Do you know the one about the gangster and the nightclub?

By DoctorWhat, in Game Masters

Help me fellow GMs, you are my only hope.

That might only be true from a certain point of view. ?

I am currently running a weekly game for 2 players based on the planet they live on.

One of the characters is the grandson of one of the local mafia bosses and has wants to run his own nightclub. I like this idea.

Unfortunately I am having trouble coming up with an exciting plot idea for how he could aquire said nightclub. Looking for something better than raising the money and buying it. I would like for him to gain it as spoils from an adventure.

The characters live in the capital city, it is big with galactic standard technology levels and its own spaceport. The world started out as a Corellian colony but now is home to a huge population of humans with an American/Italian background. There is also a significant Nautolan population inhabiting various parts of the city.

The city is home to five big crime families, one of which is the character's family. His family are joint second in power and are bitter enemies of the rival family.

I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you might have.

Thank you and may the Force be with you.

And you don't want it to be a gift from the Grandfather for a job well done?

What if one crime family is running it as a front for other, illegal activities, and has someone as a figurehead to manage it? There could be some kind of deal going down to sell it, and the PCs become embroiled in that deal.

-Nate

For something like that, I'd make him take on additional obligation for it, and receive it as a 'job' for grandfather. The club could have been previously owned by another gang, and recently taken over by his own family. He'll probably have to find a manager (assuming that he'll continue adventuring with the others, and not sit around at the club full time). If/when the obligation triggers, he'll have to deal with various complications.

Complications can include: Manager stealing from club; Grandfather wanting to use club as front for something dangerous; club employee witnessed something nasty and wants to turn evidence over to imperials (or hutts, or whatever) - employee has ran away; other gang muscling in on club; finally just major repairs and investments needed to maintain the place. Also, use it as a hook for further quests: it'll be a known conduit to communicate with the party, so you'll find lowlifes with missions, imperial investigators, and other hopefulls coming in from time to time.

tl/dr: Maybe don't worry about the quest involved in the acquisition, make the interesting part be the keeping and maintaining.

Edited by Genuine

The nightclub's owner is looking to get off of the planet. He has gotten on the wrong side of three of the major crime families, so now he wants to get out. He offers to give the nightclub (which he will no longer be able to use) in exchange for transit offworld. Of course, things are never that simple.

An old friend asks the character for a favour: This old acquaintance recently lost a buddy. He was the only clean guy that old acquaintance knew, he never got involved in anything illegal, so the old guy feels sorry for him and asks the character that he finds the murderer. Since the character still owes one, well you can't refuse such a request.

What happened? The good guy wanted to help a damsel in distress and he had found out something to buy her freedom with. It turns out that the center piece in this noir chess game is an old, run-down nightclub in a decent, but poor neighbourhood. In the olden days it was seedy, so the basement is extra large and - and this is what the guy found out - there is a tunnel connecting the basement to... somewhere... interesting. The story goes on but at the end, the nightclub is up for sale and cheap, because there were so many cops running around and no-one knows about the tunnel, so the lucky character...

Edited by Spraug

Start with the nightclub belonging to a member of one of the rival families; someone who's been causing problems for the PC's family. The PC's are tasked with disappearing this guy; and in the process, they take control of the night club.

And of course; in taking over the nightclub, they all take over all of the baggage attached it it. Operations going on there, local corrupt cops who still expect their regular bribe money, angry thugs who have a problem with one or more of the employees there, and so on.

Pluto Nash

An old, down on his luck, friend has a club that is a dive and going under. When our character stops by to visit his friend he finds some thugs about to poor some acid down the guys throat. Our hero talks them out of it and it turns out that these guys from a small family owe a little debt to the hero's family. So, they let the hero take the club and spare his friend and in return he takes over the marker (debt). This way they know that they are going to get their money back rather than having to lose the money to send a message to others and they make due on a small favor or part of a bigger favor.

Of course, this is just the start of the troubles for our hero...

I would do this by giving the PCs the opportunity to put a night club out of business (or at least make business untenable). They could do this publicly or secretly. They can hijack alcohol shipments bound for the club, they can organise the place to be raided by the authorities and have illegal spice found, they can threaten and intimidate the owner or they can make the place seem dangerous by running amok inside the club with blasters and vibroknives. Present the party with a club and get them to "make an offer" to the owner.

Whatever way they go about getting the deed tot he place, have it result in Obligation. Their actions should have equal consequences .

Have the nightclub managed by a member of the PC's family. Have an adventure where the family finds out that they have a rat in their midst, and as part of the hunt, the PC's find out it is the manager. After eliminating him, the family needs a new manager. Who better than the one who solved the previous problem?

19 hours ago, kaosoe said:

And you don't want it to be a gift from the Grandfather for a job well done?

Nope, I want him to feel that he really earned the club and its not just a gift. His ultimate goal is to branch out from under his grandfather and run his own organisation.

Thank you for the suggestions, they have definitely given my brain things to think about.

The plan has always been to drop a load of obligation on him along with the club and to use it as a launching place for further adventures. ?