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The small-time crook is a person who relies on illegal activities to make a living, but doesn’t have the abilities, resources, or imagination to pull off a big score. Some small-time crooks specialize in a particular brand of illicit activity—for example, drug dealing or stealing cars—but most will take any opportunity to make a quick buck if they think they can make a clean getaway. Small-time crooks often act as footsoldiers for mafia families, street gangs, and other criminal organizations.
Likely Stories
Small-time crooks are most frequently found in crime and action movies, but since every society includes people who prey off of others, they can be found in any type of game.
The Name Game
Many criminal gangs recruit most of their members from a particular ethnic group, so small-time crooks who work for a gang may have appropriately ethnic-sounding names. Like most underworld types, small-time crooks frequently have colorful nicknames that describe their personality, abilities, physical traits, or criminal history.
The Numbers
A small-time crook’s Numbers will depend on the types of criminal activities he usually gets involved in. Those whose work relies on stealth or physical force (muggers, burglars, etc.) will need a high Body Number. Criminals whose income depends on effectively dealing with people (con men and drug dealers, for example) will need to focus more on Nerve. Small-time crooks are not criminal masterminds (if they were, they’d be big-time crooks) and usually have average or lower Brain Numbers.
Suggested Jobs: Associate, Bandit, Blackmailer, Bookie, Bootlegger, Car Thief, Career Criminal, Counterfeiter, Coyote, Delinquent, Dirty Cop, Drug Dealer, Drug Mule, Drugstore Cowboy, Enforcer, Fence, Gang Banger, Getaway Driver, Gun Runner, Hatchet Man, Henchman, Hell’s Angel, Hoodlum, Hustler, Junkie, Kidnapper, Loan Shark, Mugger, Pickpocket, Pimp, Pot Farmer, Prostitute, Prowler, Robber, Ruffian, Safecracker, Shoplifter, Smuggler, Snake Oil Salesman, Sneak Thief, Swindler, Thief, Thug
Gimmicks: Car-Fu, Clean Record, Connected, Friends in Low Places, Good Lawyer, Gun-Fu, Hard Boiled, Hard to Kill, Hide in Plain Sight, Knows a Guy, Ladies’ Man, Smooth Talker, Stand-Up Guy
Weaknesses: Addiction, After-School Special Waiting to Happen, Bad Reputation, Bad Luck, Can’t Win for Losing, Cop Magnet, Cowardly, Criminal Record, Debt, Enemies, Getting Too Old For This Shit, On Parole, Publik Sculed, Rat, Robin Hood Complex, Superstitious, Victim of the Past, Wanted Man
Skills: ATM Scamming, Brawling, Breaking & Entering, Contacts, Drive-By, Drug Lore, Evade Pursuit, Fast Talk, Firearms, Forgery, Gambling, Graffiti Art, Intimidation, Knife Fighting, Lockpicking, Make Meth, Money Laundering, Pop Culture Trivia, Poker, Police Procedure, Pool, Racketeering, Rap Music, Security Systems, Stealth, Street Cred, Stunt Driving
WWPHITM? Danny Aiello, Rosanna Arquette, Steve Buscemi, Nicholas Cage, Helena Bonham Carter, Ice Cube, John Cusack, Benicio del Toro, Robert DeNiro, Johnny Depp, Laura Dern, Angie Dickenson, Mattt Dillon, Robert Downey Jr., Mike Epps, Vivica A. Fox, Gina Gershon, John Goodman, Pam Grier, Woody Harrelson, Emile Hirsch, Dennis Hopper, Vinnie Jones, Johnny Knoxville, Denis Leary, Jason Lee, John Leguizamo, Juliette Lewis, Ray Liotta, Kelly Lynch, William H. Macy, Michael Madsen, Edward Norton, Gary Oldman, Timothy Olyphant, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Jeremy Piven, Amanda Plummer, Kevin Pollak, Sarah Polley, Christina Ricci, Chris Rock, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Rodriquez, Tim Roth, Mickey Rourke, Tom Sizemore, Jason Statham, Ethan Suplee, Billy Bob Thornton, Justin Timberlake, Marisa Tomei, Danny Trejo, Liv Tyler, Melvin Van Peebles, Chrisopher Waulken, Chow Yun-Fat
Tag Line: “I’ll be taking these Huggies and whatever cash ya got.”—H.I. McDunnough, Raising Arizona
Tools of the Trade: The equipment needed by a small-time crook will depend on what sorts of criminal activities he involves himself in. Regardless of the job, however, small-time criminals usually have to make due with common, easily-attainable equipment. They simply can’t afford the high-tech, fancy stuff that cat burglars and other big-time crooks use. Small-time crooks are usually armed.
Where You’ll Find Him: The wrong side of the tracks: trailer parks, slums, dive bars, strip clubs. If the average person rolls up the windows and locks the doors when driving through, the small-time crook probably considers it home.
Social Circle: Mostly other crooks and lowlifes. Repeat offenders will also know local beat cops, judges, and parole officers, but it is unlikely they will be on the best of terms with any of these.
Sample Character
Lance
Body: 12
Brain: 14
Nerve: 13
Job: Drug Dealer (14)
Gimmick: The Dude Abides (11)
Weakness: Dazed & Confused (11)
Skills: Pop Culture Trivia +3; Contacts +2; First Aid +1
WWPHITM? Eric Stoltz
Dumb Fact: Eats Fruit Brute cereal
Tag Line: “Look, you brought her here, and that means that you’re giving her the shot. The day that I bring an OD-ing bitch over to your house, then I’ll give her the shot. Give her the shot.”
HP: 12
YY: 2
Inspirational Material
Authors
Brian Michael Bendis
Raymond Chandler
Max Allan Collins
Kinky Friedman
Dashiell Hammett
Elmore Leonard
Mario Puzo
Mickey Spillane
Books and Comics
Big Trouble by Dave Barry
Crime SuspenStories by EC Comics
The Damned by Cullen Bunn
Gangland by Garth Ennis
Hitman series by Garth Ennis
Lankhmar series by Fritz Lieber
Shock SuspenStories by EC Comics
Sin City by Frank Miller
Thieves World series
Movies & TV
Alpha Dog
Bandits
Big Trouble (Snake Dupree and Eddie Leadbetter)
Dog Day Afternoon
Drugstore Cowboy
Fargo (Carl and Gaear)
Go
Goodfellas
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Harry Lockheart)
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (especially Garry and Dean)
The Long Kiss Goodnight (Mitch Henessey)
Menace II Society
My Name Is Earl
Next Day Air
Pulp Fiction
Raising Arizona (H.I., The Snoats Brothers)
Reservoir Dogs
Sin City
Snatch
The Sopranos
The Usual Suspects
Way of the Gun
Wild Things
The Wire
Music
AC/DC
The Clash
Johnny Cash
Steve Earle
Robert Earl Keen
N.W.A.
The Refreshments
Bruce Springsteen
Hank Williams III
Warren Zevon
