The Dossier
2 min read
Part two of the handbook. One card per feature, written as the file the police keep on you, or the file the family keeps on the city. This is where the exact rules and formulas live. Every number comes straight from the game.
Part one, the basics in plain language, is in the handbook.
Police heat
What it is
The more often you strike, the thicker your police file. Heat is risk, not reward. The meter runs from zero to 100. A successful crime gives 3 heat plus the job's energy. A failed job gives more. If you don't build new heat for a while, the meter drops one point every 45 seconds.
Where to find it
Street tab, and the heat sheet in the HUD.
How it works
Up to 20 heat you notice nothing. Above that your success chance drops, up to 25% at 100 (see Crimes).
An arrest locks you up for a while. That's the bust chance before the success roll. It takes 35 heat off and 40 energy, or whatever you have left if that's less. There's no fine on that arrest. From 70 the chance is 18%, rising to 45% at 100. How long you sit, the jail page shows.
If a job fails at or above 70, your heat goes up first and then the dice roll. The jail chance is 30% to 70%. Jail from that fail uses a different clock from the bust-chance arrest — the exact time is on the jail page.
Safehouse. Opens from 25 heat, takes 60 heat off. Price: $110 plus $6 per point of heat you carry, always between $180 and $2,600.
Worked example: at 70 heat the safehouse costs $110 plus 70 times $6.
Night watch (from rank Associate). Costs 12 energy, takes 35 heat off. Then a 6 minutes cooldown.
Informant (from rank Associate). Costs $180 plus $9 per point of heat, between $300 and $3,500. Takes 48 heat off and gives a 14 minutes shield against arrests on crimes. Then a 12 minutes cooldown.
Lookout (from rank Soldier). Puts new crime heat at 40% of normal for 45 minutes. Existing heat stays.
Costs, returns and limits
Heat never earns cash. Landing in the hospital or bribing your way out takes 20 heat off. Actions outside jobs also give heat, like the fence, the chop shop, laundering, the armored van, a lost street race, shakedowns, protection money, a VIP night and dice. How much is on their own card.