1.6 Crew (Coterie)

The Crew: Group Identity and Mechanics

In Chrome & Code, the players are not a Coterie; they are a Crew—a loose collection of specialized talent held together by mutual need, shared risks, and a common goal. Your Crew is your only safety net in a city that wants you dead, indebted, or exploited.

1. Defining the Crew's Foundation

Instead of a Coterie's Type (e.g., Blood Cult, Sheriff), a Crew defines itself by its primary Hustle and its Turf.

V5 Coterie Analogue	Chrome & Code Crew Mechanic	Description
Coterie Type	Crew Hustle	The primary, often illegal, means by which the Crew generates income, resources, or political leverage.
Coterie Locus	Crew Turf	The physical location or digital network the Crew claims as their base of operations and primary source of power.
Coterie Flaw	Crew Complication	A persistent, external threat or internal liability that targets the entire Crew and creates story conflict.

Crew Hustle Options (Examples)

Hustle Name	Focus	Core Objective
Data Broker	Information and Subterfuge	Selling, manipulating, or weaponizing stolen digital secrets (corporate, political, personal).
Augment Runner	Smuggling and Force	Moving high-value, illegal goods (chrome, weapons, drugs) across hostile territory.
System Scavenger	Technology and Repair	Salvaging high-grade materials from dangerous, abandoned, or guarded sites to fund the group.
Digital Samaritan	Social/Support	Using tech and influence to help the disenfranchised, often fighting corps through activism or protection.

Crew Complication Options (Examples)

Corporate Task Force: A specific, well-funded security division has a standing contract to eliminate your Crew.
Territorial Rivalry: A powerful, organized gang is constantly attempting to annex your Crew's turf.
The Blacklist: Your entire Crew has been successfully banned from using a critical city resource (e.g., the primary docks, the major banking network).
Internal Parasite: One member of the Crew (or a key Ally) is a spy for a powerful enemy, constantly leaking sensitive information.

2. Shared Backgrounds and Resources

All members of a Crew pool their collective power through two shared, critical Backgrounds:

Crew Cache (Analogue to Shared Resources)

This is the pooled physical wealth, equipment, safehouses, and maintenance parts the Crew possesses.

When purchasing a large asset or performing general maintenance, the Crew uses the highest Resources Background rating among its members, potentially adding +1 for every additional member with a high Resources rating.
The Crew Cache can be attacked. If the Crew's Turf is breached, the Cache rating can be temporarily reduced.

Crew Network (Analogue to Shared Contacts/Allies)

This is the collective pool of favors, contacts, and allies the Crew can call upon.

When accessing a shared ally or contact (e.g., "The Fixer," "The Tech Specialist"), the Crew uses the highest Contacts or Allies rating among its members.
Damage to the Crew's reputation or a major failure can reduce the reliability of the Crew Network.

3. The Crew's Role in Session Play

The Crew's defined identity allows the Storyteller to tailor challenges specifically to the group's makeup:

Hustle Focus: Challenges should frequently force the Crew to execute their Hustle in high-stakes situations. (e.g., A Data Broker Crew must breach a network before a timer runs out).
Complication Activation: At least once per session, the Crew Complication should manifest, forcing the players to abandon their immediate goal to deal with the threat to their existence.
Moral Cost: The actions required to maintain the Crew's power often directly test the individual Humanity scores of its members, forcing them to commit acts of callousness or violence to keep the group alive.