#Black-Tag Gang
Contents
Canon. Of the 3 human conspiratorial factions, the one that puts a price on fear and yoma goods.
#Opening Scene — The Black Tag Auction
A sword lay in the center of the gambling den. The scabbard was old; a dried fingernail was caught in the handle cord. The auctioneer did not call it a famous blade. He did not say it was cursed. He only smiled and placed a black tag on top of it.
"This item does not keep its owners alive for long. That is why the owner changes often."
The merchants laughed. Two ronin did not. They had already heard the sword calling their names.
When the PCs entered the gambling den, oyabun Inagawa Kurobei raised his head. He sat like a guest, but every exit in the room was waiting for his signal.
"Have the exorcists come to place a bid as well?"
"That sword kills people."
Kurobei flicked the black tag with a finger. "People kill people too. And yet they say people cannot be bought and sold. Isn't that strange? The sword is the more honest product."
At that moment the sword slid partway out of its scabbard on its own. The oil lamp tilted in one direction, and a ronin licked his lips.
"Now then," Kurobei said. "Name your price. If you have no gold, lives will do."
#Law — Using Black-Tag Gang
- Black-Tag Gang does not worship yoma — it commodifies them.
- An incident must include money, debt, the entertainment district, smuggling routes, auction items, and kept ronin.
- Even if the boss is defeated, this organization revives if its ledgers and distribution network survive.
#Faction Card
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Surface | Gambling dens, pleasure-quarter sponsors, ferry warehouse, merchant subcontractors, kept ronin |
| Hidden | Yoma-goods black market, Kaidan entertainment manipulation, smuggling and auctions |
| Leadership | The black-card oyabun, ledger handler, appraiser, pleasure-quarter broker |
| Field | Yakuza Enforcers, kept ronin, ferry porters, auction escorts |
| Strengths | Money, logistics, violence, hideouts, bribery |
| Weaknesses | Ledgers, betrayal, goods runaway, shogunate crackdowns, Hundred-Tale Society retaliation |
Black-Tag Gang is the most worldly evil in Edo. They do not deny that yoma are frightening. On the contrary, they know better than anyone that fear sells. Cursed objects, hairpins haunted by onryo, yoma-fox fur, Enryokan illustrations, names hidden by the Hundred-Tale Society — everything gets a price tag.
#Leadership and Structure
| Tier | Key Figure | Role | How to Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oyabun | Inagawa Kurobei | Final say over market and violence | Has him smile like an affable merchant but calculate coldly |
| Ledger handler | Orin | Records debt and the distribution network | Use as the organization's true heart |
| Appraiser | Sabitsuki Genzo | Identifies yoma goods | Raises prices while knowing the danger of what he handles |
| Kept ronin | Murasame Jo | Auction escort and assassination-for-hire | Use as the face of the sword without honor |
| Action squad | Black Tag Crew | Field intimidation and retrieval | Deploy fast and rough |
Kurobei is closer to a merchant than a tyrant. He lets anyone live if the price is right and kills them if it is not. When PCs speak with him, keep the center on "who gets ruined if this is sold," not on good-versus-evil debate.
#Faction Trait
[Aptitude] Price of the Black Tag (黒札の値)
Black-Tag Gang converts fear, silence, and steel alike into a price. When money moves, subordinates last longer and goods disappear faster.
Effect: During the lull phase, spend 1 gold coin to choose one: 1 Black-Tag Gang Minion or Veteran squad gains +1 cohesion (max 5), or +1 to its next attack check. If payment cannot be made or the ledger has been confiscated, that squad loses -1 cohesion instead.
If a PC acquires this: 1/session, +3 to checks involving gear, information, bribery, or black-market appraisal. After use, a debt of equal value is created; the GM may insert a collection demand in the next scene or the next scenario.
Applies to: Minion through Elite units and companion squads belonging to Black-Tag Gang treat this as an innate trait. Lord-grade NPCs such as Inagawa Kurobei hold it in 1 General Trait slot.
#Companion Squads
All squads below apply Faction Trait [Aptitude] Price of the Black Tag.
#Gambling Den Gang — Minion
Scent: Rough hands who guard the back rooms where cards and dice turn, scatter witnesses, and discipline debtors with a club. Quicker at counting than at loyalty, they hold their ground fiercely only while the money is changing hands.
Wounds 1, Defense 12. Domination +2 (squad of 5).
Techniques:
- Brawling Intimidation [Kata] — When commanded. Scatter civilian witnesses in the same zone.
- Club Strike [Attack] — When commanded. 2d10 + Courage(+1) >= Defense. 1 Wound.
#Smuggling Escort — Veteran
Scent: Skilled escorts who haul cursed goods between the ferry and the auction hall, guarding the cargo before the blade. Knowing full well it is dangerous merchandise, they keep their mouths shut so the price does not leak, and if discovered they scatter the goods first.
Wounds 2, Defense 13. Domination +3 (squad of 4).
Techniques:
- Hidden Dagger [Attack] — When commanded. 2d10 + Finesse(+2) >= Defense. 1 Wound.
- Cargo Shield [Technique] — Reservation 1/Improvised 2. When hit, negate the damage — but one item on the scene is damaged or scattered instead.
#Leadership NPC: Inagawa Kurobei, Oyabun of the Black Tag — Lord
Scent: The oyabun of Black-Tag Gang, who puts a price on fear and on life alike. Smiling with the face of a merchant rather than a tyrant, he decides with a single gesture where the crew and the escorts will strike, whom they cut, and what they move.
Inagawa Kurobei (稲川黒兵衛) — Lord
Wounds 6, Defense 14, Energy 12
Courage+2, Finesse+2, Physique+3, Wisdom+2, Presence+3, Fate+2
Domination +4.5| Technique | Type | Energy | Check | Effect | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raise the Stakes | [Kata] | 3 | — | 1 Yakuza Enforcers or kept ronin unit on the same battlefield gains +1 to its next attack | 1/breath |
| Hidden Dagger | [Attack] | 2 | 2d10+Finesse >= Defense | 1 Wound. If the target was in negotiation, attack +1 | — |
| Buy Off the Hit | [Technique] | Reservation 2/Improvised 3 | 2d10+Fate >= enemy attack | Negates hit. On success, 1 Minion or Veteran subordinate is incapacitated instead | — |
Special:
- Black Market Ledger: If the ledger was not secured before combat, Black-Tag Gang's yoma-goods distribution network survives even if Kurobei falls.
- Price of the Black Tag: If yoma goods are present on the battlefield, Kurobei's negotiation and intimidation checks gain +1.
- Faction Trait: Kurobei holds [Aptitude] Price of the Black Tag in 1 General Trait slot.
#Light and Shadow
| Light | Shadow |
|---|---|
| Knows logistics and hideouts the shogunate cannot reach | Turns people, yoma, and grudges alike into merchandise |
| Can track dangerous goods | Can resell the goods once tracked |
| Provides the PCs with money and ronin support | Binds the PCs with debt |
| Opens gray-area dealings between the Hundred-Tale Society and the shogunate | Is prepared to betray both sides |
#As PC Affiliation
A Black-Tag Gang campaign blends crime drama with Kaidan. The PCs gain convenient access to money, violence, and information — but they are continually shown that the convenience is funded by selling someone's fear. For heroic PCs, frame them as undercover infiltrators, collaborators trapped by debt, or defectors trying to steal the ledger.
#As Primary Adversary
With Black-Tag Gang, the distribution network matters more than the final boss. Make the PCs trace where yoma goods came from, who they were sold to, and what civilian harm they caused. In the final confrontation, fighting Kurobei simultaneously with managing auction-goods runaway, ledger burning, and hostage retrieval is what brings this organization to life.
"Black-Tag Gang does not believe in fear. It only believes in the fact that fear sells at a high price."