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The Zookeeper’s Guide: Running the Perfect Zoo Mafia Session

Welcome to the world of Zoo Mafia, where the fur flies, the drinks flow, and crime rules the jungle. As a Zookeeper (Game Master), your job is to craft a compelling, high-stakes underworld filled with rival gangs, daring heists, and the ever-present risk of attracting human attention. Running a Zoo Mafia session requires balancing narrative-driven roleplay with tense, strategic decision-making. Let’s break down some key elements that will help you run the perfect game.

1. Setting the Tone: Noir with a Wild Twist

Zoo Mafia is all about blending the gritty crime drama of the Prohibition era with the instinctual behaviors of the animal kingdom. To capture this unique mix, keep the following in mind:

• Atmosphere Matters – Describe the cityscape with smoky speakeasies, dimly lit alleyways, and backroom deals happening under the neon glow of streetlights. Add ambient jazz or swing music for an immersive experience.
• Mafia Tropes, But Animalistic – Think about how different species interact with the setting. A snake informant might be slippery, a gorilla enforcer brutal, and a raccoon thief nimble. Play up these instincts to make the world feel authentic.
• Moral Gray Areas – Like any good mafia tale, the game thrives on characters navigating loyalty, betrayal, and survival. Encourage players to make tough choices that define their criminal reputations.

2. Keeping the Game Pacing Tight and Engaging

Zoo Mafia thrives on tension, so your sessions should keep a strong momentum. Here are some techniques:

• Start in Media Res – Drop players straight into a dramatic moment: a botched job, a tense negotiation, or a police raid.
• Timers and Clocks – Borrow from PbtA games and use clocks to track when things spiral out of control (e.g., “The Cops Close In” or “Bunny Malone Loses Patience”).
• Complications on a Miss – When a roll goes sideways, don’t just say “you fail” — introduce a new problem. Maybe the crew gets the loot but now owes a favor to a rival boss.

3. Running Engaging NPCs

A strong cast of NPCs makes Zoo Mafia shine. When designing characters, consider:

• What They Want vs. What They Need – Every NPC has a surface-level goal (“I want more territory”) and a deeper motivation (“I need respect”). Let players manipulate these desires.
• Distinctive Speech and Mannerisms – A parrot informant who only speaks in overheard phrases? A sloth bartender who talks reeeeal slow but remembers everything? Make NPCs memorable.
• Relationships Matter – The criminal underworld is a tangled web. An enforcer might be secretly loyal to two bosses. A fence might be double-dealing. Keep things messy.

4. Mechanics: Making Crime Pay (Or Cost)

To keep players engaged, make sure they feel both the rewards and the risks of their choices.

• The Peanut Economy – Using the Zoo Mafia five-tier wealth system (Handful of Peanuts to Crate of Peanuts), make players roll when they want something out of their reach.
• Markers – Let players use their Markers knowing the consequences if they run out. Make the situations hard that forces the use of them if you need to.
• Gambling and Risky Moves – Whether betting in a speakeasy or trying to bribe a cop, make rolling high-stakes and tempting.

5. The Human Factor: A Dangerous Oversight

Humans are the unseen force that can ruin everything. If the authorities catch wind of talking animals running a crime syndicate, it’s game over.

• Introduce Human NPCs Sparingly – The standard is you lose half your markers if you interact with a human, if you are running a typical zoo. Add the threat of the human now and again just to see what happens.
• High Stakes, High Consequences – If a job goes wrong and humans get involved, what does that mean for the zoo? The whole story could change based off of that one decision. But you the Zoo Keeper have complete control.

Final Thoughts: Let the Players Lead

As a Zookeeper, your role is to present opportunities, conflicts, and dilemmas, but let the players decide how to navigate them. Keep sessions full of surprises, betrayal, and tension, and Zoo Mafia will deliver unforgettable stories every time.

Now, go roll some dice, pour a drink, and see where the city or zoo takes your crew. Just don’t let the humans find out…

Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!!