TEXT: The Modern Dispatch
  TRIAD
  Page 1
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  #58
  TRIAD
  By Gareth-Michael Skarka
  Introduction
  Throughout Chinese history there have been 
  various groups of outlaws, rebels and bandits 
  that have formed secret organizations.  These 
  organizations have commonly been referred to 
  as Triads.  
  The Triads have been an integral part of Chinese 
  culture and society, sometimes working with 
  those in power; but most times working against 
  authority.  In the modern world, these secret 
  societies are changing the face of organized 
  crime,.
  History
  To discuss the origins of the Triads leads to a 
  strange combination of myth and history.  While 
  most of the Triad sects in operation today can 
  only trace their actual origins to the eighteenth 
  or nineteenth century, they all claim to be 
  descended from secret societies dating back 
  nearly 2000 years.
  What can be proven, however, is that a Triad 
  known as the Hung Society transformed the 
  Triads into a network for organized crime.  By 
  the late eighteenth century, the Hung were 
  opium dealers, smuggling opium purchased 
  from Western merchants into China.   The 
  Qing dynasty had limited trade with the West 
  through a single city, Kwangtung, and licensed 
  merchants in the city (all Imperial appointees) 
  grew rich through their monopoly on this trade.  
  It was under this system that the Hung Society 
  and other Triads began to ﬂourish with illicit 
  trade, the same way that the Sicilian Maﬁa in 
  the United States ﬂourished under Prohibition.  
  At the same time, however, the inﬂux of drugs 
  into China at the hands of the Triads slowly 
  transformed the secret societies from religious 
  and nationalist in outlook to almost entirely 
  
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  proﬁt-driven criminal enterprises. 
  Today, according to the United States Justice 
  Department, there are more than 80 Triad 
  societies in the world. Of those, the 3 largest 
  are discussed below—but these groups only 
  represent a small fraction of the number of 
  actual Triads in operation. 
  The Sun Yee On is, by far, the largest and most 
  powerful of the Triads.  It is based in Hong 
  Kong but has several offshoots. It is believed 
  to be in control of over 56,000 members 
  worldwide, with sub-organizations located in 
  New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Los 
  Angeles.  The Sun Yee On organization in 
  London directs the Triad-controlled drugs trade 
  in the UK and the rest of Europe.
  The 14K Triad, based in Hong Kong, has over 
  20,000 members within thirty subgroups.  
  It is characterized as the principal rival of 
  the Sun Yee On in Hong Kong.  It operates 
  throughout Chinatowns in the United States, 
  Canada, Australia, and the Far East.  It has been 
  particularly active in heroin trafﬁcking. 
   
  The Wo Group, with over 20,000 members 
  is also based in Hong Kong, although major 
  divisions of the Wo Group have bases of 
  operation in San Francisco.  Illegal gambling is 
  the major source of cash for the Wo.
  Triad-related organized crime has risen in many 
  cities in the United States, especially in the 
  states of New York and California.  According 
  to a study of New Yorkʼs Chinatown, 81 percent 
  of the restaurants and 66 percent of other 
  businesses are victimized by Triads, or Triad-
  related gangs. New York is recognized as the 
  center of Chinese organized crime in the U.S., 
  while places such as Orange County, California 
  are estimated to have over 80 Indo-Chinese 
  gangs in the region.  
  European Triad activity is occurring in areas 
  with large, established Chinese communities 
  reside, including Amsterdam, London, 
  Manchester and Glasgow.  In London, drug 
  smuggling is primarily controlled by the Triads, 
  in particular the Sun Yee On bringing in heroin 
  and opium from the Golden Triangle. 
  In the Netherlands a small Triad known as 
  the Tai Huen Tsai, made up of former Red-
  Guard exiles, military trained men from the 
  Peopleʼs Republic of China, has a monopoly on 
  Dutch heroin trade, where it was involved in 
  production and supply.
  Triad Organization
  Over 2000 years of history, the Triads are 
  still run according to the basic organizational 
  structure that the secret societies followed for 
  millennia.
  Even to this day, there are non-criminal Triad 
  organizations throughout China and in Chinese 
  communities worldwide, who run humanitarian, 
  civic or business efforts using similar 
  membership structures as their more infamous 
  counterparts.   
  The Grand Council
  The basic Triad structure divides the society 
  between two main leaders (essentially a boss 
  and an underboss) who each guide the day-
  to-day operations of the Triad. The boss of 
  the organization is known as the Shan Chu 
  (“Mountain Master”), although he is usually 
  referred to by the nickname Dai Lo (“Elder 
  Brother”) as a sign of respect.  The primary 
  underboss is known as the Fu Shan Chu 
  (“Deputy Mountain Master”), known to the 
  membership by the nickname Yee Lo (“Second 
  Eldest Brother”).
  Beneath the Shan Chu and the Fu Shan Chu 
  are what are referred to as the Ritual Ofﬁcers.  
  These individuals are highly-respected elder 
  members of the society, who act as trusted 
  advisors to the boss.  These Ritual Ofﬁcers are 
  known as the Heung Chu (“Incense Master”) 
  and the Sin Fung (“Vanguard”).
  The Rank and File
  Beneath the Ritual Ofﬁcers in the hierarchy are 
  the divisional chiefs.  The Pak Tze Sin (“White 
  Paper Fan”) is the Triadʼs primary strategist and 
  advisor, a position similar to the Consiglieri of 
  the Maﬁa.   The Cho Hai (“Straw Sandal”) is 
  the communications ofﬁcer—the messenger, the 
  diplomat, responsible for all dealings between 
  gangs and negotiations with other Triads.  
  The most numerous divisional chief position 
  within a Triad is that of the Hung Kwan (“Red 
  Pole”), who historically were the ﬁghters of 
  the secret societies, but now are territorial 
  
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  underbosses, similar to the Capo of the 
  Maﬁa, each of whom run their own crew of 
  approximately 15 active members.
  These lower-tier  members are referred to within 
  the organization by the numerical code of “49”.  
  A 49 is the equivalent of a “made man” in the 
  Maﬁa.  Each 49 usually has lesser criminals, 
  ofﬁcially unafﬁliated with the Triad, who follow 
  their orders.  These criminals, often street gang 
  members and other young, low-level thugs, are 
  referred to as Lam Tang Lung (“Blue Lanterns”), 
  and are considered provisional 
  members, ready to made into 49s 
  once theyʼve proven themselves.
  Triad Operations
  The Triads utilize many different 
  crimes as their primary income 
  sources.  Not all of a Triads 
  income comes from illegal 
  operations, though.  The Triads 
  have their ﬁngers in many 
  legitimate business all over the 
  world, making it hard to separate 
  their illicit income from proﬁts 
  made through legal sources.
  Drugs
  The Triads traditionally control 
  the production and shipment of 
  opium, and its more potent form, 
  heroin, by controlling the Golden 
  Triangle, consisting of Thailand, 
  Laos and Myanmar.   The Golden 
  Triangle is the point of origin for 
  more than half of the worldʼs heroin.
  A unit of heroin (1 kilogram) currently costs 
  between $120,000 and $180,000 wholesale. 
  Comparatively, a kilogram of cocaine has 
  dropped in price over recent years, to $25,000.   
  Golden Triangle heroin, which is also known as 
  “China White,” is the primary source of income 
  for the Triads.
  Gambling
  Although gambling may not be as lucrative as 
  trafﬁcking in narcotics, it has always been a 
  major source of revenue and a core criminal 
  activity of the Triads. 
  Casinos are often run with Triad involvement, 
  where they can combine other criminal 
  enterprises at the location, such as prostitution, 
  drugs and especially money laundering (the 
  conversion of illegal proﬁts into untraceable 
  cash income).  Illegal gambling operations can 
  be run anywhere, but it is in their involvement 
  with legal casinos that the Triads stand to make 
  the most money.   Macao, which has been called 
  “the Las Vegas of the Orient,” has become a 
  major center of Triad gambling activities in Asia.
  Prostitution
  Triad-run prostitution dates back 150 years, 
  when expatriate Chinese communities were 
  predominantly male.  Triads would import girls 
  for Chinese men who either did not wish to mix 
  with local women or were barred from doing 
  so.  The girls, usually teenagers and sometimes 
  as young as twelve, were often purchased from 
  families who sold them to avoid loss of face 
  because of an inability to provide a marriage 
  dowry.  
  Prostitutes today are not usually sold, but are 
  enticed abroad with promises of a better life—
  but they are shipped, often illegally, to a foreign 
  country, unable to speak the local language and 
  virtually trapped.  
  Immigrant Smuggling
  Immigrant smuggling is a very big business 
  
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  with a high proﬁt margin.  It can be run in 
  combination with other activities such as 
  narcotics trafﬁcking, or especially prostitution 
  (as many Triad prostitutes are illegal 
  immigrants).  Illegal immigrants are charged 
  for passage to the United States, which ranges 
  from $10,000 to $40,000 per person.  Usually 
  the people being smuggled do not pay the entire 
  charge before departure—the immigrant, or his 
  relatives, become indebted to the smuggling 
  organization, and most work off this debt, often 
  in other illegal operations.
  In 1993, a ship called the Golden Venture ran 
  aground in New York Harbor. Onboard were 281 
  illegal immigrants, six of whom drowned trying 
  to swim to shore.  Each passenger had paid 
  between $15,000 and $35,000 for the journey—
  half to two-thirds of which was proﬁt for the 
  smugglers. That adds up to at least $4 million for 
  a boatload of illegal immigrants.  It is estimated 
  that there are up to 100,000 illegal aliens 
  smuggled by the Triads into the United States 
  every year, representing a proﬁt of billions of 
  dollars.  It also is relatively risk-free for the 
  Triads—as opposed to the harsh sentences 
  (and violent competition) associated with 
  narcotics trafﬁcking, the penalties for immigrant 
  smuggling are practically nonexistent—a 
  conviction is punishable by a maximum sentence 
  of ﬁve years in jail.  
  IP Theft
  Over recent decades, the Triads have begun 
  to engage in the theft of intellectual property, 
  producing and selling knock-offs of everything 
  ranging from CDs and DVDs to designer 
  clothing.  High-tech crimes, especially computer 
  chip theft, are also on the rise, and may become 
  one of the most proﬁtable crimes committed 
  by Triads.  Once chips are stolen, they are 
  practically untraceable because the chips have 
  no registration numbers.  While stolen jewelry is 
  sold for 20 percent of its value, computer chips 
  can be resold for as much as 80 percent.  
  Against The Triads
  The Triads form an excellent backdrop for 
  adventures in many different eras of d20 play.  
  Their long history makes them suitable for many 
  different campaign settings:
  Kung Fu Tales
  Early secret societies, the progenitors of the 
  Triads (such as the Red Eyebrows or the Hung 
  Fa, for example) make excellent adversaries for 
  d20 campaigns emulating the fast and furious 
  action of Martial Arts ﬁlms.
  You could even take a page from the Once 
  Upon A Time in China series of ﬁlms, and set 
  the adventures during the turmoil of the 19th 
  century--in which case the Hung Society might 
  serve as the villains of the piece...or perhaps 
  the PCs are members of the Hung themselves, 
  defending China against unscrupulous men bent 
  on robbing Her treasures!
  Pulp
  Nothing says “inscrutable menace” quite like 
  a Triad gang operating in the Chinatown of the 
  PCʼs campaign city.   Look to ﬁlms like Big 
  Trouble in Little China for inspiration on using 
  the Triads with magic and monsters for an extra 
  kick!
  Modern Adventure
  Of course, the Triads can be used as enemies 
  in any modern law-enforcement, military or 
  espionage campaign.   Their involvement with 
  the international drug trade has them involved 
  in conﬂict with everyone from street-level  
  detectives (tracking down a prostitution ring)  
  to secret Black Ops squads (going after their 
  private army-guarded poppy ﬁelds in the Golden 
  Triangle).
  To take a John Woo spin on the usual story, have 
  your players portray members of the Triads 
  themselves, playing out epic blood-spattered 
  tales of honor, revenge and redemption in the 
  Hong Kong underworld.
  Triad NPCs
  What follows are sample NPCs from the levels 
  of the Triad organization that PCs are most 
  likely to interact with:
  Blue Lantern 
  (Lam Tang Lung, Street Level Thug)
  Tough Ordinary 1 CR 1; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 1d10+1; HP 7; Mas 
  13; Init +2; Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 13, 
  ﬂatfooted 11 (+0 size, +2 Dex, +1 class); BAB 
  +0; Grap +2; Atk +2 melee (1d4+2, knife), or 
  +2 ranged (2d6+0, 9mm SMG); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ ; AL Triad; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, 
  Will +0; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 15, Dex 14, Con 13, 
  Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8.
  
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     Occupation: Criminal (Gamble, 
  Knowledge [Streetwise])
     Skills: Climb +3, Craft (mechanical) 
  +2, Drive +3, Gamble 
  +1, Intimidate 
  +0, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) 
  +2, Knowledge 
  (Popular Culture) 
  +2, Knowledge 
  (Streetwise) +4, Read/
  Write 
  Language +2 (Cantonese, Mandarin), Speak 
  Language +2 (Cantonese, Mandarin), Spot +2, 
  Survival +1
     Feats: Brawl, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency
     Possessions: knife, 9mm Pistol; Wealth +6
  “49” 
  (Made Men)
  Strong Hero 2 CR 2; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 2d8+-2; HP 7; 
  Mas 9; Init +1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 13, touch 13, 
  ﬂatfooted 12 (+0 size, +1 Dex, +2 class); BAB 
  +2; Grap +5; Atk +5 melee (1d4+4, knife), or 
  +3 ranged (2d6+0, 9mm SMG); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; 
  Reach 5 ft; SQ ; AL Triad; SV Fort +1, Ref +1, 
  Will -1; AP 1; Rep +0; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 9, Int 
  14, Wis 9, Cha 12.
     Occupation: Criminal (Gamble, Knowledge 
  [Streetwise])
     Skills: Climb +5, Gamble +1, Jump +5, 
  Knowledge (Current Events) +3, Knowledge 
  (Popular Culture) +3, Knowledge (Streetwise) 
  +6, Knowledge (Tactics) +4, Profession +1, 
  Read/Write Language +3 (Cantonese, Mandarin, 
  English), Repair +3, Speak Language +3 
  (Cantonese, Mandarin, English), Swim +6
     
  Feats: Brawl, Combat Martial Arts, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Streetﬁghting
     Talents (Strong Hero): Melee Smash
     Possessions: knife, 9mm Pistol; Wealth +8
  Red Pole 
  (Hung Kwan,  Capo)
  Tough Hero 3/Charismatic Hero 2 CR 5; 
  Medium-size humanoid; HD 3d10+9 plus 
  2d6+6 plus 3; HP 42; Mas 17; Init +1; Spd 30 
  ft; Defense 14, touch 14, ﬂatfooted 13 (+0 size, 
  +1 Dex, +3 class); BAB +3; Grap +5; Atk +5 
  melee (1d4+2, knife), or +4 ranged (2d6+0, 
  9mm Pistol); FS 5 ft by 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; SQ ; AL 
  Triad; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +1; AP 2; Rep 
  +3; Str 14, Dex 13, Con 17, 
  Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 16.
     Occupation: Criminal 
  (Forgery, Knowledge 
  [Streetwise])
     Skills: Bluff +8, Climb +4, Concentration 
  +4, Disguise +5, Drive +6, Forgery +3, Gather 
  Information +5, Intimidate +7, Knowledge 
  (Current Events) +2, Knowledge (Streetwise) 
  +8, Profession +6, Read/Write Language 
  +3 (Cantonese, Mandarin, English), Speak 
  Language +3 (Cantonese, Mandarin, English), 
  Spot +1, Survival +1
     Feats: Brawl, Deceptive, Double Tap, 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Point Blank Shot, 
  Streetﬁghting
     Talents (Tough Hero): Robust, Second Wind
     Talents (Charismatic Hero): Coordinate
     Possessions: knife, 9mm Pistol; Wealth +10
  
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