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Mob Actions and Riots

 

These rules provide the Phoenix Command Referee with a method of managing a riot. They determine when a riot will start and will resolve the actions of a rioting mob. Although the Mob Actions and Riots rules are primarily designed for use in solo scenarios, rules are provided for agitator troops who sometimes can control parts of the rioting mob. A second player, controlling the agitators, would be able to play against the riot control forces player.

 Riot Stages: Every riot undergoes identifiable stages where all of the individuals in a riot follow certain behavior patterns. The average riot will advance through the crowd, riot, riot advance, and skirmish-line stages. There is also the possibility that as each stage advances, the level of weapons used by the rioters will increase both in number and quality.

Crowd Stage: All riots will start at the crowd stage. Here, the people are gathering peacefully. None of the crowd members should be moved on the game map at this stage. Threat level starts at I unless otherwise specified or earlier raised.

A special set of conditions is required to encourage normally law-abiding people to begin rampaging and attacking the symbols of authority. First, there must be a crowd or large group of people which have gathered for one purpose—either protesting, partying, or any other reason. Second, respect for government authority among the crowd must have disappeared. Third, there must be some sort of triggering event, like the arrest of a popular figure, or an attack on the crowd by the authorities. Another trigger may be the actions of a single crowd member or group from the crowd in leading an attack on the riot-control troops. 

Use the following table to determine if the situation advances to the riot stage. Roll 00-99 once every 10 minutes and if the roll is less than or equal to the modified chance of a riot, then the riot stage exists. 

 

BASE CHANCE OF RIOTING

 

Economic Riots:

Base Chance

Unavailablity of standard goods or services

00

As above, but with high taxes

20

As above, but with prevalent starvation

(starvation present in 20%+ of population)

 

40

 

 

Political Riots

 

Perceived repression of dissent

20

Perceived repression of civil liberties

30

Violent repression of dissent or civil liberties

30

Perceived persecution for political, ethnic, or

religious traits

 

50

Modifiers:

 

Crowd Size

Modifier

Up  to   99

+10

100 to  499

+30

500 to 1000

+50

Over   1000

+60

 

 

Guards

 

None

+20

1 guard for every 20 people

+0

1 guard for every 10 people

-20

1 guard for every  5 people

-50

Mounted guards or riot control vehicles present

-20

 

 

Incitements

 

Agitators inciting riots

+2*SL

Crowd ordered to disperse (Riot Act)

+5

Violent attack on crowd by authorities

+20

Notes: SL is the Diplomacy SL of the commanding agitator in the crowd.

Riot Stage: Once the riot stage exists, there is the potential for violence among the individuals and, possibly, the crowd as a whole. The idea that a person in a crowd situation surrenders his will to that of the rioting crowd is incorrect. Each person in a crowd retains his individuality and full control over his own actions, but is subject to external forces which may modify his decisions such as the apparent formation of a norm of behaviour, or the implied threat of harm to non-conformists. So, if an individual in a crowd begins to display violence, others in the crowd may take his violence as a signal that his actions are normal behaviour for the crowd, and act accordingly.

At the riot stage, it is essential to determine whether the individuals in the crowd turn the crowd as a whole towards violence. The crowd does not move at this stage. Instead, the referee or player rolls a 00-99 on the following table after 10 minutes to determine the crowd actions. If the crowd proceeds to riot advance stage, then the crowd is already disposed towards violence.

Roll      Result

00-19    Passions die down. Riot reverts to crowd stage.

20-34    Continue in riot stage for another (10) minutes.

35-99    Proceed to Riot Advance Stage.

 

Die Roll Modifiers:

Authority Actions

-10        No action by authorities.

+15       Crowd verbally ordered to disperse by authorities.

+30       Crowd perceived as attacked by authorities.

           

Authority Numbers

  0        1 guard for every 20 people.

-20        1 guard for every 10 people.

-50        1 guard for every 5 people.

-20        Mounted guards or riot-control vehicles present

 

Agitator Actions:

+2 * SL  Agitation by agitator troops. SL is highest Diplomacy SL of agitator troops.

Riot Advance Stage: In this stage, the rioters begin to move towards the positions of the riot-control troops at a steady walking pace of 1 HPP. Roll a 00-99 every 10 phases and compare it with the distance of the rioters from the main body of troops. If the roll exceeds the distance, then the advance stops and a skirmish line forms at that point. Agitators may try to move the crowd closer to the riot-control troops by subtracting 2 times their commander's Diplomacy SL from the die roll. 

Skirmish Line Stage: Scenarios in most scenarios will start with the skirmish line already formed. The skirmish line is a line of rioters roughly parallel to the main body of the riot control troops. It is a staging area for small clusters of rioters to launch attacks on the riot control troops or other targets.

Each cluster consists of 5 rioters. All the rioters in a cluster will behave in the pattern determined by rolling on the Cluster Actions Table below. 

Rolls for cluster behavior are made once every 10 phases. At the start of a ten-phase period, make a 0-9 roll and note the result. This roll is used to determine the values of modifiers with random components for the period. Next, a 00-99 roll is made for each cluster. By indexing the roll on the Cluster Actions Table under the appropriate threat level, a pattern of behavior is determined for each cluster for the next 10 phases.

Riot Cluster Actions Table

Threat

 

 

 

 

 

Level

Roll

 

Behaviour

I

0

-

2

 

Crowd disperses, riot ends

 

3

-

7

 

Cluster leaves battlefield

 

8

-

55

 

Aggressive shouting - no other action

 

56

-

85

 

Cluster advances to verbally challenge riot troops

 

86

-

99

 

Cluster advances to melee riot troops

 

100

+

 

 

Increase threat level to 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

II

0

-

1

 

Decrease threat level to 1

 

2

-

11

 

Cluster routs

 

12

-

24

 

Aggressive shouting - no other action

 

25

-

45

 

Cluster advances to melee riot troops

 

46

-

85

 

Cluster moves up and discharges missiles

 

86

-

95

 

Cluster charges

 

96

+

 

 

Increase threat level to 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

III

0

-

2

 

Decrease threat level to 2

 

3

-

20

 

Cluster routs

 

21

-

27

 

Aggressive shouting - no other action

 

28

-

52

 

Cluster advances to melee riot troops

 

53

-

75

 

Cluster moves up and discharges missiles

 

76

-

92

 

Cluster charges

 

93

+

 

 

Increase threat level to 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV

0

-

9

 

Cluster routs

 

10

-

14

 

Aggressive shouting - no other action

 

15

-

40

 

Cluster advances to melee riot troops

 

41

-

75

 

Cluster moves up and discharges missiles

 

76

-

99

 

Cluster charges

 

100

+

 

 

Cluster obtains firearms and opens fire.

 

Modifiers

 

Authority Actions:

 

Physical Barriers established

-10

Police personnel line established

-5

Riot police personnel line established

-15

Military personnel line established

-20