White Lies
White Lies
IES
By Bill Logan
                                                               Based On
                                                  Swords & Wizardry Whitebox
                                                Originally Written by Matt J. Finch
                      Copyright 2015 DwD Studios. White Lies and the White Lies logo
                              are trademarks of DwD Studios and Bill Logan.
                                                                                  Wh te
                   Languages ................................... 38
                   Armor Class................................. 39
                   Combat ....................................... 40
                   Damage....................................... 43
                   Investigating ............................... 44
                   Example of Play .......................... 45
                   Enemy Organizations .................. 47
                   Master Villains ............................ 53
                   Missions ...................................... 65
                                                                                      IES
                   Campaign Settings ...................... 76
                   Security Systems ......................... 81
                   Computer Security ...................... 86
                                                                          2
                     Introduction
                     There is a war going on every day, a war of ideologies. Its soldiers don’t
                     march in lines or report to a large pentagonal building. It is a shadow war
                     where information and bullets hold equal weight, and enemies don’t always
                     wear uniforms. This game is about clandestine Special Forces parachuting
                     behind enemy lines to carry out missions that no government will claim ever
                     happened. It is about special agents receiving their missions from men and
                     women whose identities won’t turn up on any database. It is about
                     mercenaries and spies. It is about secrets, seduction, stealth, deception,
                     assassination, bribery, infiltration, action, and adventure. But here’s the rub;
                     you don’t see the war happening. The dark and dangerous things that men
                     and women do to protect you go unsung, the truth concealed by the
                     government and media with little white lies to keep you sane.
               Sometimes this means just saying something as simple as “Okay, grab some
               dice, roll them, and tell me the total” to more complex home-brewed charts
               for the smallest of details. Along the way we’ll be making suggestions,
               explanations, and giving ideas (house rules) within text boxes; feel free to use
               them or discard them as you like.
               The Dice
               WHITE LIES uses several different kinds of dice, and we abbreviate them
               according to how many sides they have. So, the four-sided die is called a d4,
               and if we’re telling you to roll 3 of them, we say to roll 3d4. The six-sided die
               is a d6, the eight-sided die is a d8, the ten-sided die is a d10, the twelve-sided
               die is a d12, and the twenty-sided die is a d20.
               There is no die with 100 sides, so to roll a d100 you must roll two ten-sided
               dice, treating the first roll as the tens digit and the second roll as the ones
               digit of your result. So if you were to roll a 7 and then a 3 that would mean
               you rolled a 73. Exception: a roll of 0 and 0 means a result of 100, not 0.
               Action Checks
               Many times the Admin will just tell you if the action
               you want your agent to perform is successful. Not          Supplemental
               every action requires a roll of the dice. When               Training
               success is not a simple enough matter, the Admin        Some Admins will
               may require you to make an action check.                allow players to
                                                                       specify an area of
               Action checks are just a roll of a d6. Normally, if     supplemental training
               you roll 4 or higher (often referred to as “4+”) you    for their agents. When
               succeed, though the Admin might modify this             performing action
               based on the situation, even above “6+” for truly       checks related to an
               epic difficulties. Add the attribute bonus              Area of Training, the
                                                                       player gets to roll two
               appropriate to the action you’re attempting. Other
                                                                       six-sided dice and use
               modifiers may apply as well based on your agent’s       the highest one as his
               gear or Character Class.                                roll. For more about
                                                                       this, see page 109.
               This is just one possible way to manage action
               checks; it might be handled in a different way by
               your Admin.
                                                                           Cooperation
                                                                       Two or more agents
               Action Contests                                         can work together on
               If you need to know who does something better,          something, but
               such as whether or not one agent can detect             describing how to
               another agent using stealth, or when one agent          handle this and every
               tries to disarm a bomb set by an enemy agent…           possibility players
               both generate an action check total but neither         might try is beyond the
                                                                       scope of this light, fast-
               uses a difficulty number of 4. Instead, whoever
                                                                       moving product.
               generates the highest total succeeds. In case of a      Individual Admins will
               tie, the Admin decides how to resolve it. Maybe it      arbitrate such things
               means they continue to struggle another round?          their own way. Players
               Maybe the person with the highest total bonuses         should be encouraged
               wins? Like many things, this is up to the Admin.        to show creativity to
                                                                       gain increased chances
                                                                       of success.
               4: Final Touches
               Lastly, name your agent and perform the following steps:
               Hit Points: Roll 1d6 and add your Constitution bonus. Eliminators add +1.
               Armor Class: If using the standard AC system, AC is 9 minus your Dexterity
                      bonus, modified by armor. If using the ascending AC system, AC is 10 plus
                      your Dexterity bonus, modified by armor.
               XP Bonus: If your Admin is using this optional rule: +5% for each of the
                      following that are 13 or higher: Intelligence, Charisma, and the prime
                      attribute of your Character Class.
               Languages: Your agent is fluent in English and 1 additional language for each
                      point of Intelligence above 10 (see page 38 for some ideas).
               Movement: If you’re carrying 75 lbs of gear or less, your movement rate is 12.
                      Otherwise see page 36 for movement rate after totaling the weight your
                      agent is carrying.
               Combat Details: Base Hit Bonus is +0. Note the Hit Bonus for each weapon,
                      equal to your Strength bonus (unarmed or melee weapons) or Dexterity
                      bonus (ranged weapons). Note the damage, ammo, and range values,
                      too. Unarmed damage is 1d6-2. Add your Strength bonus to unarmed
                      and melee weapon damage.
                     Character Class
                     There are five Character Classes in this game, as depicted on the following
                     pages. Your Admin may also have invented other Character Classes or may be
                     allowing Character Classes from other compatible roleplaying games or
                     supplements.
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                     Combat Machine: An Eliminator may make extra attacks per round, beyond
                           what any agent can do. Against foes of 1HD or fewer, he gets a number
                           of extra attacks equal to his level. Against more dangerous foes he gets
                           only one extra attack per round. At 4th level this is increased to two extra
                           attacks and at 7th level it becomes three extra attacks. Against mixed
                           groups, use the hit die of the most dangerous foe the Eliminator can
                           currently attack. These extra attacks can be with any type of attack,
                           armed or unarmed.
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                     Network of Informants: At 1st level, the player and Admin define an informant
                           who helps the agent on matters related to his field. At each subsequent
                           level, the player chooses an NPC from one of the missions which earned
                           him his new level and adds that person as a new informant. In this way,
                           the Investigator slowly builds a network of informants able to provide
                           information and assistance, drawn from people he’s helped or associated
                           with throughout his career. The amount of information or assistance an
                           informant is willing to provide, and whether or not he requires anything
                           in return, depends on the Admin and the situation.
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               Gear Head: Begin play with any one vehicle worth $50,000 or less, rebuilt
                      personally. At 2nd and each subsequent level, add any one Vehicle
                      Upgrade of choice (see page 17) at no cost. Requires time spent in a
                      garage or tech lab.
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                     Equipment
                     Expense Account
                     While on a mission, agents can pay for meals, hotels, and transportation
                     without having to pay out of pocket. This is because they have an expense
                     account. All other purchases should be managed from their personal funds.
                     Additionally, players who want to hide activity from their agency might use
                     personal funds. Agents are considered to have a traveler’s lifestyle.
                     When an agent reaches 6th level, his expense account broadens. He can stay
                     in luxury hotels, rent expensive sports cars, afford designer clothes, book
                     private charter flights, etc. He is considered to have an extravagant lifestyle.
                     Mission Payment
                     When a mission is over and the agents have reported back for debriefing,
                     they will be awarded a Mission Payment appropriate to the activity which
                     took place on their mission. The Mission Payment is calculated when your
                     Admin also sums up your XP award.
                     Mission Outfitting
                     Agents should normally be permitted some time to outfit for a mission. This
                     allows them to spend their money on things which will help them be
                     successful. On their first mission they probably won’t have much money, but
                     money will come as they accomplish missions and acquire equipment. Clever
                     players will find ways to accumulate money fast. Take out a group of arms
                     dealers during a deal and walk away with a few crates of guns and a briefcase
                     full of cash.
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                     Equipment Kits
                     Rather than deal in individual pieces of
                     equipment, the following represent                          Masterwork
                     standardized equipment kits available to                   Equipment Kits
                     spies from their agency. In addition, any            Any of the equipment
                     item you wish can be purchased individually.         packages can be purchased
                     Just use the internet or common sense to             for ten times its value to buy a
                                                                          masterwork version which
                     find a fair price.
                                                                          provides a +1 to any action
                                                                          checks to use it (or,
                     Burglar kits contain all a professional burglar
                                                                          alternatively, a -1 to anyone
                           might need to pull off a small heist           who makes an action check
                           (backpack, 30 feet of nylon rope,              against it).
                           rappelling gear, crowbar, climbing pads,
                                                                          For instance, a Masterwork
                           grapples, black stealth suit with gloves       Cover Identity costs $10,000
                           and mask, glass cutters, lock picks, etc.)     and will stand up to intense
                                                                          scrutiny even by other spy
                     Cleaner kits contain everything needed to            organizations. A Masterwork
                           wipe a place clean of all potential DNA,       Burglary Kit has all the state of
                                                                          the art technology in it for
                           fingerprints, and other condemning             bypassing locks and security
                           evidence. Using it requires an action          systems.
                           check to make sure you got everything.
                                                                          As agents advance to higher
                                                                          levels and accumulate vast
                     Cold Weather kits contain all a survivalist          reserves of money, this is one
                           needs to endure the bitter cold of the         of the many ways they make
                           arctic (sun goggles, skis, snowshoes,          themselves truly epic, by
                           gloves, hat, hooded parka, hand                having all the best toys.
                           heaters, wool socks, etc.)
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               Medic kits contain all a field medic needs to work his medical miracles
                      (canteen, flares, surgical instruments and tools, bandages, hypodermic
                      needles, several doses of common pharmaceuticals, defibrillator, etc.)
               Operative kits are given to all agents. They include a standard issue durable
                      wristwatch, earpiece comlink (1 mile radius), an ID card concealing rank,
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21
               Ammunition: This game doesn’t get into caliber and length of bullet, nor does it
                      specify which bullets are interchangeable and which are not. At the start
                      of each mission, it is assumed each agent has one payload full of bullets
                      in any firearm he has been issued. When he runs out of bullets… well…
                      he is out of bullets. It is up to the Admin to determine what ammo from
                      fallen enemies is compatible with the agent’s firearms.
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                     Extended magazine: A firearm with this upgrade has an extra 50% ammunition
                           payload, which also applies to any spare ammo upgrades also purchased.
                     Gyrojet: Rather than firing bullets, this weapon fires self-propelled mini
                           rockets. The magazine is reduced to half its normal capacity. Increase
                           damage caused by the weapon by +2 but the rockets are not highly
                           accurate (-1 to hit). Purchase with an extended magazine and calibrated
                           sights to offset these inherent penalties.
                     Heavier caliber: The weapon is bored for a larger specialty bullet and unique
                           ammunition must be purchased and used. This increases the damage
                           caused by the bullet by +1.
                                                                23
               Laser targeting system: Places a red laser dot on a target, approximately where
                      the firearm will deliver its bullet. This gives a bonus of +1 to hit a target
                      up to 20 feet away.
               Recognition grip: Electronics in the grip recognize the shooter’s prints and will
                      only fire for the agent, unless he is wearing gloves.
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                     Vehicle Upgrades
                     Vehicles, like weapons, can be given specific spy gadget upgrades to make
                     them more effective while on missions. The cost of each upgrade is either a
                     fixed price or is equal to the original cost of the vehicle being upgraded (or
                     half or twice the cost). More than one upgrade can affect one vehicle, but the
                     same upgrade normally cannot be purchased multiple times for the same
                     vehicle (except where noted).
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               Reliability: Not all gadgets are reliable. If you can prove to your GM that your
               gadget already exists in the real world, then it is given a reliability rating of
               2+. Otherwise, the reliability rating depends on how plausible the Admin
               thinks your gadget is. Whenever you wish to use this gadget, you must roll a
               d6. If you roll equal to or higher than the gadget’s reliability, then it works.
               Otherwise, it has malfunctioned due to the prototype-nature of the
               technology and cannot again be used until it has been returned to the lab for
               rework between missions. Some Admins may allow you to use a technician’s
               kit and an action check to try to repair it in the field if time permits.
               Describe the gadget you want to your Admin. In accordance with his
               experience, knowledge, and sense of fairness, the Admin then assesses how
               plausible the gadget is. This determines the gadget’s reliability and cost. It is
               assumed you work for an agency with a vast technical department who can
               develop these marvels for you, so the cost ranges might not necessarily
               reflect how expensive these gadgets would really be in the real world. Admins
               can feel free to adjust these costs however he sees fit. The weight of the
               item, if your Admin is requiring you to track encumbrance, is determined by
               the Admin.
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                     Super-science Gadget: If the Admin chooses this category for your described
                           gadget, he’s trying to tell you he doesn’t believe the gadget is ever
                           possible, but that he’s going to permit it in his campaign. Thank him, and
                           get frustrated over its poor reliability rating of 5+. That’s right – it’s only
                           going to work if you roll a 5 or 6 on a d6. That makes it a lot less useful
                           than you’d prefer, sure, but at least he’s allowing it in his campaign! The
                           Admin will assess the cost somewhere between $200K and $1.2M (or
                           might roll 2d6 and multiply by $100,000).
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                     Admin Section
                     This section is for the Admin only. Players who read it will be executed. It
                     should give Admins all they need to start running a game.
                     The Game
                     Once the players have made their team of agents, you will describe where
                     the agents are, and what they see. The mission might start in a briefing room
                     surrounded by directors and handlers, or in a seedy crime-filled city with the
                     agents in pursuit of (or being pursued by) enemies. That’s up to you. From
                     that point on, players describe what their agents do. Going down stairs,
                     clearing corners, searching for intel, planting surveillance gear, talking to the
                     people they meet (either the agents being run by the other players, or non-
                     player agents controlled by you). All of these sorts of things are player
                     decisions. You then tell the players what happens as a result: the stairs lead
                     down to a hidden lab where captives scream behind locked doors, guards
                     come around the corner while they’re planting surveillance equipment, a
                     guard shoots at them from the distance, etc. The rules below are guidelines
                     for how to handle certain events, mainly combat, but also experience,
                     movement, healing, dying, and other important parts of the game.
                     Basically, you handle the details of the dangerous world of espionage and
                     adventure, and players handle what their agents do in it. The epic story of
                     each agent’s rise to greatness (or death in the effort) is all part of your world,
                     but part of their experience and you want them to have a fun and memorable
                     experience.
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               Mission Payment
               Mission Payment is calculated using the following tables. First decide the
               scope of the mission (personal, local, national, or international) to determine
               the Mission Payment Multiplier. Then sum up the Activities the team
               accomplished and multiply times this multiplier. This should be awarded to
               each player. Remember that players earn 1 XP per $10 earned as Mission
               Payment, though money acquired in other ways doesn’t constitute Mission
               Payment and won’t earn the players XP.
                Scope                           Multiplier
                Personal                            x1
                Local                               x2
                National                            x4
                International                       x8
               Multiplier only applies to Mission Payment
                                                Mission
                Accomplished Activity          Payment
                Primary Objective              $1,000
                Secondary Objectives            $500
                Discretion & Secrecy Bonus      $250
                Loyalty & Teamwork Bonus        $250
                Discovery Bonus                 $250
                Innovation & Cunning Bonus      $250
                Active Duty Pay (per day)       $250
               XP Award = 1 XP per $10 Mission Payment
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                     Individual Bonuses
                     Optional Rule: In addition to the award granted for the defeat of adversaries
                     and earning of mission payment awards, all agents also receive a bonus or
                     penalty to earned XPs based on their Intelligence and Charisma scores and
                     the prime attribute of their Character Classes. Note: not all Admins use the
                     experience point bonus by attribute rules. Let your players know whether or
                     not you permit this bonus.
                     Example
                     The team is sent on a mission to investigate the disappearance of an agent
                     (primary objective) and rescue him (secondary objective). During the mission
                     the team uncovers a terrorist group operating in a remote training camp on
                     U.S. soil, sneaks into the place, rescues their fellow agent, defeats several
                     enemies quietly, discovers the plans of the terrorists by taking a lot of
                     photographs of their mission planning room, and gets away by stealing one of
                     their vehicles after sabotaging the rest to prevent pursuit. A very successful
                     mission.
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               The Admin notes that the agents also defeated 6 level 1 sentries and 2 level 2
               attack dogs in combat. This totals an additional (6x15 + 2x30) = 150 XP.
               Although the agents looted the dead sentries and took some weapons and
               gear, as well as some cash one had in his wallet, none of this counts as
               earned experience points. Therefore, each player notes that his agent has
               accumulated a total of 700 XP, plus individual bonuses based on attributes if
               the Admin uses that rule.
               Time
               Sometimes the Admin will rule that “an hour passes,” or even, “a month
               passes,” in the life of our intrepid spies, but two important time
               measurements need a quick explanation. These are the “turn,” and the
               “combat round.” A turn represents ten rounds, and a combat round is equal
               to a few moments, perhaps what could be depicted in a few panels in a comic
               book, or a beat or two of action-filled music in the midst of a fight.
               If you absolutely must keep track of actual passage of time, you can use 6
               seconds for a combat round and 1 minutes for a turn. This is a marked
               difference from the suggested definition of a combat round and a turn
               described in the Swords & Wizardry game, but it’s appropriate to represent
               the genre being depicted in this game.
               Movement
               When agents travel around the globe, they take commercial flights or
               vehicles they rent or own. The actual transport time should be abstracted in a
               sentence or two, except when something important to the story takes place.
               Normally the Admin will just say something like “after a long six hour flight,
36
                     This section is optional. If you want, you can apply common sense to your
                     players’ encumbrance and movement. If you want structure, consider these
                     rules instead.
                     Base movement rate for all agents is calculated in       Weight carried   Move
                     terms of 5’ squares (or hexes) per 6-second combat         0–75 lbs        12
                     round. Agents can move carefully at half their listed     76-100 lbs        9
                     movement rate, or can run at double their rate.          101-150 lbs        6
                     Admins must arbitrate movement, the effects of           151-300 lbs        3
                     terrain, and how it affects or is affected by combat.
                     Smart players will make sure the heavier gear they’re carrying can easily be
                     dropped if they need to move quickly.
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38
                     Your Admin will tell you which system he’s              Which System
                     using for the campaign, so this isn’t as hard
                     as it sounds. In one system a high AC is bad,
                                                                            Should I Choose?
                                                                       The ascending armor class
                     and in the other system a high AAC is good.       system is a bit faster to use in
                                                                       game play, as it doesn’t
                     Numbers for the AAC system are set off in         require any table look ups.
                     brackets, as you will see in the equipment        Many players prefer it. So if
                     tables, to distinguish the two systems when       compatibility to older
                     the numbers appear side by side. For              products published in the 80’s
                     instance, light armor has an armor class          isn’t what you’re looking for,
                     rating of “-2[+2].” Once you start playing        we recommend ignoring that
                                                                       first number and just using
                     using one of the systems, it will make
                                                                       the ascending AC number in
                     perfect sense and you’ll quickly get used to
                                                                       the brackets.
                     ignoring the other number, no matter which
                     system you use.
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                      1.    Determine Initiative.
                      2.    In order of Initiative (highest to lowest), each individual involved in
                            the combat performs his Actions for this combat round (drawing or
                            reloading weapons, making action checks, moving, punching,
                            shooting, etc.) and results take effect immediately.
                      3.    The combat round is complete; go to step 1 until the combat is
                            resolved.
40
                     The Admin rolls Initiative for animals and non-player characters. If the Admin
                     prefers, he can have all combat participants use the Initiative order rolled in
                     the first combat round for all subsequent combat rounds, or he can make
                     everyone reroll Initiative order each combat round in order to represent the
                     chaos of combat. When dealing with a lot of enemies, the Admin may decide
                     one roll applies for entire groups – or even all – enemies.
                     Initiative rolls will often result in a tie, especially when a lot of enemies and
                     players are involved. When this happens, tied individuals are considered to
                     be acting simultaneously. The Admin may handle this situation in any way he
                     chooses, with one caveat: damage inflicted by combatants during
                     simultaneous Initiative is inflicted even if one of the combatants dies during
                     the round. It is possible for two combatants to kill each other during a
                     simultaneous Initiative round. If you don’t like dealing with this complexity,
                     consider using a d20 for Initiative to reduce the frequency of ties occurring.
                     The attack roll is then compared to the target’s Armor Class to see if the
                     attack hits, according to whichever system you’ve decided to use. The
                     standard system (where a lower AC is better) is resolved by comparing the
                     “to-hit” total to the number required on the “to-hit” table. If the attack roll is
                     equal to or higher than the number on the table, the attack hits. In the
                     ascending AAC system, if the attack roll is equal to or higher than the
                     defender’s Armor Class, the attack hit.
                            AC       +9 +8 +7 +6 +5 +4 +3 +2 +1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9
                          [AAC]      10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
                       Required roll 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
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                     Avoiding combat
                     Some combats can be averted with a few well-chosen words (including lies).
                     If the team is outmatched, or the adversaries don’t seem likely to be carrying
                     much in the way of answers the agents need, the team might elect to try to
                     intimidate, offer bribes, or run. Bullets can be deadly and avoiding combat is
                     an important and effective survival tactic. Besides, defeating every thug who
                     aims a weapon at you isn’t normally the primary objective of your mission.
                     Morale
                     Certain adversaries, such as automated defenses, zealots, or cornered
                     animals, might be fearless and always fight to the death. The majority of foes,
                     however, will not continue to fight a hopeless battle, seeking to retreat,
                     surrender or flee. The Admin will decide when adversaries abandon the battle
                     and retreat, based on the situation and the enemy’s Intelligence.
                     Damage
                     When an agent is hit, the amount of damage is deducted from his Hit Points.
                     Sometimes the damage roll will result in less than 1 Hit Point of damage, but
                     always assume any hit will cause at least 1 Hit Point. When Hit Points reach 0,
                     the agent falls to the ground unconscious and dying. He continues to lose 1
                     Hit Point each combat round when his Initiative comes up until he reaches
                     negative ten (-10), at which point he is dead. When an animal or non-player
                     agent or character reaches 0 Hit Points, he’s either unconscious or dead,
                     depending on the situation behind his damage and the Admin’s whim.
                     Healing
                     In addition to various surgical means of restoring Hit Points in a hospital, an
                     agent will recover 1 Hit Point per day on his own. Four weeks of rest will
                     return an agent to full Hit Points regardless of how many Hit Points the agent
                     lost.
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               Use of a medic pack will restore up to 1d6 Hit Points of damage received
               during that combat. An action check might be required to use a medic pack in
               combat. Only one attempt may be made against a specific set of injuries,
               successful or otherwise.
               Investigating
               Some parts of a mission will center on searching for clues. That’s an
               important part of the genre. Keep in mind that it’s frustrating to players when
               they don’t know what to do next, and players can grow bored if you’re not
               paying attention to their needs.
               You should prepare a list of facts/clues you intend the agents to learn. Then,
               as each agent tries things you think should uncover one of your prepared
               facts, you should give it to them. As long as players try things, you keep
               feeding them facts. Of course, if some facts are difficult to find you should
               require action checks, but don’t make each of your facts rely on one specific
               thing they need to do to uncover it. Players might not think of that one thing
               and they’ll grow frustrated if investigation is reduced to a guessing game.
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                     Zoe’s player: “I pull my suit jacket aside to let them see my pistol in its holster
                         and say ‘I have a SWAT task force in position to strike, and I know you’re
                         just paid sentries… just move along and pretend you never saw me.’ – I
                         try to look serious.”
                     Admin: “Okay, give me a Charisma action check, difficulty 4.”
                     Zoe’s player: (rolls a d6) “I rolled a 1... I have no Charisma bonus. Crap.”
                     Admin: “Um, no. They’re not buying it. You’re covered in filth from that
                        dumpster you jumped in to escape the henchman, Mr. Tall and that
                        makes them assess you with doubt. Maybe if you had a badge to flash or
                        something I might give you another crack at it.”
                     Zoe’s player: (checks her character sheet and scowls) “I’m so going to get a
                         fake badge before next mission.”
                     Admin: “Roll Initiative.” (rolls a d6 for each guard and gets results of 6, 3, 3.)
                     Zoe’s player: (rolls d6) “I rolled a 2.”
                     Admin: “Seems all the guards act first. They’re all more than five feet from
                        you. One pulls his Taser and readies it as his action, the other two close
                        the distance between you with their nightsticks in hand.”
                     Zoe’s player: “They don’t charge?”
                     Admin: “Nope. You drawing your gun?”
                     Zoe’s player: “No not yet, I don’t have a silencer and am hoping not to end
                         my investigation just yet. Can I attack one as they approach with those
                         sticks?”
                     Admin: “Yes.”
                     Zoe’s player: (rolls a d20) “16…sweet! Adding my BHB and Strength bonus
                         gives me a total to-hit roll of 18!”
                     Admin: (notes that these guards have an Armor Class of 12, using the
                        ascending AC rules.) “That’s a hit, roll damage.”
                     Zoe’s player: (unarmed combat damage is 1d6-2) “2 points, but I’ve got a +1
                         damage bonus from Strength, so that’s 3.”
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                     1 Organization Size
                     Just how large is this organization? Is it a far-reaching and deep-pocketed
                     organization with its tentacles digging into every business and every political
                     leader’s affairs, or is it a small organization dealing with one very specific
                     agenda targeting a single foe?
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               2 Organization Locations
               Now that you know how many master villains comprise the leadership of your
               organization, it’s time to see where they are based. For each location, roll on
               the following three tables spread over the next couple of pages (purpose,
               location, and descriptor):
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                     D100 Location
                       01   Afghanistan    26   Cuba                 51   Kazakhstan     76   Somalia
                       02   Algeria        27   Czech Republic       52   Kenya          77   South Africa
                       03   Angola         28   Dominican Republic   53   Madagascar     78   South Korea
                       04   Argentina      29   Ecuador              54   Malawi         79   Spain
                       05   Australia      30   Egypt                55   Malaysia       80   Sri Lanka
                       06   Austria        31   El Salvador          56   Mali           81   Sudan
                       07   Azerbaijan     32   Ethiopia             57   Mexico         82   Sweden
                       08   Bangladesh     33   France               58   Morocco        83   Switzerland
                       09   Belarus        34   Germany              59   Mozambique     84   Syria
                       10   Belgium        35   Ghana                60   Nepal          85   Taiwan
                       11   Benin          36   Greece               61   Netherlands    86   Tajikistan
                       12   Bolivia        37   Guatemala            62   Niger          87   Tanzania
                       13   Brazil         38   Guinea               63   Nigeria        88   Thailand
                       14   Bulgaria       39   Haiti                64   North Korea    89   Tunisia
                       15   Burkina Faso   40   Honduras             65   Pakistan       90   Turkey
                       16   Burma          41   Hong Kong            66   Peru           91   Uganda
                       17   Burundi        42   Hungary              67   Philippines    92   Ukraine
                       18   Cambodia       43   India                68   Poland         93   United Kingdom
                       19   Cameroon       44   Indonesia            69   Portugal       94   United States
                       20   Canada         45   Iran                 70   Romania        95   Uzbekistan
                       21   Chad           46   Iraq                 71   Russia         96   Venezuela
                       22   Chile          47   Israel               72   Rwanda         97   Vietnam
                       23   China          48   Italy                73   Saudi Arabia   98   Yemen
                       24   Colombia       49   Ivory Coast          74   Senegal        99   Zambia
                       25   Congo          50   Japan                75   Serbia         00   Zimbabwe
               4. Wrapping Things Up
               After you’ve taken the three steps of generating an enemy organization,
               you’ll have to give it a name. Be creative and come up with some kind of
               acronym. All the best villainous organizations have acronym names! Then get
               to work generating one or more of the organization’s master villains and his
               henchmen!
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                     1 Villain Type
                     Roll on (or choose from) the master villain type table below to determine a
                     basic archetypical type of villain. Keep in mind there many more possible
                     paths to master villainy, these are just some ideas. This should help
                     complement your later choices, not determine them. If your villain is to be
                     memorable then he should have some depth, and this first die roll is designed
                     to help give him that depth. Is he an artistic dreamer who envisions a world
                     of his design? A mad scientist? A world leader? Maybe a former spy with an
                     axe to grind against an organization that burned him? Or maybe a visionary
                     engineer with the perfect technology to bring about the world order he
                     knows will fix everything?
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               2 Villain’s Motivation
               Roll on (or choose from) the master villain motivation         1d20   Motivation
               table below to determine what motivates the villain
               to be, well, villainous. All master villains suffer from         1    Acceptance
               all of these motivations to some degree or another,              2    Bigotry
               but the result of this roll represents the most                  3    Chaos
               prominent motivating force behind the villain’s plans.           4    Control
               This may align directly with the villain’s organization          5    Curiosity
               or may be tangential to it.                                      6    Desperation
                                                                                7    Equality
               Acceptance: The villain is motivated by the simple               8    Evil
                                                                                9    Evolution
                       desire to be accepted or loved. Perhaps he
                                                                               10    Fanaticism
                       comes from a far off place, or was exiled or cast
                                                                               11    Gloom
                       out from a group or culture. Maybe he has failed
                                                                               12    Greed
                       at love or has lost his family because he believes
                                                                               13    Immortality
                       they no longer accept him. His villainous efforts
                                                                               14    Insanity
                       are an attempt to prove himself to someone but
                                                                               15    Mischief
                       these efforts seem to push that person farther
                                                                               16    Peace
                       and farther away.
                                                                               17    Power
               Bigotry: The villain hates a specific race, group, or           18    Renewal
                       belief. He is motivated to take action against that     19    Revenge
                       specific group of people, and seeks to enslave,         20    Superiority
                       discredit, or murder them at all costs.
               Chaos: The villain seeks a world in a state of anarchy and chaos. He doesn’t
                       seek to rule, he seeks anarchy, and believes the world would be a better
                       place without the artificial constructs of society and culture infecting the
                       process of natural selection and evolution.
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               4 Henchmen
               All master villains have henchmen. Roll on the following table to determine
               the number and level of the villain’s henchmen. Henchmen are different than
               minions. They are often sent to perform specific objectives (usually given a
               group of minions as lackeys) that help constitute early encounters in a story.
               Admins should try to make henchmen get away as much as realistically
               possible, in order to make them be part of a mission’s final encounter (or
               perhaps to return at a later date as henchmen to some other villain).
               5 Minions
               Roll on the minion table below to determine who works for this evil
               mastermind. What master villain would be complete without his army of
               mooks and goons? The result of this table becomes the primary type of
               encounter within missions dealing with this villain.
               This table will let you know how well equipped the minion is and how many
               comprise a standard encounter. Each henchman normally has a standard
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                     If this sounds like a lot – remember that the players aren’t necessarily
                     supposed to stalk around and kill them all (though knowing how most players
                     play, they’ll try). They’re normally spread out all over an enemy base
                     performing specific tasks related to a mission they’ve been given from the
                     master villain.
                     Roll 1d10 and add the average level of the player’s agents to determine how
                     tough to make the master villain’s minions. More experienced agents are sent
                     to deal with more dangerous threats.
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                     1 Mission Scope
                     Roll on this table to determine the           1d6 #Areas Notes
                     number of areas in which the mission           1 2 areas Short assignment
                     will take place. Areas are like acts in a     2-4 3 areas Typical mission
                     play, scenes in a movie, episodes of a         5 4 areas Large assignment
                     television program, or chapters in a           6 5 areas Epic-sized
                     story. Although your mission might
                     take place in more locations than this, this is the number of locations where
                     actual action and story is likely to take place.
                     2 Mission Areas
                     For each area, roll on the area table shown here.       D100   Area
                     This determines where the mission will focus.          01-06   Base
                     The areas rolled are the places where the action       07-13   Decadence
                     and story should take place. When you roll an          14-20   En Route
                     area, begin to ask yourself questions, such as         21-28   Entertainment
                     “what kind of lab?” or “how did the agents get         29-35   Event
                     here?” or “what event can I place in this area?”       36-42   Facility
                                                                            43-49   Industrial
                     Base: This area of the mission takes place in some     50-56   Public
                           sort of military base. It might belong to an     57-63   Remote
                           actual military group, or might belong to        64-70   Residence
                           another intelligence agency or even a            71-78   Station
                           terrorist camp. It could be a criminal           79-85   Underground
                           organization, or even a base of operations       86-93   Urban
                           belonging to the players or some allies.         94-00   Wilderness
                           Encounters in this area will surely include a
                           large amount of firepower.
                     Decadence: This part of the mission takes place in some sort of mansion, party
                           center or rentable hall, or even an actual castle. There is likely to be
                           tuxedos present, fancy evening gowns, and a very expensive banquet. In
                           most scenes of decadence, players will find armed security guards and
                           might – if they’re lucky – get a chance to dance, dine, and role-play.
                           Consider the environment from the perspective of the director of an
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               Entertainment: This part of the mission takes place at a casino or a posh dance
                      club. Maybe it’s in a restaurant or pub where the agents first meet the
                      master villain and share a meal while exchanging double-talk. Maybe it
                      takes place in a museum or hotel, where the agents have to perform
                      some extravagant heist. Whatever the location, it is a place of
                      entertainment. Many people will be present, going about their daily
                      business, and getting in the way of the action. The agents will have to
                      work carefully to avoid innocent fatalities and police involvement.
               Event: This part of the mission takes place at some kind of event. It might be a
                      funeral or an ongoing carnival or even a science exposition where
                      innovations are being paraded. It could be a rock concert. Whatever it is,
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                     Facility: This part of the mission takes place in some kind of large multi-level
                           facility. This is larger than a base; it’s a skyscraper, prison, detention
                           center, city hospital, etc. There is certain to be collateral damage if the
                           agents cause too much damage, and might be difficult to escape from if
                           they must do so in a hurry. There is likely a large amount of security as
                           well.
                     Industrial: This part of the mission takes place in a large factory complex or
                           series of science labs. It might be a network of interconnected
                           warehouses. Whatever it is, it’s originally intended for industrial
                           purposes. Whether the mission’s villains are making use of the industrial
                           facility or it’s just background to the mission is up to the Admin. The
                           agents might have to work around large lasers or industrial robots, or will
                           have to secure access cards from employees to gain entrance to the
                           offices. Or will they plan to enter in the off-shift, at night, where they’ll
                           likely only be dealing with inexpensive security guards?
                     Public: This area of the mission takes place at a public building or monument
                           of some sort. It might be the capitol building, a foreign embassy, a public
                           park or even a large sports arena. It could be the zoo. Whatever it is, it is
                           considered a place for the public, and agents could damage not only
                           innocent people but also pieces of art that are irreplaceable, if that
                           matters to them.
                     Remote: This part of the mission takes place on a remote island or at some sort
                           of facility located deep in some desert, jungle, or in the Arctic Circle. It is
                           difficult to get to and agents will have a hard time gaining access in a way
                           that enemies won’t see them coming. The remoteness of the area is
                           relevant to the story and the Admin should build it into the mission. Do
                           the agents have to HALO jump into the region? What is the extraction
                           strategy?
                     Residence: This part of the mission takes place at someone’s home. It might be
                           an apartment, a safe house, or some kind of condo or suburban home. It
                           could be a farm or a flat located above a pub. Whatever it is, it is the
                           primary residence of someone. Could it be the residence of one of the
                           agents?
                     Station: This part of the mission takes place at some kind of interchange or
                           station. It could be an airport or train station, or could be a bus station. It
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               Urban: This part of the mission takes place along rooftops or in the subways of
                      a city. It might take place in the city streets themselves or in back alleys
                      where dirty deals take place. It could even take place within the buildings
                      of private businesses. The cities hold just as much mystery and
                      opportunity for exciting adventure as any place else in the world, and are
                      easy for Admins to research for maps and culture and events. When
                      preparing for this area, the Admin should ask himself questions such as
                      “what is going on in this city at this time?” and “who are the power
                      players in this part of the city?”
               Wilderness: This part of the mission takes place in the jungle or grasslands, or
                      in the frozen north or in the arid deserts or fetid swamps of the world. It
                      might be in the mountains where the air is thin and monk songs fill the
                      air. It takes place in wildernesses which are not hospitable, and special
                      care must be taken to avoid dehydration, starvation, or exposure to the
                      elements. The wilderness setting allows players with scout-based
                      supplementary training and survivalist kits a chance to shine.
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               Captured: One or more agents are captured and must escape while still trying
                      to meet their objective.
               Easy Mistake: The Admin will present a situation where the obvious choice
                      isn’t the correct one. It would be easy for agents to make the wrong
                      choice, side with the wrong combatant, help a bad guy, etc.
               Enemy Animals: Animals are everywhere - or perhaps agents are being stalked
                      by one animal or a small pack.
               Have to Go Around: The path through this area to achieve the objective has a
                      major physical obstacle preventing passage.
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                     Hostile Environment: The environment itself is lethal with deadly plants, toxic
                           air, pitfalls, loose footing, quick sand, lava, etc.
                     Lost: Navigate a labyrinthine area which slows the agents down while trying
                           to accomplish their objective.
                     Middle of Things: Something big takes place in the area, all around the agents.
                           It gets in the way of their objective. Examples: war, revolution,
                           competition, celebration, etc.
                     Mistaken Identity: The agents are mistaken for someone else or another group.
                           Maybe they are mistaken for a group of criminals expected in the region,
                           or maybe a child mistakenly considers them guardians. This mistaken
                           identity shouldn’t just be background material; it should significantly
                           interfere with achieving the objective.
                     Morale Problems: Because of a past problem or one they just endured, the
                           agents begin suffering from low morale. One agent might start bickering,
                           holding grudges, etc. Party combat is possible.
                     Death Trap: The master villain traps the agents and ensures certain impending
                           death, but then leaves to go enact his plan. This might include a
                           monologue where the villain reveals his plans, since he believes the
                           death trap is unescapable.
                     Persuade Other: The agents must persuade an NPC vital to the area’s objective
                           to help them or perform some action they cannot perform themselves.
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               This is completely optional, but a lot of fun. Roll on the tables on the
               following page to generate a mission codename. Read the result in the form
               of “Operation” followed by the rolled result, or mix & match with the second
               word coming before the first word.
               The table can result in names such as Operation Pacific Green, Operation Zeta
               Shield, or Operation Phoenix Flag. Some of these results might seem a bit silly
               (Operation Gnome Light, Operation Southern North), but check out real-life
               mission codenames online and you’ll be very surprised. Some of them will
               surprise you with their silliness.
               When you design a mission for a specific group of agents, you’ll likely cater to
               their approximate level. But if you want to share the adventure with others,
               consider ways the mission can be scaled to cater to the needs of other
               Admins running agents of different experience.
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               Scope
               Is the player’s agency a single small office building with a handful of agents,
               maybe only the players and nobody else for support? Is the agency a
               powerful multinational organization with headquarters and safe houses in
               every country? Somewhere in between? The scope of your story is probably
               the first place to start, as it defines and limits the types of stories that can be
               told. Exotic locations and international intrigue is a large part of the spy
               genre, but not the only part. The scope can be as large or small as you see fit.
               Funding
               How is the player’s agency funded? Is it privately funded by interested parties
               all with their own agendas? Is it a function of the United Nations, separate
               from any nation’s finances? Is it funded by the government of the country in
               which the story takes place, and if so is that public knowledge? Or is it funded
               by altruistic rich people who don’t know how else to help the world with their
               money?
               Agenda
               What is the player agency’s agenda and mandate? Is it there to fight terror, to
               keep the world safe, or does it have one nation’s best interests in mind? Does
               it exist as an opposing force against a specific enemy, or does it deal with all
               threats? Is it loyal to one nation or one corporation or is it for hire?
               The Law
               What behavior is expected from the agents in regards to the law? Are they
               above-the-law, do they skirt it, or do they have to keep their operations from
               being detected? Can they enlist the help of other agencies, local law
               enforcement, and corporations under the banner of their organization, or do
               they operate with discretion? If they get caught by the law, are they
               disavowed, are they rescued, or does the arresting officer get a phone call in
               the middle of the interrogation and become white-face-scared, apologize,
               and let the agents go?
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                     Enemies
                     A campaign is just a series of serial adventures unless there is a common
                     thread weaving throughout the story. As important as the other things are,
                     an enemy is probably the most important thing you have to consider
                     regarding creation of a WHITE LIES campaign. After all, it’s one of the most
                     important reasons the agents are doing what they’re doing. Is there one
                     single all-powerful enemy who has entrenched themselves into all workings
                     of society, pulling strings and arranging events to some unknowable secret
                     goal? Or are there several? A lot of tools exist in this book for creation of a
                     large organization, and you should consider making a few for your campaign,
                     then see how things unfold with the missions you run and the things the
                     player agents accomplish.
                     Inspiration
                     Look no further than television, books, and cinema. There is so much spy-
                     related goodness in media to lean on for conceptual support. Here’s a
                     sampling of some campaign ideas:
                     Impossible Missions: The players are elite agents working for a discreet wing of
                           some government, given missions that are absolutely impossible to
                           perform (if they choose to accept them). The agents are given all the
                           resources they need to pull off any ruse they can think of. They can build
                           entire courtrooms, manufacture hotel facades in warehouses, kidnap
                           people in their sleep to have them wake up in an exact replica of the
                           room they fell asleep in, and manipulate people with the mastery of an
                           impossible agent. The task force isn’t just trained in deception, they
                           often get involved in high-speed chases, gunfights, and over-the-top
                           fighting. Focus on deception, persuasion, high-tech disguises, security
                           systems and impersonations.
                     Operation Reborn: The players are assets to a government group known as the
                           Program who have escaped. They don't know the depth of what was
                           done to them and don't know who to blame. They fight for survival in a
                           world they aren't wired for while being hunted - initially for retrieval but
                           eventually for extinction as the program asserts damage control. In this
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               Actual American Hero: The players are part of a paramilitary group assembled
                      to deal with the machinations of a villainous powerful military enemy
                      located all around the world. They go on missions to thwart the plans of
                      their foe while helping make the world safe. Their members are
                      comprised of people with unique skills and abilities, all of a military (or
                      ninja) nature. Focus on military action, villains with metal helmets and
                      snake-themed names, and a lot of gunplay without a lot of casualties.
               Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief: The Cold War is raging. Moles, traitors,
                      double agents, spymasters on all sides. Scheming, trusting, lying,
                      shadowing, blackmailing and wiretapping are the orders of the day;
                      getting into a firefight or a high-speed chase means you've already
                      messed up badly, a long time ago. Focus on the planning and execution
                      of those plans, contingencies on top of contingencies. If the bullets start
                      flying, the agents are doing something wrong!
               The Go-To Team: The players represent a team of agents who did clandestine
                      operations for the military but were burned and left for dead. When they
                      showed up alive and well (thanks to their ingenuity – a trait which made
                      them good at their job) the government declared them AWOL, deserters,
                      criminals, or even outright traitors. To make matters worse, there’s a
                      reporter hounding them who smells a story and wants to make a name
                      for herself. Focus on plans to outwit and take down difficult people,
                      helping good old Americans keep their farms, and turning any old piece
                      of junk vehicle into a temporary battle tank.
               Retired but Still Dangerous: The players are retired agents whose low-tech old-
                      school brand of intelligence and espionage were born in the Cold War.
                      Today they’re retired but their experience makes them impossible for the
                      government to let go. They’re asked, coerced, or even outright forced to
                      take missions by the people they used to work for, or sometimes jolted
                      out of retirement by the enemies they once faced who now hold a
                      grudge. Focus on old-school methods winning out over new tech
                      concepts, larger-than-life reputations and living up to those expectations,
                      and perhaps toting around a young side character who idealizes the
                      lifestyle but lacks the skills, and is learning them as she goes.
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                     File-X: The players work for the FBI investigating and closing cases that have a
                           possible supernatural element. They are treated as cast-offs, sent to a
                           dead end job. As they work to solve cases having to do with people who
                           control bees or possessing telekinesis or telepathy, they must struggle
                           with an element within the government that may in fact be run by aliens.
                           The truth is out there, and it’s being covered up by the very people
                           sending you out to solve them. Focus on supernatural bad guys and
                           layers of conspiracy. To get you started there are some aliens described,
                           starting on page 101.
                     Cover Identity: The players play agents who take on various identities and
                           roles to perform missions for an organization they thought was the CIA.
                           But they realize they are actually working for something else, something
                           dark and dangerous, masquerading as the CIA. They are contacted by or
                           contact the real CIA and are now double agents, maintaining a life of
                           deception and fear. They perform missions for their agency while
                           reporting to and given alternative objectives from the real CIA, while
                           trying to uncover more and more of the organization. How far will they
                           go, what are they willing to do, to uncover this shadow organization?
                           Focus on duplicitous assignments with varying agendas, juggling lies, and
                           wearing purple wigs and black outfits to look cool.
                     Victim or Perp: There exists a powerful computer plugged into all digital
                           networks and devices in the country, using complex algorithms to
                           identify threats against the nation and feed them to a government
                           agency. The threats it finds which do not fit that bill are discarded daily.
                           At least they were. Mr. Sparrow, the Computer’s creator, is a millionaire
                           in poor health who has realized the mistake of his decision but no longer
                           has proper access to change the Computer. The players work as agents of
                           Mr. Sparrow, who gets the identity of specific individuals through a back
                           door he’s created into the system. Due to the nature of the back door, he
                           doesn’t know if these individuals are potential victims or perpetrators,
                           but they are involved in some type of dangerous situation. The players
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               Missed it by This Much: The players play slapstick spies working for an agency
                      designed to oppose a villainous spy organization dedicated to the spread
                      of chaos. They have comedic gadgets and situations but in the end
                      manage to be highly effective agents, despite the comedy. Focus on
                      humor, gadgets, and shtick.
               Agent Kids: The players are young men and women not yet of age, members of
                      an elite department within a larger organization recruited from the ranks
                      of children of senior operatives. Oft underestimated by those who would
                      do the world harm, they are called forth to deal with great dangers. Their
                      highest ranking members have security clearance that lets them order
                      the president around. They’re loved by their agency (warts and all) but
                      unknown by the rest of the world. Focus on family, bringing out the good
                      in people, and not knowing your parents were cool enough to be spies.
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                     Security Systems
                     When someone wants to keep
                     unwanted agents from
                     discovering their best-laid plans,
                     protect information, etc., they
                     employ a myriad array of
                     security systems. Confiscators
                     are masters of detecting and
                     disarming security systems
                     (though any agent can try).
                     Terms
                     To understand how security systems work in this game, some understanding
                     of terms used in their definition is necessary:
                     Level: All security systems have a level, which helps determine some basic
                           things about the system, and sets the relative danger level of any effects
                           triggered by unauthorized access to the information or area. In general,
                           a level 1 security system is an appropriate challenge to a team of level 1
                           agents, etc. Defeating a security system is worth XP just like defeating an
                           enemy, using the same table presented on page 35.
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               Avoid: This is a modifier to the Saving Throw to bypass or slip past the security
                      system altogether. Avoiding is just a bypass… it neither disarms nor
                      triggers it. If “none” then it cannot be avoided, it must be disarmed.
               Trigger: Most security systems have a trigger. This defines what causes the
                      effect to occur. In some cases, it’s simply mechanical or electrical in
                      nature… an electronic sensor on a door determines that it’s open when
                      the identification system detects an unauthorized intruder.
               Effect: This lists the effect of the trap or security system, once it is triggered.
                      The effect varies by the security system’s level, and might just be an
                      alarm or could be something far more deadly.
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                     Adversaries
                     There are many types of enemies the players can come into contact with.
                     What follows is a list of common ones, from lowly street thugs to skilled
                     henchmen in service to the story’s master villain. Feel free to use these as-is
                     or modify them to suit your campaign.
                     Criminals
                     Criminals comprise the bulk of enemies most normal people will ever face in
                     their lives. Use these adversary descriptions for any threat which has no or
                     very limited training and is only dangerous because he was raised in a
                     dangerous place and learned how to defend himself. Fortunately, they’re
                     normally not that much of a threat against trained agents.
                      Thug
                      Armor Class         9[10]
                      Hit Dice            ½ (1-3 HP)
                      Total Hit Bonus     +0
                      Attacks             Knife (1d6-1) or Cheap Revolver (1d6)
                      Saving Throw        19
                      Special             --
                      Movement            12
                      Level/XP            1/15
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                 Enforcer
                 Armor Class            9[10]
                 Hit Dice               2
                 Total Hit Bonus        +2
                 Attacks                Knife (1d6) or
                                        semi-auto pistol (1d6)
                 Saving Throw           17
                 Special                --
                 Movement               12
                 Level/XP               2/30
               Enforcers are the tough guys associated with organized crime, or are
               experienced leaders to groups of thugs. They usually have a better handgun,
               though they still hold it sideways when they shoot.
                 Cat Burglar
                 Armor Class            5[14]
                 Hit Dice               2
                 Total Hit Bonus        +2
                 Attacks                Knife (1d6) or Taser
                 Saving Throw           17
                 Special                Stealth, Alert, Avoid Security
                 Movement               12
                 Level/XP               3/60
               Cat Burglars usually work alone. They retrieve things. They are the criminal
               version of a Confiscator. Cat burglars are normally only interested in theft and
               not in murder (though exceptions exist). They are extraordinarily agile,
               performing flips and maneuvers that make you wonder if what you just saw
               was real. They engage in stealth, giving them a +1 bonus to any action check
               related to sneaking or hiding and have automatic initiative if they attack from
               a hidden location. They are also alert, able to sense guards and security
               systems before they arrive. Their skill gives them a +1 to any action checks to
               avoid security systems and traps.
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                     Hit men are efficient killers, wielding two silenced semi-automatic pistols and
                     smart enough to wear nominal armor. They get a +1 bonus to any action
                     checks dealing with stealth and automatically gain initiative over enemies
                     when they attack from a hidden location. They dual-wield their firearms
                     skillfully, and shoot twice each turn (once from each weapon) at the same
                     target, with a -2 to hit with both weapons.
                     Guards
                     Guards can be found walking halls of just about every large business in the
                     country. They are usually uniformed and following strict schedules for patrols
                     and check-ins. They can often be handled by a well-trained spy.
                     All guards can call for backup as their action when their initiative comes up.
                     They may not do this immediately when encountered if they believe they can
                     apprehend the intruders themselves, but will likely do so at least by the
                     second round once the intruders start fighting back. If they call backup, the
                     rest of the security at the site will be aware of the intruder’s presence and
                     1d6 more guards of the same type will come to assist within 1-3 combat
                     rounds.
                     High Security Areas: For very heavily guarded locations, consider patrol
                     groups to consist of 1-3 guards, or consider giving them a guard dog or
                     trained attack dog as well. When planning security for a building, think of
                     where the guards might patrol and how often they check in. Place a security
                     center somewhere in the building, where they report regularly. Guards
                     should be organized, not random and isolated.
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               Common Guards are like those hired to provide security at rock concerts,
               pubs, and shopping malls. They normally don’t have a lot of training and are
               trusted with a Taser and night stick to keep people and situations under
               control. They aren’t very alert and agents can often avoid them completely.
               These are the least likely to call for backup when they encounter someone.
               Either they don’t remember to or are trying to be the hero and detain
               intruders personally. By the second or third combat round, however, even
               these guards know to call for backup.
                 Corporate Security
                 Armor Class            7[12]
                 Hit Dice               1
                 Total Hit Bonus        +1
                 Attacks                Night Stick (1d6) or
                                        Semi-auto Pistol (1d6)
                 Saving Throw           18
                 Special                Call Backup
                 Movement               12
                 Level/XP               2/30
               Corporate Security are guards that are more trained. They engage in training
               and practice their protocols regularly. Corporate security guards are a little
               more capable than Common Guards and carry actual lethal weapons in their
               holsters, though they won’t fire them unless they see a weapon in the hands
               of intruders. Use this entry for common bodyguards for VIPs and celebrities,
               or for the types of guards which drive armored trucks around the city.
               Corporate security will normally draw their weapon and issue a command to
               remain still while they call in for backup.
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                     Police
                     The police are the defenders of the realm. They are trained in how to dissolve
                     situations peacefully, by threat, and by force. They should be much more
                     prepared, brave, and capable than a criminal or security guard.
                     Many agents want to avoid police entanglements. They slow things down.
                     Get in the way of their operations. But sometimes they can be a valuable tool
                     when dealing with nefarious people. The power of an all-points-bulletin is
                     surprisingly helpful when looking for someone. But agents shouldn’t run to
                     the police over everything they do; police enforce the law, and much of what
                     a spy does is in violation of civil liberties. Besides, standard policemen and
                     detectives might be effective against criminals but are simply not ready for
                     dealing with rebels, soldiers, or spies. Remember the policemen have
                     families.
                                                           91
               Policemen often patrol in pairs in a patrol car, which is a midsized car with a
               security upgrade. When they believe they are entering a hostile situation they
               normally call backup which summons another 1d4 squad cars to arrive over
               the next 1-3 combat rounds. Policemen are equipped to handle most criminal
               threats but when they’re in over their heads they’ll call for SWAT backup. Use
               this entry for sheriff deputies as well.
                 Detective/Sheriff
                 Armor Class            7[12]
                 Hit Dice               2
                 Total Hit Bonus        +2
                 Attacks                Semi-auto Pistol (1d6) or
                                        Shotgun (1d6+3)
                 Saving Throw           17
                 Special                Call Backup, Alert
                 Movement               12
                 Level/XP               3/60
               Detectives and sheriffs are upgraded policemen and deputies. They have
               some additional authority but also some additional accountability. They are
               chosen because they are effective and alert, giving them +1 to any action
               check involving threat or clue detection. They are often found alone,
               investigating crimes and solving cases, though sometimes have a partner.
               They are sometimes unarmored but have tactical gear in the trunk of their
               unmarked cars where they can pull out a shotgun and their full body armor.
               Detectives maintain a network of informants and know the cities where their
               jurisdiction covers very well. For that reason alone a detective might be a
               solid resource on a mission.
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                     SWAT stands for Special Weapons and Tactics, a militant branch of the police
                     force with extraordinary training. They are remarkably well equipped, with
                     military grade body armor and automatic rifles. They are alert, giving them +1
                     to action checks involving threat detection, and use practiced tactics, giving
                     them a +2 to Initiative rolls. When enemies are in deep cover, they use tear
                     gas to get them out. Anyone caught in tear gas must make a Saving Throw
                     every combat round or be unable to act, reeling and choking and weeping.
                     Eventually they’ll get out of that cover before the gas fades.
                     Rebels
                     Rebels are soldiers with more bravery than training and more bravado than
                     tactics. They range from the type of barely armed rabble running around a
                     city and looting to militant insurgents and elite revolutionary leaders fighting
                     to claim control of a country, spread terror, or worse. Depending on the
                     situation, they may be the good guys or the bad guys, but one thing is for
                     sure: they’re dangerous.
                      Rabble
                      Armor Class         9[10]
                      Hit Dice            ½ (1-3 HP)
                      Total Hit Bonus     +0
                      Attacks             Melee weapon (1d6)
                      Saving Throw        19
                      Special             --
                      Movement            12
                      Level/XP            ½ /10
                     Rabble are untrained civilians whose ire has built up enough to take action.
                     They operate out of anger or perceived injustice or are riled up by
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                 Insurgent
                 Armor Class            8[11]
                 Hit Dice               2
                 Total Hit Bonus        +2
                 Attacks                Submachine gun (1d6+1) or
                                        knife (1d6-1)
                 Saving Throw           17
                 Special                Fearless
                 Movement               12
                 Level/XP               2/30
               Insurgents are zealots who believe in their cause (whatever it is) and are
               willing to die for it, though would rather kill for it. They are fearless, being
               immune to normal attempts to intimidate or frighten them to change their
               intentions. They carry automatic weapons and a long nasty knife. They often
               act as the basic army of a revolutionary.
                 Revolutionary
                 Armor Class            7[12]
                 Hit Dice               4
                 Total Hit Bonus        +4
                 Attacks                Automatic Rifle (1d6+2) or
                                        sword (1d6+1)
                 Saving Throw           15
                 Special                Fearless, Wired with
                                        Explosives
                 Movement               12
                 Level/XP               6/400
               Revolutionaries have taken their cause to a whole new level. They believe
               dying for their cause will be a catalyst for change. Similar to insurgents, they
               are fearless and immune to any persuasive attempts driven by fear. They are
               wired with explosives and can detonate themselves if they believe they’re
               about to be killed or captured. If they are killed before being able to do so
               there is a 25% chance they’ll detonate it as they drop. Treat the explosive
               vest as 4 charges of plastic explosives: 4d6 explosive damage.
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                      Typical Soldier
                      Armor Class         7[12]
                      Hit Dice            2
                      Total Hit Bonus     +2
                      Attacks             Automatic rifle (1d6+2) or
                                          knife (1d6-1)
                      Saving Throw        17
                      Special             --
                      Movement            12
                      Level/XP            2/30
                     Typical Soldiers are tough and capable. They carry military grade automatic
                     rifles and a knife. Soldiers have specific orders and normally won’t deviate
                     from it without checking with their highly managed chain of command.
                      Experienced Soldier
                      Armor Class         5[14]
                      Hit Dice            4
                      Total Hit Bonus     +4
                      Attacks             Automatic rifle (1d6+2) or
                                          knife (1d6-1)
                      Saving Throw        15
                      Special             Tactics, Frag Grenade
                      Movement            12
                      Level/XP            4/120
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               Special Forces are soldiers handpicked for elite training and given superior
               weapons. Their submachine guns have the heavier caliber and extended
               magazine upgrades. Their tactics give them a +1 on Initiative rolls. They are
               alert, receiving a +1 to any action checks to detect threats or ambushes, and
               are combat monsters able to make up to six attacks per round with their
               knife or unarmed against foes of 1 hit die or fewer. They get a +1 bonus to
               any action checks dealing with stealth and automatically gain initiative over
               enemies when they attack from a hidden location. Agents shouldn’t go toe-
               to-toe with a prepared and equipped member of the Special Forces until
               they’re quite high level. They’ll lose.
               Spies
               Admins can create spy non-player characters using the same rules as players,
               advancing them to whatever level they wish. In fact, this is encouraged if the
               spy is meant to be involved in multiple missions, either as enemy or ally.
               However, these premade spies can be used as generic enemies and allies.
               They are well rounded, cunning, quick, and persuasive. All spies have tactical
               training, giving them a +1 bonus to Initiative rolls. They are also accustomed
               to stealth, receiving a +1 bonus to any action checks related to sneaking,
               hiding, or shadowing people. They are trained to be alert, gaining a +1 bonus
               to action checks to detect threats or clues.
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                     Typical Spies often work in a small team. They usually carry a gun, several
                     passports, and occasionally a gadget or two. Spies are more numerous than
                     one would believe, and won’t always wear an expensive suit. They are often
                     used where the scope of the mission is limited, or serve as backup to more
                     elite spies on missions requiring a larger team. If you build a team of spies in
                     this way, consider giving each a specific area of focus, and in action checks
                     relating to that area of focus give the spy a +1 to success.
                      Elite Spy
                      Armor Class         5[14]
                      Hit Dice            5
                      Total Hit Bonus     +5
                      Attacks             Upgraded Semi-auto
                                          Pistol (1d6+1)
                      Saving Throw        14
                      Special             Tactics, Stealth, Alert
                      Movement            12
                      Level/XP            7/600
                     Elite Spies have upgraded weaponry and probably have a few standard
                     equipment packs being carried around or in their cars. They are experienced
                     enough to be very confident, and have a network of informants and
                     assistants located around the globe to help them learn what they need to
                     know, gear up for something big, or go into hiding when the situation is out
                     of their control. They are sent on operations of high importance and scope
                     and have a large expense account from their agency. Elite spies are often
                     known by other intelligence agencies due to their numerous missions. When
                     an enemy elite spy comes into a nation’s country, red flags go off and
                     everyone wants to know why they’re there.
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               Master Spies are the ones modern movies are made about, able to handle
               just about any situation and come out on top. Players hope their agents will
               get this cool. They often work alone or with a tech ops team nearby helping
               them be awesome. They are fearless, completely immune to any attempt to
               persuade them through fear or intimidation. Their pistols have extended
               magazines and silencers, and they double-tap when they shoot, allowing
               them to fire two bullets every time they shoot (counts only as one attack).
               Admins should make their deaths end in mysterious circumstances so players
               never really know if they killed the master spy or if he somehow got away.
               Martial Artists
               Martial artists are highly trained and experienced in fighting hand-to-hand
               and possess abilities that may exceed those of player agents. If a player wants
               to have unarmed combat skill that exceeds his level and strength he can
               consider taking supplemental training in martial arts if the Admin is using that
               optional system, but he still won’t be as effective in unarmed combat as a
               ninja.
               Admins should use these entries for enemies which use melee weapons as
               well. For instance, a skilled fighter wielding two knives could be statistically
               identical to a street fighter or professional fighter, causing the listed damage
               and having the same special abilities.
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                      Professional Fighter
                      Armor Class         5[14]
                      Hit Dice            3
                      Total Hit Bonus     +3
                      Attacks             Two Melee Attacks per round
                                          (1d6 each)
                      Saving Throw        16
                      Special             Leap Attack, Dodge
                      Movement            12
                      Level/XP            4/120
                     Professional Fighters have spent a great deal of their lives training for
                     personal combat. They have been coached for years, have practiced longer,
                     and have may have taken part in fights for titles or belts. Professional fighters
                     might be wrestlers, boxers, or martial artists. They may make two unarmed
                     attacks per combat round (1d6 damage, regardless of whether the attack is a
                     fist, foot, head, elbow, knee, etc.) and once per day may make a leap attack
                     against an enemy which is up to 10 feet away, gaining a +2 to hit and damage.
                     Professional fighters are light on their feet and may dodge one melee or
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                 Ninja Master
                 Armor Class            2[17]
                 Hit Dice               8
                 Total Hit Bonus        +8
                 Attacks                Three Melee Attacks per round
                                        (1d6 each)
                 Saving Throw           11
                 Special                Stealth, Alertness, Hard Target,
                                        Backstab, Smoke Grenade
                 Movement               14
                 Level/XP               10/1,400
               Ninjas have devoted a lifetime to their art. When they fight they may attack
               three times per round with melee weapons or unarmed (all of which cause
               1d6 damage). They are masters of stealth, gaining a +2 to any action check
               relating to silence and shadow. They are very alert, giving them a +2 bonus to
               any check to detect threats or clues. Ninjas are hard targets, ignoring one
               attack per day which otherwise would have caused them harm (even bullets…
               yes, the ninja can dodge a bullet). Once per day the ninja can backstab an
               opponent that is unaware of the ninja’s hidden location. When he does this,
               the ninja’s attacks are +2 to hit and +8 to damage.
               Monsters
               In some types of campaigns, the Admin will have player’s agents investigate
               supernatural creatures who live among humans. These creatures could be
               concealed by a veil – a supernatural effect that tricks our brains into justifying
               what we perceive in logical ways. Players might be agents immune to the veil,
               snatched up before they are declared insane. When the creatures have
               agendas which threaten mankind the agents are trained to intervene.
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                      Greys
                      Armor Class         9[10]
                      Hit Dice            1
                      Total Hit Bonus     +1
                      Attacks             Unarmed (1d6-2)
                      Saving Throw        18
                      Special             Mental Illusion, Telepathy,
                                          Mental Paralysis
                      Movement            12
                      Level/XP            3/60
                     Greys are a short, frail-looking, grey-skinned alien with a large head and
                     large, black eyes. They were genetically created by the Draconians as a slave
                     race but revolted, and now wander the galaxy searching for a solution to their
                     most pressing problem: their race is dying because they were engineered
                     with an inability to reproduce. To find a solution, Greys have made
                     agreements with leaders of many nations and localities to abduct and
                     experiment with impunity in exchange for valued alien technology.
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               Draconians can change their shape once per day by transforming into the
               likeness of anyone they see, taking on their physical and vocal characteristics.
               They normally kill the person they impersonate and devour the body.
               Draconians regenerate 1 Hit Point every combat round except in very cold
               climate. They have already replaced many world leaders and leaders of
               prominent corporations. They sabotage technological development, trying to
               keep the human race from achieving interstellar standing, which would
               prevent them from legal annexation according to intergalactic law. They take
               no damage from sonic or ultrasonic effects.
                 Sirians
                 Armor Class            8[11]
                 Hit Dice               2
                 Total Hit Bonus        +2
                 Attacks                Unarmed (1d6-2) or by weapon
                 Saving Throw           17
                 Special                Ultrasonic Blast
                 Movement               12
                 Level/XP               3/60
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                      Anunnaki
                      Armor Class         8[11]
                      Hit Dice            5
                      Total Hit Bonus     +5
                      Attacks             Unarmed (1d6-2) or by weapon
                      Saving Throw        14
                      Special             Glide
                      Movement            14
                      Level/XP            5/240
                     It is claimed that this species visited Earth in the past and uplifted the genus
                     Homo to sapiens quality through genetic manipulation to plant the seeds of a
                     slave race, which they will harvest during a future pass of our worlds. They
                     seek gold and other rare metals to fuel the technology behind their starships
                                                           103
               The Anunnaki are in direct conflict with Alpha Draconians over the ownership
               of Earth, and neither wants humans to achieve interstellar status before this
               conflict is resolved. With that window of opportunity narrowing, their conflict
               has gone from diplomatic to recent violence, and it’s only going to escalate.
                 Nordics
                 Armor Class            7[12]
                 Hit Dice               9
                 Total Hit Bonus        +9
                 Attacks                Laser pistol (2d6, ROF 2,
                                        Range 200)
                 Saving Throw           10
                 Special                Shapeshift collar, force field,
                                        teleporter belt, biogenetic keyed
                                        technology
                 Movement               12
                 Level/XP               11/1,700
               Nordics are a benevolent race of blond-haired blue-eyed beings that look like
               perfect specimens of humanity, though this may not be their native form
               since they can shapeshift at will using a technological collar worn around
               their necks. They are watchful over humans and seem concerned over the
               planet, its resources, and the people who call it home. Despite their genuine
               concern, they do not interfere because of a directive their culture observes
               with vehemence. Any dealings with the Nordics mostly involves patient
               question and answer sessions, a one-directional exchange of information and
               emotion as they smile and react with the patience of a caring father.
               The other species, even the deadly Draconians, give deference and respect –
               almost fear – to the Nordics, and would never attack one even in defense.
               Nordics have personal force fields that, when enabled, make them immune
               to all physical damage, and can use a laser pistol. The laser pistol and force
               field can be used for up to 10 combat rounds before needing to recharge for
               an hour, though any Nordic expecting trouble will have a handful of power
               cells as replacements. If they really get into trouble, a Nordic can activate his
               teleporter belt, which will immediately take him to his starship or to another
               location of his choosing. All of this technology is biogenetically keyed to his
               biorhythmic signature and if removed from him (or if he dies) will melt into a
               plastic mess.
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                     Bears
                                          Black Bears          Brown Bears         Polar Bears
                      Armor Class         7[12]                6[13]               5[15]
                      Hit Dice            3                    6                   8
                      Total Hit Bonus     +3                   +6                  +8
                      Attacks             Claws (1D6-1) or     Claws (1D6) or      Claws (1d6+2) or
                                          Bite (1D6)           Bite (1d6+1)        Bite (2d6)
                      Saving Throw        16                   13                  11
                      Special             Keen Senses,         Keen Senses,        Keen Senses,
                                          Charge, Roar         Charge, Roar        Charge, Roar
                      Movement            12                   12                  12, swim 9
                      Level/XP            4/90                 7/600               9/1,100
                     Bears are powerful beasts with thick fur and large claws easily able to rend
                     flesh. Like all animals they have keen senses with excellent night vision and
                     sense of smell. A bear can charge foes up to twice its movement rate away
                     and attack with a +1 to hit in one combat round. All bears can let out a great
                     intimidating roar which causes all enemies to make a Saving Throw or be
                     frozen with fear for one combat round.
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               Agents will find themselves dealing with dogs sooner or later. They can be
               very dangerous in large numbers, but one alone is likely to be most
               problematic in that it lets out loud barks and tends to end an agent’s skulking
               around. Dogs have keen senses, can see in very low light, and can track by
               smell. They aren’t easily fooled by stealth.
               Great Cats
                                        Cheetahs           Lions               Tigers
                 Armor Class            4[15]              4[15]               5[14]
                 Hit Dice               3                  5                   6
                 Total Hit Bonus        +3                 +5                  +6
                 Attacks                Bite (1d6) and     Bite (1d6+2) and    Bite (2d6) and
                                        Claws (1d6-2)      Claws (1d6)         Claws (1d6)
                 Saving Throw           16                 14                  13
                 Special                Keen Senses,       Keen Senses,        Keen Senses,
                                        Rake, Pounce,      Rake, Pounce        Rake, Pounce
                                        Sprint
                 Movement               15                 12                  14
                 Level/XP               5/240              7/600               8/800
               Great cats make amazing and lethal predators. They have keen senses with
               excellent low-light vision and a powerful sense of smell. If they hit with both
               their bite and claws, they take their prey to the ground and rake with their
               rear claws as well (just double the damage rolled for the claws). All great cats
               can pounce on their prey from 20 feet away, gaining a +2 bonus on initiative
               in the first combat round. A cheetah can, once per encounter, sprint up to
               three times its normal movement rate for one combat round.
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                     Alligators and crocodiles are similar in many ways, but since they can grow to
                     be much larger, crocodiles are a bit more dangerous. Like all animals they
                     have keen senses with excellent night vision. It’s dangerous to be in front of
                     them but surprisingly it can be almost as dangerous to be struck with their
                     powerful tails if behind them. If the bite attack succeeds, a victim must make
                     a Saving Throw or the lizard grabs and rolls with it, trying to rend and twist it
                     to death. This causes additional damage equal to its bite attack again
                     (effectively doubling it), often enough to take down enemies.
                     Primates
                                          Monkeys              Apes                Gorillas
                      Armor Class         6[13]                6[13]               6[13]
                      Hit Dice            1                    4                   5
                      Total Hit Bonus     +1                   +4                  +5
                      Attacks             Bite (1d6-2)         Claws (1d6)         Claws (1d6+1)
                      Saving Throw        18                   15                  14
                      Special             Keen Senses          Keen Senses         Keen Senses
                      Movement            18, climb 18         12, climb 9         12
                      Level/XP            1/15                 4/120               5/240
                     Monkeys are small and clever, but apes and gorillas are large and powerful.
                     Like all animals they have keen senses with excellent night vision and sense
                     of smell. Monkeys are only dangerous when numerous, apes and gorillas
                     have the power of 2-3 men and agents will regret grappling one!
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               Sharks are violent predators inhabiting all known bodies of salt water. They
               are the most aggressive eating machines found in these seas and oceans, and
               are feared by all. Normally a shark won’t attack a human, since they are
               outside its normal diet. But sometimes a shark is starving or might falsely
               believe an agent is a seal or other sea creature. In these cases, their bite can
               be deadly. They can sense prey by their disturbance in the water a mile away,
               and are driven into a frenzy at the scent of blood, giving them a +1 to
               Initiative rolls in the presence of it. It is things like this that make an agent
               afraid of a villain’s death traps, especially if the sharks have frickin’ lasers
               strapped to their heads.
               Snakes
                                        Poisonous         Large Poisonous    Constrictor
                 Armor Class            6[13]             3[16]              4[15]
                 Hit Dice               1                 2                  3
                 Total Hit Bonus        +0                +2                 +3
                 Attacks                Bite (1hp)        Bite (1d6-2)       Bite (1d6-2)
                 Saving Throw           18                17                 16
                 Special                Keen Senses,      Keen Senses,       Keen Senses,
                                        Poison            Poison             Constriction
                 Movement               15                6                  9
                 Level/XP               2/30              3/60               4/120
               Like all animals snakes have keen senses with excellent night vision. The
               poison of snakes can vary: small snake venom causes 1d6 extra damage,
               while large snake venom causes an extra 2d6 damage. Half damage with a
               Saving Throw. The constriction ability of a large constrictor snake can be very
               deadly as well. If it succeeds in a bite, its opponent must make a Saving
               Throw or become constricted. In each subsequent round constricted targets
               receive 1d6 damage (no to-hit roll). The victim may, at the end of the round,
               make a Saving Throw to escape with a -1 penalty per round he has been held.
108
                     Supplemental Training
                     This entire chapter is optional. Many Admins will find it too cumbersome for
                     their liking. For that reason it is presented here so you can use, ignore, or
                     adapt it as you see fit.
                     The Character Classes cover a broad array of diverse talent and training. They
                     are strong archetypes that help define a good team of spies. However, if too
                     many players decide to play the same Character Class, you might end up with
                     a group of players who complain that they’re too similar. That’s where these
                     supplemental training rules come into play.
                     Areas of Training
                     Players may roll or select one Area of Training when they first create their
                     agent at 1st level. Whenever attempting an action check relating to one of
                     their Areas of Training, players may roll two d6 and choose the higher one as
                     their rolled result. Players may choose other supplemental Areas of Training
                     when they attain the 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels.
                     Overlapping Bonuses
                     Players cannot take the same Area of Training more than once, though they
                     may choose an Area of Training which overlaps with a bonus granted by the
                     agent’s Character Class. Statistically, the benefit of rolling two dice and
                     choosing one is somewhat similar to just adding +1 but keeps the roll result in
                     the same range of 1 to 6. Areas of supplemental training are not meant to be
                     as good as the bonuses granted by a Character Class.
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110
111
113
               Physical Development
               Agents who reach 5th level may develop their Strength, Dexterity, or
               Constitution. The player chooses which one. If the selected attribute is below
               9 then it is increased to 9 as a result of the trials of a dangerous profession. If
               the score is below 18 then it is increased by one. An agent may not select a
               score which is already 18 as this is the peak of human conditioning. At 10th
               level the agent may select another physical attribute to develop.
               Mental Development
               Agents who reach 7th level may develop their Intelligence, Wisdom, or
               Charisma. The player chooses which one. If the selected attribute is below 9
               then it is increased to 9 as a result of the secrets and knowledge gained by
               this dangerous profession. If the score is below 18 then it is increased by one.
               An agent may not select a score which is already 18, as this is the peak of
               human capacity. At 10th level the agent may select another mental attribute
               to develop.
                  Level     Benefit
                   1st      Skill Training +1, Area of Training, Traveler’s Lifestyle
                  2nd       --
                   3rd      Area of Training
                   4th      Skill Training +2
                   5th      Physical Development
                   6th      Area of Training, Extravagant Lifestyle
                   7th      Mental Development
                   8th      Skill Training +3
                   9th      Area of Training
                  10th      Physical Development, Mental Development
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                     Bureau 19
                     As was presented in chapter 4, there is no limit to the types of campaigns
                     which are possible with this game. It’s beyond the scope of this product to
                     give each the detail it deserves. Instead, this optional chapter is provided to
                     serve as a default setting you might use in which to tell your agent’s stories.
                     Bureau 19 is best introduced in the words of Director Connor Black, during his
                     speech to the most recent group of raw recruits:
                         Sometimes people tell lies for good reasons. Ask any parent who has
                         lied to his child about the loss of a loved one. Ask any man who was
                         ever asked if everything was going to be okay when he knew it would
                         not. Sometimes the truth is too ugly for people to hear. Sometimes if
                         the truth were known it would change everything. It’s these little white
                         lies that people tell their children, men tell their families, and
                         governments tell their people that keep us safe.
                         Have you ever wondered why the federal government’s budget lists
                         billions of dollars that seem impossible to believe? $438 million for
                         decommissioned warplanes that won’t ever be used. $379 million for a
                         single website. $321 million for redundant IT systems that already
                         made redundancy in the past six budgets. $300 million on a gigantic
                         blimp? Yes, you can find all this in the federal budget, and more. While
                         some might see this as a government body which is careless or in need
                         of oversight, don’t be fooled, these are more white lies.
115
                    I give you one last chance to voluntarily leave, before you learn things
                    that cannot be unlearned. The questions you must now ask yourselves:
                    Are you willing to do bad things for good reasons? Are you willing
                    leave the comfort of ignorance behind, and to take action on the truths
                    you learn? Are you willing to live a life of white lies?
               The Bureau
               There exists, from the founding of the United States of America, a highly
               classified nineteenth enumerated power of Article I Section 8 of the U.S.
               Constitution, which has been redacted and removed from all official public
               documentation and is maintained only in safety in an undisclosed location,
               shown to each new President as he is elected:
                   TO SECRETLY GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THREATS TO THE NATION AND ITS INTERESTS
                   BOTH DOMESTIC AND ABROAD, TO UNCOVER CONSPIRACIES WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE
                   NATION, AND TO DEAL WITH THESE THREATS AND CONSPIRACIES IN FINALITY, WITH
                   NEITHER THE KNOWLEDGE OF NOR ACCOUNTABILITY TO ANY OTHER AUTHORITY. TO
                   STRICTLY ENFORCE THE SECRECY OF THIS CONGRESSIONAL POWER AND KEEP KNOWLEDGE
                   OF IT LIMITED TO THE PRESIDENT AND HIS DIRECT SUCCESSORS, WHO MUST SHOW
                   DILIGENCE IN THEIR OVERSIGHT OF THE EXECUTION OF THESE POWERS.
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                     Location
                     Bureau 19 is headquartered in the command center in the underground
                     complex connected via tunnels between the White House and the Pentagon
                     in Washington D.C., but it has regional field offices in New York City and San
                     Diego as well. Internationally there are clandestine field offices in Beijing,
                     Brussels, Tokyo, New Delhi, Sydney, Sao Paulo, Istanbul, Moscow, and Cairo.
                     None of these locations exist with permission or knowledge of regional or
                     national authorities. There are only seven people within the United States
                     federal government authorized to know of Bureau 19’s existence, namely the
                     President and all offices of succession down to the Secretary of Defense. To
                     everyone else in the world, the bureau is a shadow, like the agents who
                     report there.
                     Funding
                     The bureau is funded by federal taxes. It’s in the budget, disguised as well as
                     it can be, hidden by layers of exaggerated expenses. Since the invention of
                     the internet, so many more eyes are on the budget and so many more people
                     wanting transparency, that it has become harder and harder to fund it
                     without appearing incompetent, so to save their careers congress has been
                     lax in approving a budget, automatically repeating the costs of previous years
                     with automated increases. Eventually they have to do something about that,
                     and the Administrator of Bureau 19 fears what will happen when the funding
                     stops. Until then, agents have wide authorization to use their expense
                     accounts for reasonable travel expenses (experienced agents still enjoy the
                     luxury of an extravagant lifestyle, see page 15).
                     Agenda
                     The bureau is empowered to investigate all manner of threats. The
                     interpretation of the classified enumerated power has been very loosely
                     applied by its Directors and its Administrator over the years. It recruits and
                     trains agents and sends them on missions all around the world, securing and
                     protecting the country’s interests. It takes a pro-active role in pursuit of this
                     agenda, sabotaging the efforts of others whose national progress might
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               Enemies
               Agents of Bureau 19 have dealt with terrorists both domestic and abroad.
               They’ve started and stopped revolutions. They’ve manipulated, propped up,
               or destroyed criminal organizations. They’ve saved and damaged the plans of
               other agencies of both their own and other nations. They’ve changed where
               lines are drawn on maps. They have made a lot of enemies while protecting
               the interests of the nation, but their clandestine nature keeps their agents
               from accumulating too many personal enemies. By far, however, their
               greatest threat is the Cabal.
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                     Section 1: Briefing
                     This is a great starter adventure which can be run directly after having the
                     players roll up their agents. When they’re ready to play, read or paraphrase
                     the following introduction:
                       Director White sits across a table from you in the briefing room of the
                       secret headquarters of Bureau 19. She shuffles some papers, removes her
                       glasses, and then pushes across the table a brown leather briefcase and a
                       photograph of a man in his mid 30’s.
                       “You’re looking at Agent Deering, an operative under Director Green, who
                       is on a deep cover assignment in the region. He dead-drops a briefcase like
                       this one to receiving agents every week at the bus terminal on 8th Avenue.
                       He’s due for a drop today, and the rest of Director Green’s team is on
                       assignment. He’s asked me to help him out. Your mission is simple: Go to
                       the station at six o’clock, identify your mark, and discreetly exchange
                       briefcases. Any questions?”
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                     Section 3: Andrei’s
                     Andrei’s is an upscale restaurant well known in the city, popular among those
                     with the money to spare. To the local police and criminal underbelly of the
                     city, it is a place where the Russian mafia conducts business. There is valet
                     parking in the front, and normal parking in the back. This section could go a
                     number of ways, depending on what the players decide to do. Here are some
                     background details to get you prepared to react to their actions:
                     Noskov’s sedan is parked in the back and is currently empty. If searched, the
                     players will find Deering’s blood in back seat covered from casual view by a
                     black blanket. In the trunk is a loaded shotgun.
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               Interrogation
               No matter how the players go about it, whether they beat this information
               out of the enforcers, bribe them, coerce, or trick… the agents should learn
               the following pieces of information. Encourage the players to play up to their
               agent’s strengths here. If they’re not prepared for a large battle, they should
               try to keep the peace. This many bullet-wielding enemies could end the
               careers of a group of 1st level agents.
                      •     Noskov and Kreskin work for Boris Petrov,
                            the head of the local branch of the Russian     Boris Petrov?
                            mafia, as enforcers who do what they’re       The name of their
                            told. This wasn’t personal.                   boss is a red herring
                                                                          in this context, as the
                      •     They were told Deering was a cop or a fed     agents won’t be
                            or something and they had to nab him from     meeting him in this
                            the station and bring him back here.          mission. It’s a seed,
                                                                          planted for your use
                      •     Petrov was with some guy they never saw       in future missions – a
                            before, a tall weird guy with honest-to-god   new enemy for
                            stitches on his mouth. They went into the     another day,
                            back room with Agent Deering.                 perhaps?
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                                                                                 Criminal: Enforcer
                Windows
                                                                                 Innocent bystander
                                                                                 Employees
Emergency Exit
                                                                  Ladies’
                                                                  Room
                                                                  Service
                                                                                                    Emergency Exit
                                                                              The Back
                                                                               Room
                                                   Bar
                                                                 Wine
                                                                                 Trash
                                              Kitchen
                                                                 Freezer    Notes: All emergency exits
                                                                            are locked from the inside.
                                                                            Employees are treated as
                                               Emergency Exit               Thugs and are loyal to the
                                                           126              Russian mafia.
                     At the base of the office building are 4 thugs, just street rabble given a
                     hundred dollars apiece to keep anyone from entering. They’re easily
                     bypassed or defeated. Inside the office building can be found four security
                     guards who won’t be going home to their families. The directory states the
                     7th floor belongs to Stafford Law Offices.
                     When the agents get to the 7th floor, show them the Stafford Law Offices
                     map. They’ll come in either by the elevators or the stairs. They’ll be met by
                     the Russian hit man and a number of thugs equal to one less than the
                     number of player agents. Agent Deering (going by the name Volk) lies near
                     the window in the File Room, bleeding out, and only barely conscious. The
                     sniper rifle is on the floor near him. The agents arrive just as the assassins
                     were packing up to flee the scene and leave Deering to take the blame.
                     The hit man is mute and has actual stitches across his lips – a testimony to
                     how he manages his hits with discretion. He has no identification on him and
                     won’t show up on any database. He will fight to the death, which inspires his
                     thugs to do the same. In his jacket pocket the agents will find $10,000 in large
                     bills, payment for this assassination.
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128
Windows
                                                                          Up Down
                         Elevator Elevator
                                                                 Stairs
                            1        2
Office 8
                                                                                          Reception
                                                   Conf. Rm.
                        Men’s Room
Lady’s Room
                                                                                                             Office 7
                                                                          Printer
                                                                      Copier
                                     Office 1
                                                                                                             Office 6
                                      Office 2
Office 5
                           Conf. Rm.
                                                                                                                  File
                                                        Server Room
Office 3 Office 4
Room
                      Adversaries:                                                                                       Broken
                                 •   Russian Hit Man                                                  Deering’s          Window
                                                                                                      Body
                                 •   #Thugs equal to #Players minus 1
All are in open central office region, packing up and ready to flee.
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               Mission Payment: The Admin should use the “Local” multiplier of x2 since this
                      mission took place within the confines of one city and involved a local
                      mafia family and state senator. Therefore, if they accomplished the
                      primary objective (recovered Agent Deering and/or his briefcase) each
                      agent is given $2,000. If they also properly dealt with Noskov, that
                      secondary objective nets each agent $1,000 more. Since the mission took
                      only one day to complete, albeit a long and dangerous day, they should
                      each receive $500 for their Active Duty pay. Admins must then decide if
                      the agents deserve the Discretion & Secrecy, Loyalty & Teamwork,
                      Innovation & Cunning, and Discovery bonuses to help award them for
                      uncovering and stopping the plot to kill the senator.
               Other Awards: If he survives, the players will earn the respect and thanks of
                      Senator Bob Krandal, who won’t question the agency the players work
                      for in any way. He doesn’t know about the player’s bureau, but has dealt
                      with clandestine operatives in the past and knows not to ask questions.
                      Also, if a player agent is an Investigator, he might choose Senator Krandal
                      as an informant upon reaching 2nd level.
               New Enemies: Russian mafia kingpin Boris Petrov can be a recurring pain in the
                      agent’s backsides if the Admin wants. He may not know who the agents
                      work for, but some of his man have seen them, and that might start him
                      reaching out to his connections to former KGB agents with a lot of
                      experience in the shadowy world of spies. He wasn’t anywhere to be
                      found when the bullets started flying, and Deering’s intel on Petrov’s
                      location will already be outdated now that Petrov knows his operation
                      was jeopardized. This might lead to additional missions involving this
                      criminal organization and its leadership.
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