The Warriors One-Shot

In 2005, Rockstar Games (who you probably know as the folks who make Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption) made a video game version of the 1979 film The Warriors. Although I had never seen the movie, I loved the game's story and aesthetics, and my brother and I played the game over and over again. Later, my love of the game would lead me to watch the cult classic movie, and though it certainly isn't perfect, it is a memorable film with a story that really lends itself to gaming. So I thought I would try my hand at making a tabletop game version of The Warriors that uses those same draws from the video game and the film. Read on for the full one-shot. 

The Rules

This game revolves around getting from the Bronx to Coney Island without being arrested or wasted. In combat, a character can sustain five successful attacks from enemies; on the sixth, they are either killed by gang members or arrested by police. In combat, a player rolls a d6, and a roll of 4 or higher results in a successful attack. In general, players can choose to employ one of three approaches: diplomacy, combat, and running away. Each of these three approaches has associated abilities. A player in this one-shot selects a total of two abilities from any of the available options and can use those two abilities throughout the one-shot. The abilities are as follows: 

Diplomacy

1. Cool Head: When other gang members lose their tempers, you remain focused and calm. Roll a d6 to likewise calm the number of people that matches the result of your roll.
2. Smooth Talker: When a gang member is threatening you, you can flatter them about the power and reputation of their gang and convince them not to attack with a d6 roll of 4 or higher. 
3. Speak Truth to Power: When addressing a police officer, you can intimidate them into waiting for backup before attacking you with a d6 roll of 4 or higher. 

Combat

1. Brawler: Whereas a character normally rolls a d6 to attack and regards a 4 or higher as a success, a character with this ability can roll a d6 and regard a 3 or higher as a success. 
2. Knockout: Once per encounter, a character with this ability can deal two successful attacks with a single roll; a successful attack roll means that the attacked person takes double damage from the attack.
3. Stack of Bruises: Once per encounter, a character with this ability may roll to ignore a successful attack; they can roll a d6 and count 5 or higher as a success and ignore the incoming attack. 

Running Away

1. Conditioning: As a regular runner, you are able to stay one step ahead of pursuers. With a d6 roll of 4 or higher, a character with this ability can lose their pursuers.
2. Expert Hiding: You are an expert at taking cover; with a d6 roll of 5 or higher, you can disappear from a scene until the coast is clear--this roll is successful with a 4 or higher if there is a distraction. 
3. Distraction: You can cause people to become distracted from pursuing your gang. With a d6 roll of 4 or higher, you can cause a commotion and allow your gang a full turn to get the upper hand or escape. 

The One-Shot

[narration in italics]

You are one of the Warriors, the fierce outfit from Coney Island. For days, the whole gang has been talking about a big truce being called by a gang from Gramercy Park, the Riffs. Word is, almost every gang in the city is going. No one is allowed to bring weapons or break the truce--what Cyrus has for the gangs of New York is a big deal. You load on board the subway and meander your way to the Bronx. Other gangs in full colors are also on board the subway, headed to the same place. There's a strange energy, like all the violence that has plagued the streets for the last several months is coming to a head. Your trip ends, and you make your way to Gramercy Park amid a huge crowd of people, all wearing distinctive outfits to indicate their loyalties. The energy is electric now, and when man in a spotted bathrobe arrives at the center of the park, a hush falls over the crowd. He climbs a small scaffolding built for the occasion and clears his throat loudly. 

"Can you count, suckers?" he shouts. "There are nearly a thousand gang members here tonight, and that's only a piece of the puzzle. There are 60,000 soldiers in New York City, and only 20,000 cops. We could run this city!" A massive cheer goes up, and Cyrus raises his hands to hush the crowd. "We have been fighting over 10 square feet of ground for years. But the whole city could be ours. It's not your turf against your turf. It's all our turf." Another cry goes up from the crowd. "If we just maintain the truce," says Cyrus, "we can do anything. No one in the city will be able to stop us. Can you dig it?" He raises his fists high and throws back his head. "CAN YOU DIG IT?!" The loudest cheer of all goes up. "CAN YOU DI--"

A gunshot erupts from somewhere in the crowd. Cyrus clutches his chest where the bullet struck, wavers, and falls from the scaffolding. It is chaos. Gangs swirl around each other. Police sirens sound from all around the park; you are surrounded. Your gang leader, Cleon, shouts, "Get back to the subway! Get home!" As he shouts this, three police officers swarm him, two beating him with nightsticks while the third cuffs Cleon. Swan, your warchief and thereby second in command, shouts to the Warriors, "Meet at the subway!" 

Around you, there is nowhere to go. To your left and right are swarming police officers and gang members. Behind you is the center of the park, where Riffs are tending to Cyrus. Ahead of you is a massive wooden fence. Swan and a few other members of the gang begin ripping boards off the fence until there is a big enough hole to squeeze through. "Come on!" shouts Swan before slipping through the fence. 

You emerge into a cemetery. It is quiet, deserted. For a moment, at least. Somewhere in the middle distance, you hear a radio switch on. It's some distorted guitars and a droning voice for moment, then it switches to a polka, then to a late night talk radio show, and then finally settles on the last notes of an R&B song. A friendly female voice comes over the airwaves. "Hey there boppers," she says, "I got a little news for you. Word is that Cyrus got gunned down at a truce meeting. Word is that the Warriors did it. So boppers, won't you keep an eye out for these bad cats? Don't let them get home to Coney Island, for Cyrus's sake." Then she plays a song which croons again and again, "nowhere to run, nowhere to hide." 

Swan looks at you. "Sounds like it's gonna be a long night. We're gonna have to figure out a way to get back on the subway to get home. Let's get going." The gang picks their way through the cemetery and emerges on a quiet, poorly lit street. Three blocks down is an entrance to the subway. Swan starts out into the street, but doubles back when a graffiti'd bus pulls down the street, a dozen armed gang members hanging off the sides and top. They don't seem to have seen you. Swan looks to you. "What do you think we should do?" 

The players should now direct Swan and the gang to deal with this situation. If the party tries to be diplomatic, a few of the Turnbull ACs (the gang on the bus) will hang back, but at least half of them remain too angry about Cyrus to be swayed. If the players try to fight despite being outnumbered, they can defeat as many of the Warriors as you like, but try to allow your players to escape if the fight turns against them. If the players try to run away, they can make it to the subway entrance safely before the Turnbull ACs can catch up. When the players head into the subway:

You enter the subway. Your fellow gang members jump the turnstiles with adrenaline-fueled glee and race to the train. You all manage to make it onboard just as the doors slide shut. The train begins to move into the tunnels beneath the city. The train carries you several stops to your first exchange. Carefully, Swan observes the subway platform and motions for the rest of the gang to deboard. You all head off the train, up the stairs onto the city streets, and into a poor neighborhood. Ten blocks and you'll be at your next subway stop. 

You pick your way through two blocks of this neighborhood. Everywhere you look, there are feeble-looking boys in olive green shirts watching you from rooftops, alleyways, and windows. As you finish navigating the third block, you come to a collection of these boys in green. A tall, skinny man with bulging eyes steps forward.

"Hey, don't you know this is Orphan territory?" he asks.

"Shit, I forgot about the Orphans," whispers another Warrior. "They're not high profile, so they're always looking to prove themselves."

A woman in a pink top and a long skirt comes out from an apartment building and stands behind the lead Orphan. "You gonna let these guys just walk through?" 

"Shut up, Mercy!" says the lead Orphan. "So what's it gonna be, Warriors?" 

The players may now deal with the Orphans. If they use diplomacy with the Orphans, they will allow the Warriors to pass, but only with their gang colors removed. Swan and several Warriors will need to be convinced, as they do not want to shed their colors. If they fight the Orphans, the Orphans prove to be not a threat by skill, but with overwhelming numbers. If the party defeats the first 10 orphans, 20 more arrive. If the party tries to run from the Orphans, they will encounter several smaller groups (5 or so) wherever they go. Once the Orphans are dealt with:

You arrive together at the subway station. The train hasn't arrived yet, but it is due any minute. The click-clicking of heels on hard flooring resound suddenly through the subway. Turning to look, you see Mercy descending the stairs towards you. "Hey you," she says. "Thought I might tag along since you all seem like so much fun." 

The train arrives, you all load in, and the train departs. It's a quiet ride. Mercy chatters away at first, trying to assert herself to the violent men around her, but she soon quiets down. As the train pulls into the station, you see nearly a dozen police officers milling around the platform. The doors slide open. Swan looks to you. "What do we do?" 

The players must now make a plan to deal with the police. With diplomacy, the Warriors may be able to convince the cops that they are not the gang members the police are looking for. With combat, the police can be defeated or at least held back. If the party fights these cops, have one of the NPC Warriors get arrested. If the party tries to run, the police pursue them outside the subway. 

You emerge from the subway station. You notice a long bench on the sidewalk with 8 men sitting on it, all of them dressed in baseball uniforms, wearing colorful makeup all over their faces, each clutching a wooden baseball bat. The one on the end turns to look at you, sees your red vest, and stands. The others follow suit right away. Swan shouts, "Run!" The gang dashes away, the Baseball Furies close behind. They chase you a block into a park. Under a streetlight, Swan plants his feet and turns. "Enough! What do we do?" 

The players must now deal with the Baseball Furies. Diplomacy will not work, as the Baseball Furies do not speak. Combat should be challenging, as the Furies are armed with bats. Running can work, but have at least one Baseball Fury catch up to a Warrior so that at least one fight occurs. Once the Baseball Furies are handled: 

You dash out of the park and down two more blocks and into a subway station. Just this train and one more, and you'll be back in Coney Island. You get the gang onto the train and settle in for another ride, which passes quickly. You get off the subway and see a cluster of young men, all wearing overalls and roller skates. Their leader makes eye contact with you and draws a switchblade, flicking it out and turning it over, reflecting light from the overhead lamps. Swan leans over to you and whispers, "Ambush? That restroom could work." He points at the door to a dingy men's room near the stairs. 

The players must now deal with the Punks. If the players follow Swan's plan of the bathroom ambush, grant all Warriors an automatic success on their first attack. If the players use diplomacy, the Punks can be convinced that the Warriors did not kill Cyrus, but the Punks will still demand that the Warriors not leave the subway station until that can be confirmed. If the players use combat, they can defeat the Punks, especially with the ambush plan. If the party tries to run away, the Punks will need to be distracted first, as they are defending the stairs that lead out of the subway. 

Outside the subway station, you have only five blocks to the last station that will take you back to Coney Island. You make it two blocks before noticing that on the other side of the street, a group of young women have been walking the same direction since you got off the subway. When you notice them, one of them, a girl with a long blond ponytail and a sparkly outfit waves at you. "Hey, boys!" she calls out. "Ain't you the Warriors?" 

No matter what the players respond: 

"Oh, you're definitely the Warriors. We heard of you. You're some of the toughest in the city. We'd love to invite you to this party we're going to. You wanna come?"

The players must now choose. If they agree to go to the party, jump to the optional narration below. If they refuse to join the young women, one of them pulls out a revolved and begins firing at the players. They shout about avenging Cyrus and pursue the party until they are dealt with or the party makes it to the subway station. They identify themselves as the Lizzies, the best gang in the city that nobody acknowledges. 

[Optional Lizzie party scene: You are led into a room with several more women, listening to music and smoking. They are quick to greet the Warriors and make them feel comfortable. Once the party is settled: One of the women shouts, "For Cyrus!" and pulls out a revolver, which she fires at you. The shot goes wide, and a fracas ensues. The party cannot use diplomacy here; they can fight their way out or try to escape.]

You leave the Lizzies behind and arrive at the subway station. It's nearly dawn. You descend the steps and see a train just pulling into the station. It's an eerily quiet ride. Many of the Warriors are thinking about their friends who were arrested or killed tonight. When the train comes to a halt in Coney Island, Swan wipes some blood from a cut on his cheek and says, "We made it. Almost, at least." 

You walk down the sidewalk and onto the pier. You take a staircase down and stand under the boardwalk. A graffiti'd sedan pulls slowly into focus, the sound of clinking glass coming from inside the car. A strained voice becomes distinguishable as the car comes to a halt before you. "Warriors! Come out to play-ee-ay!" The clinking continues, and you see bottles on the man's fingers, brought together with irritating regularity. "WARRIORS! COME OUT TO PLAY-EE-AY!" His chant continues. Swan turns to you. "I say we deal with this once and for all. What do you think we should do?" 

The players must now decide how to deal with Luther. He cannot be affected by diplomacy, and running would mean that Luther and his gang take control of Coney Island. They must fight, and Swan will voice this if the party is reticent to fight. Luther's goons do not fight with him. When combat starts, Luther draws the same revolver he used to kill Cyrus. Each player should be allowed one action to interrupt him. If he is not successfully stopped, he will shoot and kill Swan. If he is not stopped in subsequent rounds, he will kill the player characters one at a time. Once Luther has been either defeated or at least disarmed:

A mass of black-clad men in sunglasses have filed onto the beach. "Oh no, it's the Riffs!" gasps one Warrior behind you. But the leader of these men looks at you directly and says, "We understand that the Warriors did not shoot Cyrus. We have been told it was actually Luther. We'll take it from here." 

"One last thing," says Swan. "Why did you kill Cyrus?" 

Luther laughs despite being surrounded by men who want to kill him. "I just like doing things like that." 

The leader of the Riffs punches Luther in the mouth, and Luther falls unconscious. "And I just like doing things like that," he says. 

You and the other Warriors are walking down the beach now. There is sparkling daylight playing across the sand and the thick salty moisture in the air. A radio on the boardwalk switches on, and you hear, "--believe it, but it turns out the Warriors were the good cats anyway. Sorry, Warriors. But good news, Boppers, they did get the one who shot Cyrus. And just a reminder to all you out there: we do outnumber the police, and there's no way they can stop all of us. We can take this city. We can--" Suddenly the airwaves are filled with static. Then a three-part tone alerting you to an emergency broadcast. "DJ Sharon, who you have been listening to, seems to have had an accident while handling an officer's firearm and has unfortunately passed away. Please enjoy the following music selection." A moment of static is interrupted by the jaunty beat of a song that goes, "Bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do?" 

Epilogue

Miles away and a week later, in upstate New York, Luther is recovering in a hospital ward. His broken arm is healing nicely, he needs less painkillers these days, and all the stitches are supposed to come out tomorrow. There are flowers and a "Thin Blue Line" flag scattered around the room. 

From outside Luther's room, an orderly says, "Right here, Mr. Police Commissioner." A tall man in a dress uniform steps inside and sits down next to Luther's bed. 

"You're sure no one knew you were a cop, right?" he says. 

Luther grins toothily. "Five years undercover and not one slip-up, Sir." 

The Police Commissioner grins too. "Good job on the Cyrus problem." 

"Thank you, sir. Turns out, I can dig it." 

That's all for now. Coming soon: a sample of literature in my homebrew setting, custom rules for commanding and sustaining armies, and how to use historical events as inspiration for your writing. Until next time, happy gaming!

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