All of the PCs backstories are that they used to be involved with some form of criminal group (and are going through a redemption arc), yet they are keeping it a secret from the rest of the party. I thought that, as a way of connecting the characters and putting a spotlight on their backstories, all of the groups they used to be in were a subsidiary of a criminal empire. Any tips on going about this?
You could place bounties on each of them. Then, when the bounty hunter shows up to collect on person A, turns out they used to work with person B. "Small world, but you know I've got to kill your new friend." That might be enough of an ice-breaker that the rest of them share their stories, too. And they realize that until they take down this over-arching empire, none of them will be safe.
After that, it's a pretty straightforward structure. Go after group 1, then group 2, on down the line. With each successive group being a bit more challenging, mostly because they're on their guard. At some point, the legitimate authorities will get involved. With some of the honest ones grateful for these vigilantes, other honest ones might agree with the ends, but not the means, and still don't like the idea of outsiders doing the work of the city watch. And of course, the corrupt ones try to stop them all.
Since major criminal organizations, especially fictional ones, keep their organizational details very secret, you have the luxury of not needing to construct the entire thing at once, just filling in details as needed.
Assuming the circumstances are such that they're still around their old background groups, there's a bunch of ways to do what you want. There are really two parts: establishing that the organizations are linked, and giving them hooks to go after. The first part's the harder one, especially if you want to be subtle about it.
Hints:
An old "buddy" of one of them catches up to ask a favor/offer a job/deliver a threat/whatever. Pass a note to one of the other players saying something like "You recognize that guy. He works for Big Julie."
They run into a cop who they've individually had run-ins with in the past. The cop isn't the least bit surprised that they're working together. (If trust can be established, this is a useful ally.)
There's a big job going down. Several of the characters get hit up by old buddies who want extra help with their part.
Hooks:
If they're known to be out of the business by their old associates, somebody can come to one of them for help getting out themselves. The complications that come with this person are an adventure hook. (They're being hunted. They need to recover a valuable thing they lost. They and a major crime lord's kid are In Love, and they need help to flee the city together. Etc.)
Somebody who doesn't know they're out has an important Thing. They're dying, or just desperate, run into the PCs, and hurriedly entrust one of them with the Thing.
Somebody from a different criminal organization, not knowing they're out, goes after them to send a message to their boss.
All of the PCs backstories are that they used to be involved with some form of criminal group (and are going through a redemption arc), yet they are keeping it a secret from the rest of the party. I thought that, as a way of connecting the characters and putting a spotlight on their backstories, all of the groups they used to be in were a subsidiary of a criminal empire. Any tips on going about this?
You could place bounties on each of them. Then, when the bounty hunter shows up to collect on person A, turns out they used to work with person B. "Small world, but you know I've got to kill your new friend." That might be enough of an ice-breaker that the rest of them share their stories, too. And they realize that until they take down this over-arching empire, none of them will be safe.
After that, it's a pretty straightforward structure. Go after group 1, then group 2, on down the line. With each successive group being a bit more challenging, mostly because they're on their guard. At some point, the legitimate authorities will get involved. With some of the honest ones grateful for these vigilantes, other honest ones might agree with the ends, but not the means, and still don't like the idea of outsiders doing the work of the city watch. And of course, the corrupt ones try to stop them all.
Since major criminal organizations, especially fictional ones, keep their organizational details very secret, you have the luxury of not needing to construct the entire thing at once, just filling in details as needed.
Assuming the circumstances are such that they're still around their old background groups, there's a bunch of ways to do what you want. There are really two parts: establishing that the organizations are linked, and giving them hooks to go after. The first part's the harder one, especially if you want to be subtle about it.
Hints:
An old "buddy" of one of them catches up to ask a favor/offer a job/deliver a threat/whatever. Pass a note to one of the other players saying something like "You recognize that guy. He works for Big Julie."
They run into a cop who they've individually had run-ins with in the past. The cop isn't the least bit surprised that they're working together. (If trust can be established, this is a useful ally.)
There's a big job going down. Several of the characters get hit up by old buddies who want extra help with their part.
Hooks:
If they're known to be out of the business by their old associates, somebody can come to one of them for help getting out themselves. The complications that come with this person are an adventure hook. (They're being hunted. They need to recover a valuable thing they lost. They and a major crime lord's kid are In Love, and they need help to flee the city together. Etc.)
Somebody who doesn't know they're out has an important Thing. They're dying, or just desperate, run into the PCs, and hurriedly entrust one of them with the Thing.
Somebody from a different criminal organization, not knowing they're out, goes after them to send a message to their boss.
They are all secretly,even from each other, trying to get out of the 'family'? Odd.
But the best fastest safest way is to move away and change their names. The father the better. Never go back, ever.
If they use magic to find the PC's then the trouble really starts. First. are the PC's even important enough to waste the spells on finding them?
Watch the Godfather movies. Or Goodfellas, or Reserviour Dogs,