Documentation
If there's one thing students love, it's free stuff. You can probably get a nice crowd going with your gang's resources.
Until they scatter, they should provide some good cover for attacks.
Use
The Quad (available with Annotated Maps)
Start text
In combat:
<He> has gathered quite a crowd. That will make the fight a bit… awkward. Your attacks won't do much good until they disperse.
Inbox text:
You've managed to gather quite a crowd by the time fighting really breaks out.
Effects
Damage is greatly reduced the first round — all attacks do approximately the square root of the expected damage, with the following message.
<Anyone attacks> The crowd's chaos interferes with his attack.
<Anyone attacks, but the other player evaded some of the damage.> The crowd's chaos also helps protect him against your attack.
There's some message about the crowd dispersing in the next round too.