First Job

2
 ART AND CENSORSHIP DEPARTMENT
TITLE: MALAVITA - AN ITALIAN CRIME STORY
PRODUCTION: ACHERON GAMES, QUALITY GAMES
YEAR: 197X

PLAYING DIRTY
Malavita is a gritty game about brutal criminals, corrupt powerful fig-
ures, unscrupulous policemen and a population which is victim as much as
it is executioner.

The setting described in this First Job and in Malavita - Rules of Engage-
ment is deliberately harsh, grim and violent, and contains a whole series
of hateful and unjust moral concepts, typical of a bloody and ferocious
world such as the Italia Nera of the Years of Lead.The views of the world,
society, culture, ethics and justice that transpire from these pages does
not represent that of the authors or the purpose of this publication. Its
aim is only to be as precise a recollection as possible of the imagery and
stereotypical elements of 70s crime news, as well as of the movies, games
and genre novels that provided the inspiration for the game.

It is crucial for everyone who takes part in the gaming sessions to study
the Malavita material before playing and decide what kind of stories they
want to experience, within the range of possibilities offered by the game
itself: will their characters be unscrupulous gangsters ready to slaughter
anyone who gets in the way of their plans? Or will they be cold and ruth-
less criminals but following their own moral code? Are they guns or fists
for hire, trying to survive in a world of sharks, or lovable scoundrels
who prefer scams and petty theft to violence?

Even the corrupt and greedy world of Porto Franco can be developed by
players in many different ways: massacres, addiction, abuse and injustices
can be kept nuanced or veiled, barely hinted at, or they can be displayed
freely at the gaming table, with an abundance of sordid details.
Alternatively, they can be completely excluded from gaming sessions.

If the group deems it appropriate, it is desirable to discuss these topics

during an introductory session and to adopt appropriate care and safety
techniques.

CREDITS Malavita is a role playing game by Acheron Games, devised and designed by Mauro Longo and Valerio
Ferzi, developed by Marzio Morganti and Quality Games. The gaming system is the Dice Point System
created for Lex Arcana©. The development of Porto Franco is by Marco Cardone. The Specialists, Extras
and Foes are by Alessandro Manzella and Mala Spina, the action scenes are by Andrea Cucchi, the
maps are by Matteo Benedetti, graphic design and layouts are by Luca Trentin. The innocent playtest
victims are redacted for the duration of the trial. Commissioner and text editor: Mauro Longo. Tips and
other contributions: Mauro Longo and Claudio Vergati. Marzio Morganti would like to thank Cecilia
Basaglia, who came forward as witness in his favor during the trial.
“Malavita - An Italian Crime Story” and Dice Point System are exclusive copyright of Acheron Games.
Any unauthorized use of logos and contents is prohibited.
4
 INDEX
LA MALA VITA 06 BRAWLS AND GUNFIGHTS 32
Preparation 32
THE CITY OF LEAD 08 Map 32
Fighters and Counters 32
LA SANTA CROCE 12 Rounds 34
Moves 34
The factions of Porto Franco 14 Engagement 34
Actions 36
THE SPECIALISTS 16 Resolving Engagements 37
Description 16 Missing the Target 39
Extras, Stocks, Foes 17 Suppressive Fire 39
Allies, Opponents, Coverage 40
Neutral 18 Surprise 41
Attributes 20 Escape 41
Aptitudes 20 Other Actions 42
Skills 21 Armory 43
Protections 44
HOW TO PLAY 22
LIVING AND DYING IN PORTO FRANCO 46
Tests 22
Showing what you got 23 Hit Points 46
Dice, Scores and Dice Points 24 Dead, Dying, Unconscious
Standard Dice 24 Characters 46
Dice Points 24 Delaying Death 48
Using Dice Points 24 Patching Up 48
Special Rolls 25 Rest 48
Explosive Roll 25 Cures and Treatments 48
Implosive Roll 25 Morale Points 48
Gambit Roll 25 Items 50
Threshold and Degree of Success Traits 51
of the Tests 26
Difficulty Threshold 26 AURORA MUST NOT DIE 53
Advantages
Plot 56
and Disadvantages 27
First Act 61
Cooperative Actions 28
Interlude 76
Summary of the Test Procedure 28
Second Act 79
The Final Battle 82
Epilogue 83
EXTRACT FROM
29
THE SESSION REPORT EXTRAS & FOES 84

5
LA MALA VITA
M
alavita – An Italian Crime Story is a role-playing game about armed
gangsters, ruthless outlaws, good-hearted scoundrels and street
lowlife, always teetering between redemption and damnation, be-
tween the stars and the gutter.

WHAT IS A ROLE-PLAYING GAME?

A Role-playing Game is a tabletop game in which players take on the role of
imaginary characters, in order to live out their stories, improvise their dia-
logues and tell or enact their actions and reactions on the spot.
In Malavita (literally, ‘bad life’), all the people who take part in the game play
the Lead Characters of the story, or more simply the Leads, and each of them
represents a crime Specialist. CRIMINAL RECORD
The players play the role of their Specialist, decide what they want them to do, A job is a feat performed
think and say, describing their actions to the only participant in the game who against one (or more) of the
has the task of acting as moderator, referee and narrator: the Game Director, Factions, which brings Fame
or more simply Director. and Resources to the Crew
The director must manage all other characters in the story, Extras, Stocks and and/or brings individual
Foes, along with every external and environmental element revolving around members closer to realizing
the lead characters. their Ambitions.
Each session takes place as a dialogue between those playing the specialists
and the director, who uses a set of rules to evaluate the consequences of the Ambitions are long term go-
lead characters’ actions and the reactions of the world and characters around als that drive the actions of
them. The result of this ongoing interaction is the creation of a collective story, Specialists and define them
one that sees those who play the Specialists and who directs the game collabo- as people. Each Specia-list
rate to on different tasks and with different levels of authority. has their own personal Ambi-
tions, which can be different
from those of the others and
AN ITALIAN CRIME NOVEL can sometimes even conflict
Malavita draws heavily on the imagery and aesthetics of the Italian “Years of with them.
Lead” - the period between the 1960s and 1980s, in which political terrorism
was a daily occurrence, and those involved were part of the state, general In the end, all of their feat-
public, and rogue cells alike - as well as from crime novels, thrillers, giallo sdeeds will form their Cri-
fiction, noirs and gangster stories past and present. Further influences can minal Record, a path of con-
be found in plots featuring espionage and international terrorism, political quest - or ruin - that will lead
subversion and the clash between the world’s powers. them from stinking gutters
to the seats of power and the
Specialists are women and men of unique talents gathered in a Crew, who good life.
challenge the harsh and ruthless status quo of the world around them, in Or swimming with the fishes.
order to bend it to their own desires and goals.
Specialists take out Jobs to satisfy their Ambitions, throwing themselves head
first into the heat of the action and challenging the Factions that control their
world.

6
ITALIA NERA
Italia Nera (“Black Italy”) is the basic
setting of Malavita, and of this First
Job. It will be explored more in detail
in Malavita - Rules of Engagement.
This is a country that is going through a
blood-stained decade, the 1970s: rivers
of dirty money flow as easily as bullets
rain from the sky.
It is a time of disorderly growth and
unstoppable change, but also rooted
in violence, inequality and corrup-
tion. Post-war Italy is caught between
the modern and the reactionary: Alfa
Romeo Duettos, Guzzi motor-bikes,
mink furs and second homes are icons
of middle class stability, but there are
more drugs in the streets than mini-
skirts, and while pop music sings of
new environmental themes, Italy is be-
ing fitted for cement shoes.
Despite renewal and progress trying
to push their way in, The Godfather is
shown in cinemas all around the world
and speaks of a mafia-ridden and back-
wards country. This is a greedy and
unjust world: quick money is easy to
make, and ideals break just as easily in
the face of iniquity and deceit.
These are the Years of Lead: Milan
hates, Naples shoots and Rome is vi-
olent; the Elite rules, the Underworld
controls the streets, the Law is merci-
less and the People rebel...
BLACK ITALY, RED ITALY
This is also an era of transition, so-
cial change and political instability. .
Inflation is rampant and the next en-
ergy crisis is just around the corner.
Pacifism and sexual freedom are
more valuable to young people than
politics, resistance, or faith (of any
kind). And while the 1960s still had
an unwritten order underpinning
the chaos, that balance of power is
changing, and no new stability has
been found yet
For every dictator who falls, another
rises to power. The Cold War divides
the world and enthusiasm for the
space race is over, as is the economic
boom.
Catholics and socialists run the gov-
ernment, fascists hide behind the
facades of bourgeois buildings, com-
munists have their grip on the cities
and their aim is set for the very heart
of the state.
Everyone is scheming: the secret
services plan coups and build shady
dalliances with the Americans, the
USSR funds the Italian Communist
Party, the extreme right (also called
the “black wings”) plant bombs, the
trade unionists stir up the street
folk, and the Red Brigades open fire.
“Livia, it was your eyes that
struck me that afternoon
at the Verano cemetery. We
were out for a stroll, I had
chosen the place to ask for
your hand, remember?
I know you do.
Your full, clear, marvelous
eyes did not, do not, and
will not know, they will had
no idea.
They have no idea what
deeds power must commit
to ensure the wellbeing and
progress of a country. I have
been that power for too long.
A monstrous, unforgivable
contradiction: inflict evil to
ensure greater good.”
Il Divo
PORTO FRANCO
The rotten and violent heart of Italia
Nera is Porto Franco (“Free Port”), a
city as tough, grim and fierce as the
lives of those who have claimed it as
their battlefield.
Porto Franco is the culmination of
all the contradictions of this period.
A city with a liberal name, a rebel-
lious soul and a criminal disposition.
A city where dockworkers clash with
the cops every other day, spies from
half the world meet at Hotel Stonari,
and criminals fight for control over
every quay in the port, every alley,
every shipping contract.
The post-war economic boom, du-
ty-free arrangements, and shipyards
attracted huge international invest-
ments and masses of workers looking
for a better future. With them came
increasing union demands, and the
interest of the mafias from Southern
Italy. Sicilians, Campani and Cal-
abresi understood the situation more
than everyone else, and showed up
knocking feet first, their hands too
busy waving freshly minted green
and new trade. Their goals? Settling
in the suburbs without drawing too
much attention, playing the long
game.
Foreign famiglia clans, clashing and
in disarray, constantly try to broaden
their influence using force and deals
with the local Mala and its powerful
bosses.
Among bloody score settlings, fragile
treaties and uncertain turf divisions,
the lawless world of Porto Franco
is a powderkeg. No one wants to be
around when it goes tits up.
7
THE CITY
OF LEAD
S
omeone used to say that cities, like dreams, are built upon desires and
fears. There is plenty of both in Porto Franco. They arrive by the truck-
load every night. And every morning, someone sells them, uses them,
and chucks them in the trash.
W
hat is a city? Hard to
say, goomba. It’s easier
to understand what it is
not. A city is not a sim-
ple pile of streets and buildings, nor
a dotted border on the geographical
map, nor the sum of the souls who live
there. All of this can and will change.
Even a city’s name is not forever.
Take this city... name after name has
come and gone, like a zia throwing
out cheap clothes: Saturnia, Caletra,
Marsiliana, Albegna, Porto Rosso,
Porto Lorena, Ardita, Porto Franco.
The city never cared about what they
called it, because under all that,
under the growing palazzi and the
sprawling suburbs, it is still that sea-
port that ancient Romans fell captive
to, enthralled by it.
A port that has always been teeming
with sailors, traffickers, smugglers,
sometimes even pirates ... a gateway
8
to the Mediterranean, where routes
converge and the stories of half the
world intertwine, drawn in by the
beam of its lighthouse.
A place of lashing rain, be it tears or
gunfire, just a couple of hours away
from the capital. A place where all
you need to do to leave the country
forever is but a night of sailing.
THE BLACK-HEARTED MERMAID
Arriving from sea and past Merce-
nary Island, you are welcomed by
the outline of a city stretched along
the coast. It appears teeming with
life, surrounded by steep and wood-
ed hills, riddled with what were once
mines, smugglers’ hiding places and
hideouts for the Resistance.
One of the nicknames for Porto Fran-
co is the gray siren, due to the leaden
color of its buildings and its streets,
and the color of the galena mineral,
once mined inland and sold on its
docks at one time. The siren part,
paesano? It’s the heart, the black
heart of a sea monster, murderous
and ruthless.
This black-hearted siren is still here,
reclined on the shore, ready to wel-
come any traveler who follows its
rules, and to devour those who don’t.
The first thing your gaze will meet
is the crowded Port of Santa Catena.
On its outskirts is a a parade of nine-
teenth-century buildings overlook-
ing a promenade studded with pine
trees: the Palazzata, home of the
most coveted city blocks, thanks to
the duty-free status they enjoy.
To the east, the coast is a long strip
of gray sand that runs to the mouth
of the Albinia river and the canals of
the Leonessa, then reaches the end
of the gulf, sealed off by the Vitruvi-
us promontory.
To the west, however, you will see
the lights of the port dancing on the
water, and the sporadic flashes of
the Capo Dazio lighthouse, guiding
cruise ships and cargo ships alike.
As you move closer to the city docks,
you will hear the melancholy sirens
of its ships, the cheerful music of
local businesses, and the unmistak-
able smell of fried fish.
But don’t be a chooch: Porto Franco
is a greedy monster, welcoming only
for profit, cosmopolitan out of con-
venience.
Down the stone bowels of its alleys,
centuries of lordships and domin-
ions have been digested, along with
languages and cultures, merging
them into a pulp in which everything
is for sale - for the right price. Even
people.
Fuggedabout who you are or where
you come from: what matters here
is if you can make money go round,
if you understand how things work
and if you know what lines you can-
not cross.
Or who you need to turn to in order
to cross them.
The important thing is that you don’t
draw unwanted attention. Because
all trade, in Porto Franco, takes place
in the shadows. Capish?
THE CITY OF LEAD
A PLACE TO LIVE,
A PLACE TO DIE
Porto Franco holds all the contradic-
tions of darkest Italy.
Before it is the sea, a coast reminis-
cent of the Gulf of Naples, of the
seafront of Ostia or of the congested
industrial ports of Genoa. The end-
less piles of crates by the docks are
ruled by the historical crime fam-
ilies of the city. Their scions hang
out in the offices of the Palazzata, in
the skyscrapers and departments of
the Borsello District (where people
wear ties and white collared shirts),
in the beautiful downtown hotels,
in the illegal villas of Capo Dazio, in
the smoke-filled gambling dens and
dance clubs, where liquor and drugs
are easy to score.
Not far from Santa Catena, the Leo-
nessa is an eighteenth-century en-
clave on the mouth of the Albinia
river, reminiscent of the baroque
decadence of Venice; here splendid
frescoed palazzi are gathered across
a network of canals, helmed by the
laughter and passion of the Secret
Houses, and owned, to this day (and
despite the law), by the women who
work here.
In what is currently the city’s down-
town, a hillock sports a walled vil-
lage of ancient origin, with a heart of
Tuscan-style Renaissance buildings,
vast and hieratic squares like those in
10
Rome and Umbertine buildings like
those in Turin.
Here stand the Six Districts, the heart
of the city, prize of ancient local
crime. Here, in the Episcopate Di-
strict, the local patriciate indulges in
sybaritic parties, avant-garde shows
and opulent life, in which the decrep-
it caryatids of the bourgeois aristoc-
racy are accompanied by the young
emerging actresses of the Quarto Te-
atro. This incredible extension of TV
studios and theaters, founded long
before Cinecittà, is home to artists,
dreamers and students of the ancient
Academy of Arts, in a spontaneous
turmoil that never sleeps: young
bourgeois decadence and armchair
revolutions, waged by the sons and
daughters of obscenely wealthy fam-
ilies are the prime motors for vicious
drug cycles.
Behind these older areas extends a
cold and misty countryside not unlike
that of Emilia, crossed by straight and
lonely roads and winding rivers, dot-
ted with caves and solfataras. Among
the blackened concrete walls of the
Nucleo Officine, the workers spend
their grueling shifts, toiling the chim-
neys of the factories and the exhaust
fumes of the chemical plants, while
the cries of strikes and police charges
are lost in the acid rain and smog.
All around, as far as the eye can see,
labyrinthine concrete suburbs like
those around Milan, which grew
dramatically during the twentieth
century. Standing out among them
are Scampanata’s squalid residential
blocks of the 1950s where thousands
of families scrape a living, feeding
the machines of industry and urban
violence with their blood and sweat.
DUTY FREE ZONE
It was not by chance that Fascist city
Ardita had its name changed to Porto
Franco after the war. Thanks to the
Resistance actions in the area and to
the support of the Allies, this ancient
port was awarded the status of a Duty
Free Zone, a special exemption from
customs duties ratified by the Roc-
cabruna Treaty of 1948.
For this reason, the Port of Santa Cat-
ena and the Palazzata “are consid-
ered outside national boundaries and
constitute a free zone, permitting the
transit of goods in complete freedom,
including exemption from duty, con-
sumer tax and manufacturing taxes.”
This extraordinary financial status
has attracted all sorts of illicit traf-
ficking, dirty business and rigged
contracts in the past twenty years,
and is in fact the secret prime motor
behind the city’s economic and crim-
inal empire.
LA SANTA
CROCE The Holy Cross has no power beyond

W
e don’t throw traitors into concrete, like savages hiding their crim- the city limits, but in Porto Franco the
inal deeds. You will be cast in gold, fixed for eternity in your final Crusaders are more rooted than the
moment of agony and pain, welcoming my new allies as they step mafia in Sicily, more loyal than the
into the waiting room to my office. The Santa Croce does not hide its victims ‘Ndrangheta in Calabria, more fero-
– it makes trophies out of them. cious than the Camorra in Campania,
The Widow more ruthless than the Balentes in

P
orto Franco attracts busi-
nessmen, schemers, poli-
ticians, entrepreneurs and
criminals from every corner
of the country. No matter how pow-
erful, dangerous and well connected
they may be, the city always remains
firmly in the hands of the locals.
You can’t get your hands on trade and
contracts in the city without reaching
out to local financiers, lawyers and
notaries.
You cannot expect votes in regional
and national elections without going
through local politicians.
You cannot hide weapons, fugitives
and money without going through the
unions and local folk.
You cannot send special teams and
armed forces to stop the trafficking
and traffickers without going through
the local barracks.
And, above all, you cannot come to
this city and intend to shoot, sell or do
business without being accountable
to local crime.
And crime in Porto Franco has a name
and a surname.
The Holy Cross, La Santa Croce.
Their members, known as the “Cru-
saders”, are the mob of the Tyrrhe-
nian Sea, descendants of those who
trafficked on the shores of the Med-
iterranean long before the Romans
conquered Saturnia. They were dock-
ers, cutthroats, pirates, slave traders,
privateers of the Maritime Republic
of Marsiliana, smugglers of stolen
spices and grave robbers. Today their
leaders have dressed up as business-
men, they move billions of lire every
night and meddle with political influ-
ence, but they remain, at heart, the
same ravagers.
Sardinia, more armed than the gang-
sters of Vallanzasca’s Comasina, more
ambitious than the criminals of the
Mala del Brenta and more well con-
nected than the Banda della Magliana.
THE SESTIERI
There are six main clans in the Santa
Croce, one for each of the century-old
districts of the city’s historic center,
“the sestieri”. Their bosses manage
most of the illegal activities in the
center and the port, as well as many
of the legal ones; they are known as
the Saints.
Michele Maggio, known as “Barracu-
da”, controls Pappaturco and the Old
Market plus the fishmongers, one of
the many smuggling groups. Do you
know how much you can stash inside
a sea bass? Fuhgeddaboutit. Lucia Be-
retta, “the Widow”, is technically the

12
only female Saint, but the Santa Croce
has always been pretty liberal from
this point of view; there’s never been
a lack of gun-toting and razor-wield-
ing women in the city. Rumor has it
she is behind the disappearance of
her husband, whom she has replaced
as head of Miracosta and of the Leo-
nessa, though no one would dare say
that to her face. She controls villas,
hotels, restaurants, meeting houses
and game rooms, with all related plea-
sures and pastimes.
Polveriera is led by Massimo Sapori,
known as “the Professor” due to his
habit of surrounding himself with ac-
ademics, antiquarians, numismatists
and the Faculty of Archeology. In re-
cent years, he has given up all crim-
inal activity historically belonging to
his clan in exchange for every possi-
ble deal related to works of art, arti-
facts, jewelry and stolen goods.
Sant’Anna is most definitely the
neighborhood of stolen goods, of
low-profile gambling dens and of
shops from which to extort protec-
tion, as well as the seat of the New
Market. The recently appointed local
saint is Nicola Fessinari, “the Squid”:
a young scion of a wealthy family
with an addiction to drugs, the high
life and abuses of power.
Fossato might seem like one of the
quietest districts of the city, but those
with a keen eye will see that this is the
hidden realm of counterfeiters, arms
dealers, international smugglers,
fugitives, spies and revolutionaries.
The Saint of the district is Luca “Thir-
ty Coins” Rubino, though everyone
knows that it’s not his real name. Ru-
bino has more identities than James
Bond and is bread and butter with
the secret services, extreme right ter-
rorism and law enforcement - friend-
ships that always come in handy.
Finally, the self-restrained Ranieri
“Alendelon” Schiaffi rules Castello,
which includes the famous Episco-
pate District and the adjacent Quarto
Teatro: compulsive gambler, gigolo,
viveur and drinker, master of cere-
monies of the under city and nee-
dle pusher in matters of style for the
rulers of the city. Second rate actor,
friend of rising and established stars
of all kinds, origins and inclinations,
patron of artists and actors; Ranieri
has no problem flaunting his vices
and extravagances, and handing over
millions of lire every night, be they
in tips, gratuities, sponsorships or
bribes.
DIAMONDS AND THE MUCK
Virtually every activity in the city
port and its districts is under the con-
trol of the Santa Croce, and they ain’t
planning to scooch off their turf or
trade on the quays or inside the city
walls for any new arrival. Even fish-
mongers and street vendors pay a
pledge fee to the Santa Croce, which
grants trade areas and turfs with very
clear boundaries.
Outside the city, however, things are
quite different and, in the new dis-
tricts sprawling inlands, gangs of For-
eigners compete over every block, ev-
ery piazza, every victim.
All the low-level crime theft in the city,
such as mugging, street scams, racke-
teering, drug dealing, home thefts and
robberies, are contracted out to squads
and small gangs who pay a concession
fee. Or, at least, are only entrusted to
people “of the field” who know how to
collaborate when asked to: these con-
cessions are considered “muck” by the
Crusaders and assigned specifically to
gangs of newcomers to the city.
There is also a higher tier called “Dia-
mond” tier, in which there is no actual
labor involved other than profession-
als who work at a strategic level in so-
ciety and whose involvement no one
suspects: lawyers, accountants, trade
unionists, party secretaries, senators
and notaries who have sworn alle-
giance to the Santa Croce.
But no matter the level, tier, or al-
legiance, everyone responds to the
Heartless: the centuries-old Boss of
Bosses of Porto Franco.
13
THE FACTIONS OF PORTO FRANCO
There are four major Factions that move Porto Franco and they each have a
specific function in terms of gameplay.

The People
The common folk, the factory workers, the students, the poor and the labor-
ers of the most dilapidated neighborhoods. Sometimes they constitute a real
“power”, other times they are a resource to be exploited by the other Factions
... unless, of course, they start to get organized. Specialists often come from
this Faction.

The Elite
The wealthy folk, the upper class, aristocrats, industrialists and landowners.
Their power is such that they bend the Law to their will and the worst among
them can even ally themselves with the Mala. It is possible for Specialists to
come from this Faction.

The Law
Officers, policemen, investigators, magistrates, officials and soldiers in the ser-
vice of the city, caught between the anvil and the hammer. Their purpose is to
protect the precarious balance between the Elite and the People, fighting the
abuses of the powerful, the outbursts of fury of the oppressed and the cruelties
of the Mala, often adapting and adopting to the brutal ways of a city like Porto
Franco. It is rare for Specialists to come from this Faction.

The Underworld
The real criminals, violent, hypocritical and bloodthirsty, cowards because
they exploit the flaws of the Law and the needs of the People to strengthen their
own power, even in collaboration with the worst of the Elite. They are proud of
having “codes of honor” which only apply, however, to others. Specialists come
from this Faction more often than they should.

During any of their jobs, the crew will be able to gain the Favor or Disfavor
of these Factions, depending on their choices and actions.

14
THE
SPECIALISTS
I
n Malavita, each Specialist is de-
fined by a series of traits and nu-
merical values that define their
personality, skills and charac-
In Malavita – Rules of Engagement you will find all the instructions to create your
Specialists from scratch and make them grow and expand their Rap Sheet until
the end of their Criminal Record.
The Rap Sheet includes the following:
teristics.
DESCRIPTION
Each player must fill in the Rap Sheet The main biographical data for the character.
for their character, a special form to
keep track of all the traits, resources · Nickname: the name by which they are famous on the city’s criminal scene.
and scores at their disposal.
· Birth name: the first and last name of a specialist, which reflects their origins.
You can find a copy of the Rap Sheet · Age: determines the age range of the Specialist; young, adult or mature.
to download and print along, togeth- · Distinguishing Marks: scars, nervous tics, flaws or notable characteristics.
er with 4 pre-generated characters, at
the following links. · History: origin and background of the Specialist before turning to a life of crime.
USA: acheronstore.com/malavita · Relationships: the most important people in their life.
Other Countries: acheron.it/malavitarpg
· Ambitions: what their goals are and what they want from life.

16
 EXTRAS, STOCKS, FOES
The players take on the role of the leads of the story, but the world around them
SPECIALTY
is full of other characters: Extras, Stocks and Foes, also referred to as Non-Player
The Specialty reflects the
Characters (NPCs).
Specialist’s general role in
the Crew, the main reason
Extras include all the characters who are enemies or allies of the lead charac-
they were called to join the
ters, or even neutral towards them, but who are still part of the events and are
group. The importance of
not played by the players but by the Director. These are usually minor oppo-
specialties in the game will
nents, contacts, relationships or accomplices of the leads.
be clarified in Malavita - Rules
of Engagement.
The Extras may have game stats and interacting with them could mean engaging
in opposed tests, fights, important conversations, and the exchange of relevant
secrets. Their relative importance within the game means that they are defined
in a general way and represented using gestures and words with a certain com-
plexity, proportional to the abilities of the Director. In later game sessions, some
extras may also become lead characters, or vice versa.
Stocks are all those minor characters who appear, in groups or individually, in

17
THE SPECIALISTS

completely marginal roles and who do not need excessive amounts of prepara-
tion or clear characterization.
Stocks usually don’t need a name or stats and are just there to serve as back-
ground or crowd characters. They should generally be unable to pose a threat to
a Specialist and any conflict with them should be automatically resolved in favor
of the lead characters. If any of them take action or become a threat or a specific
encounter, they are to be considered an Extra as a result.
“We are the Revolution.
Foes are the most important opponents who appear during a Job and in the lives
of the leads. They are narrative characters with great depth and complexity, We have nothing to lose if not
which must be defined in all their aspects and managed in an elaborate way by our chains.
the Director. The traits, agenda and character of the Foes should be developed
like those of the Specialists, though it must be clear that they are interpreted and We have no other enemy than
played by the Director. your own Elite.
Sometimes, leads and foes may have Sidekicks: secondary characters who act We do not respect a Law
as followers, right hands, trusted advisors, lovers, etc ... They are important and that places tormentor and
recurring characters that deserve more attention from the Director because victims as peers: when the
they will be very present in the stories involving the Crew. time comes, you will have to
All of these types of characters are discussed in better detail in Malavita – Rules choose whether you fight for
of Engagement. the dawn of a new order, or
die in the twilight of the old
one. And we will not grant
ALLIES, OPPONENTS, NEUTRAL second chances.”
Characters who might appear and interact in some situations (for example, a
shootout) can further be classified as Allies, Neutrals and Opponents.
Whenever there are game effects concerning these three categories, all the From the transcripts of the
characters who are at that exact moment acting in conjunction and in common Galvano “Zhukov” Parisi
agreement with the leads are considered allies; all those who actively oppose interrogation
them are opponents, trying to stop them from acting or trying to harm them.
If there are characters in the scene who do not fit into either of these two catego-
ries, they are considered neutral.
THE SPECIALISTS

Attributes Left
TWO THUMBS
Right

The physical, mental, and social attributes of the characters are divided into
two categories: “innate” attributes, or Aptitudes, and “acquired” attributes,
or Skills. All Attributes are expressed by a numerical score that indicates, in
gameplay terms, the value of that character in terms of that specific trait.

APTITUDES
Aptitudes are innate attributes of a character.
They will be used in the full version of the game both during Specialist creation, to determine Skills values and
during the game itself, to resolve a series of specific actions and reactions, as indicated in the description of each
Aptitude.

Indicates speed, promptness, agility and a sense of balance. You will test your
Reflexes Reflexes to dodge a falling piano, grab an object before someone else, or bal-
ance on the windswept ledge of a building.

Indicates physical strength, resistance, muscle tone and general health. You
Fortitude will test your Fortitude to endure a beating or avoid drowning, resist the effects
of sleeping gas, endure fatigue, food deprivation, pain or lack of sleep.

Indicates acumen, intelligence, powers of deduction and memory. You will test
Brain your Brain to correctly remember the notes read on classified documents, rec-
ognize a face glimpsed in the past within a crowd or discover a pattern hidden
among the murals of a friend found dead inside his cell.

Indicates charisma, sensuality and innate magnetism. You will test your Smarm
Smarm to make a positive first impression, to seduce someone or to terrify them with
your predatory influence.

Indicates detachment, self-control and willpower. You will test your Cool to
Cool not flee in the face of special forces, to resist torture and to counteract emo-
tional pain.

Indicates awareness, empathy, sixth sense and the ability to perceive the world
Instinct around you. You will test your Instinct to notice someone approaching in si-
lence or tailing you, or to perceive something unusual in the behavior of an
interlocutor.

aptitudes

20
 SKILLS
Skills are values that quantify the abilities that a character has acquired in a certain area, be it through study,
practice or training. Skills are the first value to consider when a character carries out an action, such as break-
ing into a safe, moving the audience of a theater with their own interpretation, or shooting at criminals armed
to the teeth. Normally, a high value in a given Skill is the result of specific training, linked to the Qualification
of a Specialist.

The measure of a character’s aptitude for physical confrontation, shootings,

Grit military training and war tactics. You will test your Grit to take up firearms and
enter a gunfight, to strangle someone with your bare hands, triumph in a boxing
match and transform a chair or a bottle into an excellent improvised weapon.

The measure of a character’s ability to perform feats of athleticism and stealth,

Dexterity related to physical fitness but different from combat. You will test your Dexter-
ity to swim to shore through choppy waters, climb up a drainpipe to the fourth
storey of a building, hoist yourself along elevator cables, run at breakneck
speed, hide in a hurry, or crawl behind someone without being noticed.

The measure of a character’s technical, practical and manual skills. You will
Touch test your Touch to pick-pocket a passer-by, steal a document from a magistrate’s
briefcase, remove handcuffs from your wrists, break the lock of an armored
door, unjam a gun or make the right tools with recycled material.

The measure of how proficient the character is at driving vehicles, cars, motor-
Driving cycles, aircraft and speedboats. You will test your Driving to pilot and drive at
high speeds, to avoid obstacles, outrun pursuers and to avoid being chased, as
well as to soup up, tamper with and sabotage vehicles and engines.

The measure of a character’s studies and their academic knowledge of the

Culture world. You will test your Culture to gain brilliant insights, discover clues or
identify useful details, draw up plans, foresee countermeasures in case of un-
expected events, refresh some old scientific notation, and understand how to
suture a stab wound without causing an infection.

The measure of a character’s interpersonal and relational skills. You will test your
Diplomacy Diplomacy to speak in public, to haggle prices, to chat with a prosecutor or the
head of a criminal gang, to tell credible lies or publicly humiliate a political can-
didate, to deceive the guards and convince people, and to gather information.

skills

The complete version of the rules, available in Malavita - Rules of Engagement, also confer numerous Traits, which allow
to customize and develop a character’s Attributes.

21
HOW
I
TO PLAY
l Vecchio once played Russian roulette with a gaguzz who thought he was
better’n all of us. Just one real bullet, and if he survived it, he was free. The
gidrul’ takes the gun, rolls the chamber and blows his own head off. All the
bullets were real, of course.
Carlo “Sawbones” Damiani

I
n Malavita, player choices essentially translate into the actions their char-
acters take, or at least, their intentions. If the Specialists intend to do
something common and simple, which has no possible side effects and
isn’t dangerous, the action succeeds automatically: calling an elevator,
climbing a ladder or talking to a passer-by are such actions. To determine the
result of an uncertain, dangerous and important task, a dice roll is required to
test the outcome.

Tests are the fundamental rule of Malavita, around which all the others re-
volve. How easy or difficult a test is and what consequences it leads to are deci-
sions of the Director, who uses the following rules to determine the outcome.

TESTS
A character’s attributes must be tested every time the result of an action is un-
certain and potentially interesting depending on adverse circumstances or di-
rect opposition.
The Director should call for a test only when there is an engaging and plausi-
ble development of the story at stake, counterbalanced by a specific danger or
threat. An action that seems simple, banal and without exciting implications
at the Director’s discretion, should not be made into a test, but automatically
granted to the player. A challenge which the Director deems unreal, superhu-
man and with absurd or impossible implications should not be made into a test,

22
but automatically denied to the player. In case of doubt about the interpretation
of a situation or a scene, the Director has the final word.

SHOWING WHAT YOU GOT

When the Director decides that a situation requires a test, they describe the
scene to the players involved and asks them what they intend to do with their
characters.
In these cases, each player in turn tells what their character would like to do,
either coordinating or not with the others, and chooses, along with the Director, EXAMPLE
the Attribute that best suits the description and the challenge at hand. Sayonara is keeping watch next to
The Attributes that define Specialists, as well as their weapons and defenses, are her Lamborghini Urraco, while a
indicated on the character’s Rap Sheet with a numerical value. goon tries to get close to strike her
The most relevant Attribute for an action is often represented by a Skill, but behind her back!
Aptitudes are also sometimes called into question:
The Director asks Sayonara’s
An Aptitude is used mainly (but not exclusively) when the Specialist is reacting player to test her Instinct to see if
or resisting passively to someone else’s actions or to a circumstance. she notices the threat.

EXAMPLE
A Skill is used primarily (but not exclusively) when the Specialist is affecting Jericho is trying to steal a car
the story by actively operating on the world. parked in the wrong place at the
wrong time.
It is possible to use Aptitudes actively and Skills passively if the Director deems
it appropriate. If the Director is undecided about which Attribute to use cor- To do this, the Director decides to
responding to the character’s intentions and description, they must always have him test his Touch to pick the
choose the one with the highest score. lock and test his Drive to connect
the cables and start the vehicle.

23
HOW TO PLAY
EXAMPLE
Blanco is trying to persuade a
contact to reveal the location of
the ‘Ndrangheta’s drug shipment
and, at least for now, he decides
to do it the easy way.
His Diplomacy is equal to 10, for
a total of 10 Dice Points: he can
choose to roll 1d10 or 2d5 or 1d4
+ 1d6 or 2d3 + 1d4 …
USING DICE POINTS
Once the Attribute and its dice points
have been determined, the player
chooses the combination of dice they
prefer. The combination chosen also
represents the character’s approach
to the test:
· Using 3 dice means using a cautious
approach, which guarantees a high
probability of having average results,
without too many surprises.
· Using 2 dice means choosing a bal-
anced approach, between risk and
control over the situation.
· Using only 1 dice means risking ev-
erything and having a better chance
of getting extreme results, for better
or for worse; for example, Explosive
Rolls and Implosive Rolls.
24
Dice, Scores
and Dice Points
When players test one of their character’s Attributes, they use a combina-
tion of dice corresponding to the Attribute most appropriate to the descrip-
tion of their intentions, as explained above.
STANDARD DICE
Malavita uses a standard dice magazine, with a caliber of .3, .4, .5, .6, .8, .10, .12
and .20, like the number of the respective dice faces.
If you do not already have a standard dice magazine, you should get at least one
set that includes polyhedral gaming dice (including one of each of the following:
d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and d20), easy to find on any black market. In the absence of
a d3 and a d5 you can simply use a d6 and a d10, with the result of the roll being
halved and rounded up. It is never possible to use a dice smaller than a d3.
DICE POINTS
The Attributes (both Aptitudes and Skills) and Equipment scores, possibly mod-
ified by Morale Points, represent a certain number of Dice Points that the play-
er has available for the roll. More specifically, a Dice Point value indicates any
combination of 1, 2 or 3 dice whose highest possible result matches that num-
ber. 12 dice points can therefore be transformed into 1d12 but also into 3d4, 2d6,
2d3 + 1d6, 1d8 + 1d4 or 1d5 + 1d4 + 1d3.
When more than one dice is rolled, the total obtained in the roll is equal to the
sum of all the individual results obtained. The higher the total, the better.
EXAMPLE
Blanco is trying to persuade a contact to reveal the location of the ‘Ndran-
gheta’s drug shipment and, at least for now, he decides to do it the easy way.
His Diplomacy is equal to 10, for a total of 10 Dice Points.
He can choose to roll:
· 1d10: “Listen, paisan, I have little time: in my left hand is a wad of cash
and the favor of Don Vito di Lama, in my right is a shotgun. Your choice,
ammonini.”
· 2d5: “Let’s do it like this, huh: you can tell me what you know and get
some great advantages out of it… or you can choose to go against those who
sent me. Nothing personal, of course: it’s just business.”
· 2d3+1d4: “Look, we are both in a squeeze: I need information, you need
protection. I wouldn’t rush you if I didn’t have to, but those who sent me
will be less patient with you than with me. Help me out and I’ll get you a
good reward, whaddaya say...”
Special Rolls
During the game, you will be able to generate special rolls, determined by
particular situations or by the reckless choices of the Specialists.

EXPLOSIVE ROLL
Whenever a Specialist (and only a Specialist) rolls one or more dice and the
result is the highest possible score (for example, rolling 8 with 1d8 or 15 rolling
1d10 + 1d5), the same dice combination must be rolled again, adding the sec-
ond result to the first, and the character recovers 1 Morale Point. If the second
roll still results in the highest possible score, the player must roll a third time,
always adding the new result to the previous ones and continuing to recover
Morale, and so on.
The Explosive Roll applies to all dice rolls made by Specialists, including those
for damage and protection rolls (see Brawls and Gunfights).

IMPLOSIVE ROLL
Whenever a Specialist (and only a Specialist) rolls one or more dice and the
result is the lowest possible score (for example, rolling 1 with one dice, 2 with
two dice or 3 with three dice), the character suffers, in addition to all negative
effects due to the failure of the test, the loss of 1 Morale Point. The Implosive
Roll applies to all dice rolls made by Specialists, including those for damage and
protection rolls (see Brawls and Gunfights).

GAMBIT ROLL
The Specialists (and only a Specialist) can also take the additional risk of a
Gambit Roll and roll with 1 single dice of a caliber immediately greater than
(not equal to) the number of Dice Points at their disposal.

Before making a Gambit Roll, the Director offers the player a Wager, that is
a Disadvantage appropriate to the situation: if the player accepts the risk of EXAMPLE
suffering the Wager, they can make the Gambit Roll. Sayonara has 7 Dice Points and
can decide to roll 1d3 + 1d4 ... or
If the result is equal to or less than the dice points, the normal rules apply and 1d8 with a Gambit roll.
the Wager is spared: it will not be suffered by the Specialist.
There is hardly any chance for
If, on the other hand, the result is higher than the Dice Points, the result is a Gabriele to succeed in the test
bust (see Degree of Success below): the Wager Disadvantage is realized, and with only 3 Dice Points: he the-
will therefore be suffered by the Specialist in addition to any other effects of refore decides to risk everything
the roll. and make a 1d4 Gambit Roll.

It is not possible to spend Morale Points on a Gambit: it is no longer a ques- Ciro must make a test with as
tion of commitment, but of talent and luck. A Gambit Roll is already a special many as 13 Dice Points, but he
roll and therefore never generates Explosive or Implosive Rolls. decides to ensure the greatest
chance of success (and risk) possi-
ble by rolling 1d20, the dice cali-
ber immediately greater than his
13 Dice Points.

25
HOW TO PLAY

Threshold and
Degree of Success of the Tests
DIFFICULTY THRESHOLD
A test’s Difficulty Threshold is the value that must be overcome by rolling your
die or dice: the higher the threshold, the more difficult it will be to succeed.
A test can have varying degrees of success or failure. Exceeding the Difficulty
Threshold corresponds to a Success, while obtaining a total equal to or less than
the Threshold corresponds to a Failure.

In the Planned Jobs of Malavita, the threshold of the most important tests is very
often noted in the text; for everything that is not foreseen, the Director decides
what the test thresholds should be according to the following indications:

· Normal (6)
· Difficult (9)
· Extreme (12)
· Legendary (15)

In this First Job, all tests where the threshold is not specifically indicated, are
intended as Normal (Threshold 6). It is the Director who then evaluates the
individual situation and decides whether to change that threshold.

In Malavita - Rules of Engagement, the Director’s decisional power will reward the
Specialists by making them become more competent more quickly: the higher
the thresholds generated by the Director (or by the Job description), the higher
the experience rewards that the Specialists will receive at the end of the feat.
If, instead, the result of the test depends on direct opposition from another char-
acter (an extra or a foe controlled by the Director, for example), the Difficulty
Threshold corresponds to the result of a test of the relevant Attribute, made by
whoever controls the character counteracting the action (i.e. the player for a
Specialist, the Director for an Extra or Foe). This kind of test is called an Op-
posed Test.

26
Getting a bust in a Gambit Roll or
obtaining Partial and Extraordinary
results can also lead to particular
Disadvantages and Advantages: unex-
pected and additional circumstances
with which to enrich the result’s de-
scription.
In any case, the outcome of a test
should never be “nothing of conse-
quence”: both Successes and Fail-
ures should always move the situa-
tion forward, for better or for worse,
obviously as long as this is deemed
plausible and doable by the Director.

Malavita is a tough, complex game,

where death is always around the
corner: if the Director is not sure they
can bear the possibly unfortunate
and unchecked consequences of a
roll, they may not allow it, freely and
automatically granting a Complete
Success to the characters instead.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

A Disadvantage is an additional narrative cost, an unfavorable unexpected de- DISADVANTAGE EXAMPLE
velopment or a consequence unwanted by the Specialists that complicates their Gabriele is trying to break down
situation. a door in a desperate attempt to
An Advantage is a fortuitous narrative simplification, an unexpected favorable escape the Bravi who are after
development or a consequence not foreseen by the Specialists that favors them him.
in that situation.
He gets a Partial Success and the
Director reports that the door
ADVANTAGE EXAMPLE breaks down (the Success) but
Sayonara is trying to follow the that it leads to a dead end, closed
contact of little Maria’s kidnap- by a stack of trash cans (the Dis-
pers, riding her Ducati while he advantage inflicted by the Partial
drives around in his Alfa Romeo element).
Duetto. She gets a Partial Fail-
ure and the Director reports that To escape, Gabriele will have to
the other car realizes it is being climb over them!
tailed and accelerates, managing
to escape (the Failure).

However, it hits the curb and los-

es a rear plate, clearly pointing
to an infamous workshop by the
Port (the Advantage granted by
the Partial element). Now Sayo-
nara knows exactly where to look.
When the Director does not know which Advantage to improvise and the rules
do not provide any useful ones, they can always grant the recovery of +1 Mo-
rale Point to the character involved. Similarly, a Disadvantage can be convert-
ed into the loss of -1 Morale Point for the character involved.
A large number of Advantages and Disadvantages to be used, depending on the
situation, is provided in the Planned Jobs and in Malavita – Rules of Engagement.

27
HOW TO PLAY

Cooperative Actions
Specialists can act as a team, joining forces during individual tests to improve
their chances for success. In this First Job, only the Specialist with the most Dice
Points rolls the dice and everyone who collaborates grants them +1 free Dice
Point each, to be spent on that single roll only. The consequences, both positive
and negative, however, affect the whole group. The Director has the last word in
determining whether or not it is possible to collaborate with other Specialists
for a single test. It is never possible to cooperate to resolve a fight’s Engagements.

Summary of
the Test Procedure
1) The Director describes the situation and the current threat.
2) The players involved describe how their characters intend to deal with the
situation.
3) The Director determines the Difficulty Threshold for the tests and commu-
nicates them to the players.
4) Each player involved identifies the most appropriate Attribute, along with
the Director, and confirms the total available Dice Points.
5) Each player involved declares the caliber of the dice they intend to use, if
they intend to use Morale Points or if they intend to attempt a Gambit Roll.
6) Each player involved rolls and communicates the result to the Director.
7) The Director declares the Degree of Success obtained for each test, the re-
sults achieved, and any accumulated advantages or disadvantages.

28
 EXTRACT FROM THE SESSION REPORT
game example
Blanco, The Priest, and Jericho are all in the Porto Franco Mu-
seum of Natural History, where, for a few extraordinary days,
the “ Tear of Avernus” is being displayed. It is the largest and
most precious red diamond ever extracted from the mines of
Greek tycoon Virakos Thalassakis, a well-known womanizer
with an unfortunate penchant for girls who are barely of age.
The Leads are all dressed as janitors and waiting patiently for
the museum to close in order to “pick up” the precious stone
and deliver it to Don Vito di Lama. The Don is an honest and
respected Underworld gentleman with a newfound passion for
the wonders of mineralogy and a good relationship with Jeri-
cho.
Outside, in her shiny, brand new Fiat 500, Sayonara nervous-
ly smokes a cigarette, engine on and headlights off. She looks
around, trying to spot any suspicious movement among the
(limited) activity of the city block.
Sayonara tests her Instinct at the Director’s request. The
threshold is normal (6). She has 11 Dice Points in In-
stinct, she chooses a balanced approach and rolls 1d5 +
1d6. 5 + 5: 10, which exceeds the threshold by 4 points, so
a Complete Success!
The director addresses Sayonara’s Player:
The evening is clear, the weather is humid as usual and people
walk absent-mindedly without paying much attention to you.
For now, you do not see anything worth worrying about in the
streets and you remain alert, waiting.
The Priest, Jericho and Blanco players take the floor.
“It’s simple” the Priest whispers seraphically to an agitated
Jericho. “We have a window of about ten minutes between
when the evening surveillance takes off and the arrival of
the night shift. At the very least. Even with the increase in
staff, we know that the Museum trusts its new electronic
alarm system a little too much... “
Without saying a word, Blanco locks the door of the closet
where they have stuffed the real janitors.
“With all the sleeping pills they swallowed, they won’t wake
up for two days.”
Jericho tugs nervously at his dirty uniform, with a disgust-
ed look.
“These clothes smell like sh-” but the former priest inter-
rupts him.
“... and it will be in those ten minutes that our dear Jeri-
cho, with his fertilizing aroma, will break into the armored
glass case of which I will have deactivated the alarm.”
“Sounds like a shitty plan to me, Priest.”
The Priest grabs a filthy mop with the majestic look of
someone holding a scepter.
“And I couldn’t give less of a flying fuck what you think.”
With snorts and whispered giggles, the three men advance
through the rooms of the museum, starting to listless-
ly clean plastic models of volcanoes and dinosaur bones,
waiting for midnight.
“Hey you!”
Jericho freezes in place when he hears the voice of a guard.
He is quite tall, bulky, with a large baton hanging from his
side and a blue uniform vaguely reminiscent of those of
the Police. Even the Priest and Blanco, despite being on the
opposite side of the long corridor, can hear the voice.”
The Director quickly draws the Map of that wing of the
museum: they use sharp strokes of their pen to approx-
imate the planimetry of the place and then, with a pen-
cil, divide the spaces into what they think can easily be
considered Areas of adequate width. They then place the
White Tower (the chess piece representing Jericho) and
a Black Pawn (the guard) in the same eastern Area while
placing the White Queen (Blanco) and the White Bishop
(the Priest) on the opposite side of the long corridor. Jeri-
cho’s player swallows and tries to force a smile.
29
ESTRATTO DAL VERBALE DI UNA SESSIONE
“Me?” says Jericho with a forced, very pale smile.
“You left half of the tiles dirty. If the Director sees that in the
morning I won’t take the...” the man stops, looking beneath the
cap that barely covers the young criminal’s face “ I’ve never seen
you work here, walyun. Are you new?”
Jericho breaks in a cold sweat, his Diplomacy is only 9!
Sayonara’s Player takes the floor briefly.
Fortunately, the thought that Sayonara is keeping watch out-
side and is always ready to flee gives you greater confidence: I
spend 5 Morale Points with the “Keeping Watch” Trait to give
you 5 extra Dice Points, since you will surely have to test your
Diplomacy.
The Director nods and asks Jericho how he’ll try to per-
suade the guard to leave him alone.
Jericho looks around, a little less nervously.
“I’m a sub, I’m here for a week and then I’m back to unemploy-
ment.”
Jericho’s Player prepares to roll 9 + 5 Dice Points (9 for his
Diplomacy + 5 from the help provided by Sayonara) and
also adds 1 Morale Point of his own, for a total of 15 Dice
Points (9 + 5 + 1). The Director announces that due to the
increased attention, the threshold is difficult (9).
Jericho rolls 1d12 + 1d3 and gets a lucky 15, Explosive
Roll!
All the Specialists recover 1 Morale Point each, and Jeri-
cho rerolls 1d12 + 1d3: this time he gets a 7 which, added
to the 15 obtained before, makes 22… an Extraordinary
Success!
“Ah, walyun, I was also a temp before I landed this job! Don’t
lose heart and give it your all: I won’t tell the Director anything
tomorrow.”
The guard winks at Jericho while Blanco and the Priest let out a
sigh of relief, releasing the grips of the guns hidden under their
clothes. The Guard walks away , leaving the corridor that leads
to the Tear of Avernus completely unattended.
The Priest and Blanco look at each other.
“Now!”
The other guards have moved away and the Crew moves into
position.
30
Jericho suddenly remembers leaving the burglar tools, along
with all his equipment, in the car with Sayonara!
Blanco, with the Priest watching his back, begins to forcefully
tear down the door of the alarm room, temporarily unattended
as planned by the Strategist.
Sayonara, sleepy from all the waiting, however, notices some-
thing’s off.
The Director now makes use of Sayonara’s previous good
roll.
The guards come out, chatting gleefully, planning to have a
beer together.
On the wide avenue in front of the Museum, however, they pass
a young, overweight man and begin some friendly teasing.
“Are you always this early, Marco?”
“Minch, nobody’s paying you overtime!”
The boy looks embarrassed and does not stay long: Sayonara
sees him head decisively towards the alley, where the secondary
entrance to the museum is, and where (according to the plans)
the guards’ locker room is located.
Sayonara’s Player turns pale and takes the floor.
She tries to reach and stop him using her “feminine wiles”. Say-
onara leaves the car, turning off the engine and making a show
of recognizing the young man.
“Marco! Marco!” shouts the beautiful Driver. He turns around,
surprised and confused by so much familiarity. “Don’t you re-
member me?”
The Director does not consider a test necessary: Sayo-
nara is a beautiful young woman and Marco is quite ear-
ly... he will gladly stay a while to chat with her and try
to understand, if nothing else, where they may have met
before.
Blanco tests his Dexterity to break the lock on the door,
which is not as strong as it looks (threshold 6); he has 13
Dice Points, and he chooses to roll 1d3 + 1d10. This time
he only gets an 8, a Partial Success.
You manage to open the lock, but you can’t properly control
your strength and the hinges crack, making the door clatter to
the ground.
The Director adds more to the Museum Map, also draw-
ing the external alley onto which the room opens and
placing the chess pieces of the White Horse (Sayonara)
and a White Pawn (poor Marco) right under the Alarm
Room window.
Sayonara, you hear the heavy sound of falling metal and wood
coming from the first floor of the Museum ... and Marco also
hears it, looking at you with a worried expression before start-
ing to run towards the entrance.
“Call the cops! Someone is in the museum: I’ll stop them! “
“What are you doing here? What was that noise? “
All the members of the Crew pale: the Guard has yet to see Jeri-
cho kneeling to break open the safe or the Priest cutting cables,
but Blanco has never been someone capable of lying convinc-
ingly (Diplomacy 6) and he ain’t gonna start getting good now.

Sayonara tries to hold him back by force, pretending to be con-
cerned for his safety ...
Sayonara has 12 Dice Points in Dexterity, and the Director
estimates that Marco (actually a Stock character without
stats) is not particularly strong: she just needs to beat a
threshold of 6 to keep him where he is. Sayonara chooses
to roll 1d12 to match the agitated approach she described
in her action... and gets a 1, an Implosive Roll!
All Specialists lose 1 Morale Point and the final result (1-6
= -5) is a Complete Failure!
“Don’t do it.” says Blanco, in a tone of voice that sounds like a
growl, with a hint of pleading. His hand runs instinctively over
the butt of the pistol, while his companions hold their breath.
Marco, probably the bravest night guard that the museum has
ever seen, tries to pull the alarm lever.
The Director looks Blanco’s player in the eyes: both are
aware that the old fighter has very little Morale left and
that both further strain and being responsible for the
death of an innocent could seriously risk bringing it to
zero.

Despite her size, Sayonara is unable to hold back the young “Blanco: what do you do?”
man, who snatches his shirt sleeve out her hand and scampers
into the building, leaving her alone, outside, to decide what to
do in a panic.
The Priest steps into the room and begins fiddling with electrical
cables and transistors to deactivate the sensor before Jericho can
open the armored case ... Blanco, outside, looks at Jericho as he
opens the door and watches the situation out of the corner of
his eye.

The Priest has 10 Dice Points in Touch, but deactivat-

ing the alarm without triggering it is an extremely dif-
ficult task (the Director estimates a Threshold 12) and
will require all of his effort: he decides to spend 10 Mo-
rale Points, effectively doubling his Dice Points to 20!
The player decides for a professional and balanced ap-
proach, rolling 2d10 and getting 13, a partial success.
The Director tells him that he will be able to deactivate
the alarm, but that it will take longer than expected.

Blanco, unnerved, turns towards the inside of the alarm room.

“Priest, it’s been four minutes already.” he says worried.

“I know, maronn. Let me work,” the friend replies, his expres-

sion disfigured by scars and concentration as he emerges from
the tangle of severed electrical cables.

“I don’t want to rush you but ...”

“Stop!”

Marco, the young supervisor, is threatening Blanco with his

baton, while his other hand lingers over an alarm lever of some
kind.

31
BRAWLS AND
GUNFIGHTS
Preparation other of the conflict, or being neutral
victims of the situation.
To make a battle scene more compre-
“Fangool…” “I know, it’s bad. Those bastards burst through the doors and hensible, the Director can then place
whacked all the union’s sluggers before they could even get up from the ta- counter tokens (miniatures, chess
ble.” “I’m gonna be sick--” “Go do that somewhere else, kid. The rest of you: pieces or any other small object) on
forget going home tonight. We got work to do.” the Map, to indicate the starting posi-
tion of all characters involved.
Captain Cesare Daga Gonzaga, Carabinieri
It is better to use different tokens for
each Specialist and for each type of

A
ll the criminals in Porto
Franco have known vio-
lence, in one way or anoth-
er. While it is never an easy
or pleasant choice to make, escalat-
ing the conflict against the Law or
the Underworld will sooner or later
lead to armed confrontation; the Spe-
cialists must be ready to deal with it.
Whether it’s knife fights or shootouts,
the rules for fighting and killing are
as follows.
1 MAP
Malavita does not require precise
grids to manage fights, but even
imagination alone is not enough to
determine the more strategic aspects
of a fight.
Before each scene involving armed
confrontation, the Director draws a
quick sketch of the planimetric map
of the area on a sheet of paper, us-
ing lines to divide it into any desired
number of Areas and drawing ap-
proximately every element of furni-
ture, obstacle and useful piece of cov-
erage, describing everything verbally
in the meantime.
2 FIGHTERS AND COUNTERS
In terms of gameplay, all characters
engaged in any kind of combat are
called fighters.
The fighters likely include the Spe-
cialists and their main opponents,
plus a series of possible extras and
stocks, deployed on one side or the
character: if chess pieces are used,
select white pieces could represent
the Specialists, and the white pawns
their allies in that moment; the black
pawns could be used as opposing fig-
ures, while some black main pieces
could represent the foe or the main
opponent of the scene. In case there
is a need for neutral characters or a
third and fourth faction in play, well
... get yourself another chessboard!
It is advisable to draw the Map with
the characters placed as much as pos-
sible at its center, not at the edges.

32
1 Draw the MAP

map / areas

2 Place counter TOKENS

f ighters and counters

33
BRAWLS AND GUNFIGHTS

THE AREAS
How big should the Map Areas be?
They must be as extensive as your group believes it is plausible for them to be, within the Map you are drawing or
in which you are moving. An Area is not a precise measure in meters, but a relation of distances within an exciting
action scene and, symbolically, a moment where the point of view changes. In a closed room, a few steps can form
an Area. In a large deserted square, Areas can each cover dozens of feet.

Each Map requires a different approach, which you will find by discussing it with the table in the simplest and
fastest way possible, striving for narrative plausibility. If there are different interpretations among the players
regarding the size of the Areas, the Director has the last word.

areas

Rounds
Once the Map has been completed and the tokens have been placed, combat
begins. The sequence of events is divided into units called Rounds: a Round
is the abstract time interval, measurable in a matter of seconds, in which
the fighters act, exchanging a few bullets or blocking and dodging the op-
ponent’s attacks. A Round is divided into three phases: Moves, Engagement
and Actions.

3 MOVES Each fighter can only Engage one tar-

During each round, each fighter has
the right to make 1 Move, if they so
desire: a move from their Area on the
Map to an immediately adjacent Area
(even diagonally). The lead characters
are the first to make their Move, in the
order they prefer. Once their Moves
are over, the Director moves the op-
ponents and neutral characters.
If the Director has placed obstacles
or Coverage on the Map, they will in-
form the players on whether or not
they can move through them. When
all the fighters have made their Move,
or have chosen to not move, the En-
gagement phase takes place.
4 ENGAGEMENT
The Director and the Leads choose
which fighters are Engaged by their
Characters.
get per Round, as long as it is within
Weapon Distance. If the attacker and
target are both within Distance, they
can Engage with each other. If a fight-
er has a multiple choice of targets to
engage with during the same Round,
they must pick only one.
To better remember the engage-
ments, you can use a pencil or pen
of a different color and connect the
affected tokens with a double arrow,
or a single arrow, if only one of the
two keeps the other engaged. When
all the Engagements have been deter-
mined, we move to the Actions phase.
Engagements between fighters in
the same Area must be distributed as
evenly as possible between the par-
ties, trying to form as many pairs of
opponents as possible (this limit does
not apply to fighters in different Areas).
How long is a round?
A round is not a quantifiable
unit of time: it could be a few
seconds or a few minutes,
depending on the situation
and on the choices of allies
and opponents. They might
keep talking from behind
their coverage, bargaining
or threatening, just as they
might throw themselves at
each other in a reckless,
swift assault. Whatever the
approach, the Director will
be the one to let the Players
know how much time has
passed.

34
3 Make the MOVES

moves

4 Set the ENGAGEMENTS

engagement

35
BRAWLS AND GUNFIGHTS

5 ACTIONS
During each Round, if desired, each
fighter can perform 1 Action.
Usually this is a complex and risky
task, therefore requiring a test. If
there are not other constraints or
special circumstances, the non-En-
gaged fighters take their Actions first
and the Engaged fighters follow, in
both cases priority goes to the lead
characters in the order chosen by
the players.
During the Action phase, you cannot
make another Move as an alternative
to the Action, but you can choose not
to act.
The Director has the last word on
determining whether the conduct of
the Specialists constitutes an Action.
Cross out or cancel arrows when you
have resolved their corresponding
Engagements.

5 Perform the ACTIONS

actions

END OF THE ROUND

When all fighters have completed their Action,
the current Round ends and another one begins.

36
Resolving Engagements
If the fighter is Engaged, it is possible to Resolve the Engagements as a Round
Action: EXAMPLE
Sayonara, with her Wrench (Clo-
se Distance), tries to hit a Goon,
ATTACKING armed with a Dagger (Short Di-
stance). They are both in the
same Map Area, so they engage
Both fighters make an Opposed Test for Grit.
each other and both test their Grit
This test allows the use of Explosive Rolls, Implosive Rolls, Gambit Rolls, Mo-
to determine who is the Attacker:
rale Points and any other rule that usually applies to tests.
Sayonara gets a 9, the Goon gets
The winner is the Attacker, while the other is the Defender and the latter’s Grit
a 4. Sayonara is the Attacker and
result corresponds to the test’s Threshold.
goes for her opponent.
In the event of a tie, or if the one who would be the Attacker cannot Engage the
EXAMPLE
Defender, no one becomes the Attacker and we move to the next Action.
Sayonara, with her Wrench (Clo-
se Distance), must face a Goon,
armed with a Pistol (Short Di-
stance). They are in contiguous
Areas of the Map, so he Engages
her, but she doesn’t Engage him.
Both still test their Grit to deter-
mine the Attacker: Sayonara gets
a 12, the Goon gets a 4. Sayonara
can’t Engage the Goon because
CALCULATING THE ATTACK’S DEGREE OF SUCCESS she’s out of range and she simply
avoids his bullets, throwing her-
Once the Attacker and Defender have been determined, the Attack’s Degree of self to the ground. The turn mo-
Success is calculated by subtracting the Defender’s result from the Attacker’s ves to the next Action.
result. If the defender has a Coverage score, this is added to their result; the
Attacker’s coverage score is irrelevant.
If this now brings the difference to 0 or less, the attack is completely intercept-
ed, deflected or absorbed by Coverage, but the Defender remains as such and
cannot hit the Attacker during this Round. EXAMPLE
Blanco, with his Pistol (Short Di-
stance), tries to hit a Goon, armed
with an SMG (Short Distance)
from behind a crumbling concre-
te wall (Coverage 3). They are in
contiguous Areas of the Map, so
they engage each other and both
test their Grit to determine who
the Attacker is: Blanco gets an 8,
the Goon gets a 10. The Goon is the
Attacker, but his Offensive Poten-
tial is 2 (10 -8) and is canceled by
Coverage 3 of the ruined wall (2-3
= -1). The blasts of the Goon hits
Blanco’s Coverage. The turn then
moves to the next Action.

37
BRAWLS AND GUNFIGHTS

DETERMINING THE DAMAGE MULTIPLIER

If the difference between the rolls is 1 or more, the Attacker has managed to
score a hit. The extent of the injury inflicted to the Defender depends on the
Attacker’s Weapon Damage value, and on a Damage Multiplier that depends
on the Degree of Success obtained.
The table below indicates the multipliers corresponding to the different De-
grees of Success:

Success Rate Difference Damage multiplier

Failure 0 or less x0

Partial Success 123 x1

Complete Success 456 x2

789 x3

10 11 12 x4
Extraordinary Success
13 14 15 x5

16 or more X6

Table 1 - Degree of Success and Damage Multiplier

In other words, the Attacker inflicts:

· 1 time the damage of the weapon
· +1 more time for every 3 additional points of difference.

DETERMINING THE DAMAGE

To determine the damage inflicted, the Attacker applies the multiplier ob-
tained to the Damage value of the weapon they are using. The result is equal
to a number of Dice Points, which the Attacker then rolls to determine the
exact amount of damage they have inflicted upon the Defender.
The Defender can reduce the damage they receive by rolling the value of
their protection, if they are wearing any. These rolls are subject to the rules
of Explosive Rolls, Implosive Rolls, Gambit Rolls and Morale Points.

The difference between the two results is the damage suffered by the Defend-
er. Every 1 Damage suffered deprives the character of 1 Hit Point, until they
run out of their supply and become Dying or die instantly.

38
Missing the Target
The distance between two fighters affects their ability to hit each other with
the minimum Difficulty Threshold to be reached when they test their Grit:

Distance Difficulty Threshold

Close 0
Short 3
Long 6
Extreme 9
Table 2 - Difficulty Threshold

If the Attacker wins the test against the Defender, but does not exceed the mini-
mum Difficulty Threshold for Distance, their attack still misses the target.

Suppressive Fire
When a fighter is engaged with more than one enemy, the outnumbered tar-
get faces their Attacks one after the other as part of their Action to Resolve the
Engagements, rolling normally against each of them. Opponents with numer-
ical superiority add an amount of Bonus Dice Points equal to the result of the
roll of the ally that preceded them to their Grit score. Example:

1) Jericho VS Goon 1
both test their Grit and compare results.
· Jericho has 10 Dice Points, rolls the dice and gets 8.
· Goon 1 has 5 Dice Points, rolls his die and gets 3.
· 8 - 3 = +5 for Jericho
· Jericho is the Attacker with Damage Multiplier x2.
2) Jericho VS Goon 2
Both test their Grit, but Goon 2 adds the result of Goon 1
as Bonus Dice Points to his roll.
· Jericho has 10 Dice Points, rolls the dice and gets 9.
· Goon 2 has 8 Dice Points, 5 + 3 of Goon 1’s result;
he rolls his dice and gets 7.
· 9 - 7 = +2 for Jericho
· Jericho would become Attacker with Damage Multiplier x1 but,
having already attacked, he just avoids the hit of Goon 2.
3) Jericho VS Goon 3
Both test their Grit, but Goon 3 adds the result of Goon 2
as Bonus Dice Points to the roll.
· Jericho has 10 Dice Points, rolls the dice and gets 3.
· Goon 3 rolls 12 Dice Points, rolls his dice and gets 11.
· 11 - 3 = 8 for Goon 3
· Goon 3 is the Attacker with Damage Multiplier x3.

39
BRAWLS AND GUNFIGHTS

Coverage
Coverage is an environmental element that provides protection to the Spe-
cialist from opponents of other map Areas outside of their own, absorbing
the blow or avoiding the impact.

Coverage
1 Protects about a quarter of the target’s body.
2 Protects approximately half of the target’s body.
3 Protects approximately three-quarters of the target’s body.
4 Protects almost the entire body of the target.
Table 3 - Types of coverage

A complete and impassable Coverage directly prevents any attack from either
opponents. Some extra environmental factors (such as poor lighting or the use
of blinding gas) can provide extra Coverage, at the Director’s discretion.
Using Coverage is free and automatic if you are inside the Area where it is
present. When the Director draws the Map, they can write the Coverage value
on the spots present in the area of the fight.

coverage

40
Surprise
In Malavita, a Surprise attack occurs when a character is unaware of the
presence of an opponent or their aggressive intentions, or is unable to de-
fend themselves. The Director could give the characters the opportunity to
notice a Surprise assault beforehand through an opposed test: the target
character tests their Instinct, while the attacker tests their Dexterity or Grit.

A Surprised target is Helpless during the first fighting Round: they can neither
Engage nor defend themselves against Attacks directed at them. To hit a help-
less opponent, a fighter must pass the following Difficulty Thresholds:

Distance
Close Within the same Area 0
Short From one area to another adjacent area 3
Long Anywhere on the Map 6
Extreme From outside the map 9
Table 4 - Types of distance

From the next Round, if still alive, the target will no longer be Helpless and will
be able to act normally for the rest of the fight.

Escape
An Engaged character who tries to evade combat must announce it at the be-
ginning of their action and must be in a Border Area of the Map.

They then test their Dexterity (or Driving, if they are in a vehicle) instead of EXAMPLE
Grit during the Opposed Test to hit: The Priest is under fire and tries
running towards a window, to
· If the fugitive wins, they immediately move off the map. jump into the river below and save
· If the fugitive loses against one or more attacks, they are Helpless against his life. He makes a move towards
each of them (see Surprise). the Area with the window and de-
clares his intentions.
If the target is engaged by more than one opponent, in order to disengage, their
Dexterity tests must exceed the Grit test of all the enemies engaging them, He is engaged by a single Bravo,
whom also earn the Suppressive Fire bonuses as described above. who shoots at him with an 8.
The Priest tests his Dexterity, roll-
If no one is Engaging the fugitive and they are in a border Area, they can with- ing a 9, which is just enough to
draw from the fight and exit the Map automatically, as a simple action. make it out alive!

If the fugitive loses to one or more attacks, they are Helpless against each of
them (see Surprise).

41
BRAWLS AND GUNFIGHTS

Other Actions
The Director always has the last word when it comes to the possibility of being
able to perform simple or complex Actions while under attack: the answer is
usually always negative, but if the Director is of a different opinion (and the
Player insists) they can use rules similar to those used for Escapes.

If the target is engaged by multiple opponents, in order to act, their test related
to the Attribute most relevant to the Action must exceed the Grit test of all
engaged enemies, who also gain the Suppressive Fire bonuses described in the
paragraph of the same name.
If no one is Engaging the Character, they can act normally. If the Character los-
es to one or more attacks, they are Helpless against each of them (see Surprise).

42
 ARMORY
In a fight, the players and the Director must keep track of the characteristics
of the weapons used by the lead characters and opponents and the Protec-
tions they are wearing.

WEAPONS
Weapons are used in melee or from a distance, depending on their Distance.
Some weapons can be used with one hand, and therefore allow the use of an-
other weapon (the rules for fighting with two weapons will be given in Mala-
vita – Rules of Engagement), while others, to be effective, must be held with
two hands.
In terms of gameplay, each weapon has certain values associated to it:
· Damage:
The ability to injure an opponent, expressed in Dice Points from 3 to 12.

· Distance:
The ability to reach distant targets with useful accuracy.
· Close: The weapon allows you to hit within the same area.
· Short: The weapon allows you to strike in your own Area
and in adjacent Areas.
· Long: The weapon allows you to fire across the Map.
· Extreme: The weapon allows you to hit beyond the Map,
as long as the target is visible.

· Concealability:
Which reflects how possible it is to hide the weapon.
· Concealable (C): can only be discovered with a thorough search.
· Visible (V): cannot be hidden in any way.

· Handling:
Which indicates how many hands are needed to handle the weapon.
· 1 hand
· 2 hands

MARKS
Weapon marks are brief indications of the weapons’ peculiar or common char-
acteristics, for a quick reference on their specific effects. Here are just a few of
those present in Malavita – Rules of Engagement.

· Automatic: the weapon can Engage and attack 2 targets every Round within
Distance (each target can be Engaged only once).
· Thrown: thrown at Short Distance, the weapon is temporarily lost and can
only be recovered after the fight.
· Slow: the weapon becomes Empty with each use.
· Reload: with an Implosive Shot, the weapon becomes Empty.

43
BRAWLS AND GUNFIGHTS

· Loud: produces a loud sound that is heard even beyond the Map.
· Empty: an Empty weapon must be reloaded by spending 1 Action before it can
be used again.
· Dirty: sprays splashes of blood and shreds of bone and flesh that are easy to
spot.
· Stunning: if the weapon is used to reduce the target to 0 Hit Points, the target
remains at 1 Hit Point instead and becomes Unconscious (see Living and Dying
in Porto Franco)

Weapon Damage Distance Concealable Handling Marks

Bare
3 Close / / Stunning
Hands
Brass
4 Close C 1 hand /
Knuckles

Wrench 5 Close C 1 hand Dirty

Dagger 5 Short C 1 hand Thrown

Baton 6 Close C 1 hand Stunning

Loud
Gun 8 Short C 1 hand
Reload
Slow
Lupara
12 Short C 1 hand Loud
Shotgun
Dirty
Automatic
Submachine
8 Short V 2 hands Loud
gun
Reload
Bolt Action Slow
10 Long V 2 hands
Rifle Loud

Table 5 - Armory

Bolt Action-Rifle Brass Knuckles

44
 PROTECTIONS
Wearing or holding a body protection can reduce the damage caused by being
hit. Protections have a value between 3 and 15, which indicates the amount of
damage they can absorb. Only one protection can be worn at a time, or at
least, only the highest protection value is considered.
EXAMPLE
If Sayonara is wearing a Bullet-
A fighter can also spend Morale Points to earn Dice Points on Protection
proof Vest under her Heavy Clothes,
Rolls, just like with any other test. However, it is never possible to roll less
her Protection value is 8.
than 1d3 on a test, so a character without Protection will only need to spend 1
Moral Point to gain the equivalent of Protection 3, at least against that single
hit received.

Protection Value Concealable

Normal Clothes 0 V

Heavy Clothes 3 V

Thick Leather Clothes 4 V

Bulletproof Vest 8 C

Tactical Uniform and Riot Shield 12 V

Table 6 - Protections

Gun - Beretta Serie 70 Dagger

Lupara Shotgun Submachine gun

45
LIVING AND
DYING
IN PORTO FRANCO
Hesitation can be a costly choice, but so can be acting too soon. Is a single
healed by at least 1 Hit Point with-
in a short time (see Delaying Death,
below).
big splash better than a tactical retreat in order to fight another day?
As soon as a Dying character returns
In Malavita, player choices essentially translate into the actions their char-
to at least 1 Hit Point, they are no lon-
acters take, or at least, their intentions.
ger considered Dying.
If attempts to heal them are not made,
or fail, the character dies.
HIT POINTS their value adapt to different types of
Hit Points are a numerical value that characters. Hit Points are lost when a Extras and Stocks are not so lucky:
represents how far a Character is character takes Damage and regained they die instantly when their Hit
from death. It is not just a quantified as wounds heal, but they cannot ex- Points reach 0, with no chance of be-
measure of their physical health, but ceed the initial value unless specifi- ing saved - all they have left are just a
a combination of: cally stated in the text. few moments in which to utter stran-
1) Their ability to avoid trauma gled cries or their last, tragic words.
and physical injuries.
DEAD, DYING, UNCONSCIOUS Depending on the circumstances of
2) Their natural resistance when CHARACTERS death, the equipment and personal
they cannot avoid the above. Malavita lead characters and foes are possessions of the dead character can
3) Willpower when holding on to life. considered Dying when they reach 0 be considered lost, stolen, confiscat-
4) Barefaced luck. Hit Points. Any excess damage caused ed, taken or collected by the other
by the same hit is ignored. members of the crew.
For this reason it is possible for short A Dying character collapses to the
and smaller characters to have an ground unconscious; the character Alternatively, players can promote a
amount of Hit Points similar to hu- dies if they subsequently take any Stock or an Extra particularly close
ge muscled gaguzz: Hit Points and amount of damage or if they are not to the Crew, taking advantage of the

46
LIVING AND DYING IN PORTO FRANCO
most suitable statistics from the Ex-
tras & Foes section found at the end of
this First Job.
Some effects, such as the Stunning
mark (see Armory), can make a char-
acter Unconscious. An Unconscious
Delaying Death
Characters recover lost Hit Points and ward off death for a while longer
through rest, care, treatments or by tending to their own wounds.
PATCHING UP
The only way to recover in an emer-
gency is to Patch Up one’s own wounds
or someone else’s: the Specialist can
test their Culture with Threshold 6
(Threshold 9 if the character to be
healed is dying or if it’s during a con-
flict):
· In case of success (partial, complete
or extraordinary) the injured person
recovers a number of Hit Points equal
to the degree of success obtained and
ticks the Patched Up Box on the Rap
Sheet.
· In the event of a partial failure, the
injured person does not recover any
Hit Points, but it is possible to try
again if you have time and chance to
do so.
· In the event of a complete failure,
the injured person does not recover
any Hit Points and ticks the Patched
Up Box on the Rap Sheet.
· In the event of an extraordinary
failure, the person being treated dies,
cursing whoever laid their hands on
them.
Patching up wounds during a fight
or any other tense action scene cor-
responds to 1 action and always re-
quires Threshold 9. A dying person
cannot heal themselves, and a char-
acter who died instantly cannot be
saved.A character already Patched
Up, whether fully or not, cannot be
Patched Up further.
48
character falls senseless to the ground,
Helpless against anyone (see Surprise).
Unless they become subjected to a
more serious condition (for example
Dying), they regain consciousness af-
ter some time (from a few minutes to
an hour, at the Director’s discretion).
REST
Rest causes natural healing after
a prolonged period of time: each
month of complete rest allows the
injured person to recover a number
of Hit Points equal to their Fortitude
score. This recovery can be sped up
by receiving appropriate medical
treatment.
CURES AND TREATMENTS
Continuing to take care of your own
or others’ wounds during a period of
complete rest allows you to reduce
the time needed for the positive ef-
fects of Rest: two weeks of complete
rest with someone who takes care of
the wounded are enough to recover
a number of Hit Points equal to the
characters’ Fortitude score.
If this medical treatment is provided
by specialized healthcare personnel,
perhaps within a hospital or facil-
ity, the period required to recover
a number of Hit Points equal to the
characters’ Fortitude score is short-
ened to one week.
MORALE POINTS
Morale Points are a numerical value
that represents the mental strength
and willpower of a character, their
resistance to trauma and the hard life
of a criminal, as well as the measure
of their serenity, determination and
inner strength. The more Morale
Points, the more Skills (see Skills be-
low) a character can use to their ad-
vantage.
Morale Points are spent by activat-
ing Skills, by performing inhuman,
mean and heinous deeds, by failing
miserably in one’s actions or by suf-
fering emotional trauma.
They are regained by performing
sensational and reckless actions,
by resting, by overcoming thrilling
challenges, or by spending time with
one’s loved ones.
Make no mistake, however: bold, ir-
reverent and positive actions are very
expensive in Porto Franco, often dif-
ficult and drawing punitive repercus-
sions; hasty and stealthy violence is
often the quickest solution, and usu-
ally goes unpunished. The Director
must never forget this.
 Before facing a test, you can always spend 1 or + Morale Points to add that
many Dice Points to the roll. You can do this as many times as you like, as long
as you have Morale Points and do it before rolling the dice.

If you find yourself having 0, 1 or 2 Dice Points for a roll, you cannot roll and
you automatically get a complete failure, unless you take a Gambit Roll.
You can also spend 1 Morale Point to get 3 Dice Points instead (additional Mo-
rale Points spent are usually added in a 1: 1 ratio instead).

To avoid loss of Morale, in this First Job, it is possible that the Director will
EXAMPLE grant Cool Tests which, if successful, compensate for or completely cancel the
Blanco has his gun pointed at the loss of Morale. Like all Tests, if the Threshold is not specified by the Hit text, it
head of the young Camorrista is equal to Threshold 6.
who almost whacked Sayonara.
He’s no older than 25, he’s on his
knees, crying in the pouring rain.

· After a few moments of hesita-

tion, while the criminal tearfully
begs him to let him live, the old
hit-man pulls the trigger and the
asphalt in front of both of them
is painted red. As the body thuds
lifelessly to the ground Blanco
will lose Morale Points.

· “I don’t want to see you round

these parts anymore.” says the
old assassin, turning around as
the young man sighs in relief be-
tween sobs of terror. Blanco feels
something inside him warm up:
he recovers some Morale Points.
“If I see you again, I swear—”
the blade pierces his back, hurled
with lethal precision by the young
thug. “Wimpy old gabbagool
...” the young man growls as he
stands up. Blanco gasps, falls to
his knees and tries in vain to re-
move the blade from his collapsed
lung. “When my friends and I are
done with your little sidekick, she
will only be good for dog food.”

49
LIVING AND DYING IN PORTO FRANCO

Items
In addition to their own equipment, the pre-generated Specialists - see the
links to download their rap sheets at page 16 - also carry common everyday
items of little cost (cigarettes, lighter, some money bills, documents, bus
tickets, pen and paper, a hairpin ...).

If the Director or the Players are not sure if the characters have certain objects
of common use with them (especially ones that might be needed at that mo-
ment) they can test their Instinct: A simple phone token can
suddenly become a clutch
· Extraordinary Failure: not only did you lose it, but (if possible) it ended up in item if used to warn the rest
the hands of someone who will use it against you. of the crew about an incom-
· Complete Failure: nothing to do, you don’t have it, you never had it or you ing raid.
don’t know where it went.
· Partial Failure: damn, you just lost it or left it at home, but you know where Or to remove the last screw
you can quickly get another one. left in the grate barring the
· Partial Success: you have it, it works, but there is a problem and the Director way, after the screwdriver
will tell you what it is. snaps.
· Complete Success: you have it with you, it works, no problem.
· Extraordinary Success: not only do you have it but it works much better than Or to flip and choose the first
expected and also gives you an advantage in the current situation. one to barge through that
door, shooting for every-
Excessively rare, illegal or expensive items (at the Director’s discretion) cannot one’s lives.
be “found” in this way.

MONEY
In Malavita, money is at the center of everything. The flow of cash that passes through the hands of the characters
is continuous, but it is not necessary for the players to start counting every coin and bill. When a Specialist finds
themselves having to pay a small or medium-sized expense on something legally purchasable (for example, buy-
ing food for a week of stakeouts, obtaining a radio transmitter, paying for a taxi ride or a train ticket), they always
have the cash to do so. The matter is different when it comes to large expenses (buying a new car), to the tools of
their trade, to weapons, protections and other similar equipment that is scarce or prohibited ... basically the most
important things!

In this First Job, you will find some partial rules on economic resources, and more will be provided in Malavita -
Rules of Engagement.

money

50
Traits
What really separates the Specialists from all other Malavita characters is
the depth of their personalities and their inner strength. These are amplified
by their interactions with other members of the Crew and turned into some-
thing that goes beyond the mere sum of their parts.

Their Traits are the main way in which Specialists will spend their Morale
Points, a resource as important as the more ‘concrete’ Hit Points. IMPORTANT
In Malavita – Rules of Engagement you will find dozens of traits useful for char- If you cannot or do not want
acterizing your characters; for this First Job just use those of the Pre-Generated to describe the use of the Skill
Specialists that you will find at the following links: as reported in its italicized
USA: acheronstore.com/malavita section, you cannot activate
Other Countries: acheron.it/malavitarpg the Skill or spend the corre-
sponding Morale Points.
If it is not specified in the description of the Trait, each of them can be activated
only once per test, and only one Trait per test.

51
52
 AN INTRODUCTORY JOB
in a Teaser, Two Acts and an Interlude

53
AURORA MUST NOT DIE

Introduction
This Job is meant to be read by the
Director and the text presented in
normal font and formatting address-
es them directly. The text meant to be
read aloud to the players is written in
italics, while names or important sto-
ry elements are written in bold.
If you intend to join the session as a
player, it is best to stop reading here
or you will spoil the game for your-
self.
The Director is advised to study the
Job and the Specialists’ Rap Sheets
(with particular attention to their
Relationships) at least once before
playing.
One of the objectives of Malavita –
Rules of Engagement is to provide an
agile and complete system to allow
the Director to create compelling
Jobs and at the same time to provide
them with the tools to conjure and
devise the development of the game,
building upon every player’s ideas
and contributions. The Job in these
pages has been prepared following
this generation and management sys-
tem in order to provide an example
of what you will be able to design and
invent during your own sessions.
The presence of the pre-generated
characters is essential for this Job:
in Malavita - Rules of Engagement you
will find the system that will allow
you to take inspiration from the Spe-
cialists created by the players when
devising the Crew’s first jobs.
If there aren’t enough players to con-
trol at least four of the pre-generated
characters, the Director must take
control of the remaining ones and
play them personally as members of
the crew, allies and right hands to the
lead characters.

Plot
Aurora Celeste Sforza, a scion of a
wealthy family, was kidnapped a few
days ago in the city and the requested
ransom is one billion lire. The family
would like to pay, but the magistrate
won’t let them; meanwhile the streets
are swarming with officers, people
are marching in the streets and all the
city’s criminals are under pressure.
The kidnapping infuriates the Elite
of Porto Franco, horrifies the Peo-
ple, humiliates the Law and irritates
the Underworld: everyone wants the
matter to be resolved quickly and
many would like to get their hands on
the ransom or at least the substantial
reward that the Sforza have promised
to whoever helps them while the po-
lice prove inefficient.
The crew moves through this tense pletely disinterested in respecting
scenario and may come to the scene the city’s hierarchies and balances.
to pocket the reward, to pay off old
debts, or to help out some big shot In the second part, the crew must
who will then owe them a favor. attack Mascaria’s underlings and re-
trieve Aurora, making sure she’s not
In all these cases, the goal is to under- whacked or buried under a storm of
stand what happened to Aurora, take lead…
her into custody and hand her over
to those in charge, keeping her from
coming to a sticky end: if that were
to happen, there would be no money,
no favors, no rewards for anybody...
In the first part of the Job, the gang
must find out the identity of the kid-
napper: Lazzaro Mascaria, a fierce
and ambitious clan leader, recently
arrived in Porto Franco and com-

54
GENERAL BACKGROUND FOR THE DIRECTOR
TEASER - “ACE HIGH”
The job begins in the middle of the action, in front of a rebellious illegal
butcher who deals with meat of dubious origin and who should have made up
for his vices by better managing his debts with Don Vito di Lama. The crew
will not have much choice: he has to be put back in his place.

FIRST ACT - “BLACK VELVET NIGHT”

The billion lire ransom is a juicy steak to all the maverick dogs of the city.
The crew will have to move quickly, probe their contacts and find out where
Aurora could be - they only have three days.
The information will lead them to the Black Velvet, a luxury brothel in the
Leonessa district where the Elite spends the evening amidst glitz, luxury and
depravity. They will have to choose whether to infiltrate or literally storm the
place. Inside, they will find Melpomene, aka Ilaria Salviati: singer, stripper
and the woman of Lazzaro Mascaria, who (if they are not fast enough) will
also be there to pay her a visit, escorted by his lackeys.
Whether the easy way or the hard way, she’s the only one who can reveal
where the boss is keeping young Aurora.

INTERLUDE
Specialists can regain their strength and Morale Points by spending time with
their Relationships; they can acquire equipment, weapons or tools depend-
ing on their behavior among the Factions. If they are exposed, recognized or
let themselves be followed, Mascaria’s lackeys will know who they are and
will be able to affect their Relationships.

SECOND ACT - “BLOOD RED AURORA”

Melpomene’s information will lead the Specialists to the deconsecrated
church of San Basilisco, in the dormitory-district of Decimo. It is here, in the
heart of Mascaria’s domain, that Don Lazzaro keeps Aurora Celeste hidden in
plain sight. The People of the neighborhood can’t stand the new bosses, who
have brought with them an enormous amount of violence, and can be turned
against them, pushing the right buttons.
The Specialists will have to decide which strategy to use to free Aurora and
face Don Lazzaro. They will discover revelations about their past and (per-
haps) may even be betrayed by Don Vito di Lama, who wants the girl and the 197X
ransom for himself. If they survive this last, desperate battle, the Specialists
will be able to return to what is left of their lives in Porto Franco.

55
 TEASER Ace High
Read aloud or paraphrase the following passage:

“I’m not giving you no money, you
gabbadeegats!” Mimì “The Swine”,
a deplorable butcher who deals with
meats of dubious origin, flips the dirty
desk of his shabby, asbestos lined office
and pulls out a filthy, heavy cleaver,
while his lackeys burst through the
door behind you.
Yet another “quick, easy job” from
Ciro.
You simply had to recover the butcher’s
money for Don Vito di Lama, without
drawing any attention. It’s been three
months since the sweaty pig has re-
fused to pay protection money - prob-
ably because his meat sucks and not
even rats eat it anymore.
Sayonara has stayed outside the illegal
wholesale, mainly to prevent urchins
from stripping down the Alfa piece by
piece. You are inside, surrounded by
sharp blades and with little prospect of
getting out of there in one piece with-
out a fight ... but beware! The neigh-
borhood is crowded at this time of day
and a single gun-shot will be enough
to have all the cops in the city close in
on you!

Show the players this map and place their tokens where indicated.

The Swine - office

56
This is an example of a fighting Map: dotted lines define Areas, furniture is
numbered to indicate its Coverage value, and the starting positions of Leads
and Foes are indicated with specific shapes. For the statistics of Mimì The
Swine and his Goons, consult the Extras & Foes appendix.

Mimì will surrender at 5 Hit Points or less, begging for mercy: if they finish
him (while begging, he counts as Helpless), or if they kill him directly during
the fight, they do not lose or gain Morale, as he is absolutely not Innocent.

GUILTY AND INNOCENT

Malavita - Rules of Engagement contains a quick and immediate system to divide all those who cross paths with
the Crew into the human categories of Guilty and Innocent. Punishing the Guilty or trampling the Innocent will
have different impacts on the Specialists’ Morale, based on their Cool and the extent of their actions. These inner
consequences are even more marked when the Specialists cross paths with the special types called Tormentors,
the most guilty of the Guilty, and Victims, the most innocent of the Innocent. In this First Job you will find this
aspect of the game already discreetly inserted in the pages you are reading, but the complete explanation of its
use is only found in Malavita – Rules of Engagement.

Guilty, Innocent, Tormentors and Victims are not universal and absolute categories, but have a defined game
function when the leads come into contact with them, during a certain scene or situation.

guilty and innocent

During the fight, Sayonara will initially stay outside, but she will be able to in-
teract with the fight through her Keeping Watch Trait. If she hears shots coming
from inside the building, she will be able to intervene in combat with a delay of
1 Round.

Once the fight is over, and only if Loud Weapons have been used, you will hear
cop sirens in the distance, called by someone who cannot vatoli sui. To search
the place in search of Don Vito di Lama’s money, the characters can describe
what they do and test the appropriate Aptitude, which will most likely be Instinct:

· Complete Failure: nothing is found and as soon as the specialists come out
they see a wailing patrol car swerving into the street.
· Partial Failure: nothing is found but they manage to leave just in time before
being seen by the cops.
· Partial Success: the money is found but as soon as the specialists come out
they see a wailing patrol car swerving into the street.
· Complete Success: they find the money and manage to leave just before being
seen by the cops.

If the Swine has been forced to collaborate or if the Specialists have not attract-
ed the attention of the police, no test is necessary and the characters automat-
ically obtain a complete success. This is an example of how you can use the
results of a test to modulate the situation around the characters in a moment
of narrative tension.

57
TEASER

CHASE (OPTIONAL)
If the cops see the characters, they will try to chase after them!
In Malavita - Rules of Engagement there are rules and statistics useful for manag-
ing vehicles and chases. The following is a simplified version.
Read aloud or paraphrase the following passage:

The wheels of the Quadrifoglio Oro screech on the asphalt while the roar of the en-
gine cancels out the sirens and the acceleration crushes you against the seats. You
hurl yourself down the wide streets of the Nucleo Officine, followed by the pantera
patrol car: you can see a young police officer, barely twenty years old, bent over
the wheel with a determined look and, at his side, a much older colleague yelling
on the radio with a worried expression.

58
In order to flee the Cops, the Crew
must reach the last Area on this Map
before the pantera.
To do this, the driver and the Director
must describe the escape maneuvers
and make an Opposite Driving test
against the Officer who is driving the
Pantera (Driving 2d6):
· Complete or Extraordinary Fail-
ure: the patrol car advances by 1 Area
+1 for each Disadvantage accumulat-
ed. The crew does not advance. A re-
inforcement pantera arrives.
· Partial Failure: neither the crew
nor the cops advance. A reinforce-
ment pantera arrives.
· Partial Success: both cops and crew
advance 1 space. A reinforcement
pantera arrives.
· Complete or Extraordinary Suc-
cess: the crew advances by 1 space
+1 for each accumulated Advantage.
The pantera does not advance.
Instead of advancing the pantera, the
Director may decide to inflict anoth-
er Disadvantage on the crew: losing
or breaking pieces of equipment,
sudden obstacles (to be dodged with
an additional Driving test, or risk
getting caught), innocent bystanders
(test Cool if they hit them: on a fail-
ure they lose the difference in Morale
Points) or suffer trauma and bruises
(randomly determine the target char-
acter and automatically injure them
by rolling Damage 6), at the Director’s
choice.
A Chase is in fact a special type of
Fight and follows very similar rules.
If the crew opens fire on the cops
during the pursuit, the latter will re-
turn fire, except in the case in which
their bullets could injure Innocents.
Being inside a moving car automat-
ically grants Coverage 3, even to Of-
ficers.
To calculate Distances consider each
square of the track as an Area of a
Map, with the following difference:
if the Pantera has passed the Special-
ists by 2 or more squares, the Officers
still count as within Short Distance.
In the Extras & Foes appendix you
will find the statistics of the officers
in the patrol car: there are 3 of them
per car, make good use of them and
let the players spontaneously narrate
the actions of their specialists in re-
gards to what the hit requires, rather
than forcing them.
In this First Job, if the cops arrive at
the Capture box, the crew’s car is
rammed and forced to crash. The
specialists, seriously injured, will be
taken to the hospital and subsequent-
ly arrested: after such reckless and
incapable behavior, not even Don
Vito can get them out. Their Criminal
Record ignominiously ends here!
59
TEASER

If the crew arrives at the Escape

Area, the cops end up losing their
NUCLEO OFFICINE
tracks - read aloud or paraphrase the
The streets of the Nucleo Officine district are a place of rare squa-
next step.
lor: prefabricated industrial buildings and warehouses blackened by
smog, separated by long, straight roads, crossed by workers on foot
or in their small cars. Visibility is reduced by heavy dust that creates
As the door to Sayonara’s garage
a yellowish fog with an unmistakable smell, and it is not uncommon
closes behind you, you can hear her
to suddenly see some articulated trucks loaded with heavy goods, in-
growl a curse for every bump, hole or
dustrial semi-finished products or toxic substances emerge from the
line on the once shiny bodywork of
factories, or to see yet another rally of the urban proletariat trying to
her Quadrifoglio Oro. If there were
force the Elite to treat them like human beings.
someone else with you, they would
hear you arguing heatedly about
The Director can focus on the squalor of the neighborhood and its
each other’s faults and why it always
inhabitants in order to give life to the chase!
ends up horribly whenever you do
anything together. You quickly re-
place the license plate of the vehicle
with another of not entirely legiti-
mate origin; tomorrow you will do
the same with the external paint.
Finally, you can catch your breath.

CONTINUE WITH THE FIRST ACT

60
FIRST ACT

BLACK VELVET NIGHT

61
FIRST ACT BLACK VELVET NIGHT

Read aloud or paraphrase:

You have been part of this crew for
some time now.
Sometimes you’ve gone solo, but you
always ended up working together
again. And yes, you’re fully aware
that you are among the best profes-
sionals in the whole of Porto Franco,
each in your own field.
Sayonara’s garage has always been
your lair: there is enough money and
cars in plain sight to hide spare parts,
weapons, tools and shady deals when-
ever needed.
A radio announcement interrupts a
familiar scene: you cleaning the guns
on the worktable, listening to the
usual light background music. The
announcer’s voice is professional but
also agitated.
“Buongiorno Porto Franco!
I am your announcer Nunzio di
Cinzio and this is Breaking News with
“Tutto Città”, your favorite informa-
tion variety show, only on Radio Faro!
A few minutes ago, the Public Security
Office provided a Press Release by Lead
Magistrate Nicola Benelli Franchi, re-
garding the kidnapping of young heir-
ess Aurora Celeste Sforza. Aurora is
the eighteen-year-old daughter of well-
known noblewoman and local patron
Alessandra Severa Sforza and the late
Ludovico, Duke of the Azores. You’ll
remember that she was kidnapped 30
days ago, listeners.
The family also released an official let-
ter to the authorities, in which they ex-
pressed full confidence that the police is
doing its job and will be able to recover
the girl safe and sound.
As a reminder: the ransom, amounting
to an astronomical sum of one billion
lire, has not yet been paid and the Pros-
ecutor’s Office announced that, in a
rare move, the family’s bank accounts
have been placed under special legal
protection as a measure against the
current situation. This is all unprece-
dented, in more ways than one.
Listeners, this is indeed more bad news
reinforcing the fear that local criminal
cartels are waging an actual declara-
tion of war against the state and the
most esteemed figures in the city. The
tug-of-war between the Law and the
Underworld seems to have worsened
over the past month, pointing to the
disturbing but not yet confirmed pros-
pect of a new criminal force rising to
power and shuffling the old cards: the
Mascaria Clan. This faction is already
under investigation by the courts for
its unusual violent methods and the
reach of its network of clandestine
businesses.
Could this clan be behind the heiress’
kidnapping? Could it just be a terrible
coincidence? More about this in our
evening edition, here on Radio Faro:
don’t turn that dial!”

Let the players discuss the situation among themselves: it is very likely that
their characters will decide to try and free the girl themselves or simply get
their hands on the ransom or reward money. If this does not happen, Sayonara’s “The worst part? It ain’t how
landline will ring: it’ll be her “aunt” Alessandra Severa Sforza, her voice broken tired, afraid or frustrated
by sobs, begging her to come to her villa in the Episcopate District and help her. at seeing the worst of this
country’s scum escape you
The next section is inspired by the classic model of events that we want to de- yet again. No. I’m used to
velop in Malavita: a non-linear plot, to be explored and at the service of players that. The worst part is hav-
and of the Director. ing to pay my respects to my
The crew may decide to meet all of their contacts or only part of them, even men’s families, when some-
trying other avenues that are impossible to foresee (in fact, it’s pointless to try thing goes wrong. I won’t let
doing so). Whatever happens, Advantages and Disadvantages will help you stay anyone else do that, because
in control of the situation. it’s my fault if a young officer
loses their life. But still… I
will never get used to the
reactions of their parents,
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN PORTO FRANCO their siblings, their spouse.
In the quieter moments of city exploration between encounters, you can roll Their pain becomes mine.”
1d10 and consult the following table. Mark the events already played with an X Nicola Benelli Franchi
on their number so as not to repeat them! Magistrate

62
d10 Random Encounters
The Scam. A bump on the side mirror introduces Nando Grassi, a very unlikely and clumsy scammer who accuses
one of the characters of having damaged his car. He asks for money immediately, otherwise he’ll call the cops.
1 Characters can react as they wish, but killing him will result in a Cool test with Threshold 6: in the event of a Fail-
ure, the Specialists lose Morale Points equal to the difference obtained from the roll. In case of success nothing
happens.

The Wallet. Alberto Zanna, a wealthy local councilor, walks down the street looking lost and disoriented. With
speed and ferocity, a Goon pins him to the wall, blade to his throat, and takes his wallet. The criminal flees on foot
2 through the streets, but if the characters return the wallet to its rightful owner, they could get an Invitation to the
Black Velvet, where the councilor would like to meet one of the crew members again. The Goon is particularly
cowardly and if he runs away, he’ll drop the wallet.

The Checkpoint. Characters can choose to stop and be checked or to run away (causing a Chase). If they stop (and
3 do not run away) and are not Disfavored by the Law or have any visible weapons with them, they will be released
after a few minutes.

The Robbers. Two very young urchins are attempting a job in a seedy betting ring: the first one walks out the door
with a bag of money in his hand, the other barely puts one foot outside the door before his leg is hit by a gunshot
coming from inside the building and he drops to the ground. The owner of the place comes out with a bloody head
and a gun in his hand, completely out of his mind. He points the shotgun at the injured boy who cries and writhes
4 in pain and terror as his partner runs away. If the characters do not intervene, the owner whacks the young man
with a horrifying shot at point-blank range: the crew must make a Cool test with Threshold 12: in case of Failure
they each lose Morale Points equal to the difference. In case of success nothing happens. In addition, if the char-
acters do not leave quickly, the cops will arrive.

The Homeless Man. A homeless man looking worse for wear is walking down the street, when all of a sudden he
claws at his chest and begins to gasp, collapsing to the ground amid the general indifference of the few passers-by.
5 If the characters help him, in any concrete way, they must make a Cool test with Threshold 9: in case of failure
they recover the difference in Morale Points. In case of success nothing happens.

The Checkpoint. As per number 3 of this table. The city is guarded by cops as if it were under siege, due to the
6 violent escalation caused by organized crime.

The Stray. A filthy,hungry mutt with big black eyes, approaches the character with the fewest Morale Points from
behind a dumpster. If they allow it, the dog will lick their hand gently and quickly leave afterwards. The Specialists
7 test their Cool with Threshold 12: in case of Failure they recover Morale Points equal to the difference obtained.
In case of success nothing happens.

The Parade. A workers' union rally completely blocks the road and invades the roadway, beating on the roofs of
cars. Depending on how they react and how they treat the protesters, the characters may have to face an Angry
8 Mob (see Extras & Foes) or even become Favored by the People (if they aren't already). Favor and Disfavor of Peo-
ple cancel each other out. If they simply let them carry on, after a while the workers continue their march.

The Chess Player. An elderly chess player in Parco Rivoluzione looks at the characters with a magnetic gaze,
asking them if they would like to play with him. The Director determines the outcome of the match testing the
9 player’s Brain. Regardless of the outcome of the match, the old man gets up, heartily thanks his opponent, and
leaves. No further effect.

The Roadblock. Same as number 3 (Checkpoint), but the road is completely blocked by spiked strips and road-
10 blocks; therefore, characters cannot escape the checkpoint with a Chase.

63
FIRST ACT BLACK VELVET NIGHT

Looking for Aurora

T
he secret to finding something you’re looking for, when you don’t
even know where to look, is to start asking around. It is impossible
to find Aurora Celeste’s hiding place by casually investigating the city
(the cops have been doing this for a month, with no success). There
is no need to roll at random to gather in-formation: only the allies of the Spe-
cialists, with their specific knowledge and in exchange for certain favors, can
point them in the right direction.

Sometimes the crew could be favored or disfavored by certain Factions: Mala-

vita - Rules of Engagement includes all consequences of Faction Diplomacy. The
ones in this Job are just a small example.

The most useful Relationships for the search are the following:

CAROGNA (“SCUM”) THE MESSINESE, AKA DON VITO

birth name Mario Ganacci birth name Vito di Lama
Faction: the Underworld Faction: the Underworld

A contact of the Priest’s: a neighborhood criminal with a
finger in almost every pie but little knowledge about the
higher ups. Grimy, cowardly and a profiteer, he’s the clas-
sic petty thief and too cowardly to pull a big job alone.
The poster child of lowly scoundrels from Porto Franco.
· What does he want?
An exclusive invitation to one of the erotic parties in the
Leonessa district. If the crew grants it to him, the char-
acters automatically gain a Complete Success; otherwise
they will have to convince him in some other way.
· What does he know?
That Mascaria’s only weak point is his woman, a singer/
prostitute named Melposere ... Malmolele ... some-thing
like that ... who works for the most exclusive, most secret
parties in the Leonessa, but Carogna has no idea where
those are.
· What does he say?
· Complete Failure: he does not speak, he is too afraid
of Mascaria and as soon as he is alone he informs Don
Vito di Lama of the crew’s search.
· Partial Failure: he does not speak, he is too afraid of
Mascaria but tells the crew to ask Don Vito di Lama,
claiming that he’ll definitely know everything.
· Partial Success: he says what he knows, but as soon
as he is alone he informs Don Vito di Lama of the
Crew’s search.
· Complete Success: he says what he knows and does
not inform Don Vito di Lama of the Crew’s search.
A contact of Jericho’s: elderly boss of the Cosa Nostra clan
in town, one of the first foreign criminals to have moved
to Porto Franco after the war, and one of the most respect-
ed by the Santa Croce. He has built a career on protection
money and the black market. Old, thin and always impec-
cably dressed, his boys are few but experienced and ex-
tremely loyal.
· What does he want?
First of all, the butcher’s money… and he’ll be disap-
pointed if they haven’t brought it to him or if the crew
has made too much of a mess. He’ll take care of it.
He also wants Aurora’s ransom money. And, if possible,
the end of Lazzaro Mascaria and his fastidious criminal
rise. If the characters promise that they will deliver Au-
rora to him, he will reveal everything he knows.
· What does he know?
That Lazzaro Mascaria’s weak point is his woman, the
singer and stripper “Melpomene”, who performs exclu-
sively at The Black Velvet, one of the most exclusive clubs
in the Leonessa.
· What does he say?
The character need not insist too much with Don Vito:
he is happy to tell everything he knows to the characters
in exchange, exclusively, for their word of honor that the
girl will be handed over to him or that he’ll get his hands
on the ransom. He promises, of course, to treat her with
the consideration owed to the daughter of a countess and
is horrified by and disapproving of Mascaria’s behavior.

64
 BAKUNIN IRON FIST
birth name Ernesto Fedele birth name Nicola Benelli Franchi
Faction: the People Faction: the Law

A highly respected trade unionist who has been fighting
for years against decay and crime in the district of Dec-
imo. He is one of the most courageous opponents to the
rise of Mascaria, a rule founded on terror and on the im-
mediate repression of all dissent: recently he was taken
by the clan boss’ Bravi and beaten to a pulp, so much so
that he is still recovering in his bed when the Specialists
go looking for him.
· What does he want?
To free Decimo from the influence of the Underworld.
· What does he know?
Not much, unfortunately: he hasn’t been able to move for
some time due to his injuries. He knows for sure that the
local population can no longer stand Mascaria’s gorillas
and their violent methods, and that the entire neighbor-
hood is a bomb ready to explode: it would only take an
episode of extreme and useless cruelty, the classic straw
that breaks the camel’s back, and the People would chase
out Mascaria’s servants tooth and nail, if necessary.
· What does he say?
If the characters tell him they want to free Aurora Ce-
leste, he will promise to help them by spreading the
word among the poor and the oppressed: the characters
become Favored by the People.
However, if the characters only talk about money and
show off their contact with Don Vito di Lama, he will get
angry at them and withdraw all support: the characters
become Disfavored by the People.
Specialists mark Favor or Disfavor of the People in the
annotations section of their Rap Sheets.
A contact of Blanco’s: the hard fist of the law, forced to
work in perennial scarcity of men, means and political
support from the Elite - who, secretly, also do good busi-
ness with the city’s Underworld. Aurora’s kid-napping
also put him under tremendous pressure from the media.
· What does he want?
To know any weakness of Lazzaro Mascaria. If the crew
grants it to him, the characters automatically gain Com-
plete Success, otherwise they must convince him in
some other way.
· What does he know?
That there is no doubt that Lazzaro Mascaria is the one
who kidnapped Aurora: the ferocity with which the kid-
nappers conduct negotiations is something new to the
city and very much in keeping with his style. A madman,
perched inside the district of Decimo, where he built his
fortress on the terror of the local population..
· What does he say?
· Complete Failure: he doesn’t reveal anything and
instructs the characters to stay out of the investiga-
tion because he doesn’t trust them. He will also have
them watched by his men.
· Partial Failure: he doesn’t reveal anything, but sug-
gests an unofficial collaboration to the crew, which
will make their life easier.
· Partial Success: he reveals everything he knows
but instructs the characters to stay out of the inves-
tiga-tion because he doesn’t trust them. He will also
have them watched by his men.
· Complete Success: he reveals everything he knows
and promises an unofficial collaboration with the
crew, which will make their life easier.

LAW ABIDING CITIZENS

Being watched involves becoming, at least for now, Disfavored by the Law: if the characters actively check that they
are not being followed, it is possible that they will notice a suspicious car that has been behind them a little too
long... which could even lead them to completely misunderstand the identity of the stalkers, leading for example to
a potential Disadvantage to be inflicted. In addition, the cops will tend to be very rigorous and search them often,
and it will be automatically impossible to get them to turn a blind eye without good leverage.
Having an “unofficial collaboration” with Benelli Franchi means having become, at least for now, Favored by the
Law: with a phone call to the Magistrate, the Specialists could get out of tricky situations involving the Police and the
Director can easily grant an automatic Complete success instead of needing the dice roll for this purpose. However,
the Favor does not last forever: asking for a big favor or for Benelli Franchi to cover for decidedly unjustifiable acts
will cause the immediate loss of this status.
Specialists mark Favor or Disfavor of the Law in the annotations area of their Rap Sheets.
law

65
FIRST ACT BLACK VELVET NIGHT
AISHA
birth name Aisha Bin ‘Yasin
Faction: the Elite
A contact of Sayonara’s: her mother and a model well
inserted in all the more or less transparent circles of
the world of entertainment, where stars and corrup-
tion shine in equal measure. Unlike many younger col-
leagues, Aisha lives only for her daughter Gaia, who gave
her the strength to get clean and forsake uncontrolled
careerism of the scene. Today, Aisha’s only concern is the
life that her daughter leads, constantly away from home,
among expensive cars and very dangerous men. She
would like her to come home and resume her studies, or
possibly even try a career in show business.
· What does she want?
To stay with her daughter as much as possible. Maybe try
to convince her to change her life.
· What does she know?
Very little, in truth. If the name Melpomene is mentioned
(even when it’s not relevant) she will tell the sad story of
a little girl from Decimo, Ilaria Salviati (see Melpomene
later, in The Black Velvet chapter), they were friends
once, see?, they were both in the entertainment world
and both came both came from such a hard life, dears.
· What does she say?
There is no need to make a test if Sayonara is the one ask-
ing her questions. Everything she knows, she’ll happily
hand over to her baby.
66
FUMARA
birth name Antonello Fumara
Faction: ---
A contact of Jericho’s: a Chancellor of the Court of Por-
to Franco with a passion for brothels. His arteries are
clogged up by his cholesterol levels and a wife he hates,
but he stays with her to avoid the scandal and the dif-
ficulties of divorce. An ordinary man, with predictable
and exploitable vices: as shallow as they come.
· What does he want?
To keep his secret and live quietly, without no problems.
Threatening to reveal his dirty little vices to his wife is
enough to get everything out of him, but his mediocri-
ty also makes him vindictive: whoever threatens him
will automatically obtain a partial success, otherwise he
must be convinced in some other way.
· What does he know?
That the Black Velvet in the Leonessa district has become
too expensive for those like him, even if he still has an
old Invite. In fact, it seems that Lazzaro Mascaria has
acquired a share in the place… but he doesn’t know any-
thing else.
· What does he say?
· Complete Failure: he does not speak, he is too afraid
of Mascaria and as soon as he is alone he informs Don
Vito di Lama of the crew’s search.
· Partial Failure: he does not speak, he is too afraid
of Mascaria but tells them to ask Don Vito di Lama,
claiming that he’ll certainly know everything.
· Partial Success: he says what he knows, gives them
the Invite, but as soon as he’s left alone he informs
Don Vito di Lama of the crew’s search.
· Complete Success: he says what he knows, gives
them the Invite and does not inform Don Vito di Lama
of the crew’s search.
 DONNA SFORZA
birth name Alessandra Severa Sforza
Faction: the Elite

A matronly, aristocratic figure, with an intense gaze and the dismissive man-
ners of someone who’s time is too precious to waste. Her rare moments of
kindness have always been reserved for her daughter. She is always sur-
rounded by a significant bodyguard presence.
· What does she want?
To have her daughter back safe and sound, along with the kidnapper’s head
on a silver platter.
· What does she know?
Unfortunately, nothing other than what has been reported by the newspa-
pers.
· What does she say?
That she will pay a lot of money to each of them to free her daughter, but
above all to eliminate her tormentor. She does not trust the law at all and
she considers Nicola Benelli Franchi useless. If the characters give her the
information they have about Melpomene and The Black Velvet, she will give
them a Golden Mask - an old mask in gold foil and butterfly scrolls decorated
with black diamonds - which she used to enter the most exclusive brothels in
the Leonessa to cheat on that “impotent bigot” of late Ludovico, Duke of the
Azores. The mask is a sort of life long pass for all venues in the Leonessa, the
symbol of a secret society within the city.

If the characters go to Villa Sforza, read aloud or paraphrase the following

passage:

All of you are immediately led inside
the luxurious villa of Alessandra Sev-
era, matriarch of the cadet branch of
this noble family which traces its roots
back to the Renaissance. The woman
herself is waiting for you in a pri-
vate study looking gorgeous but pale,
hunched and unnaturally tired.
Let the characters introduce them-
selves, have them talk to Alessan-
dra Severa until they mention her
daughter and her kidnapping. Then,
read the following aloud:
Suddenly stiffening, Alessandra Severa
falls completely silent and, following a
brisk gesture of hers, she has her strong
bodyguards bring over a cassette play-
er, making them place it on the table
in front of you. Looking away, as if she
already knows the content, the woman
nods and has the guards press play.
The recorded voice is that of Aurora,
whom Sayonara knows well: a sunny
girl, just over eighteen, almost un-
recognizable with her voice broken
from tears and terror.
“I don’t want to read it, please ... n-no!
Wait w-wait no! Okay, I’ll read it: I’m
sorry, sorry, I’ll read it right away ... “
She pauses, a sound of paper unfolding.
“Y-You didn’t listen to us. We said ten
days, but a-a month has passed. We
d-don’t like being fooled. And to s-show
you that we are serious ... no, please!
No! Stop! Let me go! Let me go!”
An unbearable sequence of excruciat-
ing cries follows, ending with a trem-
bling and desperate cry in the back-
ground. Alessandra Severa trembles.
After a few moments, there’s a male
voice, hoarse and with a heavy region-
al inflection.
“You have three days.”
The tape continues with a click and
white noise that floods the room with
the weight of a boulder. You only now
notice that between the noblewoman’s
nervously clasped hands there is a
small bundle of fabric, encrusted with
a sinister rust-colored substance. The
woman hugs it to her chest, beginning
to cry not without dignity. Then, she
looks up at you, with an indecipher-
able gaze.
“I want them dead.”

67
FIRST ACT BLACK VELVET NIGHT

The Black Velvet

O
nce the two pieces of infor-
mation necessary to find the
THE LEONESSA
first link (Melpomene and
La Leonessa is a small decadent, baroque corner at the heart of the
the Black Velvet) have been
city, reminiscent of Venice, from which it took its name: winding
connected, the characters can start
streets suspended over the water, featuring monstrous gargoyles and
looking for information and scoping
sumptuous masked parties, amidst history, mystery and passion.
out the place.
The entire district extends between the canals and the dead branch-
es around the mouth of the Albinia. Eighteenth-century buildings
The methods they can use are many,
with frescoed facades, spired suspension bridges, churches standing
but this time there are no specific fa-
tall among the brothels that fill the night with laughter and moans of
vors to be granted in order to magi-
pleasure. The district is closed to car traffic, and many streets barely
cally find the necessary information:
allow the passage of motorbikes. A diesel-powered ferry stops at the
Don Mascaria is no gabbagool. Who-
main squares, but it is not uncommon to see motorboats and small
ever uncovers his secrets, swims with
yachts passing a few centimeters from the precious marbles of the
the fishes.
piers, playing loud music, greeted by the beautiful girls who look out
of the multicolored windows.
FLOOR PLANS
The Black Velvet is a club at the top of
The entire district is under the control of the Widow, one of the
Palazzo Velluti, an eighteenth-centu-
Saints of the Santa Croce, but the Black Velvet has recently fallen
ry mansion that has long been con-
under the control of Mascaria.
verted into a brothel and exclusive
private club. The following are the
floor plans of its useful premises, to
be used as a Map in combat or even
just to describe the environment to DANGER
the players. Feel free to add to them, If the crew attracts attention by asking too many questions (or worse),
improve on them or redo them from Lazzaro Mascaria will become aware of their interest and will begin
scratch if you prefer! to study the characters and their Relationships, in order to hit them if
needs must (see below, Interlude).

68
If the characters are looking for information about the building, regardless of
how they decide to move (look for tip-offs among the scum of the Leonessa or con- TIPS FOR
vince the council office clerks using Diplomacy?), here is an example of what they THE DIRECTOR
could get:
· Complete Failure: nothing is achieved and the questions attract unwanted at- This is the Crew’s first real
tention. Job and you can use it to fa-
· Partial Failure: nothing is achieved but the crew stops before attracting too miliarize yourself with the
much attention. If they insist, someone will notice them: the characters can game and narrative tools
decide whether to automatically obtain a partial success by spending 1 Morale available to the players and
Point each or whether to remain without information. to the Director.
· Partial Success: you get the exact planimetry of the Black Velvet (see below)
but you are also quite certain that you have drawn too much attention. The Jobs of Malavita do not
· Complete Success: you get the exact planimetry of the Black Velvet (see be- require any series of scenes
low) without attracting any attention. to be played in a consecutive
manner, but only a number
When the characters discover the floor plans to the building, show them and let of modular elements freely
them consult the maps provided in this First Job. interchangeable editable ac-
cording to your needs.
SURVEILLANCE
If the leads are looking for informa- In this First Job, the Black Velvet has Let the events play out, and
tion on surveillance for the Black two possible initial Alert levels: let the players formulate and
Velvet, no matter how they decide to follow their strategies to cre-
move (look for rumors among the city · Low alert: the characters did not at- atively resolve the situation.
criminals and ask the club staff using Di- tract attention, inside the club there Tackling the narrative in an
plomacy?), here is an example of what are only 7 Bravi+ 2 outside, unarmed adaptive way, relying on co-
they could get: (they keep their guns in the locker ordinated teamwork, build-
room). There is no search at the en- ing upon the ideas of the
· Complete Failure: nothing is trance and it is possible to enter with players and the possibilities
achieved and the questions attract concealable weapons. of their characters, thinking
unwanted attention. outside the box and playing
· Partial Failure: nothing is achieved · High alert: the characters have at- to find out what happens...
but the crew stops before attracting tracted too much attention, inside the these are all excellent prac-
too much attention. If they insist, room there are 12 Bravi +2 at the en- tices to implement at the
someone will notice them: the char- trance. All the Bravi have their guns gaming table.
acters can decide whether to auto- on them and at the they search every-
matically obtain a partial success by one at entrance of the restaurant: any Use the dice rolls to facilitate
spending 1 Morale Point each or to weapon, even concealable ones, is the situation around the Spe-
remain without information. found and the owner is identified as a cialists and to get plot ideas,
· Partial Success: they find out how source of problems for the boss, Laz- but remember that this is a
many armed men are present inside zaro Mascaria. The Bravi will want to dangerous and deadly game:
the room (see below), but the ques- know more, the easy way or the hard complete destruction of the
tions draw unwanted attention. way. crew is a very likely possibil-
· Complete Success: they find out ity, if the characters attempt
how many armed men are present Malavita – Rules of Engagement will to directly storm the club or
inside the room (see below) without contain all the instructions to esca- face Mascaria and his goons.
attracting any attention. late and manage the levels of Conflict
and Alert with your opponents and
with all the Factions of Porto Franco:
the example above is a simplified ver-
sion. For the Bravi’s stats, see Extras &
Foes appendix.

69
FIRST ACT BLACK VELVET NIGHT

FIRST FLOOR
Read aloud or paraphrase:

You pass by a motorboat anchored illegally on the side of the immense Palazzo
Velluti: an eighteenth-century building of dazzling whiteness, veined only by the
black marble “tears” of the gigantic gargoyles, who use their mighty muscles to
support the granite and travertine baroque terraces.

Much of the building is in ruins or damaged, only the first floor and the fourth,
the top one, are occupied by the Black Velvet. A small crowd of men and women in
masks stand waiting before you, cackling and giggling. Someone is already drunk
and heads to the alley to puke, others have the frantic tone typical of heavy drug
use. Every now and then a beefy bodyguard, also wearing a mask, lets a couple of
people inside or opens the ebony and gold doors to let someone out.

You can hear the muffled sound of music and see the sparkling lights of the party
dancing from the top of the building .

Black Velvet - 1

70
FOURTH FLOOR
Read aloud or paraphrase:

The main hall is lit up by crystal chandeliers. Between the tables, decorated wooden
platforms host completely naked dancers who move to the rhythm of the music com-
ing from the blindfolded orchestra on stage.

Men and women are dressed in two ways, either wearing gaudy suits of rich fabrics
and an obscene display of jewels or nothing at all. Sometimes a bit of both. Waitress-
es in tuxedos serve drinks from the bar;the finest dishes are delivered by a conveyor
belt, without any of the kitchen staff seeing what is happening inside the hall.

Bedrooms, full of every possible adornment of vice, host grunting bodies while, on
the opposite side, a dark room quivers with the pleasure of an unspecified number of
lustful individuals, beneath a black and gold marquee.

Black Velvet - 4

71
FIRST ACT BLACK VELVET NIGHT

MELPOMENE’S PENTHOUSE
Read aloud or paraphrase:

The attic is immense, the nightly light entering through glass walls covered with
deep purple velvet curtains. Greek statues of the same, identical female divinity
lead to a large central cage, where a swing suspended from the structure within it
suggests that it is not only meant for the white doves that inhabit it.

In front of the cage, a disturbing black leather armchair faces the aviary, while
in one corner a giant four-poster bed is placed next to a table with a mirror and
lights. On another table, used syringes and tourniquets are visible, and almost
everywhere you see porcelain dolls abandoned on Persian carpets.

Black Velvet - Penthouse

72
 EXTRAS AND STOCKS FROM THE BLACK VELVET
The Black Velvet is attended by a
series of Extras and Stocks:
· The Girls: dancers, strippers, pros-
titutes, artists and often all of the
above, with a small but selected
male presence; they dance on the
platforms placed between the tables
in the central room or take care of
patrons in the bedrooms and in the
Dark Room (dedicated to anony-
mous orgies). Their job is to get rich
through the expenses of the club’s
patrons: those who refuse to buy
even one drink will be eyed with sus-
picion and reported to the Bravi.
· The Staff: servers, cooks, bartend-
ers, warehouse workers... the staff
that serves the patrons, excluding
the Girls, tends to work without
meddling in the affairs of others,
avoiding eye contact. If they suspect
that something is wrong, they will
tell the Bravi.
EVENTS AT THE BLACK VELVET
Here are some examples of events
that could involve the characters
as they approach the venue, taking
into account their plan of action.
The Director can use any of the fol-
lowing to animate the situation and
make the venue more alive.
· The Main Entrance: always su-
pervised by at least 2 Bravi, patrons
leave their overcoats here and are
filtered according to their invitation.
To receive an invitation, you need to
be friends with Lazzaro Mascaria, be
invited by someone who is already a
member of the Club (and pay the ex-
· The Bravi: they begin armed or un-
armed, depending on the club’s Alert
level following the crew’s investiga-
tion. Two of them always supervise
the entrance, the others handle se-
curity inside or rest in their locker
rooms. They do not tolerate anyone
who bothers the girls and they are
literally on Don Mascaria’s payroll,
whose interests they faithfully pro-
tect, out of their fear of him and
their excellent pay. They have or-
ders not to let Melpomene meet any
other men: only a couple of maids
and her friends among the Girls can
enter her attic. The Director should
place the Bravi at will between the
entrances, the locker rooms on the
first floor and the third floor of the
building, moving them as needed. A
gunfight against all the Bravi will (al-
most) inevitably end in a massacre
of Specialists.
orbitant annual fee to the Duchess),
or obviously steal it from some care-
less client.
· The Junction Box: the characters
can use their Touch to turn off the
lights in the entire room. In the dark
it is not possible to effectively aim
outside your Area, and this will im-
mediately trigger the High Alert level
among the Bravi and attempts by the
Staff to fix the issue.
· Love Troubles: sometimes a Patron
falls in love with a Girl and often scuf-
fles, torture and “problems of vari-
ous kinds” occur between these two
· Patrons: as wealthy as they are
depraved, they are a selection of
the Elite of Porto Franco, men and
women who just want to revel in
the extreme entertainment offered
by the Black Velvet. In the event of
a large-scale conflict in the venue,
they will try to escape by crowding
into the elevator, crushing each oth-
er in total panic, occupying the lines
of fire with their frantic rush and of-
ten ending up shot, at the Director’s
discretion.
· The Duchess: Grazia Maria Orsini,
“the Duchess”, is the manager of the
club under Mascaria, a middle-aged
woman who has always occupied
the space between the Elite and the
Underworld. This ferocious tormen-
tor handles everyone with her steel
claws, covered in black velvet gloves:
she knows all the secrets needed to
blackmail her Patrons, handles the
Bravi’s pay and happily metes out
punishment to Staff and Girls alike.
categories. That’s when the Duchess
intervenes, punishing, blackmailing
and threatening anyone, in order to
preserve the tranquility of the club
and the privacy of its guests. The
characters could end up in the mid-
dle of such a situation: a harassed
girl, a powerful person being black-
mailed, a party gone haywire. The
Bravi, however, may consider the
leads to be part of the problem and
blame them as well.
· Overdose: one of the girls over-
doses on some drug and her client
leaves the alcove in a panic, cal-ling
for help. Someone with a good Cul-
73
FIRST ACT BLACK VELVET NIGHT
ture score may try to help her or, if
nothing else, realize that she needs
real medical help, depending on the
result. The crew could also ignore
the problem and use the distraction
to infiltrate Melpomene’s Penthouse,
without losing Morale.
· Melpomene’s Song: Ilaria has a
voice that has melted the heart of
a violent monster such as Lazzaro
Mascaria. If the characters stay in
the main hall long enough, she will
come to perform, as she often does
after taking the substances she is
addicted to. The performance is in-
credible, her voice extraordinary,
her beauty dazzling. The audience
adores her as a goddess, but she
hardly seems to notice.
MELPOMENE
birth name Ilaria Salviati
Faction: ---
If the characters are looking for in-
formation about Melpomene, no
matter how they decide to move,
here’s an example of what they
might get:
· Complete Failure: the woman is
like a ghost, nothing can be found
... also, you are sure that all these
questions have attracted unwanted
attention.
· Partial Failure: the woman is like
a ghost, nothing can be found, but
the crew stops before attracting too
much attention. If they insist, some-
one will notice them: the characters
can decide whether to automatically
obtain a partial success by spend-
ing 1 Morale Point each or to be left
without information.
74
The Director asks the Specialists to
test their Cool with Threshold 15:
· Extraordinary Failure: you recover
Morale Points equal to the difference
with the roll; the character begins to
experience intense feelings of attrac-
tion (more or less platonic) towards
Melpomene, and it is up to them to
decide how to behave from now on
and whether this attraction is au-
thentic or as ephemeral as the night’s
experience.
· Complete Failure: you recover Mo-
rale Points equal to the difference
with the roll; the character begins to
cry for no reason and without con-
trol, moved and totally overwhelmed
by her beauty, until the show ends.
· Partial Success: you are able to dis-
cover Melpomene’s dark past (see
below) but you are also quite certain
that you have attracted too much at-
tention.
· Complete success: you discover
Melpomene’s dark past (see below),
all without attracting attention.
Melpomene, birth name Ilaria Sal-
viati, was born in a remote village
in Istria, and was soon exiled along
with her family at the end of the war.
She moved to Decimo, where she
grew up among violence and abuse
with an extraordinary singing talent
but was never able to break through
due to constant anxiety and panic
attacks. She ended up singing in the
· Partial Failure: you recover Morale
Points equal to the difference ob-
tained with the roll; the character
maintains control of their emotions.
· Success: the music pleases the char-
acter, but doesn’t move them. They
do not recover any Morale Points and
frankly do not understand the reac-
tion of everyone around them.
most luxurious clubs of the Leones-
sa, filled with drugs that can help
overcome fear, usually for an audi-
ence interested in something else
entirely.
Lazzaro Mascaria has paid off all her
bills and debts: at the start of their
relationship, he brought all the men
who had hurt her in front of her and
shot them in the head, one by one.
She is terrified of Mascaria, but she
is also in love with him in an un-
healthy way, held prisoner by the
ghosts of the past,of the present,
and of the substances she is now ad-
dicted to, with no future in sight.
The first time the characters meet her, read aloud or paraphrase the following:

A young woman with fair skin, black eye shadow and a long dress with scandalous
cuts and a plunging neckline, in which she moves with supernatural elegance and
ease. Sparkling under her platinum blonde bob, her bright green eyes betray a hint
of melancholy, as if they harbor more regrets than memories.

MELPOMENE’S DIARY
· What does she want?
To escape, leave forever the gilded cage in which she has been locked up by
If Melpomene dies or for
Mascaria. To go home, though she doesn’t even know if it’s still there. To stop
some reason is no longer
being afraid. But she knows she will never manage to.
able to give the characters
· What does she know?
information about Aurora’s
That Mascaria never has relations with her, preferring to look at her motion-
current whereabouts, it will
less, naked body for hours. She once saw him without clothes;a a mistake,
be easy for the Crew to find
since he usually never undresses... and his body is crisscrossed with repul-
the woman’s diary on the
sive, old burn scars. She knows that Aurora Celeste Sforza is imprisoned in
table. Information about her
the place dearest and most hated by Lazzaro Mascaria: the deconsecrated
past and about Aurora can
Basilica of San Basilisco, at the heart of Decimo.
also be found in its pages.
· What does she say?
Everything (no tests are necessary): she cannot bear the thought of that girl
imprisoned and tortured, or maybe she is simply terrified of the Crew and
what they might do to her, or possibly there is something in them that spon-
taneously inspires confidence ... maybe they’re not like everyone else. What-
ever the reason behind her actions, Melpomene now has the knowledge that,
after having betrayed the most dangerous man in Porto Franco, it is over for
her. At last.

Melpomene is happy to talk to the characters if she is approached in her

dressing room, regardless of what is happening outside. She is always Help-
less when attacked and is considered a Victim in terms of the Specialists’
Morale: if they try to take her outside, she will have a panic attack and will
rebel with all her strength. Every single action made to force her will only
be successful by testing Cool with Threshold 9: on a failure, it is possible to
force her - she does not have the strength to resist anything that is done to
her - but the Specialists involved lose Morale Points equal to the difference
obtained with the result; on a success, it is possible to force her without los-
ing Morale Points.

ARPEGGIO IN F SHARP MINOR

When the characters leave the Black Velvet, if Melpomene is still alive, read aloud or paraphrase the following passage.

As you step out of the Black Velvet, you immediately notice something is different. The eyes of everyone enjoying the nighttime
in the love district are raised towards the starless sky and, instead of the usual laughter, everyone is holding their breath. When
you look up yourselves, you see Melpomene, barefoot on the highest ledge of Palazzo Velluti, dancing on the edge of the abyss,
her head dangling. She looks down and for a few moments she almost seems to be smiling right at you… then she closes her eyes
and jumps. There are several screams. The body slams into a speedboat moored illegally, and splinters go flying everywhere.
Her slender body is now broken, twisted in an unnatural way but the sadness in her eyes, peeking out from under a disheveled,
bloodstained blonde bob, is finally gone.

Let the scene settle and the players recover. Time for an Interlude.

FIRST ACT ENDS

75
 INTERLUDE
T
he interlude is a moment of
downtime, rest and prepara-
tion in the middle of the Job,
the calm before the storm.
During the Interlude, Specialists can
try to heal, recover Morale or find
new equipment and allies. The Inter-
lude does not have a precise time du-
ration and there is no need to allocate
any, but it is crucial before the final
escalation of the Second Act.
In Malavita - Rules of Engagement you
will find the complete rules for the
management of the Interlude.
For now, characters will be able to
choose 2 Interlude Actions each
from the following (two different Ac-
tions for each character):
• Emergency Room
• Black Market
• Nurturing Relationships
• Factions
• Special
“You feel like you’re the king
of the world, but never for-
get that there are many dif-
ferences between being a
monster and a crook. Never
cross the lines that make you
a deranged madman. I can
promise you that if you do, I
will personally put you into
the ground.”
Antonio “Tony” Ferrara

Emergency Room
The character goes to get fixed up by compliant health workers. Be it a pri-
vate and discreet clinic, the district’s veterinarian, the Emergency Room of
the “Holy Cross of the Mutilated” Hospital in Porto Franco, the character re-
covers all their Hit Points.

Black Market
Characters can go buy new gear and equipment from clandestine dealers in
the city. In Malavita - Rules of Engagement the rules regarding Crew Status fur-
ther explain this step, but for now the character can choose to buy only one of
the following options:

• 1 Tool for... (something they lost earlier)

• 2 Batons
• 2 Daggers
• 3 Brass Knuckles
• 3 Thick Leather Clothes
• 1 Bulletproof Vest
• 1 “Beretta M34” pistol (only if the Crew is not Disfavored by the Law)
• 1 Lupara “Bernardelli Hemingway (sawed-off)” (only if the Crew is not Disfa-
vored by the Law, up to a maximum of 2 Lupare per Crew)
• 1 “Beretta M12” machine gun (only if the Crew is Favored by the Law, up to a
maximum of 1 Machine Gun per Crew).

76
Nurturing Relationships
It takes time to be with people, but that time is perhaps the most important in
the life of a Specialist. Relationships that are the strongest and most felt by the
character are most useful for this purpose, at the player’s discretion. Quality
time together with an important Relationship is the only way to recover large
amounts of Morale Points.

If the characters drew attention upon them at the Black Velvet, perhaps during
their investigation to infiltrate the place or by leaving witnesses alive after a
shooting, Don Lazzaro Mascaria will know that the crew members were the
last to meet Melpomene before her death. And he’s out for revenge.

Each player who chooses the Nurturing Relationship Action takes an Instinct
test:

• Complete failure: when the character arrives, the door to the house is wide
open and there are signs of a struggle at the entrance. After a few steps they
find the person they were looking for: they are lying on the ground with a bul-
let hole in their head. The character’s Morale Points drop to zero.

• Partial Failure: when the character arrives, the door to the house is wide
open and there are signs of a struggle at the entrance. After a few steps they
find the person they were looking for: they have a bullet hole in their torso
and their time is running out. The Director makes them exchange a few mean-
ingful words before the Relationship passes away. The character loses half of
their total Morale Points, rounded up.

• Partial Success: when the character arrives, the door to the house is wide
open and there are signs of a struggle at the entrance. After a few steps the
Specialist sees the person they were looking for being attacked by 2 Bravi. If
they manage to save the Relationship, they earn a complete success, but the
Bravi will give priority to the Specialist, trying to kill them first.

• Complete Success: The character finds the person they are looking for,
they are fine and they want to talk. Depending on how the conversation
goes, the Director asks the player how the character feels after the meeting.
If the character is refreshed, happy, relieved and enriched by the scene,
they recover all Morale Points. If they are sad, angry, disappointed or feel
misunderstood, they still recover half of their Morale Points, rounded up.

If the characters have not attracted Mascaria’s attention, their Relationships

are not in danger and there is no need to roll: the characters automatically get
a Complete Success.

77
INTERLUDE

Factions
The Specialists could try to make the most of being Favored by the Law or
Favored by the People: here are some examples of how to exploit their diplo-
matic situation in Porto Franco.

Nicola Benelli Franchi can be contacted to seek help in recovering Aurora.

In the event of being Disfavored by the Law, he may automatically refuse to
believe a single word from the crew, refusing to endanger his men with an
assault on the fortress-district of the Underworld of Decimo. In the event of
being Favored by the Law, he could risk his entire career and offer the gang a
diversion: a raid on the neighborhood’s criminals.
In case of neutrality, a Diplomacy test can suggest the reaction of the magis-
trate, and the nuances between these two extremes, to the Director.

Ernesto Fedele can also help the Specialists: if they are Favored by the People he
will propose to organize a rally against the Underworld, directly involving the
residents of Decimo. If, on the other hand, they are Enemies of the People, he
will refuse to risk the life of his comrades to favor delinquents.
As with the Magistrate, in case of neutrality, a Diplomacy test can suggest the
reaction of the trade unionist, and the nuances between the two extremes, to
the Director.

Don Vito di Lama has every intention of helping the characters to secure his
possession of Aurora and the demise of Don Lazzaro Mascaria, but he cannot
expose himself directly against the rest of his Faction (the Underworld). If the
characters persuade him, he could grant them the equivalent of an extra Black
Market Action, with which to acquire any Weapon with no limitation related
to Faction or number of weapons (they could, for example, obtain 1 Lupara
despite being Enemies of the Law or acquire a second Machine Gun) .

Special
Players may have other great ideas to prepare for the assault on the district,
different from the previously mentioned ones. The Director must be able to
adapt and react to what they want to do, if necessary making good use of the
Extras & Foes stats at the end of this guide.
A Special Action cannot in any way overrule the effects of one of the other
Interlude Actions listed above.

For example, it is not possible to seek out a load of SMGs in order to take them all:
there are no loads of weapons to steal during the Interlude. It is an Interlude, as the
name implies.

A Special Interlude Action cannot carry on the general plot of the Job: that’s
what the Second Act is for.

78
SECOND ACT

BLOOD RED AURORA

79
SECOND ACT BLOOD RED AURORA

T
he second half is the Job’s cli-
max, the moment in which
all loose ends are tied. As a
Director you have already
seen how all the core mechanics of
Malavita work: now we want you to
add your personal touch to the sto-
ry! From this point forward we will
be providing tips, rather than indica-
tions, on how to set the concluding
scenes.
DECIMO
The Decimo district is an
inviolable fortress, a mass
dormitory for the urban
underclass and a prison of
thousands of people who
live there, with seemingly no
future ahead.
A series of ten, immense, tri-
angular reinforced concrete
shapes on the landscape,
“the New Sails”: tiny apart-
ments suspended between
large common areas, host-
ing dozens of illegal build-
ings, partial collapses and
empty apartments.
These buildings are the sym-
bol of Lazzaro Mascaria’s
mob, which uses the locals as
human shields, as resources
to be exploited, and for the
recruitment of new troops
and dealings. The run-down
once modern Basilica of San
Basilisco, destroyed by ar-
son decades ago and never
restored, stands out among
the main ten buildings - an
eternal warning that, in Dec-
imo, even God will die if he
stands in the way.
INFORMATION
The Crew, as always, could try to find
out more about the situation in the
district and its points of interest in
advance. The Director can have them
use Culture to study them first hand,
or Diplomacy to have its local popula-
tion tell them. The Director can clar-
ify the level of effectiveness of their
espionage work using the results of
the tests, as already seen previously
while they attempted to infiltrate the
Black Velvet.
If the Specialists find Floor Plants,
draw some Maps of the neighborhood
and of the New Sails yourself, based
on the general layout of Porto Fran-
co: you will certainly need a general
plan of the buildings, including the
large ruined Basilica at the center,
and some maps of the Basilica itself:
large ruined naves, a tall bell tower
and (why not?) deep catacombs, ex-
panded by Mascaria’s Bravi as access
and escape tunnels, burrowing under
the entire district.
If they seek to learn more about Sur-
veillance instead, the district is so
heavily fortified that it is impossible
not to notice the practically infinite
number of men lined up, even with-
out a test.
Remember that seeking information
can always draw attention to the crew
and its intentions (for example, as a
Disadvantage on an unlucky shot),
by raising the location’s initial Alert
level.
GUN SQUADS AND ALERT LEVEL
The Decimo gun squads are com-
posed of 4 Bravi, of which 2 are
armed with SMGs and 2 with Pistols.
• Low Alert: standard situation. The
Basilica and Aurora herself are guard-
ed by a single Gun squad and by La-
zzaro Mascaria, along with his Side-
kicks Iron and Magpie.
• High Alert: the worst possible sit-
uation. The Basilica and Aurora are
guarded by 2 Gun squads and by La-
zzaro Mascaria, along with his Side-
kicks Iron and Magpie.
A High Alert situation can make it
practically impossible for the Crew
to be able to defeat the clan boss by
force: this is expected and encour-
aged by the sense of plausibility that
we want to give to the Malavita game-
play.
INFILTRATION
The neighborhood is the headquar-
ters of Lazzaro Mascaria’s power,
filled with child lookouts, Goons and
Bravi armed to the teeth who keep the
local population subjugated through
terror and violence. Infiltrating the
Basilica is impossible without us-
ing some kind of trick and the Crew
could use a few:
• They have agreed with the Law,
during the Interlude, to organize
a raid on one of the neighborhood
blocks, forcing Mascaria’s troops to
move and fix the problem.
• They have agreed with the People,
during the Interlude, to organize a
rally in the neighborhood, which res-
idents will also begin to join, distract-
ing the guards.
If the Crew manages to organize only
one distraction (the raid or the ral-
ly), the Director could base the Crew’s
infiltration of the Basilica on the out-
come of a test.
If the crew manages to organize both
distractions (the raid and the rally),
the Director should allow them to au-
tomatically infiltrate the Basilica.
Being found out during the infiltra-
tion will cause High Alert (see above)
in the Basilica and, depending on the
situation created around them by the
Crew, a series of gunfights with the
Bravi. These could also lead to collat-

80
eral casualties and turn the residents
into an Angry Mob (see Extras & Foes)
who will try neutralizing anyone who
comes within range.
The Director must be guided by
the Degrees of Success of each test
in order to determine the develop-
ments of the various situations (for
example, a particularly tragic Grit test
during an Engagement can make the
bullet land where no one would have
ever wanted…).
If rallies or raids are underway, the
characters could resort to the help of
officers or Angry Mobs unleashed by
the innocent victims.
81
SECOND ACT BLOOD RED AURORA
The Final Battle
When the Specialists arrive at the Basilica, it’s time for the
Job to reach its conclusion, for better or for worse. Here
are some Finale proposals that the Director could use,
drawing inspiration from the events and the choices made
so far.
THE HARPY
Aurora Celeste Sforza was an accomplice of Lazzaro
Mascaria in her own kidnapping: she was eager to
get her hands on her mother’s money, hating her out
of the constant infidelities with which she tormented
Aurora’s father up to his death.
She has become the boss’ main squeeze (Mascaria
has a clear predilection for blondes), after they met
during the secret orgies at the Black Velvet, using her
mother’s Golden Mask. It was not easy to stage the
whole thing, but they definitely won’t let the party be
ruined by four scruffy mamalukes.
THE CAVALRY ARRIVES
If the Specialists are Favored by the Law, they are
aided at the last moment by 3 officers (see Extras &
Foes) in plain clothes who will try to free Aurora and
stop Mascaria: Chief Brigadier Luca Fabbri, Deputy
Brigadier Giovanni Evangelisti and Corporal Paolo
De Vita, of the Special Judicial Police Unit of Porto
Franco. One of them is armed with a submachine
gun, in addition to the pistol.
LAST AURORA
During the fight, 3 rounds in total, Aurora manages
to take advantage of the confusion to throw herself
to the ground and drag herself towards a metal spike,
which she uses to cut the ropes and free herself. The
girl stands up, raising the sharp metal to her throat
and threatening to kill herself if they don’t let her go.
This leads to a standoff with a completely open end-
ing that the Director will be able to resolve, as usual,
based on the Specialists’ actions and the results of
their rolls.
82
THE PRODIGAL SON
Lazzaro Mascaria’s real name is actually Giovanni
Rossi and he was one of the children who used to live
in the family home run by the Priest. That is until a
young Vito di Lama, long before becoming “Don”,
threw him into the flames to neutralize an inconve-
nient witness of the fire he had just started. Giovanni
survived by crawling into the catacombs under the
Basilica, his body completely burned. His goal is to
get revenge against the one who burned him alive and
turned him into a monster: the only one, among the
most important foreign bosses, to have so far escaped
his wrath. If the Priest reveals who he really is, Lazza-
ro Mascaria could offer the crew a new mission: kill
Don Vito. If they accept, Mascaria will let them go and
promise that he will free Aurora Celeste Sforza once
the boss’ head is on a platter in front of him.
THE DEATH OF CAESAR
Lazzaro Mascaria is a madman and his men know it
all too well. His goal of conquering the city has al-
ready become a nuisance for the Santa Croce and
the fall of the clan is approaching: the death of Mel-
pomene, the kidnapping, the recent waves of mur-
ders in the streets, the city locked down by the Law
... everything has shown that no one is really safe
with Mascaria in power and that everyone is an ex-
pendable pawn in his megalomaniacal plans. There-
fore, instead of firing on the crew, Iron and Magpie
will fire at Mascaria, riddling him with bullets (no
need to make a test) and fighting against the other
Bravi present (who will be Surprised during the first
Round). Unexpected allies of the Crew, they will then
deliver Aurora to the Specialists, begging them to
take that ticking time bomb far away from Decimo.
COMIC BOOK VILLAIN
Lazzaro Mascaria does not just want to rule the city:
he wants to destroy it. He hates everyone, from the
most powerful Elite to the last of the street urchins.
And he’s planning a massacre. He has set up a series
of nerve gas explosive devices beneath the basilica,
ready to be carried to the busiest parts of the city by
ignorant messengers. On his word, they will be set off.
Not even his closest circle knows of this plan – and
he might even be smarter than your everyday comic
book villain: the devices are in position, and they are
ready to blow!
 HEART PALPITATIONS
At a certain point during the confrontation, perhaps
on the first floor of the Basilica or in a luxury garage
built within the catacombs, Mascaria manages to
force Aurora into a car and drives away. The Special-
ists will also have to find a vehicle, either by recov-
ering their own, by stealing one from the clan boss’
goons or taking one from his own private collection
(and jump starting it by testing their Touch).
The Director can use the Chase rules given in the
Teaser to manage the situation... even if the parts are
now reversed!
Lazzaro Mascaria has Driving 2d10.
If the Crew reaches the Capture area, they manage to
stop Mascaria’s car. If Mascaria manages to escape…
only the Director knows how the Crew can possibly
recover from this failure!
THE OLD KING
Don Vito di Lama is no fool and has already bought
many of Mascaria’s Bravi, who have always played
both sides. During the final battle, 4 Bravi among
those present will open fire against Iron, Magpie and
the other Bravi (who will be Surprised during the first
Round), sparing however the clan boss and instead
holding him at gunpoint. Don Vito arrives shortly
after, reserving for himself the personal pleasure of
shooting Mascaria in the head and recovering Auro-
ra. He couldn’t act sooner: he had to be sure the girl
really was there. Unfortunately, at this point, the last
remaining witnesses of the affair are the Specialists
themselves... and Don Vito never leaves witnesses
alive. No hard feelings, of course: it’s just business.

SECOND ACT ENDS

Epilogue
When you, the Director, and your group of players have reached a satisfying ending, for better or for worse, take once
more control of the narrative and end the story with a closing scene. The police sirens echoing throughout the city, Leads
fleeing in the night towards the lair, final words murmured in a trickle of blood, armed confrontations in the street ...
Whatever the case, if there are survivors in the crew, all the characters will know what happens after the conclusion of this
story: the law, the people and the owners of Porto Franco will not forgive this escalation of violence, and organized crime
will try to whack all witnesses before they are caught and end up spilling the beans.
What exactly will happen next is still to be seen, but one thing is certain: a storm of lead is about to hit Porto Franco.

At the end of the session, take some time to discuss the game, the job, the characters and what you would like to see in the
future of the Specialists you have played.
The crew’s exploits will continue in Malavita – Rules of Engagement, dedicated to Porto Franco and its dirty deeds.

83
EXTRAS & FOES
B
elow are the useful stats for the majority of opponents that the Leads
may encounter during their First Job. Attributes not directly reported
in the information below are always equal to 1 dice of the caliber nor-
mally used for the character’s other Attributes.

OFFICER
· Faction: The Law
· Attributes: Instinct, Dexterity (1d6)
Grit, Driving, Cool (2d6)
· Hit Points: 12
· Weapon (Pistol): Damage 8, Short Distance,
Concealable, 1 Hand.
Reload + Loud
· Weapon (Baton): Damage 6, Close Distance,
Concealable, 1 Hand
· Protection (Bulletproof Vest):
Protection Value 8
· Trait: In the Name of the Law*

*In the Name of the Law: Officers do not shoot unless char-
acters are wielding firearms or actively threaten them with
melee weapons: if characters surrender, they are searched,
disarmed and arrested.

N.B.: the Officer stats apply equally to any police officer

in this First Job, except where expressly indicated.

BRAVO
· Fazione: The Underworld
· Attributes: Cool, Diplomacy (1d6)
Instinct (2d6) | Grit (3d6)
· Hit Points: 12
· Weapon (Pistol): Damage 8, Short Distance,
Concealable, 1 Hand.
Reload + Loud
· Weapon (Brass Knuckles): Damage 4, Close Distance,
Concealable, 1 Hand
· Protection (Classy Clothes):
Protection Value 0

84
 DUCHESS MAGPIE
· Faction: The Underworld · Fazione: The Underworld
· Attributes: Grit (1d8) | Smarm (2d8) · Attributi: Instinct (1d8) | Grit (2d8)
Cool, Instinct (3d8) Cool, Smarm (3d8)
· Hit Points: 8 · Hit Points: 16
· Dagger: 5 Damage, Short Distance, · Weapon (Pistol): Damage 8, Short Distance,
Concealable, 1 Hand Concealable, 1 Hand. Reload + Loud
· Protection (Gorgeous Clothing): Protection Value 0 · Protection (Bulletproof Vest):
Protection Value 8

IRON MIMÌ “THE SWINE”

· Faction: The Underworld · Faction: None
· Attributes: Cool (1d8) | Grit (2d8) · Attributes: Cool (1d6) | Dexterity, Instinct (2d6)
Instinct (3d8) Grit (3d6)
· Hit Points: 24 · Hit Points: 18
· Weapon (Pistol): Damage 8, Short Distance, · Cleaver: Damage 6, Close Distance, Concealable, 1 Hand
Concealable, 1 Hand. Reload + Loud · Protection (Apron + tough as nails): Protection Value 4
· Protection (Bulletproof Vest):
Protection Value 8

ANGRY MOB DON LAZZARO MASCARIA

· Faction: Te People · Faction: The Underworld
· Attributes: Instinct, Cool (1d12) · Attributes: Grit (1d10) | Driving (2d10)
Dexterity (2d12) | Grit (3d12) Instinct, Cool (3d10)
· Hit Points: 36 · Hit Points: 20
· Weapon (Lynching): Damage 10, Close Distance · Weapon (SMG): Damage 8, Short Distance,
· Protection (Strength in Numbers): Protection Value 10 Visible, 2 Hand.
· Trait: Irrational Anger* Auto + Reload + Loud
· Dagger: 5 Damage, Short Distance,
*Irrational Anger: The Angry Mob counts as a single op- Concealable, 1 Hand
ponent, does not recognize friends and foes, and will attack · Protection (Insensitive to Pain): Protection Value 8
anyone until they’re dead, then move on to a new target. The
mob will not stop until it is dispersed or is at 0 Hit Points. GOON
· Faction: The Underworld
· Attributes: Cool (1d5)
Grit, Diplomacy, Instinct (2d5)
BODYGUARD · Hit Points: 10
· Faction: The Elite · Dagger: 5 Damage, Short Distance,
· Attributes: Cool (1d8) | Diplomacy, Grit (2d8) Concealable, 1 Hand
Instinct (3d8) · Protection (Normal Clothing): Protection Value 0
· Hit Points: 16 · Trait: Coward*
· Weapon (Pistol): Damage 8, Short Distance,
Concealable, 1 Hand. Reload + Loud *Coward: Goons are cowardly bullies; if their opponents are
· Protection (Bulletproof Vest): armed with firearms, they will run away. During a fight, at
Protection Value 8 the first sound of a Loud weapon (even fired in the air) all
Goons will attempt to Escape immediately and until they are
able to escape or are otherwise rendered harmless.

85
NOTE FOR THE DIRECTOR

86
87
RAP SHEET
Personal data
Reference RAP SHEET
Age
Birth name

History Specialty

Nick name Officer

APTITUDES SKILLS

Reflexes Grit

Fortitude Dexterity

Brain Touch

Smarm Driving
Dermatoglyphs

Cool Culture
Approvation

Instinct Diplomacy

HIT POINTS MORALE POINTS

40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31

30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
10 9 8 7 6

PATCHED UP

POLICE DEPARTMENT

PROTEC TIONS ITEMS

WEAPON S

Director's signature
 BACKGROU ND RELATION SHIPS

TRAITS

RESULT DESCRIPTION AMBITION S

Extraordinary Failure:
-6 or less same as Complete Failure, plus a
Disadvantage to the situation.

Complete Failure:
the action fails and the situation
-3 / -5 unfolds to the detriment of the Crew
due to the direct consequences of the failure.

Partial Failure:
the action fails but the Director grants
0 / -2 an Advantage to the situation, which does not
cancel the failure but can make the situation
develop in a positive and unexpected way.
Partial Success:
the action succeeds but the Director
Damage Multiplier
+1 / +3 inflicts a Disadvantage on the situation,
1 / 2 / 3
x1
which does not cancel the success but weighs
it with unforeseen and negative consequences
4 / 5 / 6
or an additional cost.
x2
Complete Success: 7 / 8 / 9
+4 / +6
the action succeeds and the situation x3
unfolds in favor of the Crew thanks 10 / 11 / 12
to the direct consequences of the success. x4
13 / 14 / 15
Extraordinary Success: x5
+7 or more 16 or more
Like complete Success, plus an Advantage
to the situation, at the Director’s discretion. x6
You have rolled more than your
bust Dice Points using a Gambit Roll:
you suffer the Disadvantage
defined by the Director’s Wager. Director's signature
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Acheron Games. Made in Italy.
Shared Worldwide.
FIND OUT MORE ON:

US PLAYERS:
WWW.ACHERONSTORE.COM
REST OF THE WORLD:
WWW.ACHERON.IT
Acheron Games. Made in Italy.
Shared Worldwide.
FIND OUT MORE ON:

US PLAYERS:
WWW.ACHERONSTORE.COM
REST OF THE WORLD:
WWW.ACHERON.IT
 Thanks for playing this First Job.

The rules outlined here are still in the process of being playtested
and finalized. Let us know your impressions, suggestions and
criticisms at the following address:

It is also possible to set up organized games sessions and cam-

paigns, demos, online and live games, and inquire about Q&As
on the mechanics and on editorial policies.

You already know how to get in touch: just drop us a line!

SPECIALISTS’ RAP SHEETS

At the links:
USA: acheronstore.com/malavita
Other Countries: acheron.it/malavitarpg
you can download the Rap Sheets
for the Specialists to play this First Job

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW

THE KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

This booklet contains original icons and logos from Freepik.com, modified and personalized for the project.
Fig. pag. 68 - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:M-Panoramica_LaDarsena(94525-26-27)B%26N.jpg
Anto Bozzini, Own Work, Milano Italy La Darsena, Naviglio, via Wikimedia Commons
Fig. pag. 84 - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MaxiprocessoPalermo.jpg
Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Fig. pag. 84 - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sciopero_autunno_caldo.jpg
Unknown (Pd Italia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
 AN ITALIAN CRIME NOVEL

Malavita - An Italian Crime Story  

 
  
 
 
 
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QUALITY
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