I'm doing a paper on the history of african american music, and we had a lecture today about early (old-school) hip-hop.

The Paladins of Hip-Hop (large parts ripped from "Wave Twister")

"You choose your weapon - either the microphone, the turntables, the spray can, or the floor as a B-boy" - Kid Freeze

Back-drop:
Ages past, the land was liberated from conformity and opression by the DJs. People danced, they had a celebration.

But dark times are coming back. Guns are here, and the gangbangers have used them to come into power. The ancient arts (breaking, rhyming, DJing, and spraying) have been outlawed, and only the gangs' most powerful members know their ways.

The Paladins of Hip Hop takes place in an endless city. Basically, it looks like the Bronx, only it doesn't finish. The people are grey and uninspired, and the gangbangers are everywhere, control everything.
However, there is a hope. A rare few remember the old ways. They are the B-Boys, the people who in ancient times kept the peace for the DJs.

Organization, faith, and charter:
The player characters are the last b-boys. They used to carry the word of the DJs to the people. Now they are the only hope of the people, the only ones who can free the ancient arts. They believe in freedom, expression, and respect. Originally, they were strictly pacifist; they defused potentially violent confrontations through throw-downs, duels between b-boys squads.

The b-boys mainly fight gangbangers on a small, skirmish scale, doing what they can. They also run up against the brutal gang-leaders, the ones who have hoarded the ancient ways for their own use. Finally, they are opposed by bad-boys, b-boys who joined the gangs to survive.

Code:
Minor
Never act violently without cause

Always help the people from the street

Always give respect where respect is due

Major
Never step on another break-dancer's sneakers

Never refuse a throw-down

Unbreakable
Never use a gun

Arms:
The b-boys were founded on an ideal of pacifism, and as such carry no weapons. They do, however, have their sneakers. All b-boys wear sneakers, and treasure them above all else. A b-boy without his sneakers is nothing. B-boys can't perform their eye-popping break-dancing unless they're wearing their sneakers. A b-boy's sneakers give a +2 bonus to the b-boys break-dancing attempts.
Somehow, no matter where the b-boy's been walking, his sneakers stay spotless.

Power:
- perform eye-popping dance moves.
- defuse a violent situation
- sway a crowd
- perform amazing athletic and acrobatic stunts
- summon a song. That song just starts playing from from everywhere; boom-boxes, speakers, radios, everything in the area.

Abilities
B-boys don't gain the arms ability; instead, they all get "breaking", the ability to break-dance. This is used in confrontations in the exact same way as physical combat; the opponent's loss of flesh represents their loss of morale and respect, until they have no choice but to walk away from the throw-down. Even gang-bangers with guns can be made to walk away by a b-boy's breakin'.
As usual, the second ability can be freely chosen. Some options include:
- spraying: the art of graffiti.
- rhyming: rapping, or MCing.
- scratching: that most powerful of arts, DJing.
- beat-boxing: creating percussive effects entirely with the mouth

wow

"This is not a Star Wars role-playing game, though - it is much, much more."

Bob McNamee

Hysterical!

That is a great setting idea for Paladin!!

When you run this you have to let us know how it goes.