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The title pretty much says it all. The Felon's Handbook is supplement for the Dog Town RPG. Dog Town is a game about playing a criminal, and the Felon's Handbook gives you a clearer picture of how to go about it.
The Felon's Handbook opens with a comprehensive write-up of over 40 different crimes, some of which come readily to mind (Grand Theft Auto, Drug Dealing, Homicide, etc.), and others that you might not think of right away (Runner/Courier, Shoplifting, Arson, Unlicensed Fights, etc.). Each crime includes a detailed description of its "ins and outs" and in many cases, some historical examples and anecdotes are also provided. The author uses a form of "street speak" throughout the text, a technique I find both entertaining and evocative of the setting. For example, here is part of a write-up for Auto Stripping:
"A hot car will stay hot unless it is cooled down by stripping it down at a chop shop into dozens of untraceable parts. Making a car Houdini this way is a very profitable enterprise as new car parts at this time were hurtfully expensive for the average blue collar Joe."
Each crime lists two stats at the end of the description: Setup and Rating. Setup refers to things that are commonly needed to commit the crime (tools, a lookout, customers, a van, etc.) and Rating refers to what type of criminal usually commits this type of crime (punk, junkie, gangster, etc.).
No book on crime would be complete without a drug section, and the Felon's Handbook delivers with an extensive, 14-page write-up on narcotics that includes detailed descriptions of the different types of drugs, more anecdotes and historical examples, sale prices at different levels along the chain (from manufacture down to lowly street dealer), the effects of drug use and abuse on a character, and much more.
A colorful street slang lexicon follows the narcotics section. This part of the book is both graphic and entertaining at the same time. It is almost guaranteed to offend some people, but as far as I can tell it sounds pretty accurate.
The next section entitled "Criminal Gangs and the Five-0" details a number of gangs and criminal factions, including black and Latino street gangs, Communist parties, Aryan biker gangs, Mafia families, Jamaican Posses, and police departments. Each write-up contains a detailed history and description of the organization that includes its hierarchy and structure, styles and appearance, allegiances, membership totals, and much more. Although many of the gang names are setting-specific to the Dog Town world, most of these gangs are equivalent to their obvious real world counterparts. All in all, this section contains a wealth of plot hooks and useful information for any crime-related game.
The world of Dog Town is set in late 1970s America and the Felon's Handbook closes out with an entertaining section on the major events, fads, trends, fashions, movies, and songs of the glamorous Disco era. This is stuff that probably belongs in the core rulebook, but it still does a solid job of turning your thoughts back to the latter half of the decade.
LIKED: The Felon?s Handbook contains everything you need to know about playing a criminal character or running a criminal operation. It?s a great resource for GMs and players alike, especially if you buy it at a lower rate as part of the excellent Dog Town series bundle. I consider this a must-have book for anyone running a crime-related RPG, even one that uses a different setting or system.
DISLIKED: Lack of paragraph indentation can make the text seem jumbled and another pass by the editor couldn't have hurt. Neither of these is even close to being a deal breaker, though, considering all of the information provided.
QUALITY: Acceptable
VALUE: Very Satisfied
[THIS REVIEW WAS EDITED]
| Puntuación: | | [5 de 5 estrellas!] |
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