Arthur Edward Waite , whose popular tarot to favor it, it is rare to find a 'Star dressed in pre-
set inspired such prominent 'Stars as the oft-quoted dominantly black clothes. If there were a common
) chart-toppers Wee-Lo Fortune & Da Hang'd Man. thread, it would be sport jerseys, sneakers, and ball
caps. 'Stars are primarily responsible for the rise of
The 3XStars follow the teachings of Hermes for dif- such clothing lines as ENOK and BBnC.
ferent reasons but the majority like the sense of
tradition. Hermetic magic has been around a long 1Ac:i~ ~ iE.L.L.~: The 3XStars's tag is an icon
time and has non-gang followers around the world. featuring three stars. The middle star is touching
Plus, the sense of balance in the magic and of har- the other two on two points, with the left and right
mony through chaos is a perfect fit for those raised stars touching each other on the middle star's top
in an uncertain place during an uncertain time. point. Their hand sign consists of crossing the in-
dex and middle fingers on each hand, then cross-
A~t>[Link]: Spiritual ing the ring and pinkie fingers on the right hand
The 3XStars draw on the spiritual aspect of the only, then laying the right arm over the left in an "X"
Wyrd. In this instance, the spiritual side refers more just over the slinger's left abdominal side. Trust me:
to the interconnectivity of all things than anything It looks cooler than it sounds . 'Stars tend to wear
of a Judea-Christian nature. They believe in chaos their gang tag as a tattoo or as a piece of jewelry.
and contradiction because those forces stretch and
bend how things relate to each other. In accordance Sov~n: Most 'Stars have a smoother "world mu-
with their master's teachings, they also hold nature sic" influence or beats based more in jazz and soul
and natural law in high regard. than retread pop hits. 'Stars music is often consid-
ered the "thinking man's rap" but that's actually more
i~T1iA1io~: The 3XStars look to recruit slingers of the hip-hop angle of 'Stars music. There are 'Stars
who feel lost, or average people who long to learn who hit just as heavy as D-Men and 'Stars who party
the Wyrd. Lately, however, certain local arms of the just as much as Crows, but people perceive the
'Stars have been closing their doors to newbies; 'Stars differently because those artists are in the
though their ranks are thickening, some fear their minority and far from the rule.
actual collective power is thinning.
[Link]~E.~~= 3XStars who take themselves too
Prospective members of the 'Stars have to prove seriously will make enemies of rival slingers quickly
they can handle themselves in dangerous, and po- and of their own supposed allies even faster. The
tentially deadly, situations. Those situations might 'Stars's more open admissions policy has worked
be running through a firefight, running up the stairs against them in the past because Hermetic magic

'3 '3 ~ ~ o. .~_,...,.

.
 is open to a lot of different, sometimes conflicting, repair itself. This symbol may be indicative of the
interpretations. Some slingers in this gang are 'Stars object or the desired reparation. It may even be the
by default because what they practice doesn't fit personal symbol of the slinger. It would take a whole
under another gang's banner. 3XStars have become lot for an object to look brand-new, but a junked car
a catch-all. While this does give them the strength will run again, the beam of a run-down garage will
of diversity, this makes them weak as well; it's hard support weight, etc. The strength of the sling is de-
to find others who truly and deeply feel the exact pendent on the size of the object. For example, a
same as you on what may be an important issue. gun would be 2, a car would be 4, and a building
Still, the 3XStars survive because they are certainly would be 6.
the largest gang, boasting numbers almost double
of the Crows and over three times of the D-Men. Against All Odds: The 'Star can manipulate games
of chance. If successful, the 'Star can dictate the
There are 3XStars who have taken great strides in winner of the game. This is all done on the down-
projecting a positive image for their gang. But the low, obviously, because cheaters get no quarter in
3XStars are not close-knit and there are sets run- the hood. The 'Star cannot dictate the winning
ning under their banner that are among the worst amount or control games where there are more than
sets out there. Entire drug rings are run by 'Stars a handful of participants (so no Lotto fixes). The
who exploit the fact that any checks and balances strength of this sling is 4.
in their gang's hierarchy are tenuous at best. This
dissension in the ranks could shake the 'Stars foun- YL..o1 f-fooK:s.: 3XStars are notorious collec-
dation both as a gang and a viable slinger contin- tors. Members are often called to weave their way
gent. into some seedy nightmare of a club in search of
some long-lost artifact or tome.
~icK: 'Stars get an extra die to Order during
chaotic situations such as earthquakes, riots, fires, 'Stars are often sent out to keep tabs on potential
etc. Stars are notoriously lucky and get to bump threats-either those who may harm the 'Stars or
three dice to 6 on one roll per game. This bump who are just dangerous to slingers in general.
may not be split (meaning you can't bump Power Moreso than other gangs with elders to answer to,
on one roll and Payback on a separate one) and the 3XStars are expected to keep everything in (
costs two Juice to do so. check. Whoever it is in the backroom of this gang
takes the balance aspect of their Wyrd very, very
QE.1ii~<::l ~vicE.: Renovating property and com- seriously.
munities without the use of magical means give
,~l~~~=~ 'Stars juice. Being around things that are naturally The 3XStars are also trying to reach out to the mem-
_,. ___angerous (meaning that the object or place or bers of Los Reyes, though the Kings are resistant.
whatever is dangerous in its native state) will also To this end, members may be sent into King terri-
'r:-li===--.i·uice up a 'Star. Any action that is truly positive in a tory on a peace-seeking mission.
w-tiliiolCl.....,___,communal sense is worthy of Juice.

So~v:s. l>icE.: 'Stars get bonuses by taking

·· risks. For every bonus die a character wants to use,
he must introduce an element of randomness or
danger into the situation. For example, a slinger
may run out into a busy street in the middle of a
ight to draw off all the converging, confusing en-
mi;.;;:a.-.-.:erg y.

A~<::i~E.L..A1E.!> SL..i~<::l:S.
Urban Renewal: By putting a specific symbol or
rune on an object with spray paint, the object will
I

"t..)£ Go/: DA ,ji~£:5 A,jD v.:>£ R£ FL..i?'f>i,j /Ri?L..£ :5i)(£:5

1

11
You 1-1UIHAFUCKA:5 001 PR0BL..£1-1s, v.:>£ !-1UIHAFUCKA:5 Go/ Fi)(£:5.
-from Black Skin/Black Wings by 9Circles
#HE. 'D-ME.~ A~E. i~f'E.~~AL.~ and get their power from the suffering of humankind. The D-Men
already have a life of luxury in the underworld so they don't are how much t~ey destroy our,world. Thf
D-Men control the gun and drug markets in order to slowl bleed their entr py into the ur~n cultur .
They didn't start the fire, but they're sure gonna piss gasol neon it to keep it blazing. }

There is no easier or simpler way to say this: the D-Men ( I

are demons; they are the spawn of Satan, the Devil i
and God's Adversary. The number one tack !
1
on their to-do list is to destroy man, God's I) } (
greatest creation. Of course, there are Y-
plenty of rules and regulations and dia-
bolical red-tape that prevent D-Men from ('-')..."(
simply unfurling big black wings and raz-
ing the planet to ash while the masses
beg and pray for absolution. The big
reason this doesn't happen is that D-
Men are not that type of demon. They
aren't high up in the Infernal hierar-
chy and are, in fact, of much lesser
power than those His Adversary holds
in reserve. They are, however, de-
mons that can roam around
Earth without attracting too
much attention from the
Devil's major opponents.
They are, as far as Satan
is concerned, pawns that ,
are disruptive, expendable,
yet loyal and fun to watch.

Don't laugh too much here because

these folks are still demons and the D-
Men, despite their flippant attitude and
often juvenile behavior, are still
badasses who can literally summon
hellfire if need be. It's hard to break a
D-Man's loyalty to his master, as he will
never be accepted into Heaven and will,
in fact, only suffer his transgressions.

Outwardly, you cannot tell a D-Man from anyone else;

they even have belly buttons. D-Men don't truly have an
anatomical sex, but the mortal bodies they inhabit for their
'35
 e -Men do not tolerate weak-
stay on Earth sure do and D-Men quickly learn to
ness. Anyone who shows weakness will be subject
identify with it as such. (And yes, everything on the
to ridicule at best, but if she displays it too often or
body is usually in perfect working order.)
to a great enough extent (such as cowing to a mor-
tal or disobeying a superior's direct order out of
The outside world doesn't actually believe the D-
fear), death and then having to answer to the Big D
Men are hellspawn. The slings the D-Men know
is the standard punishment.
are not that far from what the general public sees
other street gangs doing. Overall, the gang's cool
~AME.~: D-Men either urbanize their true demonic
with that perception. They will continue to do their
thing no matter what anyone thinks. name or pick something appropriately evocative of
the Devil as represented in mythology, Judea-Chris-
When a D-Man shows up on the mortal plane, he tian text, or popular culture. Sample names are Evil
doesn't have a body. D-Men are simply insubstan- D, Belzabub, Soulsucka, and DJ Enemy.
tial energy. Instead, they take over another person's
body, usually living but very recently deceased 1i:f~[Link]~: Predictably, D-Men wear mostly black
works, too. If it is the body of someone living, his and red with a particular affectation for leather. Fur
friends and family usually question what happened is also popular as trim, though rarely worn in large
to him and why he thinks he's a demon-this re- quantities. The goal here is to piss people off, not
sponse is usually met with a few choice words and be tacky.
an extending middle finger or two. If it is the body
of someone recently deceased (usually just a few 7Ac::i~ f 76.t..t..~: The tag of the D-Men is a tradi-
hours dead) no one really likes to think about the tional pentagram with the rays coming up from the
possibility of their buddy "coming back" so anyone bottom points and extended beyond the circle. Also,
who suspects anything tends to keep quiet. the arc of the circle that connects the two is thick-
ened. The broad lines give the illusion of a goat's
Note that D-Men die, so being one isn't a bullet- head. They tend to sport the number of the Beast
proof vest-far from it. Their mortal bodies were on their clothes (such as the number on a sports
given to them on loan so when a shell dies, the D- jersey). Pentagrams are also popular on their cloth-
Man inside gets pulled back to the Inferno. The body ing, too. The pentagrams are generally associated
he was using stays behind, dead as can be. with the Devil so outsiders can easily connect the
D-Men with their dark lord and master, plus the dis-
A~t>[Link]: Infernal play of pentagrams upsets a lot of Pagans (who
Their aspect is powered by the will of the Inferno know better).
and its stoker, the Devil. They are demons, after
As a hand sign, D-Men like to flash Ronny James
~~~~rr:::all. D-Men practice their Wyrd in order to corrupt
nd fracture mankind. Anything that works toward Dio's "devil" hand-sign. They use the hand sign be-
that end fits under their aspect. cause, frankly, it's kind of cool and easy to do.

Sov~D: Most D-Men music is harder and heavier

than that of their peers. The foundation is more
bass-heavy and often features back-up from popu-
lar death metal bands. Lyrically, the D-Men love to
provoke Christian groups as well as the other gangs
in their songs, often calling God and His people
out. D-Men concerts are often picketed and scuffles
with protest groups are making more headlines ev-
ery day.

[Link]~E.~~= The D-Men's major weakness is that

they have no value for community or making allies.
They still make all-too-tentative "alliances" with the
mundane gangs but don't care whose toes they step
'3<0
I
-
on. Frankly, their collective themselves on worldly possessions.
ego undermines them
more often than not. QA~<:l~E.L..A1E.t> SL..T~<:l~
Things are settling, I'm Your Pusher: With this, a D-Man can force a
though, as more person to indulge in a weakness or obsession. The
and more of them target will not be satisfied (and the sling will not be
pop up. When "broken") until they get their fix. Only one of these
they first arrived slings can be placed on a target at a time. The
they highly un- strength for this sling is the target's Wyrd+2.
derestimated
the power other Scene of the Crime: Using this sling, a D-Man can
gangs held, but plant evidence at the scene of a crime. The article
it's becoming that will become "evidence" must be in the D-Man's
apparent that immediate possession and the D-Man must know
the other gangs exactly where the crime scene is (but does not have
are not push-over to be near the scene). If the sling is successful, the
kitchen magicians us- object disappears from the D-Man's possession and
ing their juice to turn rose- reappears somewhere within the crime scene. The
mary into pot. Some have serious scholars and strength of this sling is 6.
badasses in their ranks and are flexing muscles
the D-Men never expected. If the D-Men don't YL..o1 f-fooi<.~: D-Men love to fuck with the Crows.
shape up soon, they'll lose what ground they have People that shallow and hedonistic are targets for
and then their mundane allies will switch to the win- D-Men exploitation. AD-Man may cook up some
ning side-and Big Daddy D ain't gonna expose homemade smack to leak into the Crow network.
his Infernal self just to save a few low-ranking infi- This smack may make the user crave it more and
dels. more with ease dose. Now, as the sole supplier,
the D-Man could name his price-any price he
1iicK: D-Men get an extra die to Power when wants.
confronting someone they know has a dirty little
secret provided they know that secret. D-Men can If the 3XStars are the "good guys" (as the outside
start fires by spending four points of Juice. The fire world sees it) then the D-Men are the "bad guys." If
simply appears-no need for physical contact with a 'Star with a D-Men enemy takes a positive action
the slinger-and will continue to burn as long as then that action is going to be met with resistance
fuel is available or it is extinguished by traditional by the "boys in black."
means. Also, a D-Man can gain a +2 to Power
every round when he is in an unholy environment D-Men and the Blood Queen sets have a tenuous
(a D-Man can automatically sense when he has agreement to keep out of each other's way ... but
entered such a place). flare-ups do happen from time and time and nei-
ther group is the type to back down from a fight.
[Link]~<=i .rvicE.: The D-Men get charges from
standing on fresh chalk outlines, being in a run- No gang can be all bad, right? There must be at
down tenement, or getting an expectant mother least one D-Man who has changed his heart and
hooked on crack. Hey, these are demons after all. no longer wishes to bring about the downfall or man-
All D-Men automatically get 1d6 juice when they kind. The question is, what will the D-Men do when
enter any non-gang territory that was once affluent they find him? To what end will that D-Men go to
but is now on the economic decline. avoid being discovered?

'So~v~ nicE.: D-Men have control over fire and

entropy. To get bonus dice, they must destroy some-
thing of value or exploit someone's need, desire,
or addiction. Weak-willed Crows are especially sus-
ceptible to the will of a D-Man as are any who pride
 "Aqur Af-to~A E.~IA"'1o~, L.o~ ~i.30~ DE. ~[Link].~
t0oi.0 l-1UCf-V\CHo i~ CHUl-1?E.:D, CA~ 1 £v£~ LOOK Af o~ t AC£ II
1

-from Chumped by Hermanos Con Los Armas

#HE. {61i~ Ki~<:;~ c0E.~E. o~CE. ~V~1 A ~Oi:"1AL.. <:;A~<:;. But when a few members
stumbled onto the Wyrd, that ended immediately. Los Reyes ("The Kings") is the only predominantly
Hispanic slinger group well-known enough to deserve its own listing here . There are others, sure, but
none who are gaining ground and clout as fast as the Kings . They don't have a single forebear from
which their ideology stems . Instead, the familial aspect of the Wyrd rose from their insular lifestyle. The
Kings are obsessively close-knit and xenophobic to the point of displaying open
and extreme hostility to outsiders. They especially
distrust whites, Asians, and authority figures of
any stripe. They're only marginally toler-
ant of African-Americans, and His-
panics who are allied with such
gangs as the Crows or the 3Xstars
are always regarded with suspi-
cion .

Those in the know say that part

of the secretive nature of the
Kings is intimately tied to their
distant history. See, they aren't
called the "Kings" for nothing;
some of their founders supposedly trace
their blood-lines back to the ancient king-
doms of the Aztecs, the Mayans and the
M~~~~~.ncas as well as other native Central
~merican nations that were all but lost to
. .1~~ !ii!!~-'"""-·.<
the European invasion. The Kings, it
l~tt===..-seems, may be interested in taking back
1111,;:;;i..-1..-..-what they've supposedly "lost" to usurp-
ers. Whispers of scarification rituals and
ancient blood rites surround them, as do \
hints of the great power that runs down the
lines of the sacred pathway which still cuts
through the heart of California, El Camino
Real. The heart of their power is situated
- - - round the rural California town,
0

~;z:~:::;--'"Watsonville, though various members

"}:f;~-;;:::~~are known to roam up and down the
l~lik~~~·.[Link].
I

not known.

The Kings are openly

devout Catholics and do Once accepted into the Kings, the initiate is taken
not tolerate blasphemies into a quiet room where a high-ranking member
such as taking the name of marks the symbol of a crown on her left hand and
the Lord in vain, though "Madre de Dios" is a com- the symbol of a snake on her right. After the mark-
mon expletive. Members often huddle in prayer be- ings are made, the initiate is left alone in the room.
fore a major hit or gang battle. The initiate then bleeds into a golden chalice for up
to thirty minutes. It is then that the vision de la
Some Kings have recently decided to take stron- serpiente, or "vision of the snake," occurs. The
ger action against the tyrannical gringos and are snake peers into her heart and judges the initiate's
looking to gather enough power to reclaim Mexico. worth. If found worthy, the snake begs of the ini-
These so-called "zapatistas" hold rallies and speak tiate a singular favor, one she must fulfill when she
for a united front south of the border. They resent is called upon to do so. Once the initiate swears to
that their brothers and sisters much come North fulfill it as well as uphold the tenements of the Kings,
and work for slave wages because their homeland she is accepted. As a symbol of the pact, the snake
has fallen apart. They believe they are holding true licks the new member's palms, closing the wounds
to the efforts of Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa and removing any trace of an incision. After this is
in standing up against oppression. Zapata's call for done, the snake disappears and the initiate
"land, liberty, and life" has become their mantra and emerges from the room a newly-crowned King.
they're looking to bring back Mexico's former gblory
under the mantle of Aztlan. Whie high-ranking Kings i~1oL.£~A~c£: Betrayal is anathema. Members
will say little about the zapatistas and their agenda , of the Kings consider each other blood, and
it is well known to current members that a division backstabbers and sell-outs are not forgiven. Exile
is coming and the gang will split soon. is the usual punishment for betrayal and in a gang
that is built on community, that is enough.
Kings often speak of a man called Q but no one
outside los Reyes claims to have seen him. Q is ~A"'1£~: Kings have pretty standard street names
obviously high-ranking and it is rumored he is a as they do not project an overtly magical demeanor
corporate businessman or some other type of "re- in any way. Sample names are Boss H, Bouncy,
spectable citizen" whose anonymity is of utmost im- Monte Z, and Kid Rojo.
portance. Whether or not this is true, it is a fact that
Q solely deals with those who are of soldier status IH~£Al>~: The Kings are careful to dress as low
or higher. key as possible as long as they are outside of their
barrios to avoid police officers giving them hassle.
A~l>£cr: Family Away from prying eyes, they tend to favor bright
Kings draw their Wyrd from community and soci- colors with red and gold flares, though they don't
ety. They see Hispanics as very much a separate have any specific outfits that they can be identified
people of the land and find their hope in a unified by. Bandanas tied low around their forehead and
front. Where the 3XStars perform works of com- shirts buttoned only at the top button are common
munity service for the greater good and balance in among the Kings as with most cholo gangs.
the wider world , Los Reyes is solely concerned with
those they see as their people and their neighbor- lA<=l~ f IE.L.L.~: The Kings's tags are nothing
hoods. short of magnificent as they tend to be incorporated

k'i~tWAM;~~ia~~lJ/ ~ ~ ~!!B!;!O"!""\
0
 into massive murals. A triple-pointed crown is al- be the same things found in that section as well.
ways present in Los Reyes imagery. For their hand These bonus dice can stack with the standard King
sign, they point their fingers straight up in sem- Trick dice, which is why most slingers tend to leave
blance of a crown. the Kings alone.

Sov~t>: From the Latin revival and the powerful QA~<=l~E.L..A1E.t> SL.i~<:i~
new-yet-old sounds that are flowing out of Cuba, Mi Corazon: With this sling, a King uses his pas-
to the staccato beat of the classic Mariachis, the sion to channel the strength of the Wyrd through
music of the Kings is passionate and fast. They his frame. The King gets an extra die to Power for
almost exclusively sing and sling in Spanish, though any physical attacks involving weapons. This sling
they'll occasionally lower themselves to a version can be rolled at anytime during a conflict, but it
in 'Engles' to bring ·on the gringo dollars. counts as an action when doing so. This sling has
Strength of 4.
~[Link]~E.~~= The Kings's great strength is also
their undoing: their passion. They cannot abide The Right of Kings: This sling allows a King to
insults or disrespect in any way, shape, or form. A walk anywhere unmolested. It doesn't make him
King is easy to call out: just insult his ride or his invisible; it simply makes him seem to "belong" any-
woman and you're in for a fight. Insult his mother, where he goes to the point where most people will
and he'll be ready to kill. The eldest Kings have unconsciously ignore him. Using this sling to walk
been undone by their passions enough, however, unmarked down a crowded street requires a
that they've managed to learn the subtle virtues of strength of 4, a barren street requires a 5, and any
patience when plotting revenge - a lesson they find place where he clearly should not be (such as a
exceedingly difficult to impart to their hotter-headed hostile gang's home territory) requires a 6. The
younger brethren. sling is immediately broken if the King commits an
act of direct violence, e.g. poisoning a coffee cup is
~ici<: The Kings get an extra die to Power do-able, but capping a fool at point blank range in
when they are on their home turf and defending a club will definitely draw unfavorable attention.
themselves from outsiders. By spending three
points of Juice, they can jumpstart any car or ma- YL.o1 f-fooK~: The easy plot hook for a King is
chine. for someone to disrespect a member of his family
or set. This is always a cause for immediate action
[Link]~<:l ~icE.: The Kings get Juice reciting against the perpetrator.
the Lord's prayer en Espanol. This can be done up
to twice daily but the recitation must not be inter- It is common for Kings to be pitted against Crows
~~~~~ upted. If the recitation is interrupted, that counts and the D-Men even if the action seems unpro-
-....4'1.u-1 ~;;;;-._,against the maximum of two even though the prayer voked. One gang the Kings rarely are directed to
was not finished. They can also Juice by going act against is the Dread. This isn't to say conflicts
"r:l~~=~-;through a sacred and personalized bleeding ritual between the sets do not happen, just that those
tnC11GZ1~-'that involves using a sacred knife and reciting their actions spring from personal feelings and not from
families' exalted deeds. This ritual does not take a higher authority.
long (usually no more than ten minutes), but must
be done in solitude. Any interruption renders the The Kings have taken an interest in the Hungry
ritual null and void and it must be restarted. This Ghosts and have been called on more to observe
may be done once per day. them than confront or assist.

j$o~v~ t>icE.: A King gets bonus dice when

ft:;;~;;=;;--ri e is fighting to protect his friends and family. Kings
should generally pick two specific things that qualify
for this, e.g. my barrio and my girl, or my friends
and my ride. These should be listed outside the
~::::::::=--.,,tandard Relationships (discussed later) but may
I

'YA :SAY T'M FROM IH£ °£A:S1, BUI A:siA ':s &0£.:Sf oF H£R£
i'M :SLoUCHit0 LiK£ A 13£.A:Sf A~D MY RAC£ i:S YOUR F£AR.
1 11

-from Slouchin' Like a Beast by Fists of Shaolin

'"[Link]~c:i~ Qf-fo:S.1:S. are the slinger contingent that has sprung up from Asian gangs ranging
from Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese street gangs, centered on the East and West coasts. They're
gaining clout fast, especially on the West Coast. The Hungry Ghosts are as close-knit as Los Reyes, but
less openly hostile towards outsiders, since they are usually vi wed as the outsiders themselves.

The Hungry Ghosts, more commonly called just

"Ghosts," get their name from a mythological crea-
ture that is common to all Asian cultures. The idea of
the "hungry ghost" is that the departed still need to
feed. These ghosts are given tribute.

Their attitudes towards the other gangs are cau-

tious and guarded-the Ghosts don't trust the
other gangs, which they have observed closely.
The Hungry Ghosts see the role of slingers as the
active elements of the universe, moving things to-
wards the positive or the negative as the universe
dictates. This is why they are so wary of other
gangs, because there is no telling whether or
not their actions will be positive or negative until
those actions are taken.

The Hungry Ghosts are primarily concerned with

the well-being of their own community, and mem-
bers of their communities who may be in other
neighborhoods. Gang bangers need to be care-
ful, because they never know if the old Chinese
man who runs the corner Jif-E-Mart has a couple
of Hungry Ghosts stocking his shelves. Informa-
tion travels the Ghosts' grapevine really fast-it
would be smart to always play it safe around
anyone who may be a Ghost. Once a single
Ghost is affronted, all Ghosts soon find out.

When a gang takes action against the

Ghosts, they are quick to lash back. The
Ghosts don't suffer petty threats and,
when push comes to shove, they get
violent fast. The Ghosts don't play
when it comes to them and theirs. While
guns are popular among the younger
Ghosts, the older ones will move on too>
bats and canes. Nothing teaches a longer-
'11
 lasting lesson to some punk ganger-wannabe than f~i1iA1io~: The Hungry Ghosts only initiate Asians
watching his homes get brutalized by a Louisville into their ranks-and usually, sets within the larger
Slugger. The Ghosts don't necessarily want vio- structure stick to a particular ethnic group (so you
lence but they most certainly are not afraid to use it have Chinese sets, Vietnamese sets, etc.). There
if provoked. are no restrictions against women joining, and in
fact it is encouraged, so that the interior make-up
Certain sets have started trolling other territories, of the Hungry Ghosts reflects the Taiji.
looking for an excuse to unleash some fury. The
Hungry Ghosts' higher-ups highly frown upon this, An initiate is jumped-in, as is traditional for many
but just the incidences are being reported-no spe- gangs. The initiate is attacked by three to six other
cific gang bangers or names of sets. Until that time, Hungry Ghosts and closely observed. Fighting back
the higher-ups can only issue general, and ulti- successfully is considered a passing grade, as is
mately hollow, threats against those who indulge taking no action and enduring the beating. Fighting
in such practices. unsuccessfully is considered a failure, and the ini-
tiate is still kept on probationary status.
Ghosts cannot stand it when something is unbal-
anced. When the odds overwhelmingly favor one f~rot..E.~A~cE.: The Ghosts' greatest intoler-
side, whether it be a fight or bet, a Ghost is likely to ance is unwarranted imbalance. As is stated above,
stand up and help even things out. the gang's retaliation is usually greater than what-
ever provoked it, but in those instances the imbal-
Unlike the other gangs, which frequently indulge, ance is considered warranted. The Ghosts didn't
the Hungry Ghosts tend to avoid using drugs, es- start it but they're sure going to end it. The actions
pecially marijuana. Older Ghosts consider it a "black of the sets that go out looking for trouble, though,
vice" and instruct their brethren to avoid it. That is considered unwarranted. In those cases, the
kind of overt polarity is symptomatic of the rift that Ghosts are starting trouble with no good cause.
exists between the Ghosts and other gangs. The
rules for each set vary and some sets are very strict ~A"1E.~: The Hungry Ghosts are unique in that
when it comes to chemical abstinence but gener- they tend to use the names that they
ally allow malt liquor. already had .. .because these were never their real
names to begin with. In Asian immigrant communi-
The Ghosts are well-known even in non-gang ties, it is a common practice for someone to take a
circles for their slamming all-night raves . The par- Western name as a nickname, for use when deal-
ties are the Ghosts' way of keeping tabs on other ing with westerners, who are notoriously inept at
gangs. The Hungry Ghosts consider these parties pronouncing Asian names. For example, Lao Tsui-
t~~~~~to be peaceful events and are civil to non-Asians in Fa might be known as Johnny Lao. The Hungry
_ ..L.......,...,attendance, even if the Ghosts are watching their Ghosts use these westernized names, as they al-
ready represent a public persona separate from
their true inner selves.
~._:;.[Link]..._.., t
is common for more powerful Ghosts to be seen
apparently talking to themselves. While outsiders tti~[Link]>~: The Hungry Ghosts tend to dress in
will bring this up, usually in chiding condescension, the distinctive styles of raver culture-huge cargo
other Ghosts are instructed never to question it. pants, bright colors, piercings, etc. Their clothing,
like their sound, leans more towards techno rather
A~t>[Link]: Taiji than hip-hop. Ghosts rarely wear the "slinger la-
The Hungry Ghosts' Wyrd is embodied in the con- bels" like ENOK and BBnC and never wear the D-
- - -r:ept of the Taiji, or the Supreme Polarity of the Uni- Men's signature "Syrkle S" line.
~=..=:;---v erse, popularized in the West by the ·well-known
Yin-yang symbol. Their Wyrd is balance, but not 7Ac:i~ ~ 1£L.i..~: The tag of the Hungry Ghost is
·')tit~;""!:;!;!=--~he balance of neutrality-rather, the balance of po- the yin-yang, the swirling diagram of opposites, with
111
,:, larized extremes. each side containing an element of the other. This
is used for marking their turf and property. The
I
Ghosts have two separate So~v~ 'DicE.: Hungry Ghosts get bonus ice
hand signs, one for sling- when they are taking an action in defense of their
ing and one for identifi- community (such as standing up against trouble-
cation. The hand sign makers at a local hang-out) or when they are act-
they use for identifi- ing against a person theGhost knows is respon-
cation has the thumb sible for criminal activity withinGhost territorys (such
and index finger of as drug-dealers who are pushing crack to Asian
the left hand formed kids).
into a "L" with the
three remaining fin- QA~<=l~E.L..A1E.'D SL..i~<:l~
gers curled down to Mood Swing: A Ghost can manipulate a person's
the top of the palm, emotions, severely depressing someone who is ex-
leaving the palm to be tremely happy or vice versa. The target must be
displayed outward. The experiencing a surge of emotion (elation, despair,
hand sign they use to sling anger, whatever) at the time, and the Ghost can
is made by curling each hand only polarize the emotion to the same extent the
into a fist then turning them toward each other to original emotion was felt. The Ghost must be in the
form the semblance of the yin-yang. target's physical proximity. The Strength of this sling
is 3.
Sov~t>: The sound of the Hungry Ghosts is heavily
electronic, with the emphasis more on DJs than rap- Chinese Arithmetic: A Ghost can cloud a person's
pers. Tech no, trance, jungle and big beat are much mind creating disorientation and confusion. This will
more likely to be heard around Hungry Ghosts than break the person's train of thought and leave him
hip-hop or rhythm & blues. Many Ghosts feel the boggled for up to ten minutes. The Ghost must be
next big music wave to come out of slinger circles able to see the target for this to work. The Strength
will be ridden by Hungry Ghost DJs who are ex- of this sling is the target's Wyrd+1.
panding the sonic front with their fusion of diverse
sounds. °t>L..o1 f-(001<.~: The Queens have been spotted
around Ghost territory more and more. While the
~[Link]~E.~~= The main weakness of the Hungry Ghosts aren't attempting to contact them they're
Ghosts is their lack of cohesion. Disparate not acting out either. Could this "Old Man" the
ethnicities sometimes fall into conflict within the Queens revere be a Ghost?
gang itself, and occasionally the Taiji that directs
one group to take a certain action will direct an- As was stated earlier, the older Ghosts abhor drugs.
other group within the same gang to take an op- While sparse, casual use may be tolerated in cer-
posing action. tain sets, distribution of such product in Asian neigh-
borhoods is forbidden. Those who break that man-
~ici<.: Hungry Ghosts get an extra die to Power date will be severely punished especially if the deal-
when they take an action that is comprised of two ers are Ghosts. The D-Men have recently begun
seemingly conflicting extremes, such as entering a distributing product into Ghost territory.
brawl without a weapon. They also get an extra die
to Order if given a chance to "center" themselves The cops love shaking down the Hungry Ghosts.
before a conflict. A Ghost can center himself by clos- At least one or two sets will get rousted every time
ing his eyes and taking a few long deep breaths. any big crime goes down near a Chinatown or Little
The bonus to Order only applies to the first roll of Tokyo. Some sets have gotten quite used to this
the conflict. and know how to play the cops. Other sets just get
more and more agitated every time they get hauled
[Link]~<:l '1"VicE.: Ghosts get juice from gain- downtown. Eventually, one of those sets is going
ing tribute from their community, like the Hungry to hit their limit and strike back against the cops.
Ghosts of mythology. Whether this is cash or some
other form of payment, it needs to be given as trib-
ute, not extorted in a shake-down.
'1'3
 "Co"Ro~£"R l-10~ ~AY~, YOU s.£ D£AD, Yo!
CA"Rv£ A v£"RV£"R o~ YoU"R H£AD, l\.Jot0 You D"R£AD, S."Ro."
-from Truly Dread by Mate Care-For's Posse
~E.:$yE.C1. In the old days, when a man wanted to learn more than the
common circles of the world had to teach, he came, hat in hand, to those from
Outside to learn what they were willing to impart. Afterwards, he was
thankful for the true power that he had
been forced to sacrifice so much to
achieve, for anything truly worth
having always comes at a high
price. And there was respect for
the balance. The bokor, the
hougans and the mambos, the lintary
and the walkonga-every single one of the
old will-workers knew that of all the Loa, if
you pissed off the Baron, you were damned.
Even the strongest would go well out of her way
to appease the Zombi Lord, if she even sus-
pected that she had offended him. That was
respect.

Now these young punks are running around

thinking they know what's what because
they've had a few small tastes of the juice.
They want to be famous? That's okay.
They want to make money? No worries.
~~~~~They think they can show the true power
o the ignorant masses and not be held
~!11""'-"_,accountable?

Think again.

Baron Sa med hi has accepted your little

dare, slingers. You obviously wish to
be educated as to the true nature of
power and respect. The Baron has gra-
ciously decided to reply to your chal-
--........ienge. Oh, you didn't know you had
tM~;m--~ffended the Baron? Looks like ,
 - ;..-u
ses at the will of the Vodoun Loa, Baron Samedhi, boyance, and drama that provides a surface • . . ,
the Zombi Lord. The Loa are powerful spirits, the serious and intimidating interior.
gods ofVodoun, and the Baron is typically regarded Candidates for inclusion into the Dread are called ..
as the most dangerous of the lot. For reasons of by Baron Samedhi himself. He tracks them down
his own, he has set his forces into motion and of- and _offers the potential Dread a very simple deal:
ten direct collision with the various slinger gangs. join him now or join him later. Most people choose
The Dread, like their master, respect both subtlety to join immediately.
and passion. Word on the street is that the Baron
absolutely despises the Crows and sneers at the T~roL.E.~A~cE.: The Dread do not tolerate dis-
D-Men, though he has begun to slowly approve of respect. Members are careful to always decline of-
the 3XStars. This, however, hasn't prevented the fers graciously and to treat their superiors as gods
Dread from doing nasty things among men. Punishment
to most members of any of the for a major transgression is
other gangs that they happen to life ever after as a zombi.
catch in their territories, though ~
they occasionally take a shine to '-...._ ~A"1E.~: The Dread tend
individual slingers smart enough ..__~.... to take spooky-sounding
to "ken truth from static-fiction." names that are part
'"""--
They are particularly fond of recruit- Hallowe'en and part
ing "former" members of other Carribean native. It is not un-
gangs into the ranks of their zombi common for them to throw
servants. an honorific or military title in the mix as well. Sample
names are Mon Carver, Sergeant Ivan, Dreary Ava,
The Wyrd of the Dread is very much tied to the and Mistress Laylla.
interactions of the world of the spirit with the world
of the flesh. The possessions of Vodoun are only IH~[Link]>~: Strangely enough, most members of
one outward manifestation of the power inherent in the Dread tend to sport dreadlocks. Their clothing
channeling the "Other Side," a skill at which the choices range from Caribbean to business-suit for-
Dread excel. mal. Sometimes, for fun, a few members in a given
posse will choose one extreme and the rest will
This is the only gang that was constructed in re- choose the other, causing a bit of jarring visual dis-
sponse to existing slingers' perceived "misuse" of sonance to any casual onlookers.
the Wyrd. The Baron is not happy about the flip-
pant attitude these young punks have taken with lA<::i~ ~ 1£L.L..~: Most slingers can spot a
the most powerful force on the planet, and the other member of the Dread with very little help. Their
gangs would be wise to stay out of his path. dreadlock and horror-show wardrobe make them
stand out in even large crowds. Their territories are
The Dread are instructed not to arouse suspicion typically marked with a stylized domino mask. They
or make mischief out on the street. They prefer not tend to congregate in the backrooms of ganja
to attract the attention of "Babylon," their word for smoke-filled clubs. To make their gang sign, ex-
the US government and its agencies. tend the index and middle finger out while curling
in the others. After that's done, place the hand in
A~t>[Link]: Death an inverted salute over the right eye.
The Dread get their power from death and all the
fears associated with it. Directly, they get their power Sov~'D: Did you really need to ask, mon? Irie
from Baron Samedhi, the "Loa of Death" and zombi reggae and primal drums both work for the Dread.
king. In fact, drums and rhythm play an integral part in
contact the spirits.
T~i1iA1io~: The Dread take outcasts and those
blessed with "second sight." The Dread have a cer- ~[Link]~E.~~= The Dread's zombi servants tend
tain flair that newbies either already exhibit or will to stand out a bit in normal society. Correspond-
soon learn to. This flair is a mixture of grace, flam- ingly, the Dread don't have a big presence in the
'15 <l ~ o~-il"""H
 streets of the U.S. of A. Those living Dread who do YL..o1 Hooi<:s.: Call it a "dead trade" but you do
frequent the streets are often called "freakshow" have two gangs each going after the bodies of the
by other slingers. The Dread are not responsive to deceased: the D-Men and the Dread. If a D-Man
the taunting but they are aware that they freak other were to claim the body of a Dread before he cou ld
silngers out. become a zombi, the Baron would not be happy,
and neither would the gangsta's homies.
The Dread are also warehousing a lot of unliving
so any conflict with the police or other officials must Perhaps it's the ego or the flashy use of the Wyrd
be dealt with quickly as no Dread wants the cops in public, but the Dread have a hard time suffering
sniffing around their territory for too long. the Crows. More than one mic battle has pitted Crow
against Dread, and the disrespect inherent in those
"7iic i<: Having terribly dangerous undead ser- shows is more than enough to make a Dread 's
vants at one's beck and call is a pretty good trick, blood boil.
no? In addition to that, by spending three points of
Juice, Dread can tell when someone is going to Unauthorized zombification is enough to get a
die, no matter if the cause is natural or unnatural. Dread kicked out of the gang, especially if the vic-
The prophecies of the Dread have become legend tim was an ally.
and their "special gift" is not something many people
(slinger or otherwise) seek out.

[Link]~<:i ~vicE.: The Dread get juice from

imparting wisdom to worthy individuals. They also
get juice from scaring slingers and other fools that
have crossed them or their master.

So~v:s. 'DicE.: A slow burning ganja-joint gives ~Hi~K i~G, V~fE.E.~i~<:i 'D~o~E.S !i0Ho
a Dread a bonus die at the beginning of every round. HAVE. ~o 1-1oilvA1io~ U1~iDE. IHE.
The Dread also get bonuses when in places with a o'RDE.~s c=iivE.~ ro :iHE.l:-1 S.Y 'fHE.i~
high concentration of the dead (such as a cemetery, 1-1 A~:>fE.~ A~'D IHE.i~ ot0~ HV~C}E.~.
morgue, etc.).
A 201-1s.i ~E.~vA~r, [Link].~, CA~
QA~<:i ~E.L..A1E.'D SL..i~c:i:s. · COME. i~lo ?L..AY A~ A~ tS?C,
Truly Dread: The Dread summon up the most .. fHOUClf-f. A ~O~V!AL.. 2..01-1s.i O~L..y
frightening apparitions from an individual's sub-con-
~OL..L..S 2..n <O ?E.~ AC1io~, ?L..ACl~Ci IHE.
~!!~~~scious, reducing them to either running away
-.,....,,.....,screaming at high speed or huddling catatonic on
~:::-:=~~the floor. The strength of this sling is the target's
. --
'Die£ V~'DE.~ O'RDE.~ A~'D Pot0E.~
··-
o~L..Y. /HE.~E. 'DIE. ~E.~UL..1~ A~E. Al A -

yrd. I, ~o A lt I~ CoU~1E.'D AS A :3, A I

i~ A 2.E.~o. /HE.~E. A~E. [Link].?1io~~
Dead Mon Walking: By carving a verver, a sym- 1o . ff-fl~ li?..UL..E., ff-fo Uc;]f-f THAT i~fo~MA-
bol that represents one of the Loa, onto the fore- 1io~ I~ ~TA~HE.'D I~ ~ACK flvE..
head of a corpse that could wield the Wyrd in life, a
Dread can create a zombi servant. This sling has IHouc:iH 11-fE. 1-1E.c1-tA~lc~ of 1HA1
a strength of 4, but takes an hour. The Dread can ~OSAS.L.Y l;>O~ 1 ME.A~ MUCH 10 YOU
1

Vl'rl'~:-==-...:also attempt this on a living victim if they're in a i.:Sot0, IHE.Y t0ILL.. t0f-fE.~ t08 G E.1 ro
articularly nasty mood. Wh ile this raises the
lf-fE. ~Y~IE.1-1. lHE.Y A~E. i~ [Link].'D HE.~
~ts:~::::'-~strength of the sling to a 6 it tends to create a more
fo~ [Link] ~[Link].~E.~cE..
owerful zombi. Zombi may not be created wan-
only and the Dread would be wise to seek the

- Baron's approval first.

I

''T'D ~£v£'R s.££~ :so :sc~'R£'D I~ l-1Y Ur£.

~:Sf 0~£ LOOK i~fo 1Ho:S£ U~HOL.y O'RS.:S
1
s.ou1 1-1AD£ 1-1£ :SHif l-1Y D'RAt-J£'R:S, Yo.
Do~ 1 £v£'R fUCK t-Jif DA Qu££~:s."
1

qo"D t-fE.L.'? v~. The Blood Queens are a small gang-not more than forty or fifty members at a
time-but just saying their name is akin to invoking holy hellfire. The Blood Queens don't run trades;
they don't racketeer. The Blood Queens aren't punk kids having fun with flashy power, and the Devil's
disposables don't faze them in the least. The Blood Queens are
attuned to the sanguine aspect of the Wyrd just as their mis-
tress, Lilith, was.

The Blood Queens are all

women; only one man is
welcome in their territory: a
rail thin hombre known only
as the Old Man. The
Queens are seemingly
normal women who
can turn into feral
creatures who con-
sume human flesh
and absolve them-
selves in blood.

It must be noted
that the Blood
Queens are not
vampires. They feed on
human blood, yes, but they
don't have chic little fangs
and a penchant for capes.
They also don't care how
much garlic you're wearing or
whether the power of Christ
compels them. They're man-eat-
ers-literally.

While they can pass for com-

pletely human women most
)
of the time, their bes-
tial forms are unmis-
takably inhuman. They
transform into horrific
beasts when it comes time to feed.
The victims know immediately that their
own death is imminent. When in this feral mode,
 a Blood Queen's intelligence takes a backseat to ing transformation.
instinct. They become animalistic in more ways than
just physical. When transformed, they communi- To be initiated, the candidate must eat the heart of
cate with a series of growls and grunts and can a human being after a Queen has bitten her. The
expertly track down prey by scent. change thereafter from a normal being to a Blood
Queen takes about two days. In that time, the ini-
Each feral form is different. Some look like upright tiate is mobile and coherent but she is weak and
dogs, some have patches of scaly skin will suffer from slight short-term
along their arms and back, but memory loss (she wi ll fre-
each still bears some resem- quently forget the names of
blance to the Queen as she looks those she meets or will stop
in human form. For the curious, in the middle of something be-
Queens no longer menstruate or cause she cannot remember
able to carry children after they what she was supposed to
have been initiated. do). At the end of the second
day, the Queen will fall asleep
The Queens are fiercely protective for a very long period of time.
of the Old Man and he always Any attempt to wake her will
seems to have one at his side. be met with violent convul-
Rumor has it that the Old Man sions and vomiting. It is best
has the ability to control minds to let them lie. When the
and has the Queens under a Queen awakens from her
spell. Either way, folk know bet- deep reverie, she will be a
ter than to be aggressive toward Queen. The transformation
the Old Man, even in otherwise po- cannot be stopped once it is
lite social occasions. started unless the Queen is killed.

While the Queens as a formal gang have only come The first time the Queen transforms into her bestial
into prominence in the past few years, it is rumored self, it will hurt like no other pain she has ever felt.
that some of them are centuries old. After being It hurts just as bad every time she changes but she
formed, the Queens' reputation as a gang not to be will eventually grow more accustomed to the pain.
crossed spread quickly. There were a few high-pro-
filed murders that were the work of some Queens As was said, Queens are not vampires, but they do
but nothing has ever been pinned on them. Authori- tend to sleep during the day. The location of their
.-w~~=Ciies are too smart to consider the Blood Queens a sleep chambers are well-guarded secrets. Wher-
yth but they are also too smart to go hunting after ever it is, it is most assuredly well-protected.
them.
T~1oL.E.~A~cE.: The Queens are a sisterhood,
1_...,::H1--....~~t>E.c1:Sanguine as much as Los Reyes is a family, and sisters watch
The Queens get their power from human flesh and each other's backs. They do not tolerate abuses of
blood. Consuming the blood of others has unlocked power or person. Abuse in any form is subject to a
forthem great mental clarity and power in the Wyrd. penalty of death at the hands of the offended
Eating human flesh keeps their bodies strong and Queen ... or one of her friends.
lean.
~Af'IE.~: Blood Queens generally keep their first
~i1iA1io~: Blood Queens tend to seek out names but tend to drop their surnames. A few Blood
llilllll!llm*='women who are lonely and confused or have been Queens will take the names of creatures and dei-
'"i~Evictims of abuse. With the seemingly rampant mi- ties from mythology or folklore. Sample names in-
!W sogyny in a lot of sets, the Blood Queens are not clude Mandrango, Freya, Lamashtu, and Venus. If
fearful of running out of prospects. The Blood Queen a slinger is smart, he will always address a Queen
·; ,,.,_--elders see their gift as a liberating and empower- he is unfamiliar with as "Miss" is she is new to the
gang or "Mistress" if she is high-ranking. Names final blow.
such as "Girl" or "Princess" are not tolerated. Any
slinger who knowingly refers to a Queen directly 'Bo~u~ "DicE.: Queens get bonuses if they
as a "bitch" or "ho" is a damn fool. have eaten within the past half-hour. They also get
bonuses for the round immediately following the
IH«:[Link]>~: The Blood Queens have no need for a witnessed death of a fellow Queen (they must have
costume. Having said that, they usually wear seen her get killed). The Queens are a pack, and
clothes with some give so they don't get torn dur- act as such.
ing transformation.
QA~c:l-ii:E.L.A1E."D SL.i~c:l~
lAc:l~ ~ i£L.L.~: People are fully aware of the Blood Calling: The Queen can telepathically com-
location of Blood Queen territory. Despite that, the municate with someone whose blood they've tasted.
Queens still have a tag. It represents their teeth-a Their geographic distance is irrelevant. The per-
symbol of their unholy thirst. However, it's not the son on the receiving end, if not a Blood Queen,
Queens that tag their territory, it's the members of cannot talk back. The Strength of this sling is a 5
other gangs who mark the Queens' territory as a and last for up to an hour.
warning to their homies.
Bad Blood: The Queen can poison someone via
The Queens do not have a hand sign as they can touch. This will cause the victim to either convulse
identify each other by scent. Queens can smell the and then fall into a deep coma, or make the person
animal-like pheromones of their sisters from up to violently nauseous. Which effect results depends
a mile away. on the Queen's intent. The strength of this sling is
a 6.
Sou~n: Aside from the symphonic shrieking of
their enemies, the Blood Queens produce no mu- YL.o1 f-(ooK~: Revenge is popular for a Blood
sic for the masses. Queens tend to listen to all sorts Queen since most who are brought in have experi-
of music, however, especially the electronic sounds enced either great humiliation or suffering at the
produced by members of the Hungry Ghosts. hands of another. In these cases, that "other" is
usually first on the list to receive payback.
[Link]~E.~~= The Queens must feed daily. If they
do not consume at least two pounds of human flesh The Blood Queens do not participate in any feuds
every 24 hours, they start to lose Beats at the rate as all gangs fear them-whether these gangs will
of one per hour. While in their feral form, any men- admit it or not.
tal bonuses are not calculated into rolls. It is com-
mon for Queens to keep stashes of meat (read: Some Blood Queens grow tired of being what they
several human bodies) in a cooler that any Queen are after the initial rush of power or bittersweet vic-
may draw from. Two or three adult bodies can keep tory wears off. Some wish to hide what they are
a local set in full supply for a week. and rebuild connections with regular human beings.

1iicK: Blood Queens get an extra die to their The fact that Blood Queens have a form that is in-
Power when they are in their feral mode. Out of distinguishable from humans is what allows them
feral mode, they can gain an extra die in Power by to be playable. Since they have no gang sign or
burning two beats. When this is done, the Queen expected uniform, they are gang culture chame-
momentarily displays the physical traits of her feral leons that can fool others into thinking they are in
form. the same (or at least compatible) sets or gangs.
This ability is usually used in order to get food, but
[Link]~c:l ~uicE.: Queens get Juice by cover-
can be used to hide a second nature they may have
ing their faces or both hands in blood. When in learned to detest.
battle, they get Juice for every person they kill. The
death must be instant (meaning it cannot take more
than a minute for the person to die from the inju-
ries) and the Queen must be the one to deliver the
'1'1
 ant, Minister, and so on. Vice Lords refer to other
members as "people." Each city has its own sepa-
Normal, non-magical gangs exist, and you can play rate unit that holds no sway over other Vice Lords'
a member of one if you wish. Below are Wyrd is sets in other cities.
Bond versions of gangs that exist in the real world.
Take note that these aren't the same as they are in Vice Lords wear gold and black to identify them-
real life. Also, the lines separating these gangs are selves. They also like to wear clothing bearing the
not at all as explicit and severe as the slinger gangs. logo of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (whose
These are just brief overviews with which you can initials are the mirror of Vice Lords Nation United).
build a non-magical character.
Vice Lords outright disdain slingers and will not think
#HE. C~it>~: One of the most violent gangs, twice about capping a member of the 3XStars, the
Grips are also one of the most famous. What origi- Crows, or Los Reyes. Vice Lords are leery of deal-
nated around Los Angeles community colleges ing with the D-Men and Blood Queens, however,
quickly grew into a national force. and only attack if those members are alone. Though
the exact reason behind their hatred of slingers in
Members of the Grips refer to each other as "Cuz," unknown, many theories abound. Some say it's as
and they value individuality and loyalty above all simple as a high-ranking Lord getting capped by a
else. Grips rarely have tattoos, and wearing blue slinger while others say that one slinger gang or
rags and handkerchiefs is their tell. Some mem- another got in the way of some important deals the
bers claim the gang name stands for "Community Lords were negotiating. Either way, their hatred of
Revolution in Progress," but that's never been con- slingers is very well known.
firmed. It is, however, a step toward a different im-
age for the Grips.

The Grips are very wary of slingers and keep close When a slinger decides to go out on his own, he
tabs on any they do let into their fold. has made a dangerous choice. Slingers who go
solo have no immediate protection, no direct ac-
[Link]'D~: As with the Grips, the Bloods
#HE. cess to the magical underground, and may be con-
are a very famous street gang. The Bloods origi- sidered a threat or an uncontrollable wild card by
nated as a backlash against the growing violence slinger and mundane gangbanger alike. But folk
of the Grips. They took the color red, which con- do it, and some folk do it well. If your slinger goes
trasts nicely with the Crips's blue, as their symbol. this route, he would be wise to find one of those.
Their tags grew from that hatred as well and are Going solo doesn't have to mean the character is
~~~=~erversions of the signs used by the Grips. completely alone; it can mean that they are devel-
oping an Aspect not practiced in the circles they
Their long-standing blood-soaked rivalry with the know, or it could mean they are simply dabbling in
~~iiii:;p;-t:;rips has just given way, however, though local- the Wyrd and do not have the dedication or talent
.a_..,o:J_iq,,,,;~ zed conflicts still rise up now and again. Their at-
necessary to go full-swing into a gang.
tention appears to be drawn toward bringing down
law officials. Mechanically, this means you can name your own
Aspect, if the GM allows it. In the next Track, we
will get into the Aspects more specifically, and we
will discuss other possible Aspects your slinger may
attune himself to.

If you were never part of a gang, you get no gang-

related slings. Also, you need to decide how it is
you attained your first point of Wyrd. Was it a spon-
taneous manifestation? Did an unaffiliated slinger
grant it to you?
50
 a
I
not learn the slings of another gang once you h~
chosen an Aspect. This goes for any slinger. If yo~ ..
change gangs, you cannot learn their slings any-
more than you can unlearn the ones you already
know. In cases like that, it is a political and social
shift only.

fr'~ A1..1.. T~ A ~A"1E.

Earlier we talked about the power of names. A
slinger hides his real name because hell can be
wrought if someone knows it. Slingers are very pro-
tective of their names. The name your character's
mama picked out two minutes after he was born
isn't likely to be the name he will be known by; it
was something he either chose or it was given to
him based on his personality and ability. Knowing
this, you should pick a name that is reflective of
who your character is.

For example, world-renowned recording artist Wee-

Lo Fortune is a wild card. He lives by the winds of
fate and takes pride in his extraordinarily good luck.
When he joined the 3XStars, he learned of the di-
Now that we've determined the gang to which your vining power of the Tarot and the Wyrd associated
character belongs, we can flesh out the rest of his with it. Mix the two together, and you have the name
characteristics. Wee-Lo Fortune, a bastardized version of a "Wheel
of Fortune" from the Major Arcanum mixed with
f-foG.) 'Do You voo'Doo7 Wee-La's own personal street style.
If you are playing a slinger in a mundane gang, you
need to decide how it is your character learned both It is common for a slinger to change her name after
of the Wyrd and how to use it. If your character is a being initiated into the Wyrd even if she had a nick-
slinger who either hooked up with a magical gang name before-which most slingers did. However,
for a while or was tutored by a slinger-gang mem- some slingers retained their original nicknames for
ber, they may choose a Wyrd from one of the gangs whatever reason.
listed above. If he somehow stumbled onto the Wyrd
by himself, he may choose one of the Aspects listed With all that banging in your noggin, pick your
previously or you may speak with your GM about character's name.
creating a custom Wyrd. A slinger character who,
was never an actual member of a slinger gang gets~~-~-;;;~~-\f-t
~~~~ ~~~fal
~~:1~f~~~~i~~r;:·::J
no gang-related slings. ~ J

If you choose to play a non-magical character, you

simply eliminate anything Wyrd-related. You don't
need to do anything regarding Wyrd, Juice, slings,[
~;..;..~;:;:.-::::;~~
or an Aspect.

If your character is an ex-gang member of either~·

the D-Men or the Blood Queens, your situation is
special. If you're a demon, you're a demon and gang'·
' -::::;::.!=::::~ - -.......~~:=:!!~
affiliation isn't going to change a damn thing; the.:..
same goes for man-eating she-creatures. However, .~im~lRIJ..,~
you can still change your gang affiliation. You mayL

51
 #HE. Goo'D c0i1f-I 1f-IE. 'BAD aren't just crew, they're your number ones. These
Next, you have to decide what makes your charac- are cats who have got your back when shit goes
ter unique. You do this through assigning Traits. down. They would die for you and you for them.
Traits are qualities, negative and positive, which
make your character the person he is. These Traits Enemies are people you don't just dislike but you
must affect the character during play, for better or downright hate. These are people who are always
worse, so you should concentrate less on Traits running up against you, trying to knock you down
with historical impact, and more on ones with im- or take you out. Enemies generally have a com-
mediate mental or physical impact. mon goal that neither can have specifically due to
the other side's involvement (such as getting with
Samples of positive Traits that fit are Athletic someone they're interested in, expanding into a par-
(you're in excellent physical shape), Charming (you ticular piece of territory, and so on).
can woo people with your looks and personality),
Connected (you know a lot of people and at least A Lover is the one person, place, or thing you would
one person with some pull likes you), Intimidating give up anything and everything for. This is the rea-
(especially useful when trying to get information or son you breathe, the reason you fight, and should
gain access to a place that is normally off-limits), you lose it, your world would end.
Smooth-talker (you can bluff your way out of situ-
ations), and Street-smart (you know where territo- An Rival is more than just a enemy, he is the bane
ries are and where to buy good drugs, etc) . of your existence. He is the one person you would
destroy without blinking, kill without thinking. His
Samples of negative Traits that fit are Addicted (you mere presence drives you into a rage and makes
are not just a casual drug user; you absolutely need your blood turn to ice.
to score on a regular basis), Clumsy (you have
poor coordination), Handicapped (your character Relationships are generally with people, but they
is physically impaired), Phobic (it may seem can be with a small group (such as the character's
strange for a slinger to be afraid of spiders, but it local set), a place (such as a hangout), or a thing
happens), and Weak~willed (you are easily per- (such as a gift or memento). This means that a Re-
suaded or intimidated). Again, pick Traits with in- lationship can be with a substance such as alcohol
game relevance. Anything that is just "color" will or a drug. This is only the case with severe addic-
come out during play and does not have any me- tion, however, and not casual use. If the drug is
chanical relevance. Negative mental Traits like something your character cannot function without,
"Mentally Disabled" or "Amnesiac" don't work be- it is, for rules purposes, an Ally. If it is the center of
cause people with those faults would not be cho- the character's universe, it is considered a Lover.
~~~~sen to learn the Wyrd. Unless, of course, the slinger
. eveloped those Traits after being initiated. Kn»~ c::Jo1 ~KiL..L..z
Aside from Traits, characters have Skills. These are
i~==~.JChoose two positive Traits and two negative Traits special, learned abilities the character has picked
_ ...,.o start with.
f!"J'"'1;.J.1;:1111o... up through books, practice, or imitation. Skills are
powerful things, mechanically speaking, so chose
fr>~ AL..L.. ~E.L..A1iVE. wisely and be specific. Pick skills in which the char-
After his inherent make-up, Relationships are the acter has a complete proficiency. Starting charac-
most important thing about a slinger. The friends ters begin with one Skill. Some sample skills are
and enemies they make will come up constantly in listed below.
the life he has chosen. Alliances and rivalries run
eep in the world of Wyrd is Bond. A player may S~[Link] St>[Link]..i~r: The character possesses
hoose any number of relationships under Allies all the technical and practical aspects of being a
and Enemies, but only one Relationship each un- DJ.
~ er Lover and Rival.
Co~~A~: The character is adroit at scams that
llies are people your character is tight with. These run from three-card monty to high-dollar confidence

52.
I

f-fooD~Ar: The character knows all the ins and

outs ; people and places of his home city.

f-fooK-VY: The character is a dealer in all kinds

of street trade from guns to drugs to information .

~A~c: The character is actually a cop or at least

has in-depth knowledge of the law.

Yti>E.-f-firre.~ : The character knows ways of get-

ting information out of people through ways both
nice ... and nasty.

S~e.e.r Cf-fE.f'li~r: The character knows how to

manufacture and handle a variety of narcotics.
<QA~<=>= Since this character is a risk-taker, he's
c0f-fE.E.t.."1A~: The character knows how to handle
a natura' for the 3XStars.
a high-speed vehicle in a dodgy situation and also
knows the streets of his home city.
~A);.1E.: Given his background, the first thing that
comes to mind is "Chance" or "Freestyle." I opt '
This is not a definitive list, though, and you are en-
for the second , but spice it up. His name is
couraged to design your own . Your names don't
Fr33Style.
have to be fancy, just succinct and fitting.
~Atr~: He's a skater, right? A street kid wtio'$
~TCE.
·good wi.t h a board and a bike. I fig ure he has
Juice represents how much power your character
eidetic ,memory and was a good student but he ,
has at his immediate disposal. A character can have
just isn't a book-learner. Because he is adept with
up to 20 points in Juice at one time. Characters
street kicks, I figure he has perfect balance. Those
begin with 1d6 worth of Juice at their immediate
are his positives. For negatives, r choose easily
disposal.
distracted and stubborn.

'BE.A'f~
~~7fo~~t-tti>~: He's got his crew and he's tight
with a ll ofthem but Rodrigo, who he's known since Beats represent your character's health and well-
childhood, and Stryk9 are his only Allies. His Love being. The more beats he has, the better. Beats go
.is Felicia Sandoval, si~ter to the King he is feud- up to 10 and that is the amount your character be-
i ng witfi, and his longtime girlfriend. As Enemies, gins with.
he has Double C and Pablo Diablo, two Kings who
are good friends with Roberto Sandoval , his Ri- Yo~~
val. Starting characters have a Wyrd of 1. They get to
assign this point to something per the guidelines in
S tU.• I'm really digging on the skateboarding the following chapter. See Track 4 for details.
:ttieme so I choos_ e Thrillseeker as his Skill. l .ax- ,
plain that t his covers all sorts of boarding and,any ; ~i'ff-f 'ff-fi~, your character is finished. If you
joyriding irwolvin~ man-powered vehicles (bi- ' need further clarification on anything, check the
cycles, skateboare s, etc) but no other vehicles. ' sample character to the left to see all this put into
-' practice. Once you're done, grab a handful of six-
lttie. ~ e.~r: I copy the relevant information f rom sided dice and let's learn how to use all these bits
the gang section, roll 106 for starting Juice, mark and pieces.
he-Wyrd at 1, and I'm done.
5:3
 ~ J J
It YOU no~ t0A~~A S.£ ~£"Rv£n, YOU L.L. L..£A'R~ 10 ~u~ei,
0?£~ U? YOU'R vri~n 10 1H£ vr£~~ACi£ t0£ S.'Ri~Ci,
lH£"R£ i~ VIO'R£ 10 Uf£ 1HA~ i~ D'R£AV11 i~ YOU'R '?HiL..o~o'?HY,
o,
I VI 1£L.L.r~ YOU
t> )
1H£ 1"RU1H, ~o~, t0HY YOU C)oifA S.o1H£'R vr£?
11

f~ 11-fi~ 1'iMCK ...:>E. 1«!E. <::)E.i1i~<::) i~1o the (unless otherwise stated, this is the level in Power)
nitty-gritty of the system. Now that you know where is deducted from the slinger's Juice. This doesn't
you are and who or what you are, we're going to require any weapon (though some slingers use one
find out what you can do. We'll talk about slings, for show). The slinger delivering the "shot" looks
non-magical rolls, reputation and Wyrd, and even like they are shooting fire or lightning out of their
such fun things as damage and death. hands.

QA~<::1-~E.L..A1E.t> SL..i~<::1~
Gang-related slings are "spells" your gang con-
The three major mechanical components of a char- cocted as a dirty trick to use against the other
gangs. They are different system-wise and their
acter are Order, Power, and Payback. Order and
particular rules are discussed later.
Power will be used for every single roll you make
in this game. Payback is used only when you sling.
Order reflects how fast your character is. Power c0f-fA1 A SL..i~<::) {QoK~ (IKE.
reflects how strong he is. Payback is a reward the In the game world, a sling is the calling and re-
Wyrd gives you for its use. The specifics are ex- leasing of energy. Most gang members flash a
plained later. hand sign when summoning the Wyrd. When they
do this, smoke or flame will roll from their hands
'
lightning will crackle up and down their arms, soft
light will radiate from their bodies, reality may bend
and lurch around them, or something else cool will
Before we go any further, let's define what a sling happen.
is. Mechanically, a sling is any roll where Wyrd and
Juice is going to be used. What you can actually Since this has no mechanical effect, you can
do with a sling is anything that is cool. The prob- choose for yourself what happens when your char-
lem with that answer is that it is so broad it be- acter slings. Whatever you choose, just remem-
comes not an answer at all. So let's narrow it down. ber that it's only for show and doesn't last long.
A sling can be anything a character wants it to be
as long as it follows the character's Aspect.

As a player, think of it this way: Does what I'm about

to do further my character's path along the Wyrd? Slinging may not be easy, but fortunately the game
Does it embody the way of life my character has mechanics are. A basic slinging roll uses three six-
chosen? Think, as your character, what his par- sided dice and the character sheet. If you're not
ticular Aspect means to him. Beyond its definition, using the character sheet from the back, you'll at
what does an Aspect like Infernal or Family mean least need a piece of paper that clearly delineates
as a defining quality? This doesn't need to be a Order, Power, and Payback sections. When you
long rambling explanation. The more succinct the roll, you'll be placing at least one die result under
rationale, the better it is. each category as quick as you can. Make sure ev-
erybody knows where your results were placed.
(L;.11-fAL.. SL..i~<::1~
You could just agree on an order and put the dice
Any slinger can use his Juice to do physical dam- from left to right in front of you, but having a marked
age to someone else. No justification is needed sheet nips any potential conflicts in the bud and is
for this type of sling. This is rolled like a normal roll fair for everyone.
(detailed below) and the amount of damage done
55
 ~o~E:D ~oL.L.~ "My character's going to keep watching the
So, some fool comes up to hassle you and you're drug deal from behind the car."
just not in the mood. He means to bring it, and "My character's going to use his Juice to
you're not about to step off so this chucklehead cause the trash can in the alley to go flying."
gets the glory. You two are gonna throw down,
magic-style. It doesn't matter if you're a Crow or a If two or more folks are tied in Order, the actions
Saint and they're a King or a Blood Queen, it all are simultaneous.
works the same.
After intent is declared, it's time to compare Power.
Everyone involved in the conflict gets to roll, so The actions declared in the first round should
grab 3d6, shake them and let them drop. Don't go spawn conflicts. Each person involved in the scene
looking at what others are doing; place your dice should be doing something. The character acting
where you want them to go. Higher is generally first gets to do whatever her player declared. If
better, so if you want to act fast, place the highest that action is opposed, she compares her level In
die under Order. If you want to make sure you sling Power to her opponent's level in Power. Whoever
well, place the highest die under Power. You could has the highest Power succeeds.
also put the die under Payback, which is some-
thing else entirely and explained later. The dice If the Power levels are tied between someone at-
placed under each stat displays that stat's level. tacking and someone defending, the roll favors the
So, a 3 under Order means that Order is at level 3, character defending.
and a 6 under Power means that stat is at level 6.
Keep these numbers secret for now. Each cat- V~on>o~E:o ~oL.L.~
egory will be called out in turn. When no one is attempting to stop you-maybe
everyone is incapacitated or absent- then the roll
The GM should ask every player, one by one, to is unopposed . Provided you roll over 1, you're suc-
say what level they put under Order. Then, going cessful. A result of 1 under Power is a failure. If
from highest Order to lowest, everyone declares you roll a 2 or higher, what you need to know is
intent. This is a simple "My character is going to ... " how effective you were. This comes across mostly
statement. If you intend to use your character's in how the result is described. A result of 2 is okay:
Wyrd in the roll, clearly indicate this. the action was successful. Magik Man was able to
kick down the door. A result of 4 is very good: the
Your action can be a declaration of offense, such action was successful and had a bit of flair. Magik
as: Man pounded the door open with his boot, bust-
"My character's going to use his Juice to ing the door frame. A result of 6 is exceptional: the
shoot her." action was the best it could have been. Magik Man
"My character's going to use his Juice to smashed the door open with his size 13s, busting
make him faint." the frame and cracking the door from its hinges.
.S;;~~-l;ll~......,. "My character's going to kick him in the
If the action is mundane, meaning that the Wyrd is
not being invoked and no Juice is being spent, the
It can also be a declaration of defense, such as: GM may assign a level of difficulty to the action.
"My character's going to use his Juice to This is to reflect any action's inherent level of diffi-
··-,block." culty. He may assign a 2 if he thinks, even unop-
"My character's going to leap out of the posed, the action shouldn't be automatic. He may
way." assign a 4 if he thinks the odds are pretty even the
"My character's going to grab a passerby action might fail.
to use as a shield."
The GM should only call for a roll if the action is a
sling, has a significant chance of failure, or the
GM is just not sure if the action is a good idea or
not. Automatic actions (walking , talking, chewing
 the top of a building with some 0-Men coming up-
behind him. He decides to evade them by running
_
__. ,

the perimeter of the roof, since that's a better op-

tion than jumping. Fr33Style 's player gets to add
an extra die to the three he 's going to roll anyway
but he only gets to keep three. If he rolls four dice
and gets a 2, 4, 4, and 6, he'll more than likely
drop the 2 and just place the 4, 4, and 6.

For every negative Trait that comes into play, you

get to add a die to the pool in the same manner as
applying positive Traits. Unlike positive Traits,
though, you cannot just keep any dice you wish.
For every negative Trait that has come into play,
you must drop the highest number.

ti:><AMPL.t:.: Fr33Style has the negative Trait "eas-

ily distracted." If he is trying to listen in on a con-
versation through a window, under normal circum-
stances he will do fine. But if that window faces a
gum), actions with no considerable chance of dan- street full of rumbling cars, loud passersby, and
ger (driving a well-tuned car down an empty road), flashy neon signs, he will be at a disadvantage as
or actions that are really just flavor (throwing a 40- he tries to focus on the conversation. To reflect
ou nce bottle at a store front window) will only bog this, he will have to roll an extra die and drop the
down scenes if rolls are called for. highest. So, if he rolls four dice and gets a 6, 4, 4,
and 2, he will only be able to use the 4, 4, and 2.

At times, multiple Traits may apply to a single roll.

This is not a problem when all the Traits are either
The mechanic described above is completely ran- positive or negative. But when the dice are a mix
dom . It puts everyone on equal ground, for better of positive and negative Traits, things can get ugly.
or for worse, since their characters' fate is left en- Any negative Trait that can be applied cancels out
tirely up to the dice. Your character's story shouldn't any applicable positive Trait. In the end, if any dice
be just chance, however, and that's where the rest are left over, they will either be all positive or all
of the stuff on the character sheet comes into play. negative. Use of multiple Traits should be the ex-
We'll look at each in turn and detail what bonuses ception and not the rule. Be careful not to do this
or penalties you get for having them. too often.

A°Dl>i~c::} °1iAi1~ V~i~c::} SK iL.L.2.

Traits add dice to any rolls in which it is apparent Skillz are like "super-Traits" because they add a
they are useful. You should avoid stretching Traits die and you can keep it. Just place that extra die
just for an extra die. If it is obvious a Trait applies, next to Order, Power, or Payback. Skillz are
it applies. If you have to explain in exhaustive de- broader than Traits and may come into play more
tail exactly how your Trait applies, then it probably often, depending on what situations your charac-
doesn't. It is up to the player to note when a Trait ter gets into. This is fine as long as your character's
comes into play and he must inform the GM that Skillz are not getting stretched to the point of im-
he will be using it. For every positive Trait that plausibility.
comes into play, you add a die to the pool but only
keep the base number of dice.
Bonus Dice act the same as positive Traits. They
'fi:><AMPL.t:.: Fr33Style has the Trait ''perfect bal- give you extra dice to roll but those dice are not
ance." Let's say he finds himself on the ledge at kept.

5~
 MV..,)l>A..,)E. Oa..[Link]~: If the action is magical
The people you know have a big impact on your then the use of a mundane object is just for show.
actions for better or worse, and this is especially You can channel the Wyrd through these objects
true in Wyrd is Bond. The stronger ties a character without penalty or bonus. In instances like these,
has (as detailed under Relationships) have a nu- the Wyrd trumps any damage the object would do.
merical value and thus a mechanical impact on When the Wyrd's involved, it isn't just for show.
play. These bonuses are not cumulative. Any du- If the action is mundane then the object has an
plicates default to the highest number (either posi- effect. For example, a slinger can still shoot just
tive or negative). an ordinary gun instead of whipping out a sling-
and sometimes it's a better move to do so. When
AL..L..iE.~: Any action you take that helps one or more a slinger is using a mundane object in a mundane
of your Allies gives you a +1 bonus to every Stat: fashion, he rolls normally and then adds a bonus
Order, Power, and Payback. Any action you take from the object, if any, to the damage done. Listed
that hurts one or more of your Allies give you a -1 below are some general weapons and their respec-
penalty to every Stat as well. tive damage levels. Melee weapons just use the
base damage of the roll.
{9vE.~: Like Allies, actions that help your Lover
give you a bonus. In this case, the bonus is +2 to Small Handgun: +3
all three Stats. Alternately, actions that hurt your Large Handgun: +5
Lover give you a -2 penalty to all three Stats. Uzi: +2 (per round)
Shotgun (close): +8
~E.~iE.~: Enemies are the mechanical oppo- Shotgun (far): +6
site of Allies, thus any action that hurts them gives
you a +1 bonus. Any attempt to help them will in- To determine damage from kicks and punches, di-
flict a -1 penalty. vide the level in Power in half. That number is the
resulting damage.
~ivAL.: A Rival is the opposite of a Lover. Any
attempt to hurt her gives a +2 bonus, but any at- MA<:iiCAL.. Os.~[Link]~: If a magical object is
tempt to help her will inflict a -2 penalty. involved, it doesn't matter if the action uses Wyrd
or not: magic is involved. There is no base "magi-
Now, these "actions" are not just any actions. They cal object roll" here; each object is different and
must directly involve the people who make up the plays by its own rules. Most of these magical ob-
other end of the relationship. This is not in the long jects were made by modern slingers (see What
run, either. This means there is a direct threat to Wyrd Does, below) but some are far older than
your character's Ally or Lover, or a situation where most slingers could imagine.
~~~~=myour character's Enemy or Rival will immediately
,~.....,......., benefit through his inaction.

What these modifiers reflect is the emotional drive To determine if a gang-related sling works, roll 3d6.
,..__;,;;;;;::::;,of the character. Relationships are not something If at least two of the dice come up at the required
to be taken lightly, especially on the street where strength or higher (see the sling in question for
minor friendships turn sour frequently and fly-by- details), then the sling was successful. Each sling
night enemies become useful acquaintances over- requires the character to spend twice the strength
night. Only those people of great importance to of the sling in juice. Only members of a gang can
your character are worthy of being a Relationship,

-
use that gang's sling.
whether friendly or hostile.

Os.~[Link]~

Juice is a gauge of how much magical power your

character has at his immediate disposal. You can
 never use more Juice than you have in this pool.
Normally, this pool cannot exceed 20 points. There
may be objects out there, though, that allow you
ignore this limitation.

{Q~i~<:l ~icE. son. ·

For each level in Power, you must spend a point
of Juice. If you do not have enough Juice to match
the Power used, the effective Power is the amount Sometimes actions, magical or otherwise, result
of Juice available. in physical damage to a character. The damage
done is ticked off with Beats. If a sling results in
1Z"'><AMPL.t:.: Fr33Style only has 3 Juice remain- damage, that damage is equal to the sling's level
ing. On his next roll, though, he chooses to sling. in Power (plus any modifiers from Relationships
He rolls a basic roll and gets 2, 4, and 4. Under or a piece of enchanted gear. The target ticks off a
. Power he puts a 4. Since he does not have 4 left number of Beats equal to the damage done. A
in Juice, the effective Power is 3 and not the ac- slinger only has ten Beats so be careful and be
tual rolled number. smart. Things get deadly fast on the street, so be
cool and don't make trouble just because.
~Ai~i~<:l ~iCE.
When you attempt to gain Juice, you are essen- When a character reaches zero Beats, he is dead.
tially asking the Wyrd for a favor. You want more
of the good stuff but the Wyrd needs to know you
deserve it. Think of getting Juice as an overture to
the Wyrd that, as a a slinger, you are attuned to
your Aspect.

When trying to get some Juice under the c di-

tions stated by your gang (which are
how initiates are taught to at-
 bullet into a huge spider. Just as the bullet is about
the shred the thug 's kneecap, it doesn 't. The thug
The mysterious "third Stat" is a gauge for how the looks down to see a fist-sized tarantula scurrying
Wyrd reacts to your actions. The number you put up his leg.
under Payback is a gift from the Wyrd and is avail-
able for use immediately. So what can you do with You cannot split a Payback die up among the
it? Read on. above. A Payback die is used whole, not in parts.

[Link].T~c=i: You can heal yourself at the rate of 1

beat per 2 levels of Payback. You can heal others
at the rate of 1 beat per 3 levels of Payback. The Okay, no easy outs here. You can't just hoard trea-
healing is automatic and does not cost any ac- sure to "earn" a new Relationship. You can only
tions. gain them through play. Any Relationships you do
not start with must be earned by going out there
Soo~r: You can roll Payback over to the next roll, and relating to others. These can be relationships
but that roll must be a sling, not just a normal roll. borne of desperation (hostage situations often
Simply leave the reserved Payback where it is and breed these), born of mutual investment (both
if the next roll is a sling, you roll the sling normally. people love or hate the same person or thing),
After the dice are placed, you can add either the borne of difference (one person hates what an-
reserved Payback die or the Payback die from that other loves), borne by extension {these are friends
roll to either Order or Power. The unused Payback of a friend who eventually become just friends),
die (presumably the lowest of the two dice put in borne of proximity (people who live with each other
Payback) is then discarded. If the next roll is not a must learn to get along), or borne of necessity (two
sling, the reserved Payback die is discarded . people must work together thus they must learn to
rely on each other).
~E.~E.~vE.: When the Payback die is put in re-
serve, you can use it to absorb some of the physi- This same basic principle applies to Skillz and Traits
cal damage done to you. If someone tries to harm as well. Traits will come about as the characters
you in any way, the damage is reduced by the num- does things and grows as an individual. As a player,
ber on the reserved die before you apply the rest. you will notice this as you settle into the character
Even if the damage is less than the number on the and your portrayal comes easier. As the character
Payback die, it can only be used once. You can gains nuances, he will gain Traits. As the charac-
reserve the die for up to two rolls in this way. ter finds himself in situations that call for action
and ability, in lieu of personality, he will gain Skillz.
St>[Link]. ~[Link]~: You can use Payback to add This is usually a much longer process because
a twist to a usually pretty ordinary action. With a Skillz tend to encompass a variety of abilities. They
~~~=-Payback of 6, you get to add your Payback to a don't necessarily have to, but that is the tendency.
~-..,. mundane roll. This allows something mystical to
be applied to whatever action you are taking. This The mechanically guidelines is if a character gains
i sn't mandatory, just something you get to do as a a few points of Reputation in a single session
player if you feel like it. With this provision, you through the use a Skill or Trait he doesn't currently
may even choose not to deal damage if your ac- possess, he gains it. Just write it on the character
.. tion normally would. sheet, after getting the GM's approval.

This game is about being dramatic, active, and,

perhaps most importantly, doing really cool shit.
Make an effort, every time you sit down at the gam-
ing table to faithfully portray your character with-
out becoming a burden to the narrative or to the
other players. You should find a time for your char-
acter to "naturally" find the spotlight and come to

GO
 the forefront but you should not deliberately steal
another player's hard-earned glory. You should also
find a way to pull off some really cool and inven-
tive slings that are true to your character's nature
and Aspect.

There is no automatic and arbitrary experience

point system in Wyrd is Bond. To gain more power,
you have to increase your Wyrd. To increase your
Wyrd, you have to increase your character's Repu- 01roE.~: Every bonus point you put under Order
tation . A slinger boosts her Reputation by doing is counted as a +1 bonus every time you roll. The
things that embody her Aspect of the Wyrd. She bonus is added to whatever comes up on the die-
· has to do something big and bold-and someone this does not mean you roll another die. This is a
else must witness it. Someone besides the slinger speed bonus, meaning that your character is be-
herself has to tell the tale. coming faster and more skilled. You can have up
to +3 in Order.
As a player, this means you have to impress some-
one-namely the other players-and only then are 'Yo~E.~: The rules that apply to Order also apply
you rewarded. Two points are the most that can to Power. For every bonus you give Power, every
be granted at one time, and one point is the usual level under Power is given a +1 bonus. When used
reward. Something warranting two points of Repu- in a sling, this does not cost any extra points of
tation would have to be broadcast on public televi- Juice. As with Order, you may have up to a +3
sion and stop the game dead in its coolness. total cumulative bonus under Power.

Also, the event should be dramatically driven. A The above bonuses are applied for every roll, not
character who does nothing to try to impress other just ones where Wyrd is applied.
people will gain a reputation, sure-as a nuisance.
Definitely not as a badass slinger that other folk ~E.A~: When you give a point of Wyrd to a piece
best watch out for. of equipment, it becomes empowered. The slinger
must assign a Trait to the jacket, gun, or other ob-
It takes six points in Reputation to increase your ject he is charming. A slinger may assign one Trait
Wyrd. The Wyrd rating goes up immediately upon per point of Wyrd imbued in it or heighten a cur-
receiving the sixth point of Reputation. rent Trait the article has. A Trait given to an object
stays with the object no matter who possesses it.
Even though the character sheet only goes up to
6 in Wyrd, there is no true limit to how high a The Trait given may give a bonus to the slinger
person's Wyrd can go. when he uses it. This bonus allows the player to
roll an extra die if both the object and its Trait can
come into play. The player simply rolls an extra die
and places it next to Order, Power, or Juice-which-
ever is appropriate.
When a character gains a point of Wyrd, she feels
it. It's an ethereal charge, like voltage up her spine, 'C><AMPL.t.: Fr33Style has taken too many shots
and the character suddenly sees things more to the gut lately so he's going to empower his Raid-
clearly and has a heightened attunement to her ers jacket. Next to "Personal Gear" Marvin writes
Wyrd . The character most dramatically feels this "Raiders Jacket + 1." Of course, Marvin has to give
when they are brought into the Wyrd. Becoming a this jacket a Trait so the + 1 bonus means some-
slinger is not just a ritual or a personal awareness thing. Marvin writes next to the jacket's listing:
(though those are requirements); a transfer of Power (Body Armor). The gamemaster has no
power is involved.
 problem with this, so it's allowed. Next time ally bring them in. When it comes to gangs, they
Fr33Style gets shot in the chest, he'll get to roll an have their own separate initiations that prospec-
extra die and add it to Power to help absorb the tive slingers must endure before given the gift of
shot. the Wyrd. In those cases, the point of Wyrd comes
from whichever slinger sponsored the initiate.
A slinger may also give a Trait to something that
doesn't warrant a direct bonus but does allow other
benefits.
Don't ever let anyone know your true name. Those
'C)(AMPL.t:.: Devlin Cash, a D-Man player who runs who know it can reap some devastating rewards .
the Upside-9 Club, has a payphone just outside Your character's true name is the complete and
his office. Devlin, paranoid with good reason, de- full name given to them at the time of their birth.
cided to give a point of Wyrd to the phone. This As others learn your name, you will lose power.
point allows Devlin to pick up any phone (cellular, This will manifest as penalties at first. When five
/and-line, whatever) no matter where Devlin is and to ten other slingers know your name, you get a -
hear any conversation that is currently taking place 1 to all stats on all rolls. From 11-25, the penalty
on that phone. increases to -2. When 26 or more slingers know
your true name, your Wyrd decreases by 1. Any-
YE.i:~o~AL.. ~i1UAL..'2.: Personal Ritualz detail thing you enchanted doesn't lose value, but if you
ways a character has found to commune with the used the Wyrd on yourself, you will lose the ap-
Wyrd on his own terms. These are, as the name plied point. You will lose one point ofWyrd for about
states, personal and unique to the slinger. These every 30 slingers from that point on that learn your
rituals are ways for a slinger to acquire Juice out- true name.
side those taught by his mentor or gang. A charac-
ter does not start with any Personal Ritual; they Any slinger who opposes you and knows your true
can only be added by gaining Wyrd above and name gets a +2 to all Stats on all rolls when the
beyond the first point of Wyrd the character re- action is against you directly. This bonus applies
ceived during initiation . whether that slinger is one of a hundred who know
it or are the only one besides you who knows it.
'C)(AMPL.t:.: Fr33Style finds that he seems to sense
the Wyrd whenever he tries no skateboarding tricks
on a half-pipe. This allows him to free his mind
and sense the movement and the spiritual activity
around him. Fr33Style decides to put his Wyrd in This game is about being dramatic, active, and,
that habit of his as a way to gain Juice. perhaps most importantly, doing really cool shit.
Make an effort, every time you sit down at the gam-
When you assign Wyrd to an existing ritual, the ing table to faithfully portray your character with-
slinger gets to roll an extra die when he practices out becoming a burden to the narrative or to the
that ritual. Up to two points of Wyrd may be added other players. You should find a time for your char-
to a single ritual. acter to "naturally" find the spotlight and come to
the forefront but you should not deliberately steal
T~i1iA1io~: Alternately, a slinger may use his another player's hard-earned glory. You should
.......,.-.=·~
· · ··· ~ '" gained point of Wyrd to bring a non-slinger into also find a way to pull off some really cool and
the fold. When done, the point of Wyrd is perma- inventive slings that are true to your character's
nently given to the initiate. It is true that some nature and Aspect.
people find the Wyrd on their own, but others usu-
 '7Hr~ r~ rrtE. ~ro~ [Link].~ 0 1E.L.L.~
t0rtE.1f-tE.«: UY 10 [Link].~ o«: Dot-J~ 10 HE.L.L.
A~n rrtoUC'if-t 1HE. «:l~K~ t-JE. rooK ~ADE. u~ c«:ooK~
11
Ar L.E.A~1 t-JE. C')01 OU«: ~A~E.~ r~ 1HE. Hl~ro~ 'BOOK~.

Qo [Link], CALL. Yo~~E.L..f fHE. MC.

I was tempted to call the GM of Wyrd is Bond that
anyway but even I couldn't go that low. No matter
According to convention statistics, most gamers are
whitebread upper-middle class suburbanites-a far
cry from our protagonists here-and they could use
''
what you call yourself, however, you're facing a
an assist in getting comfortable in this new mindset.
pretty daunting task running this game. Mind you,
the set-up of the game is pretty simple. Once you
It is important to not worry that your player charac-
have guided the players through the character cre-
ters will be seen as poseurs or wannabes. Chances
ation process, you really just need to sit back and
are good that each player at the table will be acting
let them come together. We'll go over different
as a gangsta on the same level as eveyone else.
themes and session ideas later on. Your first step
is going to be corralling the players into the proper
mindset and that can be difficult without everyone SE. i ~~t>i«:E."D
delivering their best Snoop Dogg impersonation. Hip-hop is everywhere nowadays. If you need ideas
on how the characters should look and act, check
out the magazine rack at your local convenience
store or hit the mall and check out the "urban ap-
parel" shop. If you lack either of these, turn on a
To do this right, you're going to need tools. This music channel. Whether you like rap and/or hip-
part is to help you maintain the tone and mood of hop isn't the point of this research. The players are
Wyrd is Bond during a game session. We're going going to come to you when they have any ques-
to cover some major points here: staying in-char- tions about their characters and having these kinds
acter; providing fresh challenges; finding the right of visual references will help you explain-and that's
mix of fantasy and realism; and above all , making the point.
sure everyone enjoys themselves.
~Ai~E. 1HE. S1AKE.~
/Hi~ Ai~'r A ~oKE. In every game session, you should put something
Being a gangsta isn't a joke, at least not to those of each character's world at risk: his life, his family,
living the life. What often gets parodied on late night or his Wyrd, for example. This is a game where
tfe~~iiifiisketch comedy shows is deadly serious to a tension not only fits but is paramount. The more
,~~= gangsta. They have developed their own style of that's at stake, the harder decisions become. The
speaking, acting, thinking, and dealing with situa- harder decisions become, the more weight choices
tions-and it's your job to nurture that in your play- have and the more drama develops-and as men-
ers. Remind them that every day is a struggle for tioned before, Wyrd is Bond is all about drama.
gang-bangers, especially slingers. Every gang
member has a list of enemies longer than his arm, Relationships are detailed right there on the char-
~~.,., ·- , and he can called to action at any moment.
acter sheet-use them . You might force alliances
where once was bad blood , or bring two friends
even closer together with a shared adversity. If a
character has (or knows) something that someone
else wants, you should have her take the
character's girlfriend hostage or torch his home.
Real rat bastards are all over Wyrd is Bond and
they will do what they must to get what they want.
F'f~t> Yo~ {[Link].L..~
.....
they throw at you, whether it is done in chara· -
The level of old-school fantasy in Wyrd is Bond is or out of character. The really good games are
malleable; it exists on a sliding scale that your where players and the GM work together. Imagine
playgroup controls. This game wasn't written with it as a jam session: riff off each other's contribu-
the idea of pixies packing heat and people smok- tions. Do not just let good material hang there with-
ing unicorn horns to get high, but that's not to say out input. Games die from lack of sufficient stimu-
you couldn't throw that stuff in here. However, all lus, because the players get bored, the GM gets
players should confer prior to the first session and frustrated, and no one has fun. Even if you plan to
determine how fantastical you want this game to have particular events happen, players can some-
be. The games I ran always had a darker tone, but times affect events that you didn't plan. Often, these
not necessarily horrific or anything. I just kept things work out just as, if not more, satisfactorily that you
serious and stayed in-character (I followed the first originally planned.
two points above this one).
While this may not always work with lazy players,
If you do aim for the more fantastic, make sure the the one who are just unenthused may suddenly
fantasy doesn't outshine the drama. This game want to get as thoroughly involved as possible.
shouldn't be an excuse for you to outline your fan-
tasy novel while the players stare, slack-jawed, wait- T1 1 ~ AL..L.. ~E.L..AliVE.
ing for it to end. The focus should remain on the This is a game built and moved forward by rela-
players and their relationships. Their actions and tionships. You can up the energy in a session by
decisions should control the flow and direction of using and abusing the characters' relationships. For
the story. examples, if you use any of the scenarios or hooks
in the Track Six, you can change certain people to
HAvE. rv~, -BAa.Y be those listed on the characters' sheets.
The best thing you can do to maintain the mood
and tone of the game is to have fun yourself. Your You will also need to make sure the player has his
enjoyment is just as important as everyone else's. Relationships fleshed out enough to make that per-
This isn't "their game;" everybody should be hav- son "real" to him. This will give the player incentive
ing fun, and they should entertain you as much as to want his character to really get into the potential
you entertain them. drama of the situation. If the GM is going to play
the object of the Relationship (meaning the person
is not being played by another player), then you
need to put as much personality into the person as
possible. It's hard to even pretend to care for an
It can be a challenge at times to get things rolling
NPC that has as much depth of a paper doll.
when the playing field is wide open. As the
gamemaster, it's going to be your job to move things
along when rough spots hit and to kick-start the '1E.1-1o~AS.L..E. ViL..L..Ai~~
drama when it lulls. Below, we'll look at some tricks Wyrd is Bond is not a "villain of the week" type of
and treats you'll have available to keep the game game. Work to build up NPCs that the characters
alive and the scenes exciting. will get to know-and revile-over the long term. If
you hear a player say, "I knew it was him!" or "Never
trust her, man" than you're heading down the right
You A~E. ~01 ~~E.1-1iE.~
road.
This isn't a game that pits you versus the players.
Your role is to flesh out the world and create drama
where necessary, but not dangle clues and lead j~ #HE. 'BACK ~001-1
the characters along . You may find it necessary to When first starting off, it should never be apparent
stir things up and throw some curve balls, but you that the characters are being manipulated, whether
can never compensate for unenthused or lazy play- that manipulation is direct or indirect. When a group
ers so don't just dangle string and hope they fol- of slingers are told to rough up Mr. Chang at the
low. Jif-E-Mart at Detroit and Evans, they should just
be told that Chang didn't pay up or chose the wrong
You also need to be open to the players' input. You side-if they are told anything at all. Justifications
should work with ideas, people, places, and events for their actions should be vague at best and, un-

<05
 ~:::::::~~e~s-;;-
s~ th~~e~
y re higher than a thug, they're lucky to have teresting is going to happen during the long ride
l'!!!!!!!!B---that. across town, skip it. Say, "So you all arrive at
Maldonara's Bar twenty-five minutes later .... " Do
Done right, this sort of manipulation should not be not drag a scene or latch onto the idea that maybe
any different than the kind of manipulation a GM something interesting will happen. Maybe it will, but
would wield in another game. Only give out as much it probably won't. Don't hope interesting things hap-
information as may be needed to get the player- pen-make them happen.
character moving. Remember that any information
given to a character by their superior is not only Ovr~iDE. ~A~ArivE.
minimal but severely biased. Lack of in-depth in- Again, think cinema. Include scenes that do not di-
formation is the standard in more legal organiza- rectly involve the characters. Give a holistic sense
tion as well as gangs; hierarchies of any kind tend of there being a world outside the players. When
to put into effect a general policy of information the characters roll up to Maldonara's Bar, cut to the
being disseminated solely on a "need to know" ba- backroom where Giovanni Maldonara, reputed
sis. crime boss, is packing away stacks of blood money.
Suddenly, Vito the doorman knocks on the door to
'[Link]~, "1iicK~ o~ ME. inform his boss that "four black gentlemen have just
Something you can do to keep players on their toes arrived. I think they're Crows." As GM you have no
is sprinkle a scenario with red herrings and gen- fourth wall so you can never break it.
eral strangeness. For example, a character may
get odd phone calls from an unknown number that ~v...w Ai:oV~t>
may or may not just be a clueless telemarketer. A Flashbacks, time jumps, and repeating scenes from
character may always see the same girl in a red the perspective of different characters are great
ENOK hoodie at poetry slams or rap battles. While tricks that add a dynamic flavor to your sessions. If
walking down the street, a slinger may see the num- the players are the actors, you're the director.
ber "19" over and over again: on buses, street mark-
ers, license plates, jerseys, and so on. These give
hooks for you and the players to grab later if ideas
start running thin. Also, you can use them to con-
trol the level of fantasy you want in your world (see In some games, the local authority is your friend,
"Find Your Levels," above). but not in this one. Cops are, by necessity and by
role, opposed to gangs. Gangs are a mix of a mob,
a vigilante group, and a crime ring. With certain per-
formers antagonizing them through verse, it is little
If you ever find yourself bored as a GM then some- wonder why gang members get no quarter from the
thing is wrong. Just because you are the GM doesn't police. Gangs in turn (though some may say, in re-
~~~~mean you shouldn't feel just as much excitement sponse) are notoriously anti-cop. Gangs feud with
~~illJI. as the players. You may not be focused on a sin- other gangs, but both parties know to keep their
gular character but you are coordinating the rest of mouths shut when cops are around. Even a rival is
the world. If you are bored then the world will be a friend when faced with a common enemy.
boring-and how can the player characters be in-
terested (or interesting) in a world full of boredom? Smart slingers don't just cap police officers for no
They can't. So, if the action is lagging, do some- good reason, because no gang wants to become
thing about it. known as a bunch of cop-killers. While such a repu-
tation may be "cool" to those who disdain authority,
it will spell nothing but trouble for them in the long
run. Their trade will dry up because cops will al-
ways be watching them; members will be dragged
downtown constantly; and members who do any-
thing that even resembles resisting arrest will taste
pepper spray and nightstick for days after.

The reason slingers (and other gang members) do

 kill cops is because cops, invariably, are in opposi-
tion to a gang's wants and needs. Those cops that
cannot be paid off are a liability that eventually
someone will have to pay for. It could be the gang,
getting their just desserts after capping an officer,
or the cop, for standing up for the law and suffering The pest a cop can hope for is to keep gang vio-
the consequences. lence at a minimum so that when it does inevitably
flare up, it is to settle one score or finalize one deal
No one inside a gang, outside a few stoner hang- and a period of quiet will follow. The best a gang
ers-on and wannabes, thinks killing a cop is a cool member can hope for is to stay out of the prying
thing to do. It just becomes a necessity when you eyes of John Q Law and be able to do his business
want to zig and the law wants you to zag. When it without harassment. All it will take is one false move,
does happen, the gang immediately tries to divert though, and a gang member will get dragged down
the trail from them and the offender is dealt with fast. Enough blood has been spilled to ruin the cops'
one of two ways. If the murder was the only option view of gangs and gang members forever. That
and the killer was either right, in the eyes of higher- means a gang banger will get no reprieve just be-
ups, or they want his punk-ass alive to offer up as cause he's young, or from a broken home or a poor
a peace offering to the cops, then the person is family. A gang member is a villain in the eyes of the
;;;;;;;;:;;;;;;;;;;!:±!;:·:;:;;!!;;;!~ murder was foolish or the killer is law, and those bangers who cannot assist the po-
lice are just in the way of justice.

-- -~

CoPYCAT!
dv polyme~i~J
 are not famous for keeping their noses clean, so
ederal agents get involved as well, but they are they have to be especially careful.
not as prevalent in the character's day-to-day life
(unless the characters really fuck up). Their con- KE.E.-Yi~ 1 1Aa.~
cerns are trafficking (drug, weapon, or otherwise) Sometimes a character may run up on some cops
or any other interstate crime. Feds are more by- who want information. Some cops build rapport with
the-book than local authority and don't beat the gang-bangers in order to keep in touch with the
streets in order to learn the people of a community. word on the street. As long as the banger who as-
As a result, there's a smaller window for a charac- sists them doesn't do anything major (murder, ar-
ter to bullshit through and less of a chance of per- son, rape, etc), then the cops will overlook things
suading or dealing with the Feds (unless you can like drug possession. Bangers are considered
offer up something really nice, like a drug lord). "greased" when they deal with cops, and other gang
members usually don't trust them from that point
Play a Fed like a person who wants what they want on. This is especially true of slingers who not only
and will do whatever they can to get it. Feds are have their hands in the usual gang-related deals,
not fools-far from it-and those that bumble are but bigger and more dangerous ones as well.
not on the job long.
CoMMA~D ?~E.~E.~cE.
Cops need to keep an air of authority (which, frankly,
fails on most gangs) and "showing a presence" is
There are a lot of reasons characters and the law one way they attempt to do so. A gang member
will run into each other. Below are some ways for may get dragged downtown on one charge or an-
you to introduce them into the game aside from the other just to stir things up for their gang or commu-
characters actually getting busted for breaking the nity. Any place where cops suspect gang activity,
law. they will patrol relentlessly. The cops will try any-
thing to hinder gang trade and activity.
c0t-to Yov K~ot.:>
Cops and the federal agencies that "partner" with Coi>~ ~ SL..i~<:JE.'«:~
them are always after big fish. Even though the Cops have taken a special interest in the slinging
characters are probably not those fish, they are phenomenon, specifically in regard to protecting
linked to them through trade and geography. By themselves from it. Somehow, certain artifacts have
leaning on the peons, cops and feds hope to make been finding their way into police custody. These
their way up the ladder to get to the person they items include badges that make the wearer impen-
want. Whether they want the number-one importer etrable to slings, nightsticks that drain Juice, and
of cocaine or the biggest black-market weapons bullet-proof vests that can trace the guns that fired
distributor in California, the authorities are looking whatever bullets are embedded in them. There are
for those who use gangs as their footmen. even rumors that some cops are learning how to
sling. What Aspect they are learning and who is
teaching them is still quite a mystery, though good
money may be paid to whoever could supply such
information.

There are two types of non-player characters:

Grunts and Names. Grunts are peons, mooks, and
thugs that are just fodder for the player characters.
They only have two stats: Order and Power. Grunts
don't have or use Wyrd. When rolling for a Grunt,
you just roll 2d6 and place one die under each Stat.
You can adjust the general strength of a Grunt by
adding a descriptor. For example, two characters
may run up against a couple wannabe-Gs. You have
<043
decided one is just a "thug" so you rate him as a 'f< E.1> E.f-fi>1i o~
basic Grunt. But you make one of them a "badass A character can redeem himself and reduce his Dis-
thug." The "badass" is there to denote that this Grunt ruption by acting in a manner that jives with his
is a little faster and a little stronger than his partner. Aspect. Every time he does so, he gets a point of
To reflect this, you add +1 to every die in his rolls. Redemption. When he accumulates five points, re-
There is a maximum of +3 which can be applied to move. a point of Disruption.
each Grunt. Keep in mind that +3 is a hefty bonus
when dealing with a six-sided scale so use the bo-
nuses sparingly.
Wyrd is Bond is a game about power and secrets.
Names are hard-hitters who pose an actual threat It is also a game about secret powers. It has been
for the player characters. They have all three Stats, said that slingers on the street only have knowl-
use Payback like player characters, and can even edge of the basics of their Aspect of the Wyrd. Each
have relationships and Traits. You can also give Aspect, however, has a logical-and very power-
them Juice (however much, you can just roll a few ful-extension. Characters should discover this
dice, if you like). How detailed you want to get with through play. They will pick up bits and pieces out
these Names is up to you. You can create a Name of conversations they should not have heard and
like a regular player character (especially if you plan as they climb the ladder of their respective gang.
on the Name becoming a recurring character). If They will be made aware of what else is out there.
you go to this route, just use the standard charac-
ter sheet. For more basic Names, you can use the The trick will come in not allowing the effects of the
sections on the GM Worksheet. character's magical growth to become like a car-
toon. The characters are still slingers from the street
and not eldritch mages casting spells at each other
from hilltops and caverns. Where this game picks
At the end of this book, next to the character sheet up is just before anyone has truly achieved any of
for your players, is the GM worksheet. Some of the this power. Sightings of slingers who do possess
stuff on there should look familiar. The rest we will the abilities below should be rare, and witnesses
explain below. should be unsure if the slinger is on their side or
not.
'Di~~<R1io~
Every time a character acts against his Wyrd, the #HE. C~oG0~
GM makes a note on the appropriate character's The Crows' Aspect is the physical, and everyday
box on the worksheet. You should note the total slingers use it to well enough effect. But all too few
under "Disruption." When the character's total "Dis- realize that powerful Crows can change the color
ruption" equals ten or more, the character starts to of their skin, eyes, and hair. They can alter their
feel one of the effects listed below. features to look like someone else. Some can even
change how other people look. This Aspect of the
'BA1> SLi~c='J:
Every time the slinger goes to use Wyrd is also the path to immortality. The human
Juice, the GM rolls a six-sided die. If that die rolls body can be kept going long after it was meant to
above the slinger's Wyrd, the sling fails. This starts expire. Powerful Crows have the ability to drain the
happening when Disruption hits 10. physical strength of others.

F'[Link]: When a character slings successfully When a Crow achieves a Wyrd of 5 or higher, his
(meaning the GM's roll for a Bad Sling didn't can- body will subtly begin to change. His hair may be-
cel her attempt), the Payback die is discarded. It come darker, his fingers will grow a little longer, his
cannot be used. This starts happening when Dis- feet will gain a shoe size, or his teeth may become
ruption hits 15. whiter, for example. From that point on, the Crow
will have to spend a point of Juice every time he
C'ii!i1iCAL. f.(;1: Every time a character uses Juice, wakes up in order for his body to retain its "normal
he loses a Beat. This starts happening when Dis- state." If that point is not spent, his body will change
ruption hits 20. At 25, the character starts to lose in slight ways throughout the day. Over a week or
two Beats per sling. so, people who haven't seen him since Sunday
 on't recognize him the next Saturday. the Devn, then the Devil may grant him use of his
demonic form on Earth. This is only granted to a D-
A Crow who reaches a Wyrd of 6 will gain the abil- Man who proves himself to be both loyal enough to
ity to willfully morph himself as he sees fit. This be trusted and smart enough not to get his demonic
isn't a sling; the Crow simply spends Juice. It costs mug caught on film and plastered all over the place.
two points of Juice per minor change (hair color, Claiming to be a demon on MTV is one thing-
eye color, etc) and four points per major change proving it on CNN is another. The demonic form
(height and weight). It costs ten points for any bio- usually consists of giant, black bat wings, gnarly
logical or anatomical change (blood type, sexual horns that jut from the D-Man's forehead, cloven
anatomy, etc). Once the points are spent, the hooves in place of feet, and patches of fur and
change takes place almost automatically. It costs scales that dot the D-Man's flesh. When this form
one point to change back to one's normal self, no is granted, the D-Man may transform into it at will.
matter how much the Crow changed. He simply spends two points of Juice to do it. The
D-Man's mortal shell is held in Limbo and given
If they double the Juice spent, the Crow can make back when the D-Man reverts to his human form.
the same alterations to someone else-provided
the person is willing. If the person does not want With that demonic form comes more demonic abil-
the change, treat the conflict like a standard op- ity. The D-Man gains the ability to enslave and con-
posed roll employing any Traits or Skillz related to trol humans. To do so, the D-Man must spend four
willpower. points of Juice per person. If the person they wish
to enslave has the Wyrd, the D-Man must first win
#HE. '3XSrA«:~ an opposed roll. The cost to enslave the slinger is
Chaos is a powerful force. Fixing craps games is four points plus the target's Wyrd in Juice. The en-
good for acquiring some quick cash, but it pales slaved person must then obey the D-Man's com-
compared to gaining control over the very elements mands-no matter what they are. The enslavement
of nature. Powerful 'Stars can make it rain for hours, only lasts for ten minutes at a time. After that,
urge an acorn into an oak, put out a flaming inferno though, the D-Man may attempt to control the body
with a thought, and more. again either via a will roll (for a slinger) or by spend-
ing the Juice (for just a [Link] mortaJ).-
Once a 'Star acquires a Wyrd of 5, she will uncon-
sciously start fires or turn gentle breezes into gales. «>~ ~[Link].~
It won't happen often, just at critical or inopportune A King can ascend in power for a long time and
moments. They will not be able to control this until never reap a reward. This is because, when it
they reach a Wyrd of 6. At that point, she will be comes to power in the Wyrd, only nine Kings at a
able to call forth and control any of the four ele- time are exalted above the others. These select
ments: air, earth, fire, and water. few are called the Nine Winds and they become
the protectors and avatars of the Kings' sire and
There is no great and powerful Oz to whom the protector, the great serpent-god Quetzalcoatl.
'Stars answer. Instead their steps and deeds (or
missteps and misdeeds) are weighed against Na- Spots become available when a King fails to serve
ture itself. When a 'Star falters, he start to feel ill. If Quetzalcoatl, and the great serpent-god destroys
he screws up big enough, the world around him him. Then Q, in the form of a man, approaches a
will fall into decline. A 'Star's failure in upholding King who has proven himself above the others and
. . .. ..his Wyrd can cause his friends to become ill or his gives him a test. The tests vary but always chal-
skin to become overrun with pocks, boils, and blem- lenge the King's intelligence, endurance, and loy-
ishes. Corrective actions, however, can heal him alty. If the King fails, he is destroyed and another is
and undo damage he may have brought about. sought. If he passes, Q pierces the King's heart
with one of his own scales. As the King bleeds, Q
recites a blessing that seals the scale inside the
King's heart and forever binds him. To reflect this
change in status, Kings often scar or tattoo their
faces with the markings of a serpent, or feather-
like designs.
Along with the promotion and the rise in status
among the Kings comes another bonus: that King
will never lack for Juice. The King will draw directly
from Quetzalcoatl. As long as Q is alive, the King
need only ask the serpent-god for more and it shall is the Baron or, at least, that is what the Dread know.
be granted. However, if Q is dissatisfied with the
King, he will drain all his Juice and cut him off, leav- 'St..ool> Q uE.E.~:s.
ing the King defenseless. What a Blood Queen gets for embodying her As-
pect and obeying her Wyrd is death. Once a Queen
Q may assume control of the King at any time. He reaches a Wyrd of 6, the Old Man will attempt to
will always be able to see through his Winds' eyes, kill her. The Old Man has worked very hard to re-
hear what they hear, taste what they eat, and feel main the only vampire left and he is not about to let
everything they feel. some ghoul take his spot.

lHE. Qf-IO!Sof!So A Queen who achieves a Wyrd of 5 will attain the

The Hungry Ghost's Wyrd is slowly killing them. Old Man's attention. He will address her directly
What the Ghosts do not know is that their Wyrd is and take an interest in her past and her ideas. He
coming directly from the spirits of their ancestors, will take her under his wing and treat her very much
literal ghosts in this case. As they sling and rise in like a daughter. He hopes that the Queen remains
power, the souls of their forebears are disappear- at 5 because he does not relish having to destroy
ing. When a slinger is initiated into the Ghosts, she his Queens. However, should the Queen reach 6,
starts to draw from the souls of her ancestors. The it will not be long until the Old Man gets her alone
Juice she gets is made of their collective spiritual and tries to drain every last drop of blood in her
energy. Eventually, she will destroy all the spirits of body. The Queen may of course fight back, and
her ancestors and the Wyrd will start to corrupt her. rumor has it that some Queens have been success-
It will slowly turn her into a real hungry ghost. When ful and are currently hiding, living in fear of being
a slinger's Wyrd hits 4, she will begin to pale and caught.
need to eat many times a day or else lose Beats
rapidly-at the rate of one per hour until the slinger
eats. When the slinger reaches a Wyrd of 6, use of
the Wyrd consumes her. She will become a ghost There are many notable people in the Wyrd-using
herself. community. We're going to get into the more no-
table (and notorious) in the next few pages. Each
#HE. t>«:E..(D listing will include their history and descriptions, as
The Dread gain the ability to commune and travel well as slings to give you an idea of how they chose
with the dead. A high level in their Wyrd aligns them to originate or augment their Aspect. The specific
with the spiritual plane. They can see the spirits of mechanics of each personality are not included.
the dead that wander our world. The Baron grants This is so you can decide how their power and con-
this to a Dread upon his achieving a Wyrd of 4. Any nections will work. This allows you to gauge them
Dread who misuses this power is killed. The Baron to your group and, if you want, relate them to whom-
will walk up to him and remove the slinger's soul. ever you wish.
The body drops on the spot and its spirit is damned
to walk the spirit world lost and angry. That is the At the end of this listing are The Saints, who are
condition of this gift, and the recipient grants the Mafia slingers. If you wish, you can open them up
Baron the right to do so. for player use. In that event, they have been given
a full write-up in the same format as the gangs in
What traveling the spiritual plane allows a Dread is Track Three. Otherwise, they are just someone
near-instantaneous travel. By "side-stepping" the nasty and unexpected to use against or alongside
mortal plane, the Dread shifts into the spiritual the player characters.
plane. The spiritual plane, temporally speaking, is
vastly different than our own. A Dread can also travel
miles in our world by only walking a few blocks in
the spiritual realm. While the Dread is in the spiri-
tual realm, he need not sleep or eat.
~I
gy•
 lHE.Y AL..L.. 1HoV<=JH1 HE. GVA~ 1>E..<D, [Link] fHE. SE.A~f L.1vE.~. Known to modern slingers
as the Alley Star, Aleister Crowley folded up his old life-which had become mired in speculation, con-
jecture, and bad press-and went underground. He returned to his magical roots and got back to the
core of his philosophy: the Wyrd of the Flesh. Through a strict regime of euphoric drugs, ritual sex, and
meditation, Aleister unlocked the formula to his unique brand of immortality.

Aleister is more amused than anything else by the antics and dealings of those who follow his teachings.
Unbeknownst to the vast majority of Crows, the Alley Star is calling the shots behind their actions. The
Crows are Aleister's new Golden Dawn, his second-chance Silver Star, and they are more numerous
and dedicated than any of his previous councils. Should a Crow ascend,
both in power and ranking within the gang, they may be brought to the
Alley Star for a glimpse into the true power and the full potential of
the Wyrd: unparalleled pleasure and everlasting life.

Aleister, despite looking like an unwrapped mummy, is in amazing •

health and spirit. He is vibrant and passionate about the Wyrd. He
has studied it almost all his life and appreciates those who have the
skill and talent to use it effectively-even if they are opposing him.
He has a wealth of knowledge he is ready to share with Crows who
prove themselves worthy. Some speculate he is
looking for a successor. Aleister seems to know ~
everything there is to know about the other ~ ....-,
gangs and the people who run the show. ~ "'-'"'';

He has a deep love and appreciation for the art and

culture of China and will go on tangents about its intrica- ~-
cies, often forgetting the original reason he started speaking in
the first place.

Fiercely intelligent and manipulative, Aleister always knows both what

he wants and how to get it. The only obstacles are those who will
\iii~~~ invariably try to stop him. Those people are precisely why he has his
_,__._crows. Of course, the Crows have no idea their directives are com-
. ing from the very person whose power they covet. A devil behind the
t f i i f i l •scenes, Aleister is a puppet master extraordinaire whose strings are

Aleister surrounds himself with material excess. He wears fine silks

and jewels. He eats at the best restaurants and drinks the finest wine. In
public, he is always in the company of at least two beautiful women and
one bodyguard. People see that he lives in luxury and immediately re-
spect him for it. Too smart to use his real name, of course, people always
- assume he is a celebrity, business [Link], or a foreign dignitary.
O~c.E., VAl'Wi~E.~ ouf~UMS.E.~E.l> <=;E.~E.~AL..~ ••• but that was a long time ago. Inquisitions,
witch-hunts, and angered mobs eradicated all of the beasts from this world-save one. As far as anyone
knows, the Old Man is the only remaining vampire. In addition, he has yet to sire, preferring to reign over
mortals in solitude. Of course, there may be others but chances are the Old Man is indeed the last.

One thing the Old Man has done is create an army of ghouls. By preying on comely and victimized
females, the Old Man has made himself a mob of slaves willing to do his every bidding.

Just like the Blood Queens, the Old Man adheres to the sanguine aspect of the Wyrd. His greatest ability
is the power to remain alive through the consumption of other's blood. While the Alley Star uses more
hedonistic means to maintain his longevity, the Old Man's methods are more brutal but just as effective.

The Old Man has the power of mind control and he can use this on
anyone whose blood he has tasted. The Old Man has an incredible
memory for old debts and double-crosses, and has never been one to
let transgressions slide.

The Old Man is as much myth and legend as reality. An extreme re-
cluse, the Old Man is only seen when he wishes to be seen. His
entourage, those very few he lets into his world, revere him as a god
and will do anything to ensure his wishes come true .

Slingers may chance upon the Old Man if he's looking for food or a
mortal to do some shadowy work for him. The Old Man is not one to
desire attention and keeps his hands very clean when it comes to
anyone in authority-mundane or otherwise.

The Old Man is a great plot device for getting characters to do some-
thing they may not normally do. No one says "no" to the Old Man
(no one who values their life, anyway) and the Old Man doesn't like
to ask twice.

/Ht:. 0L.D MA~'~ SL.i~<::,~

Born of Blood: The Old Man created the Blood Queens
using this sling. With this sling, he can turn a mortal into
a blood-seeking monster just like his precious little girls.
By simply consuming a pint of the victim's blood and
then feeding them a human heart, the Old Man can
create a ghoul. The Strength of this sling is 2.

Mind of a Mad Man: The Old Man can telepathically con-

trol anyone whose blood he has tasted. Like a suped-
up version of the Queens' Blood Calling, geographic
location makes no difference in this sling. This mind
control lasts for an hour unless the Old Man relin-
quishes it sooner. The target has no memory of ~
what they've done or where they've been while un- .~
der his control. The Strength of this sling is 2 unless the
target is a slinger. In that case, it is the target's Wyrd+1.
 ff ft-IE. 'D-ME.~ Aii!E. 'DE.t-10~~ A~'D [Link]! ~ T~ f ~[Link]!~AL.., [Link]!E. t-1U~1 &E.
A '[Link].., ii!TC:,f-f1'7 In business circles, he is addressed as Mr. Louis Samson, but in the backrooms
of his clubs and the penthouse of his hotel, he is the Serpent King. Everything you've heard about him is
true. Possessing unparalleled Wyrd and the ability to kill whomever he
wishes with a thought-not to mention the omnipresence of his
bodyguard, the Lord of the Flyz-the Serpent King is bar none
the scariest motherfucker in existence. Only one thing keeps
him from indulging in his sociopathic tendencies to their
fullest extent: a deal he made a long, long time ago. A deal
he must keep until mankind proves itself unworthy of
grace. That's a goal the D-Men gleefully assist
him with.

If you find yourself face-to-face with the Ser-

pent King, whether under that name or his .
adopted mortal one, you have either done
something amazingly well or you have done
something remarkably stupid. You can lie,
cheat, and steal from the Serpent King, but
never cross him. He has no tolerance for turn-
coats.

The Devil's main opposition is, of course, the

Divine One Himself. The Serpent King knows
that if he or his boys get out of control, the final
days will come nigh. Currently, he is not strong
enough to defeat his adversary. But one day, after weak-
ening mankind enough, he hopes he will be.

St:.f«>t:.~1 /(. ;~c:, '~ St.i~c:,~:

!Ht:.
Original Sin: The Serpent King can cause a person's
G~~=-worst memories to come flooding back no matter how
-c---repressed they are. The target will to fall to her knees
completely racked with guilt, shame, fear, or whatever
strong emotion the memories bring up. This will reduce
even the strongest-willed person to a crying fetal
mound. The Strength for this Sling is 2.
#HE. f'i~~r 1Hi~C?J YOU ~iL..L.. ~oricE. [Link] 1HE. 'BA~O~ i~ 1HA1 HE. i~
i~C~[Link]&L..Y f'U~~Y. He has an amazing sense of humor and not just in a "gallows humor" way. He
also is quite charming and gets his share of ladies without any use of Wyrd whatsoever.

The Baron always wears sunglasses, even in the pitch of deep night. His sunglasses are missing a lens,
however. Through the exposed eye, he views the earthly plain. Through his lensed eye, he sees the
spirit world.

As Lord of the Dead, the Baron often finds himself at odds with those
would claim the recently deceased as their own. This is particularly true
of the Serpent King, whom the Baron has run up against on many
occasions.

What the Baron wants is to teach maverick slingers a lesson. They

have been reckless as of late which, for his own reasons, has
upset the Baron.

The Baron realizes the presence of the walking dead is quite

upsetting for most people. To his end, he endeavors to en-
sure that his Dread do not create too many. He wants to
have servants, not remake "Dawn of the Dead."
.f'
/
'When the Baron enters a room, the entire mood I~·
changes. Things become more serious, situations get
tenser, and consequences seem direr. While this con-
trasts with the Baron's general demeanor, it is in-
dicative of what lurks beneath his exterior.

'BA~O~ [Link] ~ St...i~c.=;~

1

The Baron creates zombis the same as a

Dread, but the Strengths are 2 for a corpse and
3 for a living person.

Dead Precedents: The Baron can call up the spir-

its of someone's ancestors. The spirits are translu-
cent outlines of how they looked when they died.
They have vague features and a white-to-grey aura.
An ancestor spirit can move and speak but cannot oth-
erwise affect the physical world. If the Baron chooses,
he can make them visible to everyone or just a single
target. A spirit will stay around as long as the Baron wishes.
If a person wants to actively resist this "visitation," they may
rol l to oppose but they need at least a 5 to resist. The Baron
can resist at a +3 to his Power. This sling does not work on
D-Men.

Waking the Dead: The Baron can control any zombi he or his
Dread has made. When this is done, the zombi's rolls are at +2
for all stats and Payback is rolled. The zombi may also sling as a
Dread.
'l5
 f-(E. i~ 1HE. ~E.~E.~f Gol>-Ki~<:}, [Link]..CoAfL... He is the man known only as Q. He is
both and he is growing in his power. Q appears to initiates seeking acceptance into the Kings as a
serpent. He comes to them when they are weak and bleeding and he begs of them a promise. The
promise is different for each initiate, but each promise will be called in and there is no telling when or
where this will happen.

Part of the reason for the Kings' secrecy is the fact they are protecting Quetzalcoatl, their mentor and
leader, who was just recently reborn into this world. For over a decade, they have kept watch over him
and he is almost ready to lead them to freedom. The zapatistas in the Kings' midst, however, are both
tired of waiting and unconvinced that Q's philosophy will ever free them.

What Quetzalcoatl has promised his followers is paradise. He has promised the return of
ancient kingdoms and the rise of Aztlan, the legendary home of the Aztecs, and the rise
of Quetzalcoatl as their god. As his favored children, Q has promised the
Kings power-true power-greater than what they currently wield.

Q has just recently acquired a human vessel and the strength to use it.
His human form is a Mexican man in his mid-forties. This man died
from a gunshot wound in an alley. At Q's request, one of his Nine
Winds brought the body to him. Q forged a bond with the body and is
now able to travel between his native serpent form and his human
vessel with ease. The body still bears the gunshot wound just under
the heart.

Q is protected by Kings he refers to as the "Nine Winds." They are

his keepers and directly responsible for his safety. With the excep-
tion of the initiation ritual, Quetzalcoatl does not allow Kings below
the Nine Winds to see him in his serpent form. He appears to them in
the flesh only as the man called Q. He spreads his promise and his
glory through the Kings by leaking information through his Nine
Winds.

Q ,~ ~L.i~C::,~
The Serpent Was Subtle: With this sling, Q can plant suggestions into
~~~~someone's subconscious with an off-hand comment. These can be vague
("Things could be different in this town.") or specific ("That Crow needs
to die.") This is different from any form of mind control in that the
target will slow start to act in accordance with the suggestion and --....;~~~~"-
not immediately in a doe-eyed zombie-like manner. The Strength
of this sling is 2, for non-slingers. For slingers, the Strength is
-~ · ,equal to the target's Wyrd+2.
7
.. .

'Ho
 ·- - - · - ---- -

''THE.Y ~AY lf-IE.r"R ?oi0E."R co1-1E.~ f"ROl-1 Q"RACE..

t0HA1 K !~'DA C,"RACE. ?U"f~ f-lo"R~E.~ I~ YA S.E.'D
A~'D i0f-IACK~ YA i0f-lot_E. f'Al-111-Y I~ lf-IE.Y ~t_E.E.t>?"

S~E.E.1 c:lA~c:l~ A~E. ~01 1HE. o~L..Y ~[Link].~~ivE. CVL..1~E. 10 ~Ac1icE. "1Ac:lic.
In fact, the mafia has been dabbling in the Wyrd for over half a century. They get their power from the
Divine aspect of the Wyrd and they call their practitioners Saints. Legend has it the mafia learned about
the Wyrd from the bluesmen who frequented their speakeasies and hideaways. The Mother Mary grants
the Saints power in exchange for diligent reverence and clean living. While other mafioso may have their
hookers and girlfriends, Saints are forbidden to indulge in such luxuries. This isn't the only way in which
Saints differ from your traditional gang e .

Instead of earning their keep through ru ·ng rackets and protection scams, Saints are provided for in
trade for their adherence to the Saintly y . Saints cannot sling (or "cast," as they prefer to call it) if they
don't have their cross. It's their locus o po er and
their Wyrd is no good without it.

At first it may seem strange to include

the mafia in a game about street
gangs. It may even seem like a forced
attempt to shove the Divine Wyrd into the
game-but it's not. The mafia has been
losing power for decades. When they saw
that street kids were wielding the power
that their fathers once held, they knew
what to do. The mafia is allying with
street gangs for many rea-
sons. One reason is to
reestablish an inroad
into the gun and, to a
lesser extent, drug
trades. The second is to stifle the
gangs' ability to use the Wyrd. Magic
is seen as something taken fair-and-
square by the mafia dons of yesteryear,
and the new breed will be damned if a
bunch of poor black kids are going to
use their tricks. The mafia families
have a vested interest in discovering
who's behind the scenes and what it
is they know.

For reasons known only to the fat cats

in their smoke-filled rooms, there are no
female Saints.

A~'?E.c1: Divine
They get their power from their deep..&i:o
rooted Christian faith, particularly when ~
combined with Catholic dogma. Saints are
 big into Mother Mary and the rites and rituals of der the Saint powerless for one full day. Of course ,
Catholicism. As such , they must obey them for their this means that it's possible for a Saint to plum run
Wyrd to work. out of Juice. C'est la vie, man cheri. Saints
know better than to upset the Mother.
i~i1iA1io~: Existing mafioso sponsor
wannabe Saints. A lot of Saints are
would-be priests whose wayward uncle
snatched them up before they could
n1
_u []_
"1iicK: No one can sling against a
Saint on sacred ground. This applies
to Catholic churches and cemeter-
make it to seminary. There is no real ies as well as the Saint's resi-
formal initiation aside from proving dence. Saints may still sling as usual
unwavering loyalty to the family. on such ground, though. People
may still take non-magical ac-
i~roL.E.«:A~cE.: Saints will not
abide what they are told not to abide.
For the most part, that is watching other
[J tions against Saints.

[Link]~c;J ~icE.: Saints get Juice

people steal or encroach on what the mafia by reciting the decades of the rosary. They
call theirs. can get up to 3 dice this way. Spending time
reflecting in a Roman-Catholic church , giv-
~A~E.~: Like most mafioso, Saints usually ing confession, and other Catholic rituals
have traditional Italian names or the names can get them a die for each act.
of real saints. Anthony, Francis, Vincent (or
Vincenzo), and Christopher are common names. So~v~ 'DicE.: A Saint gets Bonus Dice when-
Italian surnames are often translated into their En- ever he is fighting to protect the church or his don.
glish counterpart, so Pesci becomes Fish and
Freeda becomes Arrow. In turn, the Saint's full QA~c;J~E.L.A1E.1> SL.i~c;J~
name may be Tony the Fish or Vinnie Arrows. Hail Mary: This sling allows a Saint to consecrate
any room he is in. The room can be no larger than
l~E..AD~: Unlike the lowly street gangs, with their 20' square and must not be another gang's terri-
tattered rags and basketball jerseys, Saints are not tory. The sling will last only ten minutes and will be
only expected to look good but required to. Saints negated if the Saint leaves that room. Saints get
dress in fine suits that their dons provide them. the provision listed under ''Trick" on any room made
sacred by this sling. The Strength of this sling is 3.
/Ac;J~ ~ iE.L.L.~: Saints are universally identified
in slinger and gangster culture by the ornate silver Bada Boom: As homage to their roots, Saints cre-
~~~iC'Jiiicross they wear either around their neck on a heavy ated a sling that allows them to create bombs out
of everyday items. A Saint transfers some Juice to
-..- .......chain or attached to their lapel.
a beer bottle, a basketball, or a car tire and makes
Sov~n: Sinatra, baby. Failing that, the soundtrack the object combustible. This is sort of like creating
to the Godfather Trilogy works nicely. an item with a point of Wyrd but instead of becom-
ing empowered, it just becomes unstable. The item
will only be able to hold the charge for about an
hour. At that time, it will explode. The damage it
does is equal to the amount of Juice put into it,
multiplied by 2. The Saint can trigger the explosion
with the force of his will by spending a point of Juice.
At that time, no matter where the object is, it will
explode. Any amount of Juice may be spent on th is
sling. The Strength of this sling is 4.
 "1Z°v£"RY11-fi~<:, 11-fAI f-fA'??£~, f-fA?t>£~ CU2. j ~AY,
0
I 1-1AK£ lf-f£ ~u~ 'Ri~£ A~D FAL..L.. £v£"RY ~i~GL..£ DAY
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1
~oG0, L.E.1 ~ i'V1 1Hi~ [Link] 10 ~Ol-'IE.
V~E.. What we have in this chapter are two struc- When it comes to location, you don't have to fret
tured scenarios that you can either use out of the over every little detail. If you don't know South Cen-
box or just use for inspiration. At the end of this track tral from South Bend, that's fine. All cities are gen-
are some scenario hooks that you can use to build erally the same, at least as far as this game is con-
campaigns around or throw into existing campaigns. cerned. Almost every major city has night clubs,
A lot can be done in the world of Wyrd is Bond and street racing, run-down projects, famed ethnic neigh-
on any level you see fit. The gap in the cosmology borhoods, airports, an art and theatre district, and
presented in this book should be construed as plenty of abandoned buildings, pitch-black parking
"hooks" and not "holes." At its heart, this game is lots, and smoke-filled back rooms. Coastal cities also
about modern wizards who are awakening to a crazy have docks and US Customs offices. There's no
and amazing world around them. Granted, a lot of place quite like a marina at three in the morning for
them have chosen to pursue less than noble paths the Feds to show up, flashlights shining and voices
with their power, but some have. Hopefully, you will booming through megaphones. These are common
watch the drama unfold as the players embrace both urban tropes that you should feel free to use and
the noble and the desperate halves of the Wyrd and abuse as you see fit.
their world .
The Names in the following scenarios have no stats.
This game scales well, dramatically speaking, and This is so you may decide the power level and Re-
you can base an entire game on two people hiding lationships of each. The Grunts in each scenario
from someone they screwed over in a drug deal or should give you a better idea of how to use those
have multiple members from different gangs com- "adjective bonuses." Each Grunt has a basic noun
ing together for a street war over a tenement build- (thug, soldier, etc) but they get bonuses for each
ing. Just remember to use the tools that we dis- important descriptor you can give them.
cussed in the last track (at least, the ones you like)
and you should be fine. I hope, in the end, you are inspired to shape the
world of Wyrd is Bond into a world that you and your
As the GM, it will be your job to set the initial stage players enjoy. Do not be tied to some trumped-up
of a game. The "stage" isn't necessarily the loca- "canonical setting" or think you can't budge without
tions of the game, though physical places are usu- a supplement to guide you. This book is a tool kit for
ally part of it, but also the dramatic stage. Will the your use. Make something really compelling with it.
story focus on the drugs and weapons trades? The Use the tools we covered in the previous chapter.
search for a mystical artifact? Will strangeness come Yell "Cut" at the end of scenes and "swing the cam-
~ out of nowhere, or will the day be pretty mundane?
era" to someone else in the middle of a scene. Have
Players will swing this toward their preferences by fun with this game and the scenarios included. Now,
influencing play with their (in-game and out-of-game) let's get to work.
decisions, but you will set the starting point.
'('AL.I.. K~G..l\J 1Hi~ l\JA~ ~oMG.. SUL.L.~Hi1 The questions asked center around the murder of
F'~oM THG.. l\Jo@ "c.70 .. Snatched up by 5-0,
11 someone named Marcellus Jefferson, known by the
right outta yer beds in the morning, and thrown into street name of Sticks. Sticks was a slinger associ-
a holding cell with cats ya barely know: different sets, ated with the Crows, although an outside player at
even. When the interrogations started, after they'd best. Somebody took him out in a drive-by, and it
let ya stew a while, the whole thing was pretty clear. appears that Corrado has decided that the player-
Somebody got done, somebody got none, and 5-0 characters are going to take the fall.
was fishing for somebody to get gone.
~~AMPL.G.. QUG..~1io~~:
Another Body Murdered is an introductory adven- "What was your beef with Sticks?" Keep in mind
ture for Wyrd is Bond. It has been designed so that that Corrado isn't really interested in an answer-
characters from various backgrounds can be orga- he knows that the PCs didn't know Sticks. He'll try
nized together as a playing group, regardless of their to twist anything the PCs say to suit his interroga-
character backgrounds. tion.

The adventure begins with the characters having all "Who gave the order to take out Sticks?" Corrado
been arrested by the police and thrown into a com- already knows the answer to this one, too. If the
mon holding cell. This gives the players the oppor- PCs try to get cute and sell somebody out by finger-
tunity to introduce their characters to each other. Play ing them for the crime, Corrado will flat-out lie, say-
out interactions between the characters, as individu- ing that the sell-out was already in custody at the
als are removed from the cell one by one for interro- time of the murder. His questions afterward will fo-
gation. Any escape attempts should be discouraged; cus on the PCs' lie.
remind the players that they are in the middle of a
police station, and even the Wyrd won't do them "What's your connection with the 0-Men?" Corrado
much good against a building full of armed men, all is just using this angle to put the connection in the
eager to put down a "rampaging escaping gangster" PCs' minds. (If the PCs are connected to the D-Men,
if given the opportunity. then he'll name another gang. The idea here is to
get them suspicious.)
One by one, the characters will be taken to interro-
gation, where Detective Sergeant Joseph Corrado Play out the questioning of each PC. They should
will interview them. begin to notice a few odd things. First, Corrado
doesn't really appear to be interested in their an-
~o~E.t>f-f Co~ADo, f'IOS.S.E.1>-ut> Cot> swers. Second, and perhaps most telling, despite
Like many true players, Joe Corrado answers to a the presence of a recording device, he's not record-
higher authority. Due to the intricacies of his past, ing the interview. Lastly, there is no other officer
Corrado is in the pocket of Paul Pentangeli, a high- present. Both this and the recording would be stan-
powered Mafioso Saint known on the street as dard procedure for a homicide, especially where
"Paulie Five-Angels." gangs are involved.

m~: Joseph Corrado is a Name. When they're not being interrogated, the PCs are
kept in a single holding cell, large enough for every-
Stat him to your liking.
one. If they represent different sets, there is the pos-
sibility of conflict between the PCs-which is fine '
#HE. i~rE.~[Link]
as it makes for an exciting game. The cops will come
Corrado will interrogate each character in turn.
in and close down any fight if it gets out of hand,
Based on how he conducts the interview, it should
however. The offenders will be cuffed and leg-shack-
become evident to the player-characters that he's
led, but left in the cage with everyone else (which is
not really looking for answers. His questions are
another indication that things aren't quite kosher).
rushed, he appears to be barely listening to re-
sponses, and his demeanor is that of a person who
After letting the PCs sweat in holding for the better
has made up his mind.
i1
 =..,....- part of a day, Corrado announces that they're not have any gats, but they do have the Wyrd, so things
going to be charged. The PCs are free to go. will most likely end up going in their favor. If two out
of the four attackers are wounded or otherwise be-
tVHAf 1HE. f-f E.L..L.. i~ <.:Joi~<:} o~ 1 come casualties, the others will break off the attack
OK, here's the rub: Corrado, the mobbed-up cop, and try to get away in the Bronco. They'll most likely
whacked Sticks himself on the orders of Paulie Five- go to the Crows for backup.
Angels. Five-Angels wants to start a full-blown gang
war to keep the slingers from getting more power- °YE.E.t> #Hi~
ful. He figures that if he can keep them focused on The player characters should now realize somebody
smokin' each other, they'll be less of an interference spread the word that they got picked up for Sticks's
to his plans. murder. Tales are spreading ghetto-quick that they're
the ones who did it. That's not good, because sooner
What are his plans? Only one person knows, and or later, somebody is going to get lucky and the PCs
that's the man himself... and he's not telling. The GM will get dead.
should feel free to come up with something particu-
larly nefarious, especially if you want to use Five- The PCs have a few choices at this point. They can
Angels as a recurring villain. try to lay low until the whole thing blows over. This is
probably a risky proposition, as any of Sticks's set
S~E.E.1 ~[Link]"1 A~D [Link],Jf who survived will be actively gunning for them-and
Moments after they are released, the PCs should if they wiped out Sticks's set, the Crows are likely to
have a chance to notice that they are being followed. get involved as well. They can also go to the Crows
A Bronco with chromed-out wheels and tinted win- to plead their innocence. Finally, they can go to one
dows is overtly trailing them, driving slowly along of the other gangs for protection, or they can try to
the curb. This has all the telltale signs of a pending suss out who actually whacked Sticks and why.
drive-by.
The direction of the adventure from this point is en-
The Bronco belongs to the members of Sticks' set: tirely dependent upon what the players decide to
Rev, Banez, J Brain, and Rodney. Sticks' set are do. The GM should try to roll with it as best as pos-
normal bangers-none of them have the Wyrd. How- sible, using the following suggestions as a guide-
ever, they do have plenty of guns, and given that line.
the PCs are unarmed {the police confiscated any
weapons that they normally would carry), that's [Link]~' {.P~
problem enough. If the player characters decide to hide out, they're
pretty much just asking for trouble. Hiding is only
m7S: Banez, J Brain, and Rodney are just going to reinforce the belief that they were respon-
thugs, so you only roll two dice for them. Rev, sible for the murder.
though, is a "badass thug" so he gets a +1 to all
his dice. Blood has been spilled, and issues of blood don't
just "blow over"-especially on the street. Sticks's
• ===-- Any attempt by the PCs to split up, or lose the Bronco homies are going to want payback, and most likely
·- -- in any way, will force the action. Not a drive-by,
though; the occupants have seen that the PCs don't
have any weapons. Rev stops the Bronco and ev-
his affiliation with the Crows will make them get in-
volved as well. That doesn't bode well for the char-
acters' life expectancy.
erybody piles out, armed to the teeth. The PCs will
hear Rev say: The PCs can try to rely on their friends and contacts
to cover for them, but sooner or later they're just
"Those are the muthafuckas that did Sticks. Smoke going to be too hot to risk helping. Even if the play-
ers are affiliated with the Crows themselves, the gang
will eventually write them off and issue the order, at
which point every Crow in town will be out for their
blood.
~ E.t>1ii:E.~E.~1!
The player-characters can go directly to the Crows,
the gang that Sticks was affiliated with, and try to
£s;>~ ~[Link].~:
to be desperate to approach Los Reyes, since the
-
The player-characters would have-

gang is notoriously hostile to outsiders. The Kings

..._
·

convince them of their innocence. The PCs should will be extremely suspicious of the PCs, as is their
remember that the Crows are empiricists and mate- nature. However, if the player-characters tell them
rialists. They believe in what they can see, hear, of a 9rooked cop possibly framing them, the Latinos
smell, taste and touch. Without direct material evi- will be much more interested in listening. Corrado's
dence of the set-up, the player-characters will have apparent corruption plays well to Los Reyes opin-
a difficult time convincing the gang to believe them. ions regarding /a policia, and will be all they need to
hear to have sympathy for the PCs. They will be
However, with the proper tribute presented to them willing to try to help the PCs prove that the cop set
(cash, goods, etc.), the Crows will be willing to lis- them up, and will protect them from the other gangs
ten, and might even be eventually willing to chuck a while they do so.
Check Yo' Self or similar Wyrd to try to determine
the PCs' guilt or innocence of the. /HE. f-fv~c:i~ QHo~r~: This gang doesn't care
about what happened to Sticks, nor do they care
Once the PCs have been certified, the Crows will about what is happening to the player-characters.
become very interested in finding out who killed They will refuse to help, and will emphatically sug-
Sticks, and why Corrado seemed to be so keen on gest that the player-characters leave their territory.
fingering the player characters for the crime. This Refusal to do so would be ... a mistake.
will most likely lead to an eventual confrontation with
Corrado, and possibly with Paulie Five-Angels him- /HE. D~E.A"D: Another desperate move on the part
self. of the player-characters, as nobody enters into the
territory of Baron Samedhi if they can help it at all.
'Y~o1E.c1 YA ~[Link] Those that do seldom return. The Dread will listen,
The player-characters can go to any one of the other though-they get their juice from imparting wisdom
major gangs and look to them for protection against to the worthy, after all , and if the PCs are not worthy,
the wrath of Sticks's set and the Crows, but the re- then the Dread can always use more zombies. When
sults of this will largely depend on what gang they the PCs tell their story, they will be brought deep
approach. The story of their supposed involvement into Dread territory to a Caribbean dancehall called
with the murder has traveled far and wide, and each Maman's. There, they will be brought to the Baron
gang will react differently to the hottest slingers in himself. He can't stand the Crows, which is why he's
the hood showing up on their doorstep. willing to protect the player-characters. Even more
intriguing to him is the involvement of Corrado, whom
/HE. '3XSrA~~= These folks are the most likely to he knows to be in Five-Angels's employ. The Baron
give the player-characters a break, hear them out views Five-Angels as a direct rival and wants to know
and believe them. They know that something's up what he's up to. He will charge the players with find-
with the cops and Paulie Five-Angels, and it's not ing out what happened to Sticks, and give them his
hard for them to see his hands in this. They will be protection while they do so.
willing to protect the PCs, and to broker peace be-
tween the PCs and the other gangs out for them. /HE. '[Link]> QvE.E.~~= Big mistake. The player-
characters will end up as lunch unless they figure
/HE. 1)-f1E.~: Bad news. The D-Men not only out that Ava, a Queen, happens to be Marcellus' sis-
won't help, but th ey already know the truth and they ter. Ava is young and new to her gang, so she isn't
don't give a shit. These infernals know what Paulie likely to bring it up even though Marcellus was one
Five-Angels is up to (whatever that is), they know of the only men she could trust. But if the player-
about Corrado being crooked (they are quite happy characters say something first, this new information
with the gradual decline of his soul), and a few D- may prompt a high-ranking Queen or two to call in
Men even witnessed the crime . They will take great some favors.
pleasure in carving the PCs to ribbons and deliver-
ing what's left to the Crows in return for the other qoon {.QoKi~, Our
gang 's gratitude. The player-characters can try to solve Sticks's mur-
der either on their own or with the help of one of the
 ~i!!--- gangs they approached. This can be accomplished found in the autopsy, or obtained through interview-
either the old-fashioned way (hitting the streets, look- ing one of his friends-"They shot him with his own
ing for witnesses, trying get the autopsy report, etc.), piece, man. That's cold." This is another piece of
or via the Wyrd, or a combination of the two. the puzzle pointing to police involvement-Sticks
would have had to turn his gun over to someone,
The initial clue that the PCs will be able to find- and a cop would definitely fit the bill.
which they can get from the autopsy report, looking
at the body, or talking to Sticks's set or family-is Sooner or later, the road will lead the player-charac-
that Sticks had bullet wounds across his chest, and, ters back to Corrado. Once they've figured out that
most importantly, under his arms. This is an indica- he was the one who smoked Sticks, the question
tion that when he was shot, his hands were up-like will become why he did it, which will lead to his con-
they would be if a cop had confronted him. nection to Paulie Five-Angels. This can form an on-
going story arc for several more adventures as the
The second clue will be the realization that Sticks involvement of the Mafia is gradually discovered.
was shot with his own gun. This information can be

Newark is a prime example of Ghetto America. In Rwanda, fleeing the region's recent hardships. Rosa,
the earliest part of the last century, Newark was a his wife, is an avid practitioner of Santeria and used
rich and vibrant city. It provided an easy gateway to to own a simple botanica in the same building. She
New York by way of several ferries and boasted sev- renovated when she met her barber husband. For a
eral features of its own. Newark was highly industri- few extra dollars, Rosa can be convinced to weave
alized, replete with a brewery and several factories good fortune and other subtle slings into her patron's
all around town. hairstyles. Thus, the building is a popular hangout
for local slingers, with haircuts and conversation out
However, never having recovered from the race ri- front and slings, potions, and talismans in the back.
ots of the sixties and seventies, Newark slid into dis-
repair and neglect. Despite-or some say because When the characters walk in, they might notice
of-its administration's best intentions, Newark is rife something is awry. A few talismans might go off by
with poverty, drugs, and crime. In the mid-nineties, themselves, and some of the potions lying about start
the Rutgers and the New Jersey University system to bubble ominously. As they investigate, a thump-
began an initiative to gentrify the city, which has since ing bass groove slowly crescendos from outside. It's
met with limited results. However, Newark and the hardly an unusual occurrence, but the noise just
surrounding areas can probably attribute the major- keeps getting louder with no end in sight. It keeps
. r 1
ity of their fame to the musical acts that originated coming and keeps getting louder, when suddenly,
~~-----: there. In the early and mid-nineties, Newark, the front window of the store cracks.
·~-- Irvington, and West Orange were producing acts like
The Fugees, Lords of the Underground, Artifacts, The characters may want to throw a sling to prevent
~:;;;...,,,_.... and Redman. This led to a sort of revolution in themselves from skipping a beat due to the immense
Newark's artistic community, and today a vibrant hip- audio onslaught coming from outside. Any who fail
hop scene pulses under the squalid exterior of the are incapacitated, clutching their ears in pain. Those
city. Knowingly referenced by dozens of rappers as who succeed will be able to see and act, but hear
"Brick City" or "The Bricks," Newark is a powerful nothing except the thunderous music.
focus point in hip-hop.
Out on the street, the characters see a sobering
scene playing out before them. A tall man with long
dreadlocks runs down the street, a car chasing him.
The car has no driver, and may belong to the fleeing
man.

The ear-shattering music emanates from the car,

which drives erratically and with apparent murder-
i t,
ous intent. The vehicle's target, the tall man, is still Eyedollar Tray. The characters have all heard of a- !(
waving his keys in the air. It doesn't take too much Crow who calls himself Eyedollar Tray, a big-money a1l!ll&i
effort to figure out that he was the car's driver, but thug out of Down Neck, Newark. Eyedollar is a loud, __,
even if the characters rescue him, any attempt to mean motherfucker who's not known for his brains.
communicate with him is impossible due to the noise In comparison, R.E. Shah is a relative unknown, a
and his own panic. DJ from somewhere out of town without a huge
amount of clout or reputation.
The car will continue to attack the tall man until it
kills him or the characters attack it, in which case it S1A7S: Takhir Calhoun is a Name.
will turn its murderous attentions to the next avail- Stat him to your liking.
able target: the slingers, most likely. Destroying the
car won't be easy. It's a late model Lincoln Towncar, As the characters are speaking with Calhoun, he
tricked out with fabulous leather interior and expen- receives a phone call from a secretary at GrimWar.
sive rims. As long as the vehicle still has an engine Apparently, the CEO and two other execs listened
and can roll its wheels, it will continue to attack- to the same record, with similar results.
even on flat tires or while burning, making it espe-
cially dangerous. Calhoun will offer cash and other incentives to the
characters in exchange for their help in this matter.
There's an easier method of stopping the car's ram- He could seriously use some slingers right now and
page: should a slinger manage to get into the ve- will pay dearly for their insight. If the curse can be
hicle and press eject on the CD player or otherwise reversed before the time is up, GrimWar would be
incapacitate the stereo, the car will instantly revert endlessly indebted to the characters. Should they
to normal. refuse or fail, the whole country could be overrun
with rampaging vehicles turning against their own-
STA"'TS: The Lincoln Towncar is a ers. It's too late to recall the CDs. Even if they did,
"crazed, enchanted thug" so any dice the track has no doubt found its way into people's
you roll for it at a + 2. hands by now. And lord only knows what damage it
could do should it cross the Internet as an MP3 ...
lAL..K T~c:; cVT1f-f lAK HT~ CAL..f-foV~
Should the tall man have survived the incident, he A~t> ff-fA ~[Link] ~t>T~ot>E. ...
will introduce himself as Takhir Calhoun, a major Characters with ties to the police or media will soon
exec with Grim War records. If the characters man- learn further details on the deaths of the two GrimWar
aged to pacify the car while leaving it somewhat in- execs, Mike "ThugOne" Goldfarb and Devin "King-
tact, Calhoun will offer it to them in thanks for saving pin" James. The vehicles that killed them, a Cadillac
his life. Any characters with an ear to the ground in Escalade and a souped-up Honda Civic respectively,
the Hip Hop community would have heard of also belonged to them. Both had just received early
Calhoun, a fairly serious heavy hitter in the busi- releases of Who Ride's new album "Arise and Walk."
ness. A quick background check will reveal that Goldfarb
is a local, while James hailed from the slightly more
Questioning Calhoun reveals that the CD in the ste- affluent area of South Orange, New Jersey. Neither
reo is the demo of the newest act from Grim War, a of them had any slinging in their background. As for
two-man outfit called Who Ride. The album is being the cars, after menacing the local area for a while,
sh ipped as the characters speak and is set to arrive both vehicles disappeared, driverless.
in record stores all over the country in less than a
week. Apparently, the CD played normally up until Eyedollar Tray remains in his brand new mansion in
the ninth track, "Arise and Walk," at which point the West Orange, recently purchased with the advance
car started going insane. Calhoun managed to get from GrimWar. Further investigation will reveal that
out of the car before the doors locked, after which it R.E. Shah is still living in the Brazilian section of
started chasing him. Not being a slinger himself, Newark, where he always has.
Calhoun suspects foul play but is unsure exactly who
is using what magic. f~ SE.A~Cf-f of" ~YE.t>oL..L..A~ ~AY
Driving up to Eyedollar's mansion reveals an enor-
A little digging reveals that Who Ride is a two-man mous estate, brimming with top-of-the-line security.
outfit consisting consists of MCs R.E. Shah and, Eyedollar's paranoia is evident even from the out-
 ==~s~1'r~e~. e as a ten-foot wa , security guards (all Eyedo at explains e Who Ride was GrimWar's
i=::!J«--- lesser members of the Crows) and dogs patrolling idea, that he and R.E. Shah both approached the
at all times. Fighting through the security would be label separately. Shah, one of the 3XStars, never
futile and likely result in death. This is pretty evident flowed with Eyedollar's big money bling-bling phi-
just by looking at the place. losophy. In conversation, Eyedollar makes it pretty
clear that he's a half-assed slinger, never interested
If the characters try to sneak in: in magic beyond its ability to get him laid. He doesn't
It can be done, if they have a plan that will get them seem to understand some of the higher concepts
over the fence and past the dogs. An invisibility sling and, despite the fact that he's got top of the line tal-
of some sort would be very useful here, although ismans and wards everywhere, he isn't quite sure
the house itself is heavily warded. Security will know how to use most of it. He wants protection, and he
the location of the invasion and respond immedi- wants it bad.
ately.
The bulk of Eyedollar's account lays the blame at
If the characters try to talk their way in: R.E. Shah's feet, even though he doesn't seem to
Obviously, Eyedollar is in no mood to speak with know what he's accusing the 'Star of. He'll grow in-
anyone. He can be persuaded to allow visitors to creasingly fidgety and nasty as time goes on, and
enter if they can prove they are not police, or are his answers make less and less sense.
somehow involved with the Crows. He is also open
to hearing from his label, although he will remain If the characters bring up the "Arise and Walk" track
much more guarded. or anything about it, he immediately concludes the
discussion and has them escorted off his property.
Observant characters will notice that cars and mo- Eyedollar will not leave his booth for anything.
torcycles are nowhere near his estate. Even his
friends are all parked blocks away. As the characters leave, he verbally dresses down
one of his head lieutenants for buying a state-of-
'E:°YE.'DoL..L..A~ 1iAY the-art sound system for the house. The lieutenant
Eyedollar Tray, born Trace Woodrow in Brooklyn, looks baffled as Eyedollar screams about never
New York, was never a very good rapper. However, wanting to see another speaker for as long as he
he was able to adopt the swagger and lifestyle re- lives.
quired of one, so it was just a matter of time before
the appropriate sycophants and hangers-on noticed ~1$: The Security Guard is a "trained soldier''
him. These people are scattered around the place so he's at a +1". The Lieutenant is a "trained,
like cultists, doing drugs and lying about. The guards loyal soldier'' so he's at a +2.
lead the characters to a small studio in the base-
ment, where Eyedollar sits behind bulletproof glass ~1$: Eyedollar Tray is a Name.
in the sound booth. The studio is visibly lacking any Stat him to your liking.
~~=- actual playback equipment. He wheels around and

~..,_.-
aims a pistol etched with runes at the door the in- rT~l>i~G ~.'E:". Sf-fAf-f
stant anyone enters. He's dressed to the nines in R.E. Shah, born Tyrell Whittaker in Camden, New
;;;;;;;;~,...... the latest fashions, dripping with ice and gold, but Jersey, moved to Down Neck when he was five and
·- - - looks tired and haggard. He's sweating and visibly stayed here all his life. He lives in a modest home
jumpy. Anyone with an eye for such things will no- on the second floor of a walk up above a bodega. A
tice Eyedollar is sitting in the center of a protection little snooping will reveal that he invested most of
circle and is reluctant to even move for fear of break- his advance money, but spent some buying his mom
ing it. a condo in Seaside Heights and indulging in a new
Hummer, which is amusingly enough up on blocks
He's scared, and because of this, he's more boast- in front of his spot.

I
M~~lful and nasty than usual. He'll openly insult th_e char-
acters, and be as standoffish as possible with his As the characters approach, they will hear a shot
mm• answers. However, he's afraid of something and it coming from his apartment. Investigation will reveal
seems the characters might provide a way out of that Shah is in combat with Two D-Men, one of whom
~:;;~i:..i his predicament. He complies with their queries as he has already taken out.
...........,~"IC'r long as he doesn't feel threatened.
 ' ...•..,
-
If the characters help RE. , it will go very quickly in Loa. They had no idea why.
his favor and the last D-Man will flee the scene. RE.
is appreciative, but obviously much more upset. The ~"TS: These 0-Men are just Grunts.
D-Men have already killed a close personal friend
of his, DJ Loa. Apparently Loa produced almost all
of the beats on the Who Ride album, save one: track So*"IE. S«![Link]!~ Q01 A~~~E.«!~ ...•
nine. Shah knows nothing of who created that one, At this point the characters may wish to go back to
save that it was "one of Eyedollar's boys." Takhir Calhoun. He lives in a nice apartment in Man-
hattan right on the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel.
After the incident that killed ThugOne and Kingpin, It's a short ride to find him, and he agrees to meet
RE. Shah started doing some poking around of his the characters at a bar near Herald Square.
own . It wasn't long until the D-Men tried to stop him.
He has learned, however, a few things. He concedes Takhir Calhoun is looking a little more shaken than
that Eyedollar's story was true; they met in the cre- he was before, and he's a little tired from walking
ation of Who Ride and obviously didn't get along. everywhere he goes. However, he has some valu-
There was a very basic clash of personal philoso- able information.
phy and ideas that led to a lot of difficulty on the
album , making it seem very strange that Eyedollar Apparently, Eyedollar came to GrimWar by way of
agreed-in fact, insisted-that they use DJ Lea's an exceedingly well-connected producer calling him-
beats on the whole album. He senses that this has self "DJ Ice Ace L." Ice Ace has no paperwork, no
something to do with Lea's untimely death and was history, not even a real name. Obviously, it doesn't
on his way to see the rapper about it. take a lot of work to figure out what Ice Ace L (Azazel)
means, or where he came from.
If the characters manage to capture the D-Men, in-
terrogation reveals very little save that the D-Men's
masters ordered them to kill both RE. Shah and DJ
 ~--~····-----fifl41ji11R'=

oop o es. e nature of the contract puts fame and TF 1H~fucrE.~~ c:}o 10 ~Y'[Link].L.A~ 1 ~
fortune against the rapper's own soul. DJ Ice Ace L '?[Link].:
was providing Eyedollar Tray with beats, beats that Since Eyedollar's money has run out, so has all his
were certain to make him a star. But at the last security. The estate is strangely quiet and empty.
minute, Eyedollar switched out the tracks, leaving Eyedollar is still in his booth, and without his people
DJ Loa's beats on all of the tracks but one. Azazel is to feed and bathe him, now much dirtier, hungrier
pissed. and more desperate than ever. His only remaining
protection-beyond the wards-is a gargoyle that
According to the provisions of the contract, says will attack anything that comes into the basement
Takhir, switching the beats has broken the contract. studio.
If the rapper should leave his protection circle, the
demon will get what he wants and the track will re- ~1S: The Gargoyle is a "strong, determined
vert to normal, no longer cursed. servant" so any rolls made for it are at a +2.

'BACK 1o 1HE. ~o~1 1iACK Should any of the more observant characters real-
As the characters (with or without R.E. Shah) their ize the stereo is still there, they can simply place the
way to speak with either the people at GrimWar or cursed track on the house stereo and press play.
Eyedollar's' estate, they wind up at a stoplight where Azazel will be able to carry through the speakers in
the local hip-hop radio station blares from another the basement and suck Eyedollar out of his circle of
car. They hear the DJ cut in as the track fades out. protection. Any characters watching will get to see a
gruesome sight as the demonic claws rear.h from
"Yeah yo yeah yo, that was the new track from the speakers and grab the unwilling rapper, yanking
Golden Dawne. Oat a fine-assed shorty if ever there him through the wires and leaving only the stench
was one, son! Hey ya, stay where you at because in of brimstone.
the next hour we have a sneak preview of GrimWar's
newest act, Who Ride, with the title track "Arise and The characters may want explore both options split-
Walk!" ting up to stop the DJ as well as go to Eyedollar's
place to break the curse. Unless there is an over-
"Show me somefin'!" whelming reason why the PCs cannot do this, it is
recommended to let them try.
"I got you, man!"
c0HA1 ~ QOi~<:l 0~ :
1

"Yuh!" GrimWar thought it could get two headlining acts for

the price of one, and wound up paying dearly for it.
Obviously, this complicates things significantly. Call-
ing the radio station on the phone is no use; they MC R.E. Shah, a hardworking local artist, came up
are always flooded with requests. the old fashioned way: he worked hard for his suc-
cess. He played every underground show he could
If the characters go to the radio station: There find, engaged in every rap battle he could and slowly
are two more D-Men-the ones who just dropped built up a following . He rapped what he knew, the
off the Who Ride track-waiting for them when they violence of the street and the joys of his culture. He
get there. This is a sticky situation, as this is in up- was forced to do some unpleasant things to get by,
town Manhattan, and cops are significantly quicker but tried to stay on the right side of what was good
to react (and far less forgiving of minorities here) and just and finally got a big break.
than in Harlem or the Bronx.
In contrast, MC Eyedollar Tray did what he could to
~1S: These 0-Men are just thugs. surround himself with as many sycophants as he
could find. He spent the money they raised to cut
Once they get inside, it's a simple matter of finding his demo on a new wardrobe instead, and, realizing
the studio and stopping the DJ. He's an old school he wasn't getting anywhere, turned to drugs and de-
cat from the hood and knows what time it is. He'll be pression. It was just a matter of time before the D-
more than reasonable in dealing with the slingers, Men stepped in.
and this could be a forum to buy them some valu-
able time.
A producer calling himself DJ Ice Ace L started mak- has decided to use the track to make his rage known
ing beats for Tray. Never mind that they were largely to the entire world. Should he get what he wants-
rehashed and modified old songs, the beats were and somehow manages to get Eyedollar out of his
catchy and Tray started to get noticed. Like a junkie circle of protection-the curse will be lifted.
returning for his next fix, he always came crawling
back to the DJ for more beats to cover his weak °lZ?iL..oc;JVE.
rhymes, like drowning a tasteless sandwich in If the characters are successful the cursed track
ketchup to make it palatable. When Tray was at his plays normally, albeit a little loud for some tastes.
lowest point, Ice Ace offered him a deal: he would
make the beats for his album, in exchange for his R.E. Shah enjoys a solid career. Although he doesn't
soul. do the big money rhymes that are required for seri-
ous airplay, he is a smashing underground success.
His salvation came in the form of R.E. Shah and DJ Having also worked with a rapper who died is al-
Loa. He waited until the last minute and switched ways good for one's career. The "cursed" Who Ride
the beats, using Lea's instead of Ice Ace L's. It track becomes an urban legend, significantly boost-
worked, except Takhir Calhoun decided he liked Ice ing sales even outside of the hip-hop demographic.
Ace L's beat better for track nine and switched them
back. Months, even years after Eyedollar's "disappear-
ance,'' his hangers-on still manage to dig up new
Since Eyedollar technically didn't use the D-Men's material to release under his name-far too much
beats on his album, he's somewhat safe from them new material for a rapper who should really be
as long as he doesn't leave his circle of protection dead ...
in his sound booth. This infuriates the demon, who

What follows are concept seeds: hooks for Game cause chaos in the community by openly attacking
Masters to flesh out and customize for use in their police. They hope to bring down the wrath of the
own campaigns. A Wyrd is Bond GM should be like cops and flood the 'hood with carloads of trigger-
a talented freestyle rapper, able to spit rhymes with happy officers, providing a recipe for a citywide race
only a beat to back him, and at a moment's notice. riot. Can the PCs diffuse the situation, or will they sit
Take the core idea and run with it. See where it back and try to get theirs when the fires start?
goes, how the players react, and then spin off their
reactions, improvising the direction of the tale. It qE.1 VY, qE.1 'DoG0~: Some slinger called
sounds daunting, yes ... but it's actually easier than something up that he couldn't put down again. The
it sounds, and a lot of fun besides. PCs are trying to get rid of it before it does some
real damage, and all the while the D-Men are look-
AL..G0AY~ 'SE.E.~ [Link]~: A golem, a crea- ing for it as well. If they get their hands on the entity,
ture of living clay, created by a rabbi to defend the they'll make sure it stays- a bad deal for every-
neighborhood against anti-Semites back in the body.
1930s when the 'hood was largely Jewish, awakens
in the modern day. It sees that the ghetto is now C~ACK f-fov~E.: Constant despair and suffering
filled with other minorities, follows his original pro- occurring within its walls have brought an abandoned
gramming and tries to defend the neighborhood building to life. It feeds on those stupid enough to
against the "outsiders" who have taken it over. The enter through its broken windows and sagging door-
golem was brought to life by carving the Hebrew ways. Most folks on the block know to stay away
word EMETH ("truth") on its forehead, and can be from it, but it has gotten crafty and now luring chil-
destroyed by erasing the first E, causing it to read dren into its dark hallways, never to return. It's not a
METH ("death"). haunted house. Haunting means ghosts, and ghosts
used to be human. This thing was never human.
rucK lHA °t>oL..icE.: The D-Men are out to
 F'i<=Jt-tf fHA YoG0E.~: Somebody figured out that #HE. IHv<=J f~ [Link], £.9~<=> {lvE. 1HE.
the intersection of the five streets was a site heavy IHv<=J: Two top rappers have been killed, one East
with the power of the Wyrd. Since then, everybody Coast and the other West Coast. All of the signs
has been fighting over possession of it: straight-up point to the murder of one being payback for the
gang war, with slingers on the front lines. The gang murder of the other. An inter-coastal war is breaking
that ends up in control of the intersection will be the out, fueled by dis tracks and the mainstream media .
true power in the city... so do you think the Man is What most folks don't realize is that this war is actu-
gonna let that happen? ally being fought on the mythic and magical fronts.
The stakes are the archetypal governance of
ME.E.1 You Af ft-tE. C~o~~~oA"D~: Stories of America, the domination of its culture and civiliza-
selling your soul to the Devil at the crossroads have tion behind the scenes. Past holders of this office in
been around since before Robert Johnson got his America and elsewhere have included JFK, Queen
blues licks back in the day. An old friend, who is now Victoria, Napoleon and back to Charlemagne and
a major up-and-coming rapper, approaches the PCs. King Arthur. The two lead-
He tells them that he sold his soul at the crossroads ing candidates, one from
in return for his talent, and tonight is the night that the East, one from the
the Devil is coming to collect. Can the PCs help their West, now lie dead .
Who shall take the
homeboy, and is it really possible to keep the Ser-
pent King from what he's owed? crown?

M~[Link]: c0A~ ft-tE. CA~E.: The PCs are

given an offer that they cannot refuse from
The Old Man, who wants them to murder a
local preacher in his church. The Old Man
doesn't tell the PCs, but the reason he wants
this done is to desecrate the church so that
he can enter and free another of his kind
(whom he refers to as the Queen). She has been
sealed in a vault beneath the basement ever since
the church was a Spanish mission in the 18th cen-
tury.

A~<=JE.L.. Dv~r: A designer-drug chemist devel-

ops Angel, a drug that greatly increases one's Wyrd.
Soon, every gang is beating a path to his door to
make a deal or to find out the secret. The PCs are
~~~ to represent their gang. They have to deal with
the chemist as well as the other gangs, who are
~'-s=;,,.._- willing to kill for the secret. The chemist is a slinger
,_..-..-- who summoned an honest-to-god angel, and now
has it trapped in his warehouse. The drug is dis-
tilled from the angel's blood. When the PCs fig-
ure this out, they can either try to secure the
angel for their gang or perhaps let the angel
free, gaining a valuable ally.

'10
fr'~ s.E.E.~ n-t~E.E. Y'E.A~~ since I wrote and published Little Fears - the roleplaying game of
childhood terror. And what an amazing trip it's been. I have had amazing ups that included making some
wonderful friends and acquaintances in and around the gaming industry. The people I've met have really
helped change my life. There's a lot of love in the game industry, and they have shown me that. Of course,
to balance the highs, I have had some pretty severe lows as well. But here I am, back again.

Wyrd is Bond, not-so-surprisingly, grew from a pun. My brother and I invent our own slang all the time and,
one day, I instant-messaged him with one word: Wyrd. From that sprang "Wyrd up," "Wyrd to ya mutha,"
and "Wyrd is bond." I almost immediately started hashing out an idea. I really just had the basic notion of
"magical gang bangers" and the culture that would spring from that. I mentioned this to my brother and we
started riffing on the idea. It was a brilliant marriage, really. Both are highly misunderstood by the general
public, both deal in dark trade (drugs, demon summoning, etc), and urban fantasy is something of a
passion of mine so I was really psyched about it. I love the modern world, even with all its faults, and using
it as the landscape for some pretty common fantasy tropes really appeals to me.

I knew I had to do something with this idea.

Now, a year later, Wyrd is Bond is done and I'm just about to put this to rest.

This game presents, basically, one thing: the slinger. Almost everything else I've left up to you. I hope you
latch onto that and see it as a challenge and not a turn-off. I hope I've inspired you with this work. The
system requires a lot of brain-work on everyone's part and that's supposed to be a feature, not a bug. Like
my previous game, the mechanics are simple but they fit my design goal. The three-dice mechanic (or 30
Engine, as I called it in development) represents the chaotic force of the Wyrd. It is a harsh and wild
energy that must be tamed. Left on its own, it will work in seemingly random patterns. That is what I
wanted the mechanics to represent.

I have simple ideas and complex ideas. The former are best served by simplicity, and the latter best
served by complexity. Tacking a big bulky system on a game like Wyrd is Bond just makes no sense.
Besides, I wanted it to flow smoothly and I want the players to have a direct influence on what is to happen.
I like the manic nature of this system and how it plays at the table. People started to really fret over which
die to put in Order and Power, and how best to use Payback, and how they could get extra dice. It was a
blast.

And now, it's time to let Wyrd is Bond out into the world.

On a personal note, last year I became a father to a wonderful little girl, and I dedicate this work to her.

Key 20 was burnt to ash and reborn stronger and better than ever. There was a time I wasn't sure if I would
ever attend another convention much less release another book, and it feels really good to be literally
hours away from completion. So I also dedicate this work to all those who helped me, financially and
spiritually, to get back on my feet and get back to doing what I love.

This work is also dedicated to my wife, whom I love more than anything else in the world.
..

--02.25.04--

'I I
 3XStars ... 32, 70 Enemies ... 52, 58
9Circles ... 13 ENOK ... 22, 33, 42
After Effects ... 13 Fashion ... 14
Alley Star... 72 Federal Agents ... 67
Allies ... 52, 58 Feedback ... 69
Aspect. .. 28 Find the Levels ... 65
Augmenting Rolls ... 56 Freak That Shit. .. 26
Bad Sling ... 69 Gang Culture ... 14, 22
Baron Samedhi. . .44, 75 Gangs, Mundane ... 50
BBnC ... 22, 33, 42 Gear... 61 •
Be Inspired ... 64 Ghosts .. .41, 71
Beats ... 53 G-Men ... 67
Blood Queens .. .47, 71 Golden Dawn ... 29, 33, 72
Bloods ... 50 Grunts ... 68
Bonus Dice ... 28, 58 Have Fun, Baby... 65
Boost. .. 59 Healing ... 59
Break Specialist. .. 52 Hermes Trismegistus ... 32
Command Presence ... 68 Hoodrat. .. 53
Community Crimes ... 68 Hook-Up ... 53
Conman ... 52 How do you voodoo? ... 51
Cops ... 67 Hungry Ghosts .. .41, 71
Corpus Hermeticum ... 32 In The Back Room ... 66
Crews ... 27 Infernal Aspect. .. 36
a:~~=- crips ... 50 Initiation, Gang-specific... 28
r-!ii!~- critical Hit. .. 69 Initiation, Wyrd Use ... 62
ar,;;;;;;;a.,,.,.,.,..... Crowley, Aleister... 16, 29, 72 Into The Fold ... 26
~_._,, crows ... 29, 69 It's All In A Name ... 51
Damage ... 59 Jt's All Relative ... 65
Dealers ... 19 Juice ... 28, 53, 59
Death Aspect. . .45 Jump Around ... 66
Disruption ... 68 Keepin' Tabs ... 68
D-Men ... 35, 70 Lethal Slings ... 55
Dread ... 44, 71 Los Reyes ... 35, 70
Drugs ... 18, 19 Lover... 52, 58
Emerald Tablet. .. 33 Memorable Villains ... 65
Mind's Playin' Tricks On Me ... 66
'12.
My Enemy's Enemy... 26
Names, Common to gang ... 28
Names, NPC Type ... 68
Sanguine Aspect. . .48
Serpent King ... 74
Sets ... 27
-
-·
-•
1

Names, Power of... 19, 62 Silver Star... 29, 72

Narc ... 53 Skillz ... 52, 58, 60
No Way Out. .. 26 Slings, Gang-related ... 28, 55, 59
Objects, General. .. 58 Soldiers ... 20
Objects, Magical. .. 59 Sound ... 28
Objects, Mundane ... 58 Special Effects ... 60
Old Man .. .47, 73 Spiritual Aspect. .. 33
Opposed Rolls ... 55 Squads ... 27
Order... 55, 61 Street Chemist. .. 53
Outcast. .. 26 Summonin Syrkle ... 21, 23, 29
Outside Narrative ... 66 Syrkle S ... 22, 42
Payback ... 55, 59 Tags ... 28
Personal Ritualz ... 62 Taiji Aspect. . .42
Physical Aspect. .. 30 Tells ... 28
Pipe-Hitter... 53 The Ledge ... 26
Players ... 20 This Ain't a Joke ... 64
Plot Hooks ... 28 Threads ... 28
Police ... 67 Thugs ... 19
Posses ... 27 Traits ... 52, 57, 60
Power... 55, 61 Trick ... 28
Punks ... 19 Units ... 27
Quetzalcoatl ("Q") ... 70, 76 Unopposed Rolls ... 56
Quick Cuts ... 66 Vice Lords ... 50
Raise the Stakes ... 64 Weakness ... 28
Rap . .. 11,22 What A Sling Looks Like ... 55
Redemption ... 69 What Has Changed ... 14
Relationships ... 52, 60 What Hasn't Changed ... 14
Reputation ... 60 Wheelman ... 53
Reserve ... 59 Who You Know... 67
Rival. .. 52, 58 Wyrd ... 10, 12, 53, 69
Rolls, Augmenting ... 56 Wyrd, Germanic Term ... 12
Rolls, Opposed ... 55 You Are Not Enemies ... 65
Rolls, Unopposed ... 56 Zombi. . .46, 75
Saints ... 71, 77

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