Cartel (IB)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark hack

A Cartel is a quiet coalition that fixes prices, routes, and access. Across habitats and along the lanes, they corner supplies, gatekeep licenses, and lean on brokers to turn scarcity into leverage. Their play is profit and policy by chokepoint: control docks, storage, manifests, and the stories people believe about value.

Heat & Wanted Level

☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ | ☐☐☐☐

Credit

☐☐☐☐ | Vault ☐☐☐☐ | Vault 2 ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

Special Abilities

1. Silver Tongues: Each PC may add +1 action rating to Command, Consort, or Sway (up to a max rating of 3).
2. Accord: Treat up to three +3 Faction statuses as if they were Turf.
3. The Good Stuff: Your merchandise is renowned; product quality counts as your Tier +1.
4. Black Exchange: You can sell into closed or sanctioned markets (air-gapped habs, embargo zones, AI enclaves). What do they pay with?
5. High Tables: During downtime, take –1 Heat and gain +1d to Gather Information about elites (boards, guilds, councilors).
6. Hooked: Your gangs use your product. Add the Savage, Unreliable, or Wild flaw to a gang to give it +1 Quality.
7. Patron: Advancing your Tier costs half the usual Credit. Who is your patron, and why do they help you?
8. Additional Playbook: Select another crew playbook. You may now choose its Upgrades and Special Abilities. Immediately gain access only to the Crew XP track.

Crew XP

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 XP (or mark 2 XP if that item occurred multiple times):

1. Secure supply, fix prices, steer routes, or capture a new market/berth.
2. Contend with challenges above your current station.
3. Bolster your crew’s reputation or develop a new one.
4. Express the goals, drives, inner conflict, or essential nature of the crew.

Crew Upgrades

Starting Upgrades Cohort (Rooks), Independent Rooks, 2 of choice.

Cartel Only Upgrades ☐ Smuggle Rig — 2 carried items count as Concealed. ☐ Supply Network — +2d to Acquire Asset during downtime. ☐ Bank — During downtime, each crew member may convert up to 4 Stash to Credit at full value. ☐ Clothier — +1d Engagement on Social plans. ☐ Cover Identities — +1d Engagement on Deception and Social plans. ☐ Exchange — Your network of holdings begins here. ☐ Factorum — During downtime, roll dice equal to your Tier. Gain Credit equal to the highest result, minus your Heat. ☐ Foreign Market — During downtime, roll dice equal to your Tier. Gain Credit equal to the highest result, minus your Heat. ☐ Graft — +2 Credit payoff on scores that rely on a show of force or social access. ☐ Hidden Route — +1d Engagement on Transport plans. ☐ Informants — +1d to Gather Information for a score. ☐ Lookouts — +1d to Hunt or Survey on your turf. ☐ Luxury Venue — +1d to Consort and Sway rolls made on-site. Silks, lighting, and service impress the clientele. ☐ Sanctum — Reduce Heat by 2 per score. ☐ Surplus — +2 Credit payoff on scores involving product sales or supply. ☐ Turf — Reduces the Credit cost multiplier to advance crew Tier. (May be taken multiple times.)

Base: ☐,☐ Life support, ☐,☐ Independence, ☐,☐ Maneuver, ☐,☐ Hidden, ☐,☐ Secure.

Assets: ☐,☐,☐,☐ Investment — Reduces the base cost of improving Tier, before multiplication.

Installations: ☐,☐ Quarters, ☐☐☐☐ Training, ☐,☐ Vault, ☐,☐ Venue, ☐,☐ Workshop, ☐,☐ Hangar, ☐,☐ Prison.

Vehicles: ☐,☐ Shuttles (needs hangar), ☐,☐ Fighters (needs hangar), ☐,☐ Runabouts.

Quality: ☐ Documents, ☐ Gear, ☐ Implements, ☐ Supplies, ☐ Tools, ☐ Weapons.

Vices: ☐ Faith, ☐ Gambling, ☐ Luxury, ☐ Obligation, ☐ Pleasure, ☐ Stupor, ☐ Weird.

Cohorts ☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐ Cohort: (Max 2 per tier +1 for strong hold) ☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐,☐ Add Elite, Edge, or Type to one cohort

Cohorts

Each cohort needs this data.

Name:

☐ Gang or ☐ Expert.

Type: ☐ Adepts, ☐ Rooks, ☐ Rovers, ☐ Skulks, ☐ Thugs.

Edges & Flaws: ☐ Elite, ☐ Fearsome, ☐ Independent, ☐ Loyal, ☐ Principled, ☐ Animal, ☐ Savage, ☐ Unreliable, ☐ Wild.

Damage: (☐ Armor), ☐ Weak, ☐ Impaired, ☐ Broken.