Cycle Gangs

"A typical biker is distinguished by his shabby, smelly appearance, his upturned nose, his pointy ears and porcine looks . . . No, wait! Those are orcs." —AutoduelCycle gangs are loose groups of bad guys that patrol the highways across America, looking to smash smashables and grab any grabables. They are the bane of any traveler using the highways, and their prevalence is effectively the source of the Autoduel setting itselfAfter all, without all the highway bandits, there wouldn't be much need for so much firepower on every car, would there?.
Cycle gangs vary from simple, violent and rather flat (i.e. faceless motorcycle orcs) to elaborate, well-written and desperate groups forming their own societies on the fringes.
== The Heavy Cloud of Realism ==
In a tightly realistic setting, cycle gangs would be the hard-knocked offspring of a world gone mad. Desperate raiders of the Grain Blight looking for food, fanatics following charismatic cult leaders, looking to establish a new paradise for their bretheren. Many are scarred military veterans, gathering with their old squads and using the tools their were given—the wrench, the gun, the ability to inflict great violence—to carve out a niche as the world dies around them. This can be moving, enlightening, and rather dark. 
Fortunately for the GM, these detailed backstories and motivations are not necessary for every cycle gang. Sometimes there's just A Whole Lotta Dudes Who Wanna Shoot Ya, and that's okay.
== The Good Guys ==
"We make the world what it is, by what we do. All of us." -Iron Mike, Days Gone (2019)Noble (or at least, neutral) cycle gangs focus more heavily on bounty hunting — often taking down bad bikers, rogue truckers, or corporate military ops. In more high-adventure variants, they may be employed full time to patrol the roads for mutants, monsters, zombies or other manner of beasties. The Paladins are one of the larger chapters, with members from Colorado to Ohio, from South Dakota to Texas.
== References ==
* GURPS Autoduel (2e), p.87-89
Category:Organisations in GURPS