alternity-dragon magazine-top secret (espionage campaigns)

7/26/2019 Alternity-Dragon Magazine-Top Secret (Espionage Campaigns)

1/10

TOP SECRETCareers, skills and equipment for Espionage in the Alternity game.

The world of international espionage makes an exciting setting for roleplaying-whether it is the mythical

world of James Bond, the Impossible Missions Force, and U!"#$, or the real world of Mata %ari,

J&li&s and $thel 'osenberg, and the (alker family, or some combination of the two TSRs Top

SECRETgame, p&blished in )*+, still has its loyal fans, b&t theALTERNITYgame is e&ally

well-s&ited for a campaign feat&ring themes of espionage-whether set in the present day or the far

f&t&re

TheDARK*MATTER campaign is especially appropriate for espionage action, with heroes

working for or against s&ch mysterio&s and secreti.e agencies as the "I/, !0/, and others (hether yo&

play in a

Bond-style 1spy-fi2 campaign, a hard-hitting realistic espionage campaign, or a conspiracy- shro&ded

campaign with aliens and magic like theDARK*MATTER setting, yo& can &se these careers, skills,

and

e&ipment to help yo& create a hero to stand among the great secret agents of fact and fiction

The Espionage CampaignLike any other science-fction campaign, an ALTERNITY espionage campaign can all into avariety o su-genres an! time perio!s" Your campaign coul! take place !uring #orl! #ar II, $ithagents stealing an! tra%cking in military secrets aroun! the gloe" &erhaps the ullest 'o$ering omilitary an! political espionage in history occurre! !uring the years o the (ol! #ar, $hich ecamethe classic setting or much spy fction" A contemporary espionage campaign coul! have several!i)erent themes* military, anti-terrorism, corporate spying, or conspiracy +like the AR./ATTERcampaign0" You coul! also construct a near uture espionage campaign that involve! con'ictet$een humanity an! an alien race that has arrive! in our solar system, military espionage in#orl! #ar III, or $hatever else you can imagine"

Espionage activities can e classife! into three roa! categories* intelligence gathering,counterintelligence, an! covert action" Intelligence gathering involves a roa! spectrum oactivities* siting through satellite photographs, rea!ing oreign ne$spapers, monitoring telephonetaps, an! infltrating a oreign emassy to steal secret fles" The purpose o intelligence gathering is

to provi!e evaluate! inormation to political !ecision-makers, $hether they are hea!s o state oragency a!ministrators" In 1231, &resi!ent Reagan issue! an e4ecutive or!er !efning the intelligencegathering unction o the 5"6" intelligence system as* 7&rovi!8ing9 the &resi!ent:$ith the necessaryinormation on $hich to ase !ecisions concerning the con!uct an! !evelopment o oreign,!eense, an! economic policy"""; +E4ecutive


2/10

an! similar activities" Naturally, corporate spies might engage in covert action as $ell -- saotagingcompetitors@ eFuipment or acilities, or e4ample, or even killing key fgures" Nearly all covert actiono this type is illegal, although government agencies can con!uct these a)airs $ith little ear o legalreprisal"

#ithin this roa! rame$ork o espionage activities, agents might e assigne! to a variety ospecifc missions* assassination, protecting a !eector, oming or saotage, hiacking, thet,planting alse inormation, surveillance, tailing, !elivering a message, rescuing a prisoner orhostage, recovering stolen goo!s or inormation, or any numer o activities"

Espionage CareersIn an espionage campaign, most agents are memers o the Gree Agent proession, though

Tech


3/10

A$areness an! Resolve specialty skills, 6treet 6mart, an! 6ecurity are a!!itional areas a huntermight consi!er !eveloping"

Signature Equipment:&)) pistol $ith silencer"Skill Package: /o!ern Range! #eapons 6tealth's(ado" )* Investigate-!rak* eception

Interaction-(ar+, in!i+ida!e& (ost, > points"In te Campaign:In a $orl! !efne! y conspiracies, a hunter@s o is oten to learn e4actly ho$

much a usyo!y or enemy has learne!, an! $here he learne! it, eore ensuring that he learnsnothing more" Junters tie up loose en!s or any conspiratorial organiation, protecting its secrecyan! eliminating any threats to that secrecy"

Arcane !no"le#ge: Junters are sha!o$y in!ivi!uals at est, an! a hunter $ho practices!iaolism is a !angerous orce" 6pells like (e- an! !ong$e o. !(e da+ned serve hunters $ell in theirtypical missions"

In%estigator (Free Agent)The archetypal spy, an investigator !eals $ith inormation as a commo!ity" A master o

surveillance techniFues an! eFuipment, as $ell as !e!uctive reasoning an! suave interaction, theinvestigator tra!es in secrets* military capailities, enemy operations, or in!ustrial !esigns" Theinvestigator is eFually comortale poring over satellite photographs, $a!ing through stolencomputer !ata, an! monitoring a $iretap"

The Investigate specialty skills are naturally the rea! an! utter o an investigator" 5se o

surveillance eFuipment suggests profciency in Technical 6cience--ele!ronis, (reativity-p(o!ograp(y an! A$areness- perep!ion, $hile ace-to-ace encounters !eman! Interaction an!eception skills, as $ell as the mastery o one or more oreign languages" 6tealth-s(ado",(omputer 6cience-(aking, 6treet 6mart, an! (ulture are a!!itional useul skills" 5narme! (omatskills oten prove more useul than $eaponry to an investigator"

Signature Equipment:Inrare! mini-camera, pocket mini-!isc recor!er"Skill Package: 6tealth-s(ado" no$le!ge-ded$e, lang$age +specifc0 A$areness-perep!ion

Investigate-in!erroga!e sear( !rak eception-bl$/ Interaction-(ar+, sed$e" (ost* >2 points"In te Campaign:/ost conspiracies revolve aroun! the control o inormation" Inormation is

po$er, perhaps even more so in the AR./ATTER setting than in our real $orl!" Those $ho controlinormation -- inormation aout the presence o aliens an! their technology, inormation aoutarcane lore an! magic, or inormation aout po$erul an! in'uential people -- can en! the $orl! totheir $ill" In the AR./ATTER setting, great conspiracies make it their usiness to controlinormation" Investigators are thereore important, $hether their o is to acFuire inormation to ai!or unmask a conspiracy"

Arcane !no"le#ge:&erhaps more than any other agent, investigators are incline! to !ale inthe arcane" Investigators lesse! $ith psionic talents like E6&'pos!ogni!ion or -psy(o+e!ry havean e!ge no mun!ane !etective can match" Koo!oo-0egba rides, iaolism-!ong$e o. !(e da+nedJermetic'.a+iliar, /onotheism-%isions, an! 6hamanism-1$es!ion spiri! can give an investigator auniFue source o inormation"

&agician (Free Agent)The magician puts the 7secret; ack in 7secret agent; as a master o !isguise, sleight o

han!, an! !eception" A charming entertainer, the magician can perorm the $ork o an investigatoror confscator right un!er the target@s nose -- or provi!e cover to more specialie! agents as they !otheir os"

A high rank in Entertainment-a! allo$s a magician to use !isguise e)ectively, $hich is

virtually a prereFuisite or this career" eception an! Interaction skills are eFually important, an!/anipulation an! 6tealth roun! out the magician@s core skills" Investigation skills are useul,particularly i the agent $orks alone an! not as part o a team" /any magicians have a!!itionalEntertainment skills, in keeping $ith their oten-'amoyant personalities"

Signature Equipment: I car!s an!Oor passports, $ith accompanying !isguises an! coverstories, or several !i)erent i!entities"

Skill Package: /anipulation-pikpoke! pres!idigi!a!ion 6tealth* eception-bl$/, ga+bleEntertainment'a! 2" (ost* >P points"

In te Campaign:The ale! 7/en in Clack; are perhaps the Fuintessential magicians o theAR./ATTER setting, gathering inormation an! acFuiring sensitive oects $hile concealing theiri!entities an!, in e4treme cases, altering the memories o $itnesses"

Arcane !no"le#ge:In a $orl! un!erneath the ark Ti!e, the magician@s name is not ust ana!miring appraisal o mun!ane presti!igitation" 6ome magicians learn eats o arcanesleight-o-han! to assist their !eceptions, such as Jermetic-gla+o$r"


4/10

Sa'oteur (Free Agent)A saoteur@s role is to interere $ith the proper unctioning o enemy assets* !ismantling a

'eet o omers, thro$ing a $rench in countereiting presses, or planting a virus in a computersystem" (omining a confscator@s knack or infltrating enemy territory $ith an assassin@s aility tocause !estruction, the saoteur is a Fuick an! e%cient e4pert, not a ma! omer"

Infltration skills, inclu!ing /anipulation, 6tealth, eception, an! 6ecurity-se$ri!y de%ies

are an important part o a saoteur@s repertoire"


5/10

In te Campaign:


6/10

/any Tech H points"In te Campaign: A truly $ell-roun!e! technician in the AR./ATTER campaign setting

masters not only earthly technology ut also a!vance! alien !evices an! antastic concepts"Technicians shoul! learn Technical 6cience--enoengineering an! Lore-.ringe sieneas soon as theyare ale" Any organiation $ith an interest in technology -- alien or not -- nee!s plenty o skille!technicians, an! science-ase! organiations or corporations like NA6A, the AGT, an! the (( might

use Technician agents almost e4clusively"Arcane !no"le#ge: Relying primarily on a mastery o scientifc kno$le!ge an! metho!,

Technicians sho$ little interest in more arcane fel!s such as magic an! psionics"

+i,ar# (Tec Op)A $iar! specialies in using technical or scientifc means to achieve the same en!s as a

confscator -- the removal or retrieval o oects or inormation" /o!ern technology has ma!e the$iar!@s role much more interesting than simple saecracking, reFuiring such !iverse tasks as!eactivating electronic security systems, hot-$iring vehicles, an! ypassing computer accessrestrictions"

The core skills o a $iar! inclu!e /anipulation'lokpik or the most asic tasks,6ecurity-se$ri!y de%ies or more comple4 a)airs, an! (omputer 6cience-(aking or entirely !igitalreaking an! entering" True to their saecracking heritage, most $iar!s are amiliar $ithemolitions as $ell, an! Technical 6cience-6$ryrig is useul or hot-$iring" 6tealth skills an!A$areness can keep a $iar! rom eing !etecte!, $hile Kehicle


7/10

Knowledge 3 - Poisons 2 -Technical Science 7 T Electronics 3 T Sabotage 3 T

Will SkillsSkill Name Cost Pr.Behavior Modification 5 F Brainwashing 4 F Hypnotism 3 F

Sur%i%al (Con)+Goun! in the PH page 3"0 The 6urvival roa! skill ocuses on en!uring lasting environmentalcon!itions, an! heroes might specialie in terrain an! climate types" Cesi!es these specialties,heroes might also learn the protocols an! !evices nee!e! to resist artifcial hostile environments,such as those cause! y nuclear, iological, or chemical $arare"

NBC Protection (Con)

T(is skill an! be $sed $n!rained&This 6urvival specialty skill in!icates that the hero is amiliar $ith the protocols o survival incon!itions o nuclear, iological, or chemical $arare" The hero kno$s ho$ to use protectiveeFuipment, inclu!ing e-suits, respirator masks, an! the like, an! can assist others in !onning suchgear" A successul skill check provi!es a -1, -=, or -> step onus to (onstitution eat checks ma!e toresist the e)ects o ra!iation, poison, or !isease rought on y these con!itions"

!no"le#ge (Int)+Goun! in the PH pages 21-2="0 Language skills are oten important to an agent" The AR./ATTERcampaign setting contains a comprehensive !iscussion o language skills in the mo!ern $orl!"

Poisons (Int)This no$le!ge specialty skill re'ects kno$le!ge o to4ins, rom snake venom to mustar! gas an!

everything in et$een" The emphasis is on a!ministering poisons an! their e)ects, not on treatmentor anti!otes -- the /e!ical 6cience-!rea!+en! skill is still necessary to treat poison victims" Jo$ever,a character $ith no$le!ge-poisons might e ale to i!entiy the type o poison use! y oservingthe victim@s symptoms" A successul no$le!ge- poisons skill check provi!es a -1, -=, or -> steponus +!epen!ing on the !egree o success0 to a /e!ical 6cience-!rea!+en! check ma!e to help apoison victim or to a /e!ical 6cience-.orensis check ma!e to i!entiy the cause o !eath o apoison victim"

#hen a!ministering poison, a character $ith no$le!ge-poisons can make a skill check to imposea Q1, Q=, or Q> step penalty to the victim@s (onstitution eat check, !epen!ing on the !egree osuccess o the skill check"

Tecnical Science (Int)+Goun! in the PH page 32"0 The Ga+e+as!er G$ide suggests other possile specialty skills un!erthis roa! skill, ut the one most relevant to the lie o an espionage agent is ele!ronis&

Electronics (Int)This Technical 6cience specialty skill represents a particular amiliarity $ith electronic !evices+e4clu!ing computers0" A character $ith this skill can attempt to i!entiy the unction o an unkno$nelectronic !evice y e4amining its circuitry an! making a skill check" The sie an! comple4ity o the!evice !etermines the comple4ity o the skill check -- a simple !evice might reFuire only a singlesuccessul check, $hile an elaorate an! composite !evice coul! reFuire a skill check o Amaingcomple4ity" Increase# E.ect: As $ith the !e(nial kno"ledge specialty skill, a!!itional ranks in

ele!ronis provi!e a onus to other Technical 6cience skill checks +roa! or specialty skills0 $henthe hero is $orking $ith electronic !evices" This onus is -1 at rank >, -= at rank H, -> at rank 2, an!-? at rank 1="

Sabotage (Int)The sabo!age specialty skill re'ects a hero@s aility to take !evices apart an! make themnon-unctional, oten in sutle an! !angerous $ays" Any hero can smash a sensitive piece oelectronics to smithereens to prevent its unctioning, ut the sabo!ageskill is reFuire! to make it


8/10

malunction or to create an apparent acci!ent" A sabo!age attempt is usually a Fuick snip o a $ireor removal o a component, so it reFuires only a single skill check" Jo$ever, like 6$ryrig the heromust egin the sabo!ageattempt as her frst action in a roun! an! cannot perorm any other actionor the !uration o the roun!" The result o the sabo!ageattempt is !etermine! y the result o theskill check*


9/10

Communications&iniature ra#io transcei%er:To keep a fel! agent in touch $ith other agents or hea!Fuarters

$ithout attracting un!ue attention, a miniature t$o-$ay ra!io can e hi!!en insi!e a commonplaceoect like a ountain pen" The range is 1 km" (ost* S="

Scram'ler0 -acsimile:This !evice guarantees secure communication et$een t$o a4 machines

eFuippe! $ith the same type o scramler Kerifcation eatures prevent a thir! party romintercepting an! !ecrypting a4 transmissions" (ost S1P"Scram'ler0 mo#em:Like a telephone scramler, this computer peripheral a!!s encryption an!

verifcation eatures to a stan!ar! mo!em !evice, allo$ing secure computer communications over a!ial-up line" (ost* S=P"

Scram'ler0 telepone: This !evice, attache! et$een the han!set an! o!y o a stan!ar!telephone, !igitally encrypts voice !ata eore sen!ing it over the telephone line" A similar unit muste installe! at the other en! to !ecrypt the transmission Kerifcation systems prevent anyone otherthan the t$o parties involve! in the conversation rom intercepting an! !ecrypting the signal (ost*S="

Ra#io0 personal0 secure:This compact $alkie-talkie unit incorporates !igital encryption an!verifcation to ensure the privacy o roa!cast communications" (ost* S=P"

SensorsCamera0 12mm: A commonplace camera that stores images on photographic flm costs

any$here rom S>P or a asic, auto-ocus, auto-'ash unit to SP or more or a more elaoratemo!el $ith a variety o lenses, a !etachale 'ash, an! manual ocus an! settings" #eight isnegligile or a asic camera, up to = kg or a camera an! a ag ull o gear"

Camera0 igital:These cameras store images in RA/, 'ash memory, or 'oppy !isk or transerto a computer system" Less e4pensive mo!els su)er rom poor color translations an! imageresolution" (ost* S?-S1=" #eight*"P kg"

Camera0 In-rare# &ini3:A tiny camera that translates inrare! ra!iation to visile images store!on flm, the inrare! mini-camera is a staple o espionage $ork" (ost* S2" #eight* "=P kg"

&etal etector:/etal !etectors are availale as a han!hel! unit +like those use! at airportsecurity checkpoints0 or attache! to a pole or each-coming" (ost* S>" #eight* > kg"

Telescope: Benerally more po$erul than inoculars, tripo!-mount telescopes typically inclu!e aselection o lenses an! eyepieces allo$ing magnifcation rom =4 to HP4, suitale or everything

rom peering into the $in!o$ across the street to e4amining astronomical oects" (ost* S>"#eight* 3 kg"

Sur%eillance 4earThe Players Handbook outlines some types o surveillance gear" 6pecifc items that might eavailale to agents inclu!e*

&icropone0 i##en transmitter:A tiny microphone an! ra!io transmitter can e hi!!en insi!ean innocuous oect such as a pen, an appointment ook, or a key-chain" The microphone picks upthe soun!s o conversation up to ? meters !istant" The receiver must e $ithin = km in or!er toreceive the signal" (ost* SP aove or!inary cost o item"

&icropone0 pro'e:Another tiny microphone, the proe mike is mounte! at the en! o a 'e4ileproe that can e inserte! through small openings to eaves!rop on conversations" (ost* S>"

Scram'ler0 ra#io: As !escrie! in the Players Handbook this !evice prevents ra!io

communication $ithin > meters" (ost* S1P"Telepone tap0 transmitter: This tiny ra!io roa!caster is inserte! insi!e a telephone an!

activate! $hen the han!set is lite! rom the telephone" The receiver must e $ithin = km to pick upthe transmission" (ost* SP"

SilencerAvailability: ControlledCost:$5!Mass/Length:"3! #g! c%

Platorm:&n' rifle or auto%atic (i)tol" & )ilencer* attached to a gun %odified to acce(t it+included in the )ilencer,) co)t* )tifle) the )ound of the wea(on,) firing* reducing it) )oundcategor' .' one +fro% /ood to 0rdinar' in %o)t ca)e)" 1t i%(o)e) a (enalt' to the

wea(on,) ide value" +See the &K6 M&TTArms & Equipment Guide* (" 73-74 for%ore infor%ation"


10/10

+eapons an# +eapon 4ear!ange" Wea#onsWea#on Skill Acc M" !ange $y#e %amage"22 )elf-loader Mod (i)tol F 824! 10 d4wd8wd4%"22 .all (oint (en Mod-(i)tol 2 F 55 10 d4wd4 wd4%art gun 9ri%-cro)) ! F 4!:!24! ;10 ) w w )(ecial

S(eargun* C02 9ri%-cro)) ! F 5!!!25! ;10 d42wd82wd4 %

Wea#on Actions Shots Cost/&' roun"s (i"e Wt Avail Cost"22 )elf-loader 3 8 ! 3 Co% 25!"22 .all (oint (en 5 4 - Con 2!!art gun 5)(ecial - 2 Co% 25!S(eargun* C0

2 2! - Co% 5!

The dart) fired fro% a dart gun cau)e in)ignificant da%age the%)elve)* .ut the' are generall' u)ed a) a vehiclefor an in)inuative (oi)on or tran

alternity-dragon magazine-top secret (espionage campaigns)

Documents