Decade Book - 1960s.pdf - PDFCOFFEE.COM (2024)

“We stand today on the edge of a new frontier - the frontier of the 1960s - a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats.” - John F. Kennedy

Writing Robert J. Defendi, B.D. Flory, Scott Gearin, Clayton A. Oliver

Brand Manager Patrick Kapera

Mechanics Lead Scott Gearin

Additional Writing

Editor

Stephen Almasy, Chad Bowser, Brian Burston, Garland Dunlap, Scott Gearin, Jerry Hamm, Josh HaroldAndrew McColl, Andrew M. Popowich

DJ Trindle

Creative Director Mark Jelfo

Art Director

Graphic Designers

jim pinto

Dave Agoston, Steve Hough

Cover Art

Chief Executive Officer

Veronica V. Jones

John Zinser

Interior Art Drew Baker, Chris Grun, A. Bleys Ingram, Scott James, Lief Jones, Michael Kaluta, Lee Smith

Chief of Operations

Cartographers

Production Manager

Dave Agoston, Cris Dornaus

Mary Valles

Maureen Yates

Spycraft Created by Patrick Kapera and Kevin Wilson The Spycraft / Shadowforce Archer Story Team is…

The Spycraft / Shadowforce Archer Design Team is…

Steve Crow, Robert J. Defendi, B.D. Flory, Meredith Patterson, Les Simpson

Sean Michael Fish, Alexander Flagg, James Maliszewski, Scott Gearin, Clayton A. Oliver, Rodney Thompson

Playtesters Tony Allen, Carl Ballard, Jon Bancroft, Kevin Barbour, Steve Barr, Clark Barrett, Matt Birdsall, Eirik Bull-Hansen, Kyle Burckhard, Simon Campey, Chris Carlson, Richard Cattle, David Crabbe, Joshua Cremosnik, Steve Crow, Ray Edwards, Steve Emmott, Charles Etheridge-Nunn, Jerry Ham, Rich Harkless, Nabil Homsi, Olav B. Hovet, Ashley Jestico, Stephen Johnstone, Kalai Kahana, Christi McCray, Matt McGowan, Angus McNichol, James McPherson, Clint Menezes, Steven Mileham, Justin Miller, David Molinar, Jose H. Molinar, Ole Myrbakken, Jason Olsan, Kent Peet, Bob Pfeiffer, Anthony Rainwater, Rolando Rivero, Hector Rodriguez, Dave Salisbury, Jon Sederqvist, Aaron Smith, Mandy Smith, Marshall Smith, Sonya Smith, Catherine Spainhour, Rich Spainhour, Alasdair Stuart, Michael Surber, Andrew Fraser Taylor, Omar Topete, David Trask, Seth Tupper, Kris Wagner, James Wiley, Marcus Wischik, Vivika McKie-Woods, Matt Wright

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table of contents Operations: Pochin and Proba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Operations: Pressing and Krab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Operation: Spirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Operation: Trezor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Art and Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Fads and Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Social Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Moscow Chase Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Chapter 1: the united states of america . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 President Dwight David Eisenhower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 President John Fitzgerald Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 President Lyndon Baines Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 President Richard Milhous Nixon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Espionage and Intelligence Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 National Security Agency (NSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Tradecraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Communications Intelligence (COMINT) . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Domestic Intelligence (DOMINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Human Intelligence (HUMINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Technological Intelligence (TECHINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Air America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Chaos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Corona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Hero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Mongoose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Sniper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Art and Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fads and Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Social Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Washington D.C. Chase Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Chapter 2: the union of soviet Socialist Republics

Chapter 3: the Balance of power

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 The People’s Republic of China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 The Republic of China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 The Game in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Espionage and Intelligence Organizations . . . . . . . . . 52 China the Ally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 China the Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Cuba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 The Game in Cuba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Espionage and Intelligence Organizations . . . . . . . . . 55 Cuba the Ally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Cuba the Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Soviet Ground Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 East Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 The Game in East Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Espionage and Intelligence Organizations . . . . . . . . . 59 East Germany the Ally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 East Germany the Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 The United Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 The Game in The United Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Espionage and Intelligence Organizations . . . . . . . . . 61 United Kingdom the Ally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 United Kingdom the Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 HMS Vigilant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Vietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The Game in Vietnam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Espionage and Intelligence Organizations . . . . . . . . . 65 Vietnam the Ally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Vietnam the Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 North Vietnamese POW Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 West Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 The Game in West Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Espionage and Intelligence Organizations . . . . . . . . . 70 West Germany the Ally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 West Germany the Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 West Berlin Fussgangerzone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Berlin Chase Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Nikita Khruschev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Premier Aleksey Kosygin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Espionage and Intelligence Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie (GRU) . . . . . . 34 Komitet Gosudarstvenoi Bezopasnosti (KGB) . . . . . . . 35 Ministerstvo Vnutrennykh Del (MVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Smert Shpionam (SMERSH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Tradecraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Communications Intelligence (COMINT) . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Domestic Intelligence (DOMINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Human Intelligence (HUMINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Technological Intelligence (TECHINT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Operation: Bear Claw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Operation: Epigoni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Operation: Kedr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Operation: Omut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Operation: Pandora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Chapter 4: Turning points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Signs of the Times

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Bloodbath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Clear Skies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Cold Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

the 1960s Cooler Heads Prevail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Creeping Paranoia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Death to Spies! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Doldrums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Domino Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 The Freshmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Golden Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 The Great Experiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Open Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Peace in Our Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Strange Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Under the Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Walking on Eggshells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Running a 1960s Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Major Crises: Year by Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 1960: The U-2 Incident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 1961: The Bay of Pigs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 1962: The Cuban Missle Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 1963: Kennedy Assassinated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 1964: Khruschev Removed From Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 1965: China Joins the Arms Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 1966: French Troops Leave NATO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 1967: The Six-Day War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 1968: Tet Offensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 1969: Moon Shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 MInor Crises: Year by Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 1960 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 1961 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 1962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 1963 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 1964 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 1965 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 1966 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 1967 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 1968 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 1969 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Chapter 5: Alternate Campaign Styles

Wire (New Base Class) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Attaché (New Prestige Class) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Code Breaker (New Prestige Class) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Menace (New Prestige Class) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Spymaster (New Prestige Class) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 New Skill Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 New Combat Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 New Basic Combat Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 New Chase Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 New Covert Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 New Gear Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 New Advanced Skill Feats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 New Standard-Issue Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 New Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 New Gadgets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Chapter 7: new Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Gambling Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Game Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Rolling the Dice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 More Than Luck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Competitive Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 House Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Secuction Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Innuendo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Sense Motive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Bluff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 The Benefits of Secuction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Long-Term Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Acquiring a Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Benefits of Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Losing Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Overextending Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Roleplaying Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Stress Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Recovering from Stress Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 New Threat Agendas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 NPC Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Academic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 CIA Field Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Community Criminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Conscript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Contract Killer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Counter-Intelligence Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 KGB Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 The Lackey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Operative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Police Official . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Wingman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 The 1960s Military Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 The Swingin’ Sixties Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 The Telefantasy 1960s Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Chapter 6: new Agent Options

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 New Agent Options From Other Products . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Spycraft Espionage Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Modern Arms Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Fixer/Pointman Class Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Faceman/Snoop Class Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Gentlemen’s Agreement Season Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Allegiance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 New Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Existing Departments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 New Departments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti (KGB) . . . . . . . . 143 The Fourth Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Chapter 8: Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 The Goodchildes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 The New Spartan Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 The November Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Operation: Turnstile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223 The Silencers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228 The Sleeping Water Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

“I believe, with abiding conviction, that this people - nurtured by their deep faith, tutored by their hard lessons, moved by their high aspirations have the will to meet the trials that these times impose.” - President Lyndon B. Johnson

The United States of America

the 1960s Despite these progressive movements, the 1960s were characterized by a global political polarization. An Iron Curtain divided Europe between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and the United States was its staunchest sentry. Popular theory dictated that the ideals of capitalism and communism could not coexist in the world, but at the same time a full nuclear war was unwinnable. This led the United States to pursue a policy of containment intended to confine both communism and the Soviet Union to their existing political boundaries. By the end of the decade, proponents of containment also espoused the “domino theory,” the idea that as Communism spreads, it gains momentum, expanding its influence in other nations. This fear led directly to the United States’ involvement in Vietnam, in an effort to prevent communist domination of the country. The growing U.S. obsession with the U.S.S.R. clearly defined American goals throughout the 1960s, influencing technological development, policy decisions both foreign and domestic, and many other facets of life.

Introduction In the 1960s, the United States was one of two world powers, along with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Though the competition between these two nations was fueled by ideological differences, its roots lay in the largest conflict of the 20th Century, World War II. Before the war, the United States’ stance on global affairs was largely isolationist. But in 1941, as the U.S. was drawn into the global conflict by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it quickly mobilized for war, and together with an alliance of nations — including its future foe, the Soviet Union — defeated the axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. This success seeded another slow-burn conflict — the Cold War that consumes the 1960s. Conquered Germany was divided into East and West, occupied by the Soviet Union and the United States respectively, and became the focal point for tensions between the two nations, as differences in provisional government policies illustrated the differences between the so-called ‘superpowers.’ Disagreement fostered competition, which led to a fierce rivalry over political primacy. In many ways, this was not simply a conflict of nations, but of ideas, as the United States’ capitalist society was diametrically opposed to the Soviet Union’s communist ideals. Shortly after WWII, the nations of Western Europe formed NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Though NATO’s goals were ostensibly diverse, it was no secret that its true purpose was to deter communist aggression against Western Europe. After petitioning for — and being denied — membership, the Soviet Union formed the Warsaw Pact, a bloc of nations under Soviet control, intended to counter NATO’s influence in Europe — and that of America. During the 1950s, it became increasingly clear that a new war between the superpowers — perhaps a nuclear war — was a real threat. After the Soviet Union announced that it had developed hydrogen bombs, however, it was also clear that a full scale war would mean victory for none. Instead, each superpower attempted to secure technological, military, intelligence, and diplomatic advantages over the other. While the threat of the Soviet Union eclipsed other global political concerns, all was not calm in the domestic arena. The interests of women and minorities were represented in hundreds of demonstrations and marches throughout the country. Growing dissatisfaction with government policy incited protests and a growing counterculture, and by the end of the decade, civil rights concerns and political dissent — particularly surrounding the United States’ military ventures into Southeast Asia — grew to unheard-of proportions. Crime rates skyrocketed as the stability that followed the nation’s greatest military victory crumbled.

Leadership Over the course of the 1960s, the United States saw four sitting Presidents, Republicans Eisenhower and Nixon bracketing Democrats Kennedy and Johnson.

President Dwight David Eisenhower (1952–1961) Dwight D. Eisenhower served as President for only a short time during this decade, the majority of his administration already having run its course when the 1960s opened. After an illustrious military campaign, including command of Operation: OVERLORD — the allied invasion of Normandy in World War II — and a stint as both Army Chief of Staff and Supreme Commander of European NATO forces, Eisenhower ran for President on the Republican ticket, accompanied by Vice Presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon. Though a career military man, Eisenhower’s first election platform included a truce with Korea, successfully executed in 1953. Nonetheless, Eisenhower was a staunch supporter of containment, and many of his administration’s foreign policy decisions revolved around this view. Domestically, Eisenhower supported the civil rights movement, and his administration passed two Civil Rights Acts in 1957 and 1960. When Governor George Wallace defied a court order to institute racial integration in an Arkansas high school, Eisenhower dispatched the 101st Airborne Division to ensure the order was carried out. Many of Eisenhower’s policies and decisions regarding foreign affairs bear continuing relevance throughout the 1960s. Perhaps most prominently, his “New Look”

The United States of America in defense policy arguably set the stage for the nuclear arms race. Along with his Secretary of State, John Dulles, Eisenhower hoped to reduce the United States’ conventional military presence, increasing reliance on nuclear arms. This accelerated the arms race between the superpowers and dramatically increased nuclear tensions. Toward the end of his administration, in an effort to ease tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, Eisenhower invited Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to visit the United States. Though Khrushchev accepted in September of 1959, Eisenhower’s efforts did little to defuse hostilities in the coming decade. In 1961, after the communist government of Cuba seized all properties owned by United States companies, Eisenhower severed diplomatic ties to the nearby island nation. At the time, it was impossible to gauge the longterm ramifications of this decision, but the broken ties directly set the stage for the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

Agents working for U.S. intelligence services during this period are encouraged to employ any means necessary to accomplish their objectives, with consequences considered after the fact, during the team’s debriefing. At the GC’s option, the golden age espionage climate may be in effect throughout Eisenhower’s presidency, reflecting his willingness to put any resources on the line to ensure victory against communism (see page 74 for more about espionage climates). This condition applies at all times in addition to any other espionage climates triggered by events or circumstances, and has no effect when another golden age weather condition is in effect.

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1961–1963) During his election campaign — a close-fought battle with sitting Vice President Richard M. Nixon — Kennedy attacked the Eisenhower administration for its lack of vigorous competition with the U.S.S.R. Once in office, Kennedy fulfilled his promise of increased rivalry, though not in the way he expected. He suffered several critical foreign policy setbacks, including the Bay of Pigs debacle and a tense meeting with Khrushchev in Vienna which nearly set off a full-scale assault. Even before Eisenhower severed diplomatic relations with Cuba, the CIA began training a force of Cuban exiles to invade the island and overthrow Fidel Castro. On April 17, 1961, authorized by new President-elect Kennedy, a force of approximately 1,300 of these exiles beached at the Bahia de Conchinos, or “Bay of Pigs”. The invasion was squelched, with 90 of the invaders killed and the rest captured. This proved a major embarrassment for both Kennedy and the CIA, and provoked a firestorm of criticism for failing to adequately support the insurgents, or for supporting the invasion at all. A summit in Vienna deliberated this matter, as well as concerns over the actions of the superpowers in Germany, Iran, and Turkey. Though an attempt at diplomacy was honestly made, neither Kennedy nor Khrushchev accepted the situation and the issue played out as the Cuban Missile Crisis (see page 79). As Kennedy grew comfortable in the Oval Office, his foreign relations track record improved, and when the Soviet Union raised the Berlin Wall in 1961, he responded with remarkable restraint. Though some of his staff proposed that the United States destroy the Wall, Kennedy knew that such an act would lead to conventional war in Berlin, and perhaps a nuclear confrontation. Instead, he visited the newly divided city and delivered a speech on the solidarity of freedom-loving nations everywhere, as well as his sympathy for the people of East Germany, condemning the forceful Soviet policy.

Vice President Richard Milhous Nixon (1952– 1961) Throughout Eisenhower’s presidency Vice President Nixon was considered to be the Republican heir apparent. During his second term as Vice President, Nixon remained very active in foreign affairs, even visiting the Soviet Union and engaging Nikita Khrushchev in the famous “kitchen debates” in Moscow’s Sokilniki Park, at the United States Trade and Cultural Fair’s kitchen modeling exhibit. Less a formalized discourse as a spontaneous exchange of angry words between the world leaders, this event proved only the first in a series of unplanned salvos that during Nixon’s tour, and contributed to the tensions between the superpowers that dominated the world scene for years to come. For information about Nixon’s presidency, see page 10.

National Flavor During the tenure of President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon, U.S. foreign intelligence efforts focused on containing the communist threat, but the lion’s share were dedicated to assessing the military capabilities of communist factions, ranging from small revolutionary cabals to the Soviet Union’s Red Army. This effort was extremely thorough, and as Kennedy assumed office Eisenhower predicted the growing tensions in Southeast Asia — Vietnam specifically — would erupt into open conflict, saying, “I think you’re going to have to send troops, and if you do, I will come up from Gettysburg and stand before you and support you.” This was characteristic of Eisenhower’s stance on military and intelligence commitment in general — never a believer in half measures, he authorized the deployment of any forces necessary to achieve the U.S. agenda in all theaters.

the 1960s Kennedy’s greatest triumphs were yet to come. The Cuban Missile Crisis erupted in 1962, as U.S. intelligence spotted Soviet mobile launch platforms being built in Cuba that could launch a nuclear assault on the eastern U.S. seaboard. Some theorize that this action was a Soviet response to U.S. strategic assets in Turkey, within striking distance of Moscow. Kennedy and his staff not only defused the crisis, but retained the nation’s position in Turkey as well. They even ratified a limited test nuclear ban treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. Yet despite Kennedy’s accomplishments, his legacy is colored by his actions in Vietnam, where he increased the number of U.S. advisors from roughly 700 to over 15,000 for no perceptible advantage or reward. Later in the decade, when the conflict in Vietnam exploded, the United States became embroiled in a long, bloody conflict that scarred it forever. Though Kennedy’s initial election platform focused primarily on foreign policy, he didn’t ignore domestic problems. He was quite successful in asking the American public to give more of themselves for their country, but was less popular in the conservative halls of Congress. Coupled with his apparent dislike for congressional politicking, this resulted in the defeat of several of his key legislations, including bills to cut taxes, improve civil rights, and increase educational funding. Kennedy was an ardent supporter of the space program, and swore to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Though he didn’t live to see it, this goal was achieved.

Despite his lack of significant domestic policy success, and his early mistakes overseas, Kennedy was incredibly popular. Arguably the most charismatic American President, even overwhelming public support couldn’t save him from a sniper’s bullet. He was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963, prematurely ending his life, and his presidency.

Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson (1961– 1963) Kennedy’s nomination of Lyndon Johnson as his Vice President defied conventional wisdom, stunning politicians and the press. Neither man particularly liked the other, and their styles sharply contrasted: Kennedy was smooth, sophisticated and charismatic, Johnson boorish, bullying, and egotistical. Johnson’s acceptance of the appointment was doubly surprising, as it actually meant a decrease in his political power. Having served for years as the Senate majority leader, second in influence and political power only to the President, Johnson now possessed negligible personal sway over decisions of national import. Following his election, Johnson’s influence gradually diminished, despite his best efforts to maintain it. Though Kennedy granted him general supervision over most space and defense programs, the Vice President lacked any power to make policy. Eventually, in an effort to salvage his Vice President’s flagging spirits — and to grant him some much needed exposure — Kennedy sent Johnson on a string of foreign missions and goodwill tours.

The United States of America Though this new role garnered renewed interest from the press, the attention seemed solely reserved for Johnson’s travels abroad. At home, he remained generally inconsequential to the political process, and the limited powers of his position, coupled with his realization of growing inability on the political landscape, seemed to deflate the once-powerful politician. Persistent rumor prior to Kennedy’s assassination insisted that Johnson was to be dropped from the Democratic ticket in the 1964 election, though hard evidence is absent.

President Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963–1969) Following Kennedy’s assassination, Vice President Johnson assumed the office of President. His renewed political muscle seemed to revitalize him, and he became remarkably active and determined. Though he served for less than a year before the 1964 elections, he achieved much. Freed from his obligations to southern Senate conservatives, he proposed and passed some of the century’s most significant civil rights and voting legislations and simultaneously led a shocked nation through the healing process following the death of the beloved Kennedy. Also, his Economic Opportunity Act — the flagship legislation for his “War on Poverty” — cemented his popularity leading into the election. Johnson increased American military personnel in Vietnam from 16,000 at the time of Kennedy’s death to nearly 25,000 a year later. He nevertheless appeared the model of restraint compared to the hawkish Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican Presidential nominee, whom he defeated in a landslide victory, exponentially increasing his political pull. Now working with a Democratic Congress, Johnson had great latitude to institute his “Great Society” domestic reforms. Under this banner, Congress passed a bill creating the Medicare and Medicaid programs, approved supplemental federal aid to elementary and secondary schools nationwide, and created the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Finally, Johnson followed up earlier civil rights achievements with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which brought down longstanding barriers that kept black citizens from registering to vote. Much of the goodwill accumulated with these achievements was lost by increasing involvement in Vietnam. Johnson’s staunch anti-communist views and faith in United States military power led to an increased commitment in the war-torn country, and in February 1965 United States aircraft launched bombing runs, paving the way for an increased U.S. troop strength of 180,000 by the end of that year. Three years later, that total spiked to over half a million soldiers. Johnson’s focus on Vietnam deflected his attention from domestic concerns as flaws became apparent in several of his Great Society programs and the interracial civil rights movement broke down, resulting in widespread urban race riots. Consequently, the 1966 congressional election saw significant Republican gains, making further legislative cooperation uncertain. Johnson’s failure to win the Vietnam war compounded with sharp inflation, severely damaging his popularity in the waning years of his presidency, particularly among draft-age voters. Confronted by mounting opposition, in March of 1968 Johnson announced that he would cease the bombing in Vietnam to seek a negotiated end to the

National Flavor During the tenure of President Kennedy and Vice President Johnson, an undercurrent of optimism infected the United States, encompassing virtually every aspect of American life. Kennedy once famously entreated the American people to “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” This philosophy applied not just to the average American citizen, but to each of its organizations, as well as the agents themselves. Conventional wisdom dictated a stance not of sacrifice, necessarily, but of dedication to surmount the obstacles and evils in the world in the name of freedom and the American Way. At the same time, there was a real awareness of the dangers presented by the Cold War. Kennedy acknowledged that the cost of victory was too high, and that the winner of a nuclear battle would rule a kingdom of ashes. When faced with this choice, he favored defeat to destruction. Further, while little notable progress was made by progressive movements during Kennedy’s admittedly short tenure, a sense of hope pervaded his administration, and combined with his own progressive stance on issues ranging from foreign policy to civil rights to prevent the tensions of the era from boiling over into devastating violence. Agents working for U.S. intelligence services during this period are instructed to tread carefully when matters of war are concerned, and in general, to abort operations rather than risk sparking military engagements. At the GC’s option, the peace in our time espionage climate may be in effect throughout Kennedy’s presidency, reflecting his hope and pursuit of peace, as well as his unflagging optimism (see page 74 for more about espionage climates). This condition applies at all times in addition to any other espionage climates triggered by events or circumstances, and has no effect when another peace in our time weather condition is in effect.

the 1960s war — and that he would not seek re-election. Though he made good on his vow to stop the bombing sorties, he failed to make real concessions at the peace table, and the war dragged on. Despite rapidly dwindling political capital, Johnson retained enough influence to ensure the nomination of Vice President Hubert Humphrey as the Democratic Presidential candidate in the 1968 election.

During Johnson’s administration, government agencies and organizations were on the defensive. The military was fighting a battle halfway around the world that looked more and more hopeless, and at home, COINTELPRO and CHAOS kicked into high gear as the government’s siege mentality against domestic communism began to guide operational strategies. Public outcry came from all quarters, with no end in sight. Agents working for U.S. intelligence services during this period face an “us against the world” scenario of the most severe sort. At the GC’s option, the walking on eggshells espionage climate may be in effect throughout Johnson’s presidency, reflecting the incredible tension at the time (see page 74 for more about espionage climates). This condition applies at all times in addition to any other espionage climates triggered by events or circumstances, and has no effect when another walking on eggshells weather condition is in effect.

Vice President Hubert Horatio Humphrey (1965– 1969) Johnson nominated Hubert Humphrey to join the Democratic ticket as a Vice Presidential candidate because of the man’s reputation as a party loyalist. Though good friends with Humphrey, Johnson largely left the Vice President out of the administrative loop once he was re-elected. Nonetheless, he constantly expressed enthusiastic support for Johnson, even calling Vietnam “our great adventure,” a statement that would later come back to haunt him when he sought the presidency. Despite isolation from the administration’s decision making process, Humphrey remained politically active, and was instrumental in passing many of Johnson’s most controversial acts. He lobbied incessantly for Great Society programs, and personally pursued financial support for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Public Broadcasting Service, and solar energy research. He also kept his opinion on Vietnam close to the vest, never discussing it outside of the administration, and advocated a gradual disengagement. This attitude gave him a reputation for disloyalty within Johnson’s inner circle, and he was blamed for several press leaks. When Johnson announced his resignation, Humphrey initially attempted to dissuade the President from stepping down. He was unsuccessful, and he quickly switched gears in order to run for the presidency himself. Unfortunately, his public support of the war in Vietnam — despite his private dissent — came back to haunt him, and he was defeated by Richard Nixon.

President Richard Milhous Nixon (1969–1974) In a time when the United States endured great turbulence and uncertainty, both at home and abroad, Nixon ran for President on a platform of reconciliation. His stated intention to end the war in Vietnam brought renewed hope to anti-war factions, as Johnson’s negotiations seemed increasingly doomed to failure. Once elected, Nixon chose not to abandon a steadfast ally to certain defeat, and instead gradually withdrew American troops from Vietnam, at the same time bolstering South Vietnam’s capacity to defend itself. But even while he sued for peace and withdrew U.S. ground troops, he authorized bombing missions against the North Vietnamese to punish Hanoi for continued aggression. This approach prolonged the war well beyond the end of the decade, until the Paris Peace Accords of 1973. On the communist front, Nixon actively pursued a markedly less adversarial agenda. During his years away from the White House, Nixon’s views on containment and the Domino Theory softened, allowing him to consider the pursuit of a policy of détente with the Soviet Union and diplomatic relations with Communist China. Even so, most of his accomplishments in this realm didn’t see fruition until the early 1970s. Domestically, Nixon pursued a variety of progressive initiatives, including the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, the launch of the “War on Cancer,” and the peaceful desegregation of public schools in the South. His presidency was also marked by man’s first successful moon landing (though the groundwork for this was laid during the years prior to his presidency). Though his later presidency was marred with scandal, forcing his 1974 resignation, Nixon was a popular and influential President at the end of this turbulent decade.

National Flavor During the tenure of President Johnson and Vice President Humphrey, much of the public goodwill generated by the Kennedy administration was squandered. By the end of this administration, the U.S. was engaged in a full-scale war in Vietnam, as well as covert conflicts spreading throughout the rest of Southeast Asia. Worse, the homefront could sometimes be mistaken for an ideological (and sometimes literal) war zone — despite making great strides with civil rights during his administration, Johnson couldn’t avert race riots and violence throughout the United States.

The United States of America Vice President Spiro Theodore Agnew (1969– 1973)

Goals

Widely considered inflammatory, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew was nonetheless popular among political conservatives and at Republican fundraising events. He openly supported the war in Vietnam and frequently charged opponents of the war as impractical intellectuals. He condemned violent antiwar dissent, and while he occasionally expressed token support for the peaceful airing of antiwar concerns, he nonetheless rapidly developed a reputation as a hard-line supporter of the war effort. Vice President Agnew spent a great deal of his time defending the administration against attacks from various sources, most frequently the media, whom he viewed as a unelected few falsely representing their views as majority opinion. Agnew had little influence as Vice President in the short time he served during the 1960s, and by the end of his tenure, he was under criminal investigation in connection with the Watergate scandal. When he resigned from office — ostensibly to spare the Nixon administration the associated embarrassment — he effectively ended his political career.

With the proliferation of nuclear arms, the threat of mass destruction became less immediate. In the 1950s, it was understood that any nuclear strike would be answered in kind as an effective — though costly and destructive — means of waging war. But by the early 1960s, it was clear that any nuclear exchange would result in mutual annihilation, ensuring that any victory would be hollow indeed. Direct conflict with the Soviet Union was therefore to be ardently avoided. Even conventional conflict, it was feared, could escalate into a nuclear exchange. Both superpowers threw their support behind their First and Third World allies. In the former case, it was largely a question of maintenance — by the 1960s, Europe had largely stabilized, and the Iron Curtain dividing the communist Warsaw Pact from the NATO alliance was unlikely to shift. This was not true in the Third World, however, where developing nations were considered “up for grabs.” The most visible area caught in such a crossfire was Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam. In the early 1950s, Ho Chi Minh’s Communist government in North Vietnam was recognized for the first time by foreign powers — the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, both communist nations. Only a month later, the United States and Britain recognized South Vietnam’s leadership, leaving both governments believing they were the rightful heirs to the entire nation. Guerilla warfare raged until the 1954 Geneva Accords divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel, setting the stage for direct conflict between the superpowers. Within a year, Ho Chi Minh accepted support from the Soviet Union and the first direct shipment of military aid arrived in Saigon, South Vietnam. Tensions increased, and outright violence often flared until Ho Chi Minh declared a people’s war to unite all of Vietnam as a communist nation in 1959. Though the southern government was in many ways only marginally more attractive than Ho Chi Minh’s, it wasn’t communist and was therefore considered an ally of the United States. Throughout the 1960s, American commitment in Vietnam gradually built, at first only as regular arms and equipment deliveries, then with the assignment of military advisors, and finally with fighting men and their machines of war beaching on the nation’s shores and landing in its jungles. War was on, and as low-intensity conflicts raged across Southeast Asia, the Soviet Union aligned itself with communist insurgents and the United States attempted to counter the Russians’ spread into the region. In Laos, Air America fought an extended covert war against the communist Pathet Lao (see page 19), and in Cambodia, similar “black” operations struggled to hold the line.

National Flavor During the brief 1960s tenure of President Nixon and Vice President Agnew, the U.S. withdrew from its foreign entanglements as best it could, hoping to better address problems at home. Nixon’s goal of opening diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China was characteristic of his agenda as President: reconciliation, and exploring new avenues for peace. Unfortunately, Nixon’s pursuit of a peaceful agenda was sometimes muddied by the realities of conflict and diplomacy. He frequently placed restrictions on operations that would otherwise succeed, for fear of offending or angering a party with whom the United States was negotiating, in many such cases leaving the operation worse off than if it had just been canceled. A prime example of this involved the continued bombing of Hanoi while Nixon simultaneously sued for peace and withdrew U.S. ground troops from Vietnam, thus weakening the ground troops’ positions. Agents working for U.S. intelligence services during this period are likely to be affected by this same duality of purpose. On one hand, their objectives are clear, but on the other, their options toward meeting those objectives are likely to be severely restricted, perhaps cripplingly so. At the GC’s option, the cooler heads prevail espionage climate may be in effect throughout Nixon’s presidency, reflecting his cautious use of military and intelligence assets to avoid diplomatic interference (see page 74 for more about espionage climates). This condition applies at all times in addition to any other espionage climates triggered by events or circumstances, and has no effect when another cooler heads prevail weather condition is in effect.

the 1960s Not every communist puppet danced on distant shores, however. Closer to home, Fidel Castro rode a people’s revolution to the halls of power, and in the process alienated U.S. policy makers. In response to American demands intended to force Castro to accept terms favorable to the United States, Cuba opened formal relations with the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China. Suddenly, a domino had fallen in America’s back yard. By early 1961, the United States severed diplomatic ties to Cuba, and by the end of the same year, they launched Operation: MONGOOSE, the CIA’s mission to remove Castro from power (see page 22). While U.S. leadership considered military action in Southeast Asia not only necessary but inevitable, the Cuban situation was far more complicated. As with the many Soviet satellites cropping up around the world, delicacy was the byword and accurate intelligence made or broke operations even before they were launched. Spies became the footsoldiers along a malleable new front line, capturing secrets instead of territory and killing trust instead of enemy troops.

Previously, the agency’s primary focus was shoring up pro-American governments around the world, though Western Europe garnered most of its attention. By the end of the 1950s, however, Western Europe was considered firmly in America’s corner, and the CIA turned its attention to the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Its particular focus was areas considered politically unstable or at risk to the threat of communism, either through the machinations of the Soviet Union or through domestic influence. The Central Intelligence Agency is arguably the preeminent U.S. intelligence organization. Though strictly speaking it doesn’t command the obedience of the American intelligence community at large, the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) oversees all American intelligence operations. Indeed, this arrangement was formalized for the first time in 1962, with a Presidential letter of instruction granting the DCI the power to “coordinate and give guidance” to the overall American intelligence effort. The decade saw four men serve in this position: Allen Dulles (1953–1961), John McCone (1961–1965), William Raborn (1965– 1966), and Richard Helms (1966–1973).

Allen Dulles

Espionage and Intelligence Agencies

Allen Dulles had little direct influence over the agency’s activities during the 1960s, but his tenure set the tone for the CIA’s operational directives during this turbulent decade, for he redirected its attention toward the Third World. Even though Dulles was ousted from the agency after the Bay of Pigs (see page 78), these agendas remained in place in subsequent years. Further, he’s widely credited with transforming the agency from a relatively passive, propaganda operation into a covert action and paramilitary operation unit.

By the 1960s, the United States had many spying tools at its disposal, from domestic police units like the FBI to political powerhouses like the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). No part of their espionage apparatus, however, brought more to the table than the CIA, which saw perhaps its greatest victories — and greatest defeats — during this decade.

Agency Flavor: Veteran CIA agents may have difficulty adjusting to this new regime, but the up and comers, still young enough to benefit from a serious program of paramilitary training, usually shine. All agents are expected to be comfortable operating in foreign environments and cultures during Dulles’ tenure, as CIA operations revolve predominantly around the Soviet Union and the Third World, where teams often have no access to English-speaking information resources.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) During the 1960s, the Central Intelligence Agency served a myriad of roles, foreign and domestic, and came under close public scrutiny for the first time. Founded in 1951, the CIA was the result of a merger of the Office of Policy Coordination and the Office of Special Operations, one agency carrying a broad spectrum of power and responsibility. Most of its duties revolved around achieving American foreign policy agendas for which diplomatic means were considered inappropriate or inadequate.

The United States of America John McCone

Reaping the Whirlwind

John McCone assumed the position of DCI under the cloud of the recent failure in Cuba. As such, his first aim was to restructure the agency and establish its standing in the United States intelligence community. He increased the agency’s accountability to the director, bringing many roles — including the CIA’s comptroller, general counsel, legislative counsel, and audit staff — directly under his supervision. He also created the Directorate of Research in 1962, which a year later became the Directorate of Science and Technology (see page 143). McCone was cautious and frequently set up safeguards against what he considered reckless activity. At his insistence, for example, Operation MONGOOSE was placed under a National Security Council oversight group, in order to prevent another Bay of Pigs fiasco.

Though the CIA launched many operations against Cuba during the 1960s, one bears special mention. Beginning in 1969 and continuing into 1970, the Agency sponsored an attempt at meteorological sabotage. Military aircraft from the China Lake Naval Weapons Center in California seeded rain clouds with crystals designed to precipitate bizarre weather patterns, including torrential rains and flash floods, ultimately leaving Cuba’s sugar cane fields barren and ravaging the Cuban economy. While such overflights are probably beyond the capacity of even superspies to counter, Soviet agents may be instructed to foil one or more American ground operations designed to achieve the same end. During a superspy-style campaign, such efforts could easily include a covertly constructed U.S. ground station on the island, concealing a massive weather control device.

Agency Flavor: McCone’s cautious nature filters down to the agents through their Controls. All instructions are to be followed to the letter, and any deviation from an established plan or protocol must be cleared beforehand with the home office. McCone frowns upon activity that upsets social balance on any scale (local, national, or global), whether on conducted on Soviet soil, American soil, or elsewhere. Agent teams are kept together when they function well as a unit and broken up and redistributed after mistakes and failed missions, until each agent finds a role that suits his talents. Agents who fail their objectives are rarely — and only grudgingly — given second chances under McCone.

eral operational fronts — including Vietnam — leaving Helms in charge of operations which he considered outside his agency’s raison d’etre. Ultimately, he proved a very capable DCI, and an uncannily accurate estimate of the course and length of the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War won him the trust of his superiors. Agency Flavor: Helms’ directorship strains under the weight of Raborn’s legacy, several operations that must be given agent attention before they can be shut down for good. Agents assigned to these missions suffer budget cuts and abbreviated timeframes, while agents assigned to missions created under the new DCI gain the Agency’s full attention and support. Further, Helms gradually deemphasizes the CIA’s focus on paramilitary operations, and agents specializing in covert actions may find themselves returned to espionage with little or no warning.

Vice Admiral William Raborn The next DCI, Vice Admiral William Raborn, benefited greatly from his predecessors’ organizational efforts, but despite abortive attempts to continue the restructuring, devoted his attention to other affairs — primarily, an immediate crisis in the Dominican Republic. This was followed by increased American — and therefore CIA — commitment in Vietnam.

Operations Though the CIA began to oversee the whole U.S. intelligence community in the 1960s, its own operations were predominantly focused on foreign interests, particularly stemming the spread of communism. Of particular concern was Cuba, in the United States’ own backyard, a prominent threat to national security. Though the Bay of Pigs is perhaps the agency’s most famous Cuban operation, it was by no means the only one. Throughout the decade, the agency mounted operations designed to topple Fidel Castro’s regime, discredit the man in the eyes of his people, and outright assassinate him. Ironically, while the CIA mounted hundreds — perhaps thousands — of successful operations during the decade, including the infiltration of spies and saboteurs within Cuba and sponsoring of sea and air commando raids by Cuban exiles, Castro seemed untouchable.

Agency Flavor: Raborn is a military man, with military concerns. He tends to commit most agency resources to hot spots and brushfire wars over long-term intelligence development operations. A career professional, Rayborn doesn’t ignore intelligence gathering — he simply gives it a lower priority, and thus fewer resources.

Richard Helms Richard Helms, a career military man and veteran of the American intelligence community, assumed command of the CIA toward the end of the decade. Skeptical of covert action, Helms believed that the CIA’s role was to inform policy decisions, but not necessarily to execute them. Despite this, the CIA was already committed on sev-

the 1960s • Training foreign nationals sympathetic to American interests in paramilitary tactics and operations.

Working for “The Man” From a modern perspective, it’s easy to dismiss COINTELPRO as the personal crusade of an FBI director and his army of jackbooted thugs. But during the 1960s, communism was considered an omnipresent threat against which almost any measures were acceptable. It remains unclear whether Hoover honestly believed his own propaganda regarding the communist subversion of radical political groups, but he convinced the Presidential administrations of the 1960s that the threat was real enough to warrant special attention, and in some cases to disregard the target organizations’ civil rights. The GC should consider carefully whether COINTELPRO is appropriate for his game. Though the operation was a predominant concern of the FBI during the 1960s, a strictly historical campaign might task FBI agents with infiltrating, sabotaging, and perhaps destroying political movements that are ultimately well within their rights, and that are guilty of nothing illegal save (perhaps) civil disobedience. When using COINTELPRO, we recommend the GC restrict himself to setting the agents against truly villainous movements who achieve their agendas through violence and terrorism, or organizations that have actually been infiltrated by communist interests. With all of that said, COINTELPRO and the FBI make a great threat for Soviet agents attempting to conduct operations on U.S. soil. Again, however, we recommend that the GC not put the civil rights movement directly in the line of fire unless everyone at the table is aware of, and comfortable with, that possibility.

• Committing economic and industrial sabotage, and engaging in paramilitary operations to overthrow hostile regimes and support friendly governments. Many CIA operations fall into more than one such category — for specific examples of the CIA’s pursuit of these agendas, see the Operations section starting on page 19.

Possible Assistance The CIA maintains a broad spectrum of foreign assets all over the world, even deep in enemy territory. During the Gearing Up phase of a serial, a CIA agent in good standing with his home office may make an assistance favor check (DC 20) to request an official cover. This official cover provides the agent with diplomatic immunity and a degree of protection against foreign law enforcement and intelligence services. If the agent is captured by such an agency during the course of the serial, his captors must release him to the custody of the nearest American embassy. Once released, the agent’s official cover is revoked, as the hosting nation requests his ejection. The agent thereafter has 24 hours to leave the country (or appear to do so), after which the benefit of this assistance is lost and the host government is free to arrest the agent if he leaves embassy grounds. An agent’s exposure is an embarrassment to the Agency, and during the Gearing Up phase of the following serial, the agent’s team receives BP and GP as if the mission’s threat code is one grade lower (e.g. a Code: Red serial becomes Code: Yellow for the purposes of determining starting BP and GP).

Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Though the CIA’s modus operandi was remarkably broad and varied, its covert actions can generally be broken down into the following categories.

Where the Central Intelligence Agency’s focus lay primarily with economic and political intelligence, the newly formed Defense Intelligence Agency’s responsibilities involved military intelligence. Immediately after World War II, the various branches of the U.S. Armed Services maintained their own intelligence divisions, each operated independently of the others. This led to redundancy, as each organization separately reported its findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Defense, as well as the military’s Unified and Specified Commands. Beginning in 1960, President Eisenhower appointed a committee to study and resolve these issues, and it decided to integrate the various military intelligence services into one organization — the Defense Intelligence Agency — which reported to the Secretary of Defense through the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As Cold War tensions flared during the summer of 1961, Air Force Lieutenant General Joseph Carroll planned and organized the new agency. Under his command, it

• Providing political advice and counsel to friendly nations (based on intelligence they gathered and intelligence gathered by other American agencies). • “Handling” foreign agents, which included subverting the loyalties of foreign nationals — particularly those with access to sensitive information — and thereafter using these assets to gather intelligence. • Providing financial and other support to foreign political parties friendly to American interests. • Granting similar support to private institutions in hostile nations, such as business firms, labor unions, and industrial groups. • Disseminating covert pro-American propaganda in foreign nations.

The United States of America began operations that autumn, with only a handful of employees and borrowed office space. Thereafter, the DIA gradually assumed the military intelligence responsibilities of all the armed services, bringing these duties under one roof. Though it initially met resistance, the DIA soon established itself as the Department of Defense’s central clearing house for military intelligence. Remarkably, the DIA’s focus complemented the CIA’s intelligence efforts, rather than duplicating them. Of particular note, the DIA monitored the development of China’s nuclear program (China detonated its first nuclear weapon in 1965, its first thermonuclear warhead in 1967) and cultural revolution. It also fomented unrest in several African nations opposed to American interests, and monitored (and occasionally engaged in) combat in Malaysia, Cyprus, and Kashmir. As the decade wore on, the fledgling agency was severely tested, particularly by the Viet Cong Tet Offensive, the Six-Day War in the mideast, North Korea’s seizure of the U.S.S. Pueblo, and the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. For more information about each of these events, see Chapter 4.

therefore the Kennedy administration), who attempted to curb the Director’s power and involvement in U.S. politics, and Hoover faced similar relationships with attorney generals throughout the decade. Despite all this, the FBI remained powerful throughout the 1960s, wielding great influence. This is partially due to COINTELPRO, the FBI’s counter-intelligence operation. Though specifically targeted at foreign operations on domestic soil, Hoover managed to cast COINTELPRO’s net wider, entangling an incredibly broad spectrum of dissident political movements. Purportedly a proponent of civil rights, the Director nonetheless feared communist infiltration of any politically dissident group, ranging from peace protesters to civil rights groups to the Ku Klux Klan. Throughout the 1960s — indeed, throughout the life of COINTELPRO, which officially lasted from 1956 to 1971 — the FBI penetrated and sabotaged dozens, if not hundreds, of radical and progressive political movements. Though occasionally effective in its stated purpose of stemming the spread of domestic communism, COINTELPRO frequently allowed Director Hoover to hamper and sometimes destroy dissident political organizations. The FBI has always been restricted to domestic intelligence operations, as it lacks authorization to conduct operations outside of America’s borders (the CIA’s jurisdiction). But the range of the bureau’s domestic operations is wide, including not only counter-intelligence but also civil rights violations. In the early 1960s, legislation regarding such infractions — particularly hate crimes — largely left the matter to local law enforcement, but the Civil Rights Acts of 1960 and 1964 and several Supreme Court decisions made it clear that such crimes would draw federal attention. Behind closed doors, Hoover’s COINTELPRO program continued to hinder civil rights movements, but the FBI was nonetheless instrumental in achieving equal rights for African Americans. Similar legislation broadened the Bureau’s ability to investigate racketeering and gambling activity, providing it with new weapons against organized crime. Thereafter, the FBI attacked crime lords with renewed vigor, though it wasn’t until 1970 that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Statute was passed, finally allowing the Bureau to do significant damage to the mob’s infrastructure. No specific guidelines existed during the 1960s to govern the FBI’s national security investigations, which in turn allowed COINTELPRO to flourish. By the mid1960s, Hoover began to discourage wire tapping and similar intrusive intelligence gathering methods, though such tactics were not expressly forbidden to Bureau staff until 1968’s Omnibus Crime Control Act. Even thereafter, COINTELPRO survived, only coming to a close when Hoover terminated all its operations in 1971.

Possible Assistance The DIA is a small but growing agency throughout most of the 1960s. However, as it answers directly to — and more importantly, can call upon the resources of — the Joint Chiefs, it has a great deal of pull with the various American Armed Services. During the Gearing Up phase, when one or more DIA agents in good standing requisition a vehicle, one among them may spend 1 action die to requisition a specialist pilot for that vehicle. This pilot is a non-combatant with a total vehicle skill bonus equal to the team’s average agent level.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Given that its focus is primarily in law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is not strictly a division of the United States intelligence community. The Bureau concerns itself with upholding U.S. federal law while providing leadership, coordination, and assistance to law enforcement agencies on the federal, state, local and international level. That said, the FBI plays an important part in protecting the United States from foreign intelligence operations on American soil; the bureau’s National Security Division (NSD) — though only a small part of the bureau as a whole — is considered a member of the American intelligence community. By the 1960s, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had held his position for nearly half a century, since 1924. Having built the Bureau up from obscurity into a widely recognized and respected national law enforcement agency, his influence finally began to wane. Hoover had a contentious relationship with attorney general Robert Kennedy (and

the 1960s the air, but such methods were far from foolproof. Other satellite payloads were ejected over friendly territory, allowing recovery with little risk to field assets, and enabling the NRO to continue its activities without establishing its own field assets or placing the assets of other agencies at unnecessary risk. When all of this failed, however, friendly agents had the crucial mission of entering neutral or enemy territory in a race to procure the payload before anyone else.

Possible Assistance With few restrictions yet placed upon their intelligence gathering techniques in the 1960s, the FBI maintains an incredibly wide surveillance network. An FBI agent in good standing with his home office may identify one U.S. resident by name or Social Security Number and make an information favor check (DC 10 + the target’s character level) to request the target’s location and COINTELPRO file. This file includes the target’s most recent address, 1d3 known associates, and the target’s location 24 hours prior to the favor check, minus a number of hours equal to the number by which the agent exceeded the favor check’s DC.

Possible Assistance During the Gearing Up phase, an NRO agent in good standing may spend 1 action die to requisition the most recent satellite surveillance photographs of any area of G-square mile or smaller. Consulting these photographs requires 10 minutes, after which the agent gains the following benefits when located outdoors in the designated area.

National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) The fledgling CORONA program — possibly the earliest example of satellite imagery used to gather practical intelligence — presented analysts with a brand new set of challenges. Images of varying quality had to be pored over for telltale clues and evidence of facilities, troop movements, and other resources. Further, as in the case of the first Soviet ICBM launch facility at Plesetsk, some of these clues would need to be identified for the first time. Toward that end, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) was established shortly after the launch of the first CORONA satellite in 1960, to interpret the photographic reconnaissance the satellite provided. Though the NRO lacked field operatives, assets of allied agencies (and sometimes even allied foreign powers) were enlisted to recover these satellites’ payloads. The film generated by CORONA satellites was usually recovered in

• +4 gear bonus with Listen and Spot checks made to avoid surprise. • All benefits gained from the Daring Ambush feat (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, page 43).

National Security Agency (NSA) Founded by Presidential directive in 1952, the NSA — or simply “NSA”, as it’s commonly referred to within intelligence circles — is dedicated to the disciplines of cryptology and gathering and analyzing signals intelligence. Until 1962, its very existence was Top Secret; it was not even listed in government literature. Known only to a few during the period covered by this book, the truth about NSA didn’t become public until the Church Committee investigations conducted in the 1970s.

The United States of America Not only does NSA house the largest and most advanced array of computer technology available in the 1960s, but proprietary technology was continually developed for the agency behind closed doors, hidden from private corporations, the academic community, and the general public to an even greater extent than its fellow American intelligence organs. NSA has roots in Operation: SHAMROCK. Initially conceived by the Army Signal Security Agency (ASA), this originally unnamed wartime operation intercepted overseas communications with the assistance of three major American telegraph companies. At the end of the war, SHAMROCK gained both a name and a new lease on life — the arrangement between ASA and the communications industry continued, and in 1952, the newly founded NSA assumed control of the operation. Eventually, every reel of paper tape generated by the communications industry found its way to Fort Meade, Maryland for analysis at NSA headquarters. By the 1960s SHAMROCK took new shape. In cooperation with the CIA and FBI, NSA used the intelligence gathered by the operation to compile a watch list of potentially dangerous Americans, which provided the foundation for the FBI’s COINTELPRO operation as well as the CIA’s Operation: CHAOS, the agency’s domestic surveillance program (see page 20). The nation’s need for secrecy spurred MINARET, an operation to keep NSA and SHAMROCK under wraps. As indicated by the agency’s continued secrecy, MINARET was wildly successful. NSA’s continued anonymity was considered a top priority by the U.S. government, which awarded it exceptional legal protection. In fact, the only law or executive order on record specifically referring to NSA was issued in 1959, declaring that no law or legal body could require the disclosure of the organization or its activities. Consequently, NSA enjoyed unprecedented latitude in its operations, with virtually no accountability.

Tradecraft The following sections detail U.S. tradecraft techniques during the 1960s, divided into accepted espionage categories.

Communications Intelligence (COMINT) Communications intelligence is the practice of intercepting and decoding messages, primarily including radio transmissions and telegraphy. U.S. COMINT listening posts, known as ground stations, are scattered through the world. It is rare for a COMINT station to be found on United States soil (though a few exist in Alaska), as such stations need easy access to enemy radio transmissions. Generally, COMINT stations are placed within the borders of nations friendly to the United States but near Soviet territory, including Turkey, Southeast Asia, and Europe. The COMINT effort is largely the province of NSA, as important signals must often be decrypted. Even unencrypted transmissions are generally turned over to this agency, though the stations themselves are usually manned and operated by CIA personnel.

Domestic Intelligence (DOMINT) U.S. spies gather domestic intelligence in utmost secrecy, as the methods used to gather such information often skirt (or cross) the boundaries of the law. Generally, individuals or groups are targeted based on their affiliations with politically radical causes or organizations. Thereafter, an agency — usually the FBI, sometimes the CIA — determines the appropriate action, and begins gathering intelligence. The intelligence gathering methods employed vary, ranging from discreet surveillance to wiretaps to infiltration of politically radical organizations. In the most extreme cases, illegal searches and other unconstitutional actions are taken — often independently, though sometimes with the aid of local authorities. No domestic intelligence is revealed to the public during this decade. The earliest such action is taken follows the 1972 Church Committee hearings. DOMINT is largely the province of the FBI and NSA, though the CIA’s Operation: CHAOS falls into this category as well.

Possible Assistance The NSA has access to an incredible array of cutting edge computer technology, enabling its cryptologists to crack unknown ciphers in record time. An NSA agent in good standing with his home office may enlist NSA assets to decrypt an unknown cipher. This requires communication with NSA headquarters in Ft. Meade and a successful information favor check (DC 10 + H the cipher’s decryption DC, rounded up). With success, the decrypted text is delivered to the agent a number of hours later equal to the favor check’s DC.

Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) ELINT, or electronic intelligence, is in many ways similar to COMINT, even using the same ground stations. Frequently, the interception equipment is slightly different, though it’s much more feasible to install ELINT and COMINT facilities within the same ground station than it

the 1960s is to build one station for each different signal type. ELINT, however, monitors transmissions across ranges of catalogued Soviet radar frequencies and eavesdrops on taped missile and satellite telemetry. The U.S. ELINT effort is largely the province of the NRO, though CIA personnel are responsible for maintaining and operating its ground station network.

Ultimately, some of the most valued HUMINT weapons against the Soviets are the Soviets themselves. Frequently, American agencies recruit Soviet citizens (and citizens of other Eastern Bloc nations) to funnel information to U.S. intelligence agencies. Such spies are called foreign assets. Though an agency only rarely turns down even the lowliest foreign asset when approached, all agencies keep a sharp eye out for assets with access to classified — or at least sensitive — foreign information. The holy grail of foreign assets is the foreign intelligence operative, a mole successfully placed within the KGB or GRU with the potential to yield incredible intelligence and counter-intelligence boons. The U.S. was largely unsuccessful in this regard throughout the 1960s. Though various Warsaw Pact agencies feature deficient security, only one mole is confirmed during this period — Colonel Oleg Penkovskiy — and even he was arrested after only two years, convicted and executed. This intelligence failure can largely be attributed to paranoia among U.S. intelligence espionage organizations, a condition made worse by the many Soviet moles providing false information to the U.S. espionage community. This paranoia is not entirely unfounded, as supported by the findings of the operative codenamed SNIPER (see page 23). HUMINT is largely the province of the CIA, though CIA HUMINT operations are often conceived and executed in support of other members of the American intelligence community. Domestic HUMINT is the FBI’s responsibility.

Human Intelligence (HUMINT) HUMINT, or human intelligence, forms the backbone of the American intelligence circuit during the 1960s. All other intelligence gathering techniques rely on human intelligence assets to implement, execute, and verify, and agents are vital to the process. HUMINT operations therefore run the gamut from combat operations (such as Air America) to short- and long-term surveillance in support of United States agendas (such as the COINTELPRO program). Many of America’s 1960s HUMINT efforts are directed toward two ends: countering communist insurgence domestically and abroad, and establishing political, technological, and intelligence advantage over the Soviet Union. The former goal requires careful monitoring of political factions that might be sympathetic to the Soviet cause, while the latter goal involves the much more difficult tasks of either inserting agents into communist nations or recruiting communist citizens to serve as American spies. Thanks to J. Edgar Hoover’s paranoia, virtually every politically active special interest is considered a radical faction — and therefore vulnerable to communist infiltration — in the 1960s. The task of monitoring such groups is high on the domestic HUMINT agenda. While not strictly legal, surveillance is a good deal less risky to agents than the infiltration of foreign — or for that matter allied — political interests. These conditions combine to ensure that domestic HUMINT takes precedence over most international affairs. This is not to say espionage abroad is ignored. Indeed, regular efforts are made to gather intelligence on the development of communist nations, though this is not always through the use of true spies. Instead, American intelligence agencies frequently recruit private citizens, including businessmen and journalists traveling abroad. These individuals are extensively briefed prior to their departure and upon their return, told what to look for and what to report. Such recruits are rarely asked to put themselves at significant risk, only passively observing their surroundings. Penetrating the Iron Curtain is left to highly-trained professional field agents. While a recruit may be asked to observe an exposition of Soviet refrigeration technology in Moscow, only an agent would be expected to actually obtain physical samples of such technology, or to penetrate a development lab in order to photograph its schematics.

Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) Imagery intelligence involves the gathering and analysis of photographs, usually long distance shots like those from satellite or reconnaissance aircraft, but occasionally photographs snapped by agents from the ground. 1960s U.S. IMINT programs are dramatically different from 21st-century operations. With the advent of CORONA and the NRO, millions of dollars were funneled into the fledgling satellite reconnaissance program, and though satellite reconnaissance remained in the early stages of its development during this period, the advantages over the U-2 spy plane were immediately evident. First, satellites enjoy vastly increased range over the U-2. The U-2a, the model in operation through most of the 1960s, is limited to just over 2,000 miles, while the U-2r, introduced into service in 1967, enjoys an increased range of roughly 3,500 miles. By contrast, satellites have unlimited range, and though they must be programmed before launch, can make dozens of passes over areas of particular interest. Further, satellite reconnaissance greatly reduces the risks involved in recon photography. The platform itself is beyond the range of detection by most military hardware, and more importantly, it’s beyond the range of attack.

The United States of America Yet the U-2 isn’t quite ready for mothballs. The U-2a aircraft introduced in 1955 was still relatively new, and the U-2r sharpens the cutting edge of aircraft design even further. Satellites, though versatile, cannot be reaimed on short notice, and when the need for up-to-date intelligence is urgent, the NRO turns to U-2 sorties to fill the gap. Also, though the U-2 operates at extremely high altitudes (up to 80,000 feet), the quality of its images is generally superior to that of a satellite. Though satellite imagery rapidly gained its place in the hierarchy of American intelligence activity, the practice of “ground truth” — verifying remote imagery through the infiltration of ground assets — remains vital to the IMINT effort. Imagery intelligence falls entirely under the NRO’s jurisdiction.

Technological Intelligence (TECHINT) Technological intelligence involves monitoring and sometimes sabotaging the enemy’s scientific development. In 1960s America, this usually means keeping track of Soviet advances in order to keep U.S. from falling behind in the race for technological superiority. As with HUMINT, civilian recruits are often told to report findings after trips abroad; sometimes, more drastic measures are necessary. Field agents sent on TECHINT missions frequently penetrate Soviet laboratories, test facilities, and manufacturing plants, covertly photographing prototypes and schematics or even stealing prototypes for later re-engineering. The TECHINT effort is considered a fairly high priority within the U.S. intelligence community, as technological superiority in even the most mundane areas (such as kitchen appliances) can translate into a higher standard of living for American citizens. In turn, this makes America — and perhaps more importantly, capitalism — more attractive to potential allies throughout the Third World.

Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Signals intelligence — actually a term encompassing both COMINT (Communications Intelligence) and ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) — is the practice of intercepting and interpreting foreign transmissions, allowing the agency to react to, and sometimes predict, enemy activity with incredible speed. COMINT and ELINT both utilize networks of ground stations and satellites; though the program is in its infancy, such facilities are commonplace by the end of the decade. Similarly, U-2 spy planes fly SIGINT sorties with regularity throughout the 1960s and beyond. SIGINT is vital to the American intelligence effort, as it allows the collection of data from a remote location with little chance of detection. Further, the SIGINT effort is largely responsible for U.S. expertise with cryptography; indeed, America’s preeminent organization dedicated to the art of cryptology — the NSA — is almost solely focused on gathering and deciphering signals intelligence. Most signals intelligence operations are launched from American embassies and CIA stations around the world, though several independent ground stations are dedicated specifically to SIGINT operations as well. The American SIGINT effort maintains facilities in many diverse locations, including the American embassy to Moscow and the CIA ground station in Nome, Alaska. Every American intelligence agency deals with SIGINT in some fashion, usually either in terms of collection or analysis. This division generally keeps the same jurisdictional lines as human intelligence — the CIA handles the collection of signals intelligence in foreign territory (including all SIGINT gathered within U.S. embassies, which are technically considered American soil), while the FBI collects signals intelligence domestically, focusing on both surveillance of possible communist agents and keeping tabs on radical political movements. While these agencies each maintain a division dedicated to analyzing SIGINT data, the NSA is almost exclusively dedicated to this purpose, including the cracking of foreign security ciphers.

Operations The following U.S. operations highlight the nation’s broad intelligence goals during this turbulent decade.

Air America By 1960, Air America had already established itself as a vital CIA resource in Southeast Asia. It had been formed ten years earlier when the Agency purchased the privately owned Civil Air Transport (CAT). Thereafter, though the airline continued to fly commercial routes throughout much of Asia, its profits were funneled into the CIA’s coffers and it became a source for airlines and crews who conducted secret intelligence operations in the region. The CIA used Air America throughout the 1950s, both during the Korean War and in support of the French during their fight against communist insurgents in Indochina (later Vietnam). By 1960, however, a new mission was on the agenda: Laos. The U.S. wanted to ensure that the newly independent nation remained a non-communist state. The country had little intrinsic value to the United States, but its geographical position placed it at the heart of the Cold War in Southeast Asia. By the end of 1960, civil war broke out in the small nation. Though the United States didn’t intervene directly at first, Air America made regular supply drops to the embattled non-communist General Phoumi Nosavan. Then, when a Soviet airlift was spotted providing supplies to the revolutionaries, American concern over Laos sky-

the 1960s rocketed. The need to earmark CAT aircraft solely for covert operations in the region became clear, and Air America was reinvented for that purpose. Throughout the Laos conflict, Air America supported Phoumi’s faction, providing arms shipments, supplies, and ultimately training in the form of American Special Forces soldiers. Eventually, maintaining the supply and transportation routes between these partisan camps became Air America’s responsibility, as the distances involved (and the communist forces occupying the intervening space) grew too great for the Hmong tribesman to easily traverse. Air America was vital in preventing Laos’ fall to a communist regime, a task eventually supported by the arrival of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). When a formal declaration of neutrality was signed in Laos by both America and the Soviet Union in 1962, the North Vietnamese troops were ordered to pull out, but when it became clear that the Vietnamese army wasn’t going anywhere, Air America resumed operation in the region. By 1965, full scale fighting broke out. Because the United States couldn’t commit ground forces and preserve the fiction of the 1962 Geneva accord, Air America once again stepped in to save the day, becoming the only U.S. military force in Laos. The unit performed beyond expectations, and during the early years of this secret war it suffered minimal casualties, losing only 11 crew members. By 1968, however, the NVA grew impatient with the revolutionaries’ progress, and to ensure their all-important supply line to South Vietnam remained open, struck out against Laos. The Hmong suffered severe casualties and increased American air power was required to prevent the complete victory of communist forces. During this period, the rate of U.S. air sorties leapt from fewer than 20 per day to over 300. Air America continued Laotian operations through the end of the decade, having become by then a true paramilitary organization operating dozens of military grade aircraft, predominantly UH-34 helicopters.

operations. He further authorized the creation of the CIA’s Domestic Operations Division (DOD), which flew in the face of Congress’ explicit intent to forbid CIA operations within U.S. borders. With this tool in place, the stage was set for Project: RESISTANCE and Project: MERRIMAC, the forebears of Operation: CHAOS. Both were implemented in response to the anti-war movement spreading through college campuses across the nation. The former was intended to provide security for CIA recruiters on college campuses, by identifying political dissidents, anti-war activists, and other radicals. The information was brokered to these recruiters through the CIA’s DOD, allowing the Agency’s domestic files to grow exponentially. Similarly, MERRIMAC was designed to provide advance notice — through undercover operatives close to dissident student factions — of protests carried out against CIA facilities or personnel in the Washington D.C. area. Both projects required the CIA to insert agents into various student groups, and the Agency further coordinated with local police to perform covert, illegal, and warrant-less searches of private residences in order to provide evidence for a report on the matter requested by President Johnson. In 1968, DCI Helms consolidated all of the CIA’s domestic operations under one operational designator: CHAOS. Dean Rusk and Walt Rostow, close advisors to the President, were both convinced that Hoover’s suspicions regarding foreign influence behind the anti-war movement were correct, though President Johnson wished to compare the CHAOS intelligence with that gathered by Hoover’s COINTELPRO. CHAOS continued well into the 1970s, largely unaffected by Nixon’s ascendancy to the Oval Office.

CORONA August 10, 1960, represented a landmark for American intelligence gathering efforts. Just over three months after the last U-2 overflight of the Soviet Union, the first of the operational CORONA satellites — Discoverer 14 — was launched. This was the first U.S. foray into satellite photography intelligence. During its first pass over the Soviet Union, its inaugural photos documented the Mys-Schmidta Air Base in the Soviet Far East, just 400 miles from Nome, Alaska. The next day, CIA assets recovered the film capsule in the air, immediately returning it to Washington D.C. for study at the CIA’s Photographic Interpretation Center. Though the pictures were dark and of poor quality, they were the first product of a new kind of intelligence that would have significant impact in the years to come. The rest of 1960 saw continued CORONA launches, including Discoverers 15–19, which greatly increased the fledgling program’s intelligence gathering capacity.

CHAOS The FBI was not the only agency gathering and processing intelligence on domestic dissidents, though COINTELPRO was certainly the most exhaustive effort in this area. The CIA developed its own domestic intelligence files despite its charter as a strictly foreign intelligence gathering organization. Dubbed Operation: CHAOS, the CIA’s actions focused on anti-war protesters and movements, though it was some time after CHAOS’ inception that it finally found this focus. CHAOS began in 1959 as a means by which the CIA could recruit Cuban exiles, who were generally wealthy, well educated, and opposed to Castro’s regime. This activity soon became so widespread that President Johnson authorized DCI McCone to create a variety of proprietary companies, fronts, and covers for the Agency’s domestic

The United States of America Though the first CORONA photographs provided little in the way of useful intelligence, they proved that CORONA could be indispensable for future spy missions. Their promise was quickly fulfilled, as later the same year CORONA’s product revealed the first Soviet ICBM site at Plesetsk. This established the layout of such sites for the CIA’s analysts, but when later CORONA surveillance failed to yield evidence of more sites, justifiable fears about development of the Soviet missile program were undermined. Many American intelligence agencies revised their estimates of the Russian nuclear arsenal, concluding that initial estimates were overblown. While this conclusion was correct, subsequent estimates came in low. This came to light within the year, thanks to turncoat KGB agent Oleg Penkovskiy, codenamed HERO by his American handlers.

HERO Once a GRU officer on the fast track to a general’s rank, Colonel Oleg Penkovskiy’s career stalled with the revelation that his father was a political liability. This blow came just before Penkovskiy was to assume the GRU’s residency position in India, stranding him in Moscow as a colonel. There would be no promotion to major general, and the KGB was to blame. Disillusioned and embittered by this treatment — treatment earned through heritage, not any disloyalty of his own — Penkovskiy made several attempts to indicate to various American, British, and Canadian visitors to the Soviet Union that he had valuable information to share. His advances were ignored, for fear that he was a Soviet agent provocateur. After several consultations between the CIA and MI5, however, the spy services decided to handle Penkovskiy jointly, and share all intelligence gained. The CIA codenamed him HERO. In late 1960, Greville Wynne, a representative of private British manufacturing interests — and an MI5 agent — contacted Penkovskiy during a visit to Moscow. The first exchange of hard intelligence occurred nearly four months later, when Penkovskiy passed a package containing classified GRU and KGB documents to his new handler. Two weeks later, the GRU Colonel arrived in London, ostensibly to gather intelligence on British industrial technology. In fact, he was debriefed at length by his CIA and MI5 handlers. Along with a second package he passed to Wynne shortly after arriving at Heathrow Airport, this session yielded incredibly valuable intelligence data, including 78 handcopied pages of Secret and Top Secret Soviet documents. Though many subjects were covered in the debriefings, Penkovskiy’s most impressive offerings included information about cutting-edge Soviet military hardware and the progress of the Soviet nuclear program. In exchange for Penkovskiy’s gesture, the western agencies provided him with enough data to please his superiors in the GRU, and

the 1960s Penkovskiy continued to serve a mole within the GRU for some time, and made several more trips to the West under GRU auspices through the end of 1961. In total, he was debriefed for over a hundred hours, the end product of which was over 1,000 pages of transcripts and over 100 exposed rolls of film. HERO maintained contact with ANNE until early 1962, when he began to suspect that either he or his contact were under KGB surveillance. He cut off personal contact with ANNE, instead resorting to dead drops in order to pass on intelligence. He insisted that no dead drop be used more than once, and he passed no more than one package per month. This continued until an American embassy reception, when HERO passed material to ANNE for the first time in many months. This was his undoing, as the pass was detected as part of the KGB’s routine surveillance of Janet Chisholm, and Penkovskiy was arrested a little over a month later. The KGB never learned the full extent of Penkovskiy’s betrayal, but what little they did discover resulted his execution on May 16, 1962.

Project: BLUEBOOK Project: BLUEBOOK, now famous as the United States Air Forces’ investigation into the UFO phenomena, ended in the 1960s with the circulation of the Condon report, which concluded that the study of UFOs over the past 21 years — since the Roswell sighting in 1947 — added little to America’s scientific knowledge. The report further indicated that “a few such puzzling phenomena do not justify the conclusion that the Earth is being visited by the spacecraft of an extraterrestrial civilization.” Given this, a historical 1960s campaign is unlikely to contain much official direction concerning UFOs and little green men, but the Condon report’s conclusions might be spun in a number of different ways in a Spycraft campaign. Beyond the most obvious possibility — that those lights in the sky actually are extraterrestrial in origin — are many more mundane explanations. Perhaps Soviet flight technology has somehow shot ahead by decades, allowing them to invade American air space with impunity. Maybe the craft are actually experimental U.S. vehicles on the bleeding edge of aerospace technology. Or the entire BLUEBOOK investigation might simply be a double blind stratagem, designed to fool the Soviets into dedicating excessive time and resources to investigating UFOs, when the entire phenomenon is an elaborate hoax perpetrated by the American intelligence community. GCs looking for support material and rules to bend a 1960s campaign in this direction should consider using the Stargate SG-1 roleplaying game as a launching pad (which is conveniently powered by the Spycraft game engine). In the official SG-1 continuity, the U.S. government didn’t discover how to operate the stargate reliably until the mid-1990s, and only then with the assistance of modern computer technology. That said, a government think tank did manage to dial out once in the 1960s, and if they brought back an alien who could operate the gate at that point, the story might be significantly different.

MONGOOSE Even after the failure of the Cuban Bay of Pigs invasion, American leadership remained unprepared to accept a communist regime so close to U.S. shores, and authorized Operation: MONGOOSE in late 1961. This mission consisted of a series of smaller task forces that, in concert, were to remove Castro from power. MONGOOSE’s objective was to sow internal dissension within Cuba, thus giving the American military an adequate excuse to invade the country to impose order. MONGOOSE was run by Task Force W of the CIA, located at the University of Miami’s south campus. Security at the university was poor, and Castro’s operatives easily infiltrated the site and uncovered its true purpose. Dozens of smaller operations fell under the MONGOOSE’s purview, ranging from the cunning to the comedic. Operation: FREE RIDE involved air dropping airline tickets into Cuba, intended to relocate citizens off the island nation. Operation: SMASHER was an effort to disrupt Cuban communication systems by introducing a special vacuum tube into Cuban radio equipment. Most notably, Operation: BINGO involved American assets simulating an attack on Guantanamo Base in Cuba, thus creating an apparently valid reason for United States military forces to launch an invasion. This final operation was never launched. The CIA further conceived plots targeted not only at Castro’s regime, but at the man himself. Several assassination attempts went awry, though many were ill conceived at best. Though a single sniper with a high powered rifle was considered, so were poisoned cigars, explosive sea shells (Castro was an avid diver), and the gift of a germ-infested wet suit.

arranged for him to introduce a British steel expert, another MI5/CIA plant, to a London-based GRU officer. Penkovskiy made very few visits to his handlers in England, instead passing information to Janet Chisholm (known as ANNE), the wife of a British intelligence officer stationed in the Soviet embassy. These hand-offs ranged from photographic intelligence gathered by the KGB and GRU to typewritten pages including minutes of meetings at the highest levels of power in the Soviet Union to details about the Soviet Union’s plans regarding Germany. Perhaps most importantly, HERO delivered extensive documentation of the Soviet intelligence agencies’ strategies and personnel.

The United States of America Operation: MONGOOSE was terminated at the close of the Cuban Missile Crisis, though the CIA continued to devise and allegedly attempt assassination plots for the remainder of the decade. None of these plots, however, were successful in removing Castro from power.

even as later defectors, including Yuri Ivanovich Nosenko, provided contradictory information. This led to suspicion that Nosenko was a Soviet provocateur, resulting in his interrogation and imprisonment for several years. Nosenko was not released until 1968, and in 1969 became a CIA consultant. In retrospect, it seems that despite the fact that much of his information contradicted Golitsyn’s, he was a true defector, without cause to betray his new allies in the West.

SNIPER Late in the 1950s, a series of letters crossed the desk of the CIA station chief in Bern, Switzerland. The letters were signed Heckenschütze (SNIPER), and appeared to be from a Soviet-bloc intelligence officer, though the officer’s precise nationality was impossible to determine. By 1960, a total of 14 such letters arrived in the West, and in 1960, they were followed by SNIPER himself — Michael Goleniewski, a defecting Polish intelligence officer. Though Goleniewski provided useful intelligence, the most notable information he offered seemed to indicate British and German foreign intelligence services had been penetrated. This led to the arrest of George Blake, a Soviet asset within England’s SIS, and perhaps more notably, Heinz Felfe, a Soviet mole within West Germany’s BND who was chief of the organization’s counter-espionage department. Though Felfe had previously been investigated during the 1950s, he was cleared of any suspicion, in part due to the trust his superiors placed in him, and in part because he took great pains to appear to be a productive organization loyalist. With a new investigation spurred by the SNIPER defection, however, Felfe’s luck ran out. The CIA’s new investigation, Operation: UJDROWSKY, uncovered a lifestyle beyond the means of a BND employee, and Felfe was arrested and convicted. This was only the beginning. The severe security breaches discovered as a result of SNIPER’s defection made it all too clear that Soviet moles could be anywhere, and this became a major concern of the CIA for some time. In fact, when Anatoliy Golitsyn defected a year later, one of the first questions during his debriefing regarded the possibility of the CIA’s penetration. Golitsyn confirmed these suspicions, and further claimed that British, French, and Norwegian intelligence services were also compromised. In November of 1964, a joint CIA-FBI mole hunt was officially launched, codenamed HONETOL. The investigation included fourteen main CIA suspects, and cost the agencies hundreds of thousands of dollars in combined resources. Further, this information forced the Agency to back off of several of its Soviet assets, drastically reducing its foreign assets. This paranoia was costly, as information the CIA refused to distribute to its foreign allies, such as the British, proved accurate despite the CIA’s suspicions. Unfortunately, while much of Golitsyn’s information was sensational, other details proved fatally inaccurate. The HONETOL investigators considered his word gospel,

Lifestyle The U.S. lifestyle in the 1960s was in a state of flux. Though the old conservative guard still reigned in the halls of power, the next generation — the baby boomers, born at the end of World War II — demanded change. New ideals and new ideas gained power and momentum throughout the decade, resulting in massive changes to the fabric of American life. Everything from art and literature to fashion and entertainment was changing.

Art and Architecture Both art and architecture in 1960s America was heavily influenced by the futurists of the day. Though the blocky, stoic skyscrapers of earlier decades dominated the skylines of major cities, sweeping modernist structures sprang up with increasing regularity. Nowhere was this more apparent than at the NASA complex in Houston, though the movement also influenced privately owned structures, such as the Pan Am Building in New York (since renamed the Met Life Building), which represented a departure from the traditional squared high-rise. Similarly, art was inspired not by what was, but what could be. The rise of non-representational styles reflected a growing urge to escape the details and unpleasantness of the daily grind, and interpret life through a more imaginative lens. Of particular note are the works of Andy Warhol, which rapidly became iconic of this departure from “traditional” artistic values.

Literature Though the shift in architectural attitudes could be difficult to notice, thanks to the surrounding monoliths of days gone by, the shift in the literary gestalt was impossible to miss. Many books and novels published in the 1960s were intimately tied to social movements. To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) explored the racial divide in a small southern town, and Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (1963) became a driving force behind the women’s movement. Even those works which didn’t directly comment on social ills conveyed a sense of disillusionment with the establishment — Catch-22 (1961) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1962) are enduring examples of this growing discontent.

the 1960s Education

Fads and Fashion

As public schools throughout the nation struggled with social reform — particularly racial integration — college campuses suffered their own problems. The postWorld War II population explosion finally caught up with colleges around the country as the “baby boomers” began their higher educations. This massive influx not only led to overcrowding, but provided young people a forum of like-minded individuals with whom to consider the upheaval of the time. Throughout the decade, college campuses became a hot spot for political and social activity. The idealism of youth lent itself to 1960s social reform. Even those students who weren’t interested in the various civil rights movements had their own concerns — though they weren’t yet of voting age (21), they could still be drafted. As inequality piled upon inequality, many campuses became pressure cookers, and it was only a matter of time before something gave. Around the nation, protests, demonstrations, and riots erupted. For information about the worst of these incidents, see Chapter 4.

The 1960s culture was driven by youth, who in turn drove and buried new fads with mercurial speed. Though some of these fads endured, such as Barbie® dolls, G.I. Joe,® and skateboards, just as many disappeared almost overnight. Fashion, however, underwent a renaissance, the impact of which never fully faded. Womenswear shifted from knee-length dresses and conservative footwear to hot pants, miniskirts, and go-go boots. More and more, women were unafraid to reveal legs and curves. The shift in men’s fashion was at first reflected largely in hairstyle. Among younger men, the crew cut was gradually replaced with longer and wider options, and facial hair came into vogue. Soon, however, bright colors, polyester pants, and Nehru jackets were commonplace. By the end of the decade, some segments of the youth population shifted to an earthy look, and some women donned peasant skirts and granny dresses. Unisex dressing also became popular, with bellbottoms and embellished (and usually tie-dyed) t-shirts popular among both men and women.

The United States of America This culture of rebellion swelled as the war in Vietnam became public and the draft was instituted. Students organized anti-war rallies, and reluctant draftees fled to Canada. Even in Vietnam, this defiant attitude reigned: soldiers sometimes shot their commanding officers rather than follow what they felt were immoral orders (such killings were sometimes motivated less by idealism than by insubordination). In Washington, Camelot found its way to America. Charismatic John F. Kennedy’s administration asked every American to stand up and be counted. Though Lee Harvey Oswald ended Kennedy’s presidency and life with a bullet in 1963, the President’s idealistic attitudes fueled social reform in America through the decade and beyond. Indeed, so many felt that Johnson did not — perhaps could not — live up to Kennedy’s legacy, that conventional wisdom assigned him responsibility for much of the civil unrest of the decade, as well as the Vietnam War. He didn’t run for re-election in 1968, possibly due to the prevailing sense that his Presidency was a lost cause. Despite Johnson’s decision not to run, public antipathy toward the government — particularly among the young — continued into the Nixon administration. Through all of this, suburban America remained largely conservative, creating not only a generation gap, but an ideological gap within the country. While much of the older generation firmly believed that the Soviet Union was an implacable evil force, it became increasingly clear that a significant portion of America’s youth believed the center of evil to lie closer to home. This adversarial relationship culminated in the Kent State massacre in May 1970, in which the Ohio National Guard fired on a group of student demonstrators, killing four unarmed protesters and wounding nine more. Despite conflict and turmoil throughout the decade, the 1960s saw incredible reform sweep the nation, and laid the groundwork for even more in the decade to come.

Social Reform Through the 1960s American culture grew and changed with blinding speed. Nowhere, however, were these changes more dramatic than in the arena of social reform. Ranging from the African-American civil rights movement to recognizing the dangers of smoking to broadening the religious horizons of the nation’s younger generation to the birth of the environmental movement, it seemed there were no constants, no sacred cows. The beginning of the decade saw leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael raise the civil rights movement to a national level through peaceful means. Though campaigns of civil disobedience continued throughout the decade, this beginning also proved a breeding ground for more radical groups — and sometimes violent ones. Malcolm X advocated black superiority, and by the end of the decade, groups such as the Black Panthers promoted black separatism, and race riots tore apart urban neighborhoods. Similarly, Hispanics and Native Americans made great strides, though their plight did not dominate the public consciousness. Just as racial lines bent and broke under the stress, so too did gender lines come under pressure. The National Organization of Women, founded in 1966, encouraged women to question their unequal treatment. The 1963 Presidential Commission on the Status of Women officially recognized the need for reform, increasing the momentum of the women’s movement. Even religion came under fire during the 1960s. As early as 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that prayer in public schools was contrary to the Constitution. Meanwhile, millions of young adults began to reexamine their faith, and many turned from mainstream Protestantism — then the preeminent religious denomination in the United States — to explore mystical Eastern religions such as Buddhism and transcendentalism. America’s youth proved an invaluable asset to many of the positive social movements of the 1960s, but they brought new difficulties as well. A growing disrespect for authority, driven partially by the dramatic social reform of the decade bringing old inequalities sharply into focus, led to a dizzying increase in the crime rate. Both violent and victimless crime rates soared to nine times those seen during the previous decade.

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While the predator during a chase in this area, an agent with the Stars and Stripes feat may make a transport favor check (DC 20) in order to gain a +4 cooperation bonus with all maneuver checks as local authorities lend support to their efforts. Air chases within the region present particular problems, as the airspace around Washington D.C. is closely monitored, both by civilian authorities at Dulles and military personnel at Andrews AFB, where Air Force One is hangared. Due to increased military attention on the area, unidentified aircraft have a 5% cumulative chance per round to be intercepted by military aircraft. These join the chase as additional predators, attempting to force down all participants. The aircraft have the statistics of attack fighters and their pilots possess vehicle skill bonuses equal to the team’s average agent level.

The Washington D.C. area features a young network of highways, vehicular life lines linking Washington to nearby Baltimore, as well as cities further afield. Traffic on the highways within the Washington D.C. metropolitan area (inside the loop depicted on the chase map circumscribing the city proper) ebbs and flows throughout the day, increasing in volume during morning and early evening hours, as well as around noon. During these periods, chases on Washington’s highways are considered to take place in tight terrain, while otherwise these highways are considered close terrain. Similarly, commuters on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway to the northeast of the city duplicate these conditions during morning and evening hours. Highways outside the Washington D.C. metropolitan area are considered to be open terrain, except within one mile of Andrews Air Force Base, Annapolis, Dulles International Airport, and Fort Meade, where they’re considered close terrain.

“They say that the Soviet delegates smile. That smile is genuine. It is not artificial. We wish to live in peace, tranquility. But if anyone believes that our smiles involve abandonment of the teaching of Marx, Engels, and Lenin, he deceives himself poorly. . .” - Premier Nikita Khrushchev

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

the 1960s U.S. and its ally nations, leading to a second great depression in the late 1940s. Stalin also assumed that, due to the necessity of maintaining war-time national expenditure levels, the United States would offer the Soviet Union economic aid. Unfortunately for the Soviet Union, the U.S. instead put the excess of its production toward consolidating its position on the world stage, leaving the Soviet Union to largely fend for itself. The Soviet Union been invaded twice in recent history, first by Napoleon and most recently by Hitler. With another invasion an untenable proposition, Stalin determined to stymie any and all threats that might garner enough power to mount one. This obsession with national security drove Soviet policy for years to come, and initially focused on crippling post-war Germany. Unfortunately, Stalin’s interest in collaring the development of Germany’s post-war economy ran counter to the U.S. vision of global free trade and expanded export trade centers, from which an economically strong Germany would benefit. This alone, while a strong point of contention, may not have been enough to fuel the coming Cold War. But in order to create a bulwark against future invasion from Europe, the Soviet Union set up Moscow-controlled local governments in once Nazi-controlled Eastern Europe, including Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, firmly establishing these nations and East Germany as the Communist frontier in Europe, the now infamous “Iron Curtain.” British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and American President Harry Truman condemned the Soviet move, breaking measures agreed upon at the end of World War II and refusing to provide the war-torn Soviet Union with reparations from West Germany’s industrial infrastructure. Incensed, Stalin retaliated by sealing off East Germany as a Communist State. Faced with a massive U.S. effort to economically revitalize both Germany and Japan, the Soviet leadership soon realized that their national security concerns were falling by the way side in the postwar world, and that drastic steps would need to be taken to safeguard them. Provoked, Stalin moved to counter the Americans, hoping to establish that the Soviet Union was on equal footing with its Capitalist rival. The first Soviet atomic device was tested by the end of the decade, and in a flurry of diplomatic activity, the Soviet Union formed an alliance with Communist China in 1950. Further, in an effort to counter the United States’ NATO alliance, Stalin forged the Warsaw Pact with Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania, allying every Communist nation in Eastern Europe except Yugoslavia. The controlling interest in this alliance was clearly the Soviet Union, and any other nation’s effort to abandon the Pact was brutally crushed — when Hungary declared itself neutral in Cold War affairs, the Red Army invaded the nation and put down all resistance in only two weeks.

Introduction The Soviet Union (or U.S.S.R.) is the largest and most influential Marxist-Leninist nation in history. Indeed, modern Communism was born in Russia, a nation considered by many to be synonymous with the Soviet Union itself. It’s inevitable, therefore, that the United States and the Soviet Union would come into conflict. Though driven forward by the contrasts between Communism and Capitalism — autarky versus exports, free enterprise against a State-controlled economy — the roots of this conflict are found in the century’s most explosive event, World War II (known in the Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War). America and the Soviet Union were rivals even before the war, but the conflict quickly (and seemingly forever) drove a wedge between the two powers. The Soviet Union suffered badly during the war, unprepared for a protracted defensive along its western frontier. Indeed, the Red Army was instead poised for its own offensive strike, leaving the nation open to Operation: BARBARROSA, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, which inflicted massive damage and loss of life. Over 21 million Soviet citizens lost their lives over the course of the campaign, and the invaders reached Moscow in just over 6 months. Only a vicious Russian winter, combined with a valiant Soviet defense, finally turned back the invaders, paving the way for the Red Army’s long march to Berlin. The long and bloody war took its tool on the Soviet Union, not only in manpower, but also in materiel. The Nazi invasion was not the only cause of this devastation, however — standing Soviet operational orders for retreating forces dictated the destruction of the civilian supply infrastructure, such that the invaders couldn’t take advantage of the nation’s industrial might. This left cost the withdrawing units valuable time and left many troops vulnerable to the advancing enemy. Further, Moscow was unprepared to bear the brunt of the war for so long — despite repeated assurance that Western allies (including the United States) planned to open a second western front against the Nazis, Operation: OVERLORD (better known as D-Day) wasn’t launched until June of 1944. By the end of the war, the U.S. was the only industrial and economic power to emerge intact, and as the Capitalist nation moved quickly to consolidate its position as a global Super Power, the Soviet Union could only hope to one day recoup its losses. Despite America’s apparent determination to advance a vision of the post-war world running counter to the Soviet Union’s interests, however, Stalin continued to believe the possibility that Germany or Japan would reemerge was a greater threat above all. In fact, the Soviet government anticipated that the West would soon resume squabbling over colonies and trade, and Soviet economists predicted a post-war overproduction crisis in the

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics Despite its apparently aggressive political maneuvering, the Soviet Union’s prime concern was not the “world communism” espoused by Trotsky — and feared by Western powers — but simple security. Trotsky’s belief that communism could only survive and thrive within a greater global community ran directly counter to Stalin’s ideal of perfect communism in the Soviet Union, regardless of the rest of the world. Virtually every policy and diplomatic decision can be traced back to the desire to secure the Soviet Union’s borders against invasion, as well as bulwarking the Central Committee Communist Party (CCCP) against revolution from within. This policy was firmly entrenched by the end of Stalin’s life and rule as Soviet Premier. The latter of these goals, unfortunately, led to the rise of an apparatus of state terror, controlled by Stalin’s army and secret police. Upon Stalin’s death, Nikita Khrushchev denounced the cult of personality that surrounded the deceased Soviet leader and openly questioned Stalin’s draconian policies. Though this effectively alienated Khrushchev from conservative Party members, he nonetheless became Premier in March of 1958, thanks largely to a series of risky and complex political gambits. Pursuing his relatively liberal political agenda, Khrushchev relaxed many State controls established by his predecessor. He announced widespread price cuts on basic goods, relaxed the tight restrictions on privately owned land, and reasserted the C.C.C.P.’s influence over Stalin’s secret police and the Red Army. By necessity, the role of prison labor in the Soviet Economy was dramatically reduced, though the gulags never disappeared altogether. It’s under these conditions that the Soviet Union enters the 1960s, poised to strive against America in a race between global Super Powers.

Called the Presidium until 1966, the Politburo was the real power behind the throne in the Soviet Union. While its members were, in theory, elected to their positions by the Supreme Soviet (when it was known as the Presidium) or the CCCP (after 1966), these procedures were simply a rubber stamp of approval for the Politburo’s own selections. As the Politburo was the organization responsible for directing the activities of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), and every major government post was held by Party members, the Politburo was able to parlay its control of the Party into an effective stranglehold of the Soviet government. Despite this, the Politburo wasn’t in complete control. At any given time, there was no guarantee that the head of the Party, the Premier, would dance to the Politburo’s tune. This created a great deal of tension within the Soviet halls of power, and generally resulted in the ousting Premiers when they didn’t cooperate, as illustrated by the case of Nikita Khrushchev.

Nikita Khrushchev (1958–1964) A miner who joined the Bolshevik movement early in the 20th Century, Nikita Khrushchev was considered by Party conservatives to be little more than an uncultured peasant. Nonetheless, he was a true believer in the worker’s state, garnered a technical education thanks to the October Revolution, and rapidly rose through the Party ranks. In 1934, Khrushchev joined the Central Committee, and only five years later was selected for membership in the Politburo. Following Stalin’s death — and the subsequent elimination of Lavrenty Beria’s Stalinist faction, the only political obstacle to Khrushchev’s ascension to Premier — Khrushchev was selected as First Secretary in 1953, though it was not for another five years that he would become Premier. Much of his success can be attributed to astute political maneuvers, in which he divided and weakened his political foes, replacing them with his own supporters. Unlike his predecessor, Khrushchev didn’t have his defeated foes killed, but rather reassigned them to posts he considered harmless to his political ambitions. Immediately upon his appointment, Khrushchev made waves in the Party. At the 20th Congress of the Communist Party, he denounced the excesses of the Stalin era, as well as the cult of personality surrounding the deposed Soviet leader. Until this six hour speech, it was considered taboo to speak against Stalin in any way — Khrushchev’s words were mild when compared to the horrors Stalin inflicted on the nation, but they were unheard of within the Party, and earned him many conservative foes. Despite Khrushchev’s denouncement of a Party hero, he honestly believed in the superiority of Communist theory, and felt its eventual defeat of Capitalism was a historic inevitability. He set incredible (and perhaps unreal-

Leadership The history and destiny of the Soviet Union is written and fulfilled by the Communist Party, the preeminent — indeed, the only legal — political party of the Soviet Union. Party leadership rests primarily in the hands of three bodies, as follows. • The Supreme Soviet, a bi-cameral legislative congress (and the only political entity empowered to make amendments to the Soviet constitution). • The Central Committee of the Communist Party (CCCP), which directed all government and Party agendas between each Party Congress. • The Politburo (see sidebar page 33).

the 1960s istic) goals for overtaking the West in the food production market, but despite being acknowledged by Party leadership as an expert on agriculture, most of these initiatives failed. He did engineer the assimilation of vast tracts of Kazakhstan and Siberia into workable farmland, but this on its own wasn’t enough, and after a diplomatic trip to Iowa in 1959, he decided to introduce corn to his nation’s crop cycle, setting himself up for another dismal failure. The Soviet Union’s climate proved unsuitable to the crop, and hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland were wasted. Khrushchev was somewhat more successful on the industrial front. Soviet industry had predominantly focused on military and defense spending since before World War II, and Khrushchev strove to move the focus of Soviet economy away from State-required product, shifting Soviet industrial concentration toward providing a wider array of consumer goods and developing the standard of living in both urban and rural areas. By the end of his tenure, the average income of an urban family increased by 75% and rural income nearly doubled. Perhaps most importantly, Khrushchev motivated a thaw in the political climate, for the first time relaxing the censorship standards imposed by Stalin’s regime. At Khrushchev’s own insistence, for example, the novel One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, a harrowing account of life in the gulags, was published. Suddenly granted voice once more, an entire generation of politically radical writers and intellectuals began publishing. Though frequently persecuted, and therefore an underground movement by choice, such dissidents were now faced with imprisonment at worst (rather than execution, as they would have faced under Stalin’s rule). Khrushchev’s foreign policy goals were equally radical. Even as the Soviet Union required (and received) internal economic support, it likewise lavished aid on foreign nations, specifically those friendly to Communism, or with developing Communist governments. Throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the Soviet Union contributed funds, building materials, expertise, and other assistance for projects ranging from much needed dams to much desired sports arenas. In an era of decolonization and struggling independent governments, this aid was accepted with open arms, infecting goodwill toward Communism and the Soviet Union throughout the Third World.

Where America and the West were concerned, Khrushchev enjoyed displaying Soviet superiority whenever possible. He once arrived in London aboard a prototype passenger jet in order to demonstrate the cutting edge of Soviet aviation when jet powered passenger flights were still beyond easy reach in the United States. Khrushchev also encouraged the Soviet space program, which delivered a stunning propaganda coup with the first satellite launch — Sputnik — in 1957. Under Khrushchev’s leadership, the Soviet space program scored victory after victory against its American counterpart, putting the first dog, man, and woman into space. But Khrushchev’s flamboyant foreign policy soon caught up with him. Many in the CCCP and Politburo were displeased by his antics on the international stage, believing that he repeatedly embarrassed the Soviet Union in the eyes of the world. Even during speeches before the United Nation’s General Assembly, Khrushchev was known to color his words with outrageous gestures, such as banging his shoe on a table for emphasis. Elements in the Party awaited their chance to oust the Premier, and that chance came during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when Khrushchev ordered the deployment of Soviet nuclear assets to Cuba, within easy striking distance of the United States. The ploy was discovered early, before the weapons were prepared for use, but Khrushchev initially refused to remove the weapons, even going so far as to implicitly threaten their use. When President Kennedy called his bluff, Khrushchev was forced to remove the weapons, once again with great loss of Soviet face on the global stage. Khrushchev never regained his prestige following the Crisis and was quietly ousted by his Politburo opponents two years later. He lived the remainder of his life under house arrest, dying at his Moscow home in 1971. Notably, Nikita Khrushchev is the only Soviet Premier not interred beneath the Kremlin.

National Flavor During the tenure of Premier Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet intelligence community’s past excesses were severely curtailed and veteran agents suddenly found they lacked the freedom to harass and menace innocent Soviet citizens at will. Even the KGB had to once more

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics answer to the CCCP rather than directly to the Premier. This nod to the privacy and rights of Soviet citizens was just that, however — a token nod. While Khrushchev was quite concerned with the welfare of his people, the CCCP remained largely the same under his rule, no longer committing people to death but otherwise unchanged, still an oppressive arbitrary organization. Despite this, the Soviet Union’s improved standard of living under Khrushchev lent some small sense of entitlement to the Soviet people — as well as white collar Soviet criminals, whom parts of the nation’s intelligence community finds itself retooled to fight throughout this decade. Agents working for Soviet intelligence services during this period find the scope of their missions broadening and their resources more varied, though they also suffer from a slightly less refined focus than during the early- to mid-1950s. At the GC’s option, the freshmen espionage climate may be in effect throughout Khrushchev’s premiership, reflecting his willingness to incorporate new ideas and strategies in the fight against the Main Adversary (see page 74 for more about espionage climates). This condition applies at all times in addition to any other espionage climates triggered by events or circumstances, and has no effect when another freshmen weather condition is in effect.

man of the U.S.S.R. State Committee for Planning in 1960, and first deputy chairman of the U.S.S.R. Council of Ministers in the same year. Finally, he was once again elected a full member of the Politburo. Kosygin didn’t play a significant role in the Khrushchev’s removal, though he took over as premier thereafter. His power wasn’t as unilateral as that of his predecessor, and First (and later, General) Secretary Leonid Brezhnev rapidly eclipsed his position. Kosygin focused most of his effort on furthering Khrushchev’s successes in the domestic arena. Much of his work revolved around modernizing the Soviet economy, which suffered badly from failures in the planning process and lack of initiative at the plant management level. He attempted to uphold Khrushchev’s emphasis on the production of consumer goods, but this was where his power began to unravel. Leonid Brezhnev’s favoritism toward heavy industry (which supported the Soviet arms race against America), quickly took precedence over the light industry required for the increased production of consumer goods, and with the failure of Kosygin’s agenda, so too did his power fade. Though the Premier helped preserve efficiency and discipline in the Soviet economy, his political position was irretrievably damaged. He retained his position for a time, but his political relevance was gone.

Premier Aleksey Kosygin (1964–1980)

General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev (1964–1982)

Aleksey Kosygin joined the Red Army at fifteen years of age in 1919, serving through the country’s Civil War until 1921. Though Kosygin was a Party member since 1938, he lived a civilian life, eventually achieving a position as the managing director of a textile plant in Leningrad. Kosygin rose rapidly through the Party hierarchy and was elected a full CCCP member in 1939. As World War II dragged on, he climbed higher and higher, eventually gaining an appointment as deputy chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, where he was responsible for the nation’s consumer industries. In 1943, he replaced Ivan Khokhlov as premier of the Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (SFSR), where he remained until 1946. Until the death of Stalin, Kosygin served in a variety of Party positions, and during this period he was elected a full member of the Politburo. Following Stalin’s death, Kosygin was virtually excluded from top-level Party leadership, removed from the Politburo, and forced to assume a variety of lesser posts. This continued until he proved his loyalty to the ascendant Khrushchev, at which point he was reinstated as a candidate Politburo member and once more achieved a position of significant responsibility in the Party… His final rise to power began with his appointment as chair-

Prior to Stalin’s reign over the CCCP and the Soviet Union, Leonid Brezhnev held a variety of local Party posts. With the ascension of Stalin to control of the Party, however, Brezhnev’s career flourished, and by 1939, he was appointed secretary of the regional Party committee of Dnipropetrovsk, the rough equivalent of an American state legislature. With the outbreak of World War II, Brezhnev transferred to military Party service, where he was awarded the position of political commissar, eventually attained the rank of Major General, and headed the political commissars on the Ukrainian front. Following the war, Brezhnev returned to regional secretary positions, serving all over the Ukraine. In 1950, he was awarded the position of first secretary of the Moldavian Communist Party, and assigned the task of “Sovietizing” the Romanian population within the recently conquered territory. He returned to the Soviet Union in 1952, upon achieving a post in the Central Committee, but his tenure was short lived, as his stature in the Party suffered following Stalin’s death. He was consequently required to accept a post as deputy head of the political department of the Ministry of Defense, and the attendant rank of Lieutenant General, a step down from Major General. Brezhnev remained undaunted, however, and when Khrushchev seized power in Moscow, the new Premier made Brezhnev a powerful figure in the Kazakhstan

the 1960s Perhaps Brezhnev’s most significant impact on the Soviet Union’s development was in foreign policy. It was he who shaped and implemented the “Brezhnev Doctrine,” which dictated that forces conspiring to turn a socialist nation toward Capitalism were the enemy of all Communist nations. This theory effectively meant that no nation was free to leave the Warsaw Pact, and justified a Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 (for more about this Doctrine, see the sidebar in the previous column). Along with military intervention in satellite nations threatening to stray from the Party line, Brezhnev’s Soviet Union increased its support for Communist revolutions and insurgencies in foreign nations, particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Brezhnev served out the remainder of the 1960s as General Secretary, and continued to hold this post until his death in 1982.

The Brezhnev Doctrine As discussed in the following column, this policy dictated that forces conspiring to turn a socialist nation toward Capitalism were the enemy of all Communist nations. In the 1960s, its scope seemed to be limited to Warsaw Pact nations, specifically designed to crush resistance to Soviet dominance within these countries. But beyond the 1960s, the doctrine was ultimately used to justify the invasion of a nation that neither had close ties to Moscow nor was a member of the Warsaw Pact — in 1979, the Red Army invaded Afghanistan under the doctrine’s auspice. While this invasion is somewhat outside this book’s focus, a similar operation could easily occur in the 1960s. Historically, the Soviet Union limited itself to providing logistical support to non-Warsaw Pact nations such as Vietnam, but a slight change in national practice could result in a full scale Soviet invasion of Southeast Asia, or perhaps even a Soviet occupation of Cuba, in America’s own backyard!

National Flavor During the tenure of Premier Aleksey Kosygin and General Secretary Brezhnev, the Soviet Union was initially characterized by internal conflict, as the leaders’ agendas created static in the nation’s halls of power. Brezhnev quickly surpassed the Premier for control of the Kremlin, however, and his agenda reigned for the duration of their time in power. Brezhnev viewed the world in black and white with no middle ground, as a battle between “us” and “them”, communists and capitalists. This philosophy was best illustrated by his introduction and application of the Brezhnev Doctrine during Czechoslovakia’s Red Spring (see page 93). When the subordinate Warsaw Pact nation stepped out of line, and the Soviet Union — leading a coalition of Warsaw Pact nations impressed for the conflict — quickly brought it to heel. Such decisive action also characterized Soviet intelligence operations under Brezhnev’s tenure, as the nation’s agencies observed, infiltrated, and undermined everyone with equal impunity. Even Soviet Bloc nations were subject to routine espionage — particularly after Czechoslovakia almost slipped its leash in 1968 (see page 42). Agents working for Soviet intelligence services during this period find their funding increased toward both intelligence and military operations. The security of the Soviet Union is paramount, and no sacrifice is too great to ensure it. At the GC’s option, the domino effect espionage climate may be in effect throughout Brezhnev’s premiership, reflecting the Soviet Union’s current aggressive posture (see page 74 for more about espionage climates). This condition applies at all times in addition to any other espionage climates triggered by events or circumstances, and has no effect when another domino effect weather condition is in effect.

Communist Party and eventually assisted his re-election to posts in the CCCP and the Politburo. Only a year later, Brezhnev became a full Politburo member, and in 1960, the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. By 1964, he resigned this post to become Khrushchev’s second secretary of the Central Committee, and heir apparent for Party leadership. Despite his attachment to Khrushchev’s coattails, Brezhnev was a prominent figure behind the coalition to depose the Premier, and his reward was ascendance to leadership of the Soviet Union. Though Brezhnev initially shared Premier duties with Aleksey Kosygin, it soon became clear that the two men would be at odds over many issues. Brezhnev left most domestic affairs to his colleague and the Politburo at large, electing to concentrate his own efforts toward foreign and military affairs, while Kosygin’s desire to continue Khrushchev’s focus on increasing the availability of consumer goods drew largely on the same industrial resources. Brezhnev’s uncompromising build up of Soviet defense and aerospace industries left other sectors of the economy — including agriculture, consumer goods, and health care — increasingly under-funded. Minor ramifications of this conflict of interests cropped up late in the 1960s, but the true impact on the Soviet citizenry wouldn’t be felt until the 70s and 80s. Nonetheless, the sectors upon which Brezhnev lavished funding did indeed prosper. For the first time, the Soviet Union’s nuclear program achieved parity with that of the United States, and the Soviet space program once more threatened to overtake America’s (though it didn’t do so until after the close of the decade). The Soviet Union’s military remained the largest in the world, and its hardware — at sea, in the air, and on the ground — advanced by leaps and bounds.

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics West — and perhaps both. To counter the threat, the CCCP immediately set all its resources toward ensuring that the eventuality would never come to pass. Ironically, though Stalin didn’t consider post war America a significant threat, his post war policies directly countered America’s desire for an economically strong Germany and Japan. Though immediately concerned with securing its borders using friendly nations — usually by propping up Communist revolutions — the Soviet Union also regularly engaged in propaganda wars designed to make Communism appear attractive to the global community. Just as the United States strove toward technological superiority — and therefore a better standard of living, reliable national infrastructure, and even superiority in the space and arms races — so too did the Soviet Union reach for dominance in these areas. Some would argue that comfort for Soviet citizens was of secondary concern to the propaganda effort, but some CCCP leaders — notably Nikita Khrushchev — genuinely desired an improved standard of living for their people. It’s an important distinction, however, that the best interests of the Soviet State do not always coincide with the best interests of the Soviet people. This is particularly true in matters of security, as the CCCP — and by extension, the State — went to great ends to eliminate even the possibility of a revolution, peaceful or otherwise. The

Goals During the 1960s, the West — and particularly America — feared Communist expansion as once advocated by Trotsky, who believed that Communism couldn’t sustain itself as one state alone, but required the development of a global workers’ revolution. But even before World War II, this view was rapidly eclipsed by Stalin’s belief that the Soviet Union could survive without the support of other Communist nations. Following World War II, all Soviet intelligence, diplomatic, and military agendas revolved around one key point — the preservation of the Soviet Union. Ultimately, post war Soviet policy became a synthesis of the ideas posed by its former rulers. Though the development of worldwide Communism was encouraged, it was as a means of self defense, rather than a pursuit of Trotsky’s ideals. Indeed, the physical buffer of Communist nations between Western Europe and the Soviet Union, the ultimate result of which was the Warsaw Pact, was established and maintained as a protective measure against future invasion rather than some sort of ideological crusade. Further proof of this stance lies in strained relations between the Soviet Union and the Republic of China. Though both were Communist nations, the Soviet Union considered China a rival and a significant threat to its eastern frontier. Indeed, a political rift grew between the two nations throughout the 1950s, culminating in the withdrawal of more than 1,000 Soviet consultants and specialists from the region in 1960. In response, China stopped attending the Council for Mutual Economic Cooperation (COMECON), a regular trade summit intended to set down treaties between Communist nations. The Soviet Union then broke off all trade with China in 1964 and the two nations were at odds for the remainder of the decade (though this threat paled in comparison to the “Main Adversary,” America, in the eyes of the Soviet leadership). China, however, wasn’t the Soviet Union’s only concern to the East. Following its successful stratagem of incorporating Eastern Europe as a buffer zone against invasion from the West, Southeast Asia was targeted for indoctrination. Soviet intelligence and the Red Army provided support, training, and equipment to various Southeast Asian Communist insurgencies throughout the decades following World War II, resulting in the Korean War, and in the late 1960s, the Vietnam Conflict. Much of the Soviet Union’s desire to establish these buffer zones revolves around the CCCP’s belief that Germany and Japan could once more rise to threaten the Soviet Union, a possibility considered entirely unacceptable in Moscow. Immediately following World War II, conventional wisdom held that by the mid 1960s, the U.S.S.R. would once more face invasion from either the East or the

The Politburo Known as the Presidium between 1952 and 1966, the Soviet Union’s most powerful political body was the Politburo, the central policy-making and governing body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In theory, the Politburo was responsible to — and its membership was subject to — the Central Committee’s approval, though the real power rested within the Politburo itself, which oversaw CCCP operations and made all major policy decisions, passing them down through the Central Committee, the Supreme Soviet, and the Party Congress. In practice, these subsidiary bodies did little more than rubber stamp the Politburo’s mandates, giving the Politburo authority over the Party itself, all its members, and therefore the whole of the nation. Candidates for Politburo membership were selected through an informal process conducted behind closed doors. Once the decision to induct a new member was made, it is passed through the CCCP for approval, though again, this was little more than a formality. Full membership in the Politburo or Presidium was granted to only a select few — in the early 1960s, for example, only eleven men were granted full membership. Both Khrushchev and Brezhnev, the most powerful men in the Soviet Union during the decade, were full Politburo members in good standing during their rule.

the 1960s Soviet intelligence community focused a great deal of its attention not only on combating the Main Adversary, but also stymieing political dissent and free thought at home. By the 1960s, America increasingly considered a nuclear exchange an impractical and self-destructive measure, regarded its nuclear arsenal primarily as a deterrent to full scale war. But since achieving sovereignty, America had never faced invasion, nor suffered such grievous war-time casualties as the Soviet Union had endured just within the last several decades. The Soviet leadership therefore viewed its nuclear arsenal differently — as a frighteningly practical weapon of last resort, deployed by a nation that would rather scorch the earth upon which its people tread than surrender its territory to foreign power.

The First Directorate cast its net over Western Europe, particularly including the United Kingdom and West Germany. Supplementing the efforts of the First Directorate was the Second Direction, which was specifically responsible for operations conducted in West Berlin. The Second Directorate was perhaps the largest GRU cell, tasked with all intelligence gathering activities in the Western Hemisphere. Eight Directions fell under its control, each of which was responsible for a specific element of the Directorate’s overall mission, as follows. • First Direction ran tactical reconnaissance operations. • Second Direction managed the development of agent networks and moles in positions close to, or within, foreign agencies with wartime responsibilities, including intelligence agencies and military offices.

Espionage and Intelligence Agencies

•∑ Third Direction oversaw intelligence collection and analysis. • Fourth Direction controlled Spetsnaz operations in target countries.

Though the KGB is commonly the most visible of the Soviet Union’s intelligence agencies, many others supported the cause, from counter-intelligence agencies like the GRU to policing units like the MVD.

• Fifth Direction was responsible for the signals intelligence effort. • Sixth Direction maintained operational communications networks within foreign countries, working closely with Seventh Direction.

Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie (GRU): The Main Intelligence Administration

•∑ Seventh Direction was responsible for the development and cracking of enemy ciphers, as well as GRU communications security.

While the KGB’s operational charter was focused almost exclusively on the practices of counter-intelligence and State security, the duties of foreign intelligence collection fell largely into the hands of the GRU. Veiled within a shroud of secrecy, the GRU was shielded from the population at large, who were unaware even of its existence. Subordinate to the Red Army’s general staff, the GRU was primarily a military intelligence agency, though it was almost exclusively responsible for intelligence gathering activities abroad, where such activities didn’t fall under the KGB’s purview. This duty included the gathering of military, technological, and other intelligence not relating directly to Soviet internal security concerns. The head of the GRU was the First Deputy Director, who reported to the general staff on the agency’s activities and progress. The responsibilities of the agency’s first four directorates mirrored each other in scope, though each directorate carried out operations in discreet regions of the world. Smaller directorates were responsible for covering specific hot spots that may or may not fall into the larger territory of the first four directorates. These supplemental directorates were called directions, and reported directly to the First Deputy Director, just as their larger cousins.

This Direction structure was mirrored in each of the GRU’s other foreign operations Directorates, including the Third Directorate (which handled Asia, including Southeast Asia and Australia) and Fourth Directorate (which handled Africa and the Middle East). Cuba did not fall under the jurisdiction of Second Directorate; instead, Cuban operations — as well as missions launched from Cuba — were controlled by the GRU’s Fourth Direction, one of four Directions immediately subordinate to the First Deputy Director. The remaining three Directions under the First Deputy Director’s immediate control — First through Third — operated for the most part independently of any single Directorate. In the first two cases, this is due to the fact that First and Second Direction were responsible for the task of intelligence gathering within Moscow and Berlin, respectively. This usually revolved around the physical infiltration of foreign embassies, businesses, and other organizations, as well as placing moles within these facilities. The Third Direction’s focus was quite a bit broader, as it developed and supported national Communist liberation movements abroad.

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics Agent’s Location Any European city Any European suburb or any other First World area Any rural European region or other Third World area

Unlike the Directorates described above, Fifth Directorate’s operations took place the world over, controlling military intelligence throughout every branch of the Red Army. This Directorate’s agents were posted on all fronts and in all fleets and military districts operated by the Soviet Union. The GRU’s remaining Directorates usually focused on gathering intelligence concerning one topic or goal, usually working hand in hand with the first five Directorates as needed. For example, two of the more prominent Directorates were tasked with gathering electronic and space race intelligence, respectively. The GRU’s most visible arm was Spetsnaz (though Spetsnaz’s true agency loyalties were kept out of the public’s eyes). Every Soviet military district, fleet, and task force included a Spetsnaz division. Though technically subordinate to local commanders, these units were actually under the GRU’s direct control and operated accordingly. Spetsnaz brigades were roughly equivalent in training, tactics, and mission specs to their American Special Forces counterparts.

Check DC 20 25 30

Thereafter, the agent may make a favor check as standard, even if the contact located doesn’t possess immediate access to a line of communication with GRU headquarters.

Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti (KGB): The Committee for State Security Originally designated a “State committee attached to the council of ministers,” the KGB was the spiritual successor to Stalin’s secret police. Created upon that body’s reorganization in 1954, the KGB soon assumed a predominant role in the Soviet intelligence community. A Union-Republic State committee, the KGB was controlled by the CCCP. In turn, the KGB controlled corresponding State committees of the same name in the fourteen non-Russian republics of the Soviet Union, which were responsible for a variety of intelligence and counterintelligence tasks within their respective territories. Further, the KGB maintained a broad network of special departments in all major government institutions, enterprises, and factories, which existed both to ensure the observance of State-imposed security regulations and to monitor political sentiment among employees. Often, informers from within organizations under observation were recruited to aid in this goal.

Possible Assistance The GRU can bring tremendous resources to bear in almost any area of the world. A GRU agent in good standing need not contact the home office to make a favor check; instead, he may make a Gather Information check to locate the nearest GRU point of contact. This check’s DC is calculated according to the agent’s current location, as follows.

the 1960s Just as the KGB maintained a careful watch on various State facilities, so too did it keep an extensive roster of special departments assigned to observe various armed forces and defense related institutions. Each military district, naval vessel, and infantry command was assigned a KGB officer to monitor the unit for dissent and ideological missteps. The KGB was a highly centralized organization, controlled strictly from the top. Central staff kept a close watch on the operations of each of its branches, leaving the latter minimal policy-shaping power or autonomy. Unlike most Union-Republic agencies, these subordinate State committees answered only to the central KGB committee, and operated independently of any local civil authority. At its highest level, the KGB was directed by a chairman, formally appointed by the Supreme Soviet (though actually selected by the Politburo — see the sidebar on page 33). Beneath the chairman served one or two first deputy chairmen and several — usually six, though never more — deputy chairmen. Key policy and planning decisions were brought before the KGB Collegium, made up of the men listed above along with certain directorate chiefs and chairmen of KGB republic organizations. Unlike most ministerial agencies in the Soviet Union, the KGB’s official charter was not publicly disseminated. The KGB’s tasks were generally broken down into four major areas of responsibility, according to official State publications, as follows.

First Chief Directorate: The KGB’s First Chief Directorate was responsible for all foreign operations and intelligence gathering activities. Its functions were divided into broad categories, including the training and management of covert agents, intelligence analysis, and the collection of political, scientific, and technological intelligence. The Directorate was further regionally divided into Departments — the 1st Department, for example, handled the United States and Canada, while the 2nd Department handled Latin America. Second Chief Directorate: The Second Chief Directorate was responsible for the Soviet Union’s internal political security. Its mandate was broad and far-reaching, empowering and requiring it to investigate political crimes including treason, espionage, terrorism, sabotage, anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda, divulgence of State secrets, smuggling, and illegal entry and exit to and from the Soviet Union. The Second Directorate also concerned itself with economic crimes, such as the theft of State property by appropriation, embezzlement, and abuse of official position, as well as theft of State property on an especially large scale. Frequently, the KGB enlisted the MVD to instigate proceedings against the perpetrators of crimes that didn’t fall directly into the KGB’s jurisdiction (see page 37 for more about the MVD). Third Chief Directorate: The Third Chief Directorate dealt with military counter-intelligence and political surveillance of the Soviet armed forces. This Directorate was divided into twelve major departments that oversaw the various military and paramilitary organizations controlled by the Soviet government. Each level of the Soviet armed forces was assigned a KGB officer, all the way down to individual companies, in every military district and every naval group. Fifth Chief Directorate: Created in 1969, the Fifth Chief Directorate took up the burden of several of the disbanded Second Chief Directorate’s duties, specifically those relating to monitoring and combating political dissent. It maintained several special operational departments, each intended to handle specific problems, such as religious dissent, national minorities, the intelligentsia, and the artistic community.

• Struggle against foreign spies and agents. • Expose and investigate political and economic crimes by domestic citizens. • Protect State borders. • Protect State secrets. The Committee was further tasked with ferreting out and eliminating the causes of both political and mundane crime, for which they were granted an incredible degree of latitude. Generally speaking, the KGB’s operations division was broken down into five chief directorates, and several lesser directorates, as follows. These directorates weren’t necessarily enumerated in a particular order, as their creation, re-tasking, and disbanding created inconsistencies in the agency’s numerical structure.

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics Eighth Chief Directorate: The Eighth Chief Directorate — “Communications and cryptography” — was responsible for developing new ciphers and cracking enemy codes. Agents of the Eighth Chief Directorate were often posted at Soviet listening posts and intercept bases around the world to aid on-site code breaking efforts, though new ciphers were usually developed in Moscow. Fourth Directorate: The Fourth Directorate handled transportation security, generally for Soviet dignitaries, though also for other critical personnel considered worthy of a security detail. Sixth Directorate: The Sixth Directorate was tasked with economic counter-intelligence and industrial security. Seventh Directorate: Half the KGB’s surveillance initiative, the Seventh Directorate’s duties involved basic surveillance worldwide, including surveillance performed by human assets, as well as utilizing basic surveillance technology, such as listening and recording devices. Fifteenth Directorate: The Fifteenth Directorate was tasked with government installation security. Seventeenth Directorate: The other half of the KGB’s surveillance initiative, the Seventeenth Directorate’s duties included communications interception and SIGINT.

Ministerstvo Vnutrennykh del (MVD): The Ministry of Internal Affairs First established as the NKVD in 1917, this agency thereafter went through numerous organizational and identity changes, including a period during the 1960s when it was known as the Ministerstvo Okhrany Obshchestvennogo Poriadka (MOOP), or Ministry of the Preservation of Public Order. Originally, the MVD was a Union-Republic ministry, headquartered out of Moscow. With Khrushchev downplaying the power of the Soviet Union’s domestic police force, however, the central MVD was abolished. Thereafter, the statue agencies once controlled by the Union-Republic MVD operated independently until 1962, when the agency was renamed amidst widespread criticism in the Soviet press for its apparent inability to effectively combat crime. The responsibilities and privileges of this new agency — Ministerstvo Okhrany Obshchestvennogo Poriadka (the Ministry for the Preservation of Public Order, or MOOP) — were severely narrowed. It was not until Brezhnev rose to power that the MVD regained some of its lost prestige and power. In 1966, after placing his protégé Nicolai Shchelekov in command of the MOOP, Brezhnev reinstated the MVD’s authority as a Union-Republic agency, once more bringing command of each individual state’s MVD back into Moscow. Two years later, the agency was rechristened the MVD, a powerful symbol of its return to power. Even during its MOOP period, the MVD’s duties were many and varied, including the discovery and investigation of certain categories of crime, the apprehension of criminals, the supervision of the Soviet Union’s internal passport system, the maintenance of public order, combat of public intoxication, the supervision of parolees, the management of prisons and labor camps, the provision of fire protection, and control of traffic. During the early 1960s, the MVD’s primary responsibilities in the area of criminal investigation were to investigate domestic crimes which were not considered a direct threat to Soviet Union security, including robbery, homicide, and crimes considered misdemeanors in the United States. Lesser crimes were investigated by a separate division within the MVD, and included traffic violations, public disorder, and similar infractions. In addition to its investigative assets, the MVD maintained a cadre of uniformed officers, distinguished from mundane Soviet police through their stark gray clothing, ornamented with red piping. Known as militsiia, these officers patrolled public places, arresting individuals considered a threat to public order, such as vagrants and drunks. Resisting arrest or obstructing an officer was considered a serious crime, punishable by up to five years in prison. Murdering a police officer warranted death.

In addition to the Directorates listed above, the KGB maintained a wide array of additional internal services, including a personnel department, a secretariat, a technical support staff, a finance department, archives, an administration department, and a Party committee. Each of these was represented in the Union-Republic committee, though only some were found in the lesser State committees. Although security concerns were always a State issue (rather than a Party one), the Party nonetheless considered the KGB its own strong right arm. The CCCP and Politburo constantly strove to maintain as much control as possible over the agency, and in practice succeeded more often than not. Given the sensitive nature of KGB operations, particularly when directed against political dissidents, the Party was reluctant to relinquish control of what could be the Party’s most valuable asset. Instead, a CCCP member was charged with KGB oversight, making key policy and personnel decisions behind closed doors. Due to its obvious power, this position was highly coveted among committee members.

Possible Assistance The KGB is the most powerful intelligence agency within the Soviet Union, maintaining divisions not only in each Soviet Republic, but also in every Soviet satellite nation, including each Warsaw Pact ally. A KGB agent in good standing may, once per session, make a clearance favor check without spending an action die.

the 1960s The MVD was also responsible for maintaining the Office of Visas and Registration, a registry of Soviet citizens and foreigners living within Union-Republic territory, ordered by precinct. Any citizen seeking emigration from the Soviet Union was required to obtain a visa through this office, though such a privilege was exceedingly rare. With all foreigners wishing to reside or travel within the Soviet Union required to register with the MVD’s Office of Visas and Registration, the MVD became the foremost national source of intelligence on foreign nationals. Though their records didn’t possess the depth of KGB files, their breadth — one for every foreign man, woman, and child in the Soviet Union — was undeniable. Hand in hand with investigating non-political criminal cases, the MVD also maintained the Soviet Union’s prison system. Thanks to its large police presence and the strict government controls placed on firearms, drugs, and other things considered conducive to crime, blue-collar criminals were fairly rare. White-collar crime was extremely common, however. With execution reserved for political crimes, murder, and large-scale theft of Party or State property, the vast majority of criminals were imprisoned in some fashion, and roughly 99% were held in Glavnoe Upravlenie Ispravitel'no-trudovykh Lagerei, or gulags. These camps were known for harsh conditions, remote locations, and poor treatment of prisoners, but they were highly effective — those released very rarely lapsed into criminal behavior again.

blackmail, kidnapping, and murder, though it generally focused its activities against Russian citizens who spoke against their government, Russian defectors, and other expatriates (including those exiled from the Soviet Union). Particularly troublesome foreigners — including operatives of foreign agencies — were sometimes targeted for elimination as well. SMERSH was divided into five operational sections, or Administrations, as follows. First Administration: This SMERSH division operated within the Red Army, ferreting out and terminating dissident soldiers and those who might become harmful to Red Army morale. Second Administration: This SMERSH division was responsible for gathering intelligence relevant to SMERSH operations and infiltrating agents across foreign borders, and — during war — behind enemy lines.. Third Administration: This division was SMERSH’s intelligence brokerage, dedicated to collating and analyzing intelligence gathered by Second Administration and disseminating it to SMERSH operatives and divisions as it deemed necessary. Fourth Administration: This division was responsible for SMERSH’s domestic operations, and the investigation and detainment of Soviet citizens guilty of dissent. This was the only SMERSH division empowered to make arrests, though each section could carry out executions as determined necessary by Fifth Administration. Fifth Administration: This SMERSH division was made up of several three-man tribunals, whose membership usually includes high-ranking Soviet officers, generally of the CCCP, the KGB, and the Red Army. These tribunals determined the final fate of those considered for liquidation by SMERSH — often in absentia.

Possible Assistance Once per session, during a chase, an MVD agent in good standing may request an intervention favor (DC 10) to adjust the terrain for that chase to a category of his choosing. This favor check costs 1 action die as usual, but does not count against the limit of 1 favor check per 24-hour period.

Though SMERSH operated since the earliest years of the Soviet Union, it only came to the attention of the West in 1954, when one of its agents defected to the CIA. Even thereafter, however, it maintained a nigh impenetrable veil of secrecy, launching operations and assassinating high profile targets all over the world. Though most SMERSH operations targeting foreign citizens and Soviet defectors took place in Western Europe (likely due to proximity and ease of access), the agency also executed several successful operations in both North and South America. Particularly notable was SMERSH’s assassination of Leon Trotsky, a once formidable power within the CCCP, who, at the time, was living in exile in Mexico. Despite the protection of several American bodyguards and over 20 loyal Trotskyites guarding his compound, SMERSH agent Jaime Mercarder managed to strike Trotsky in the skull with an ice axe. Leon Trotsky died 24 hours later. This incident is notable not only because of the operation’s tar-

Smert Shpionam (SMERSH) Lacking a formal agency name, SMERSH was known only by its battle cry: “Smert Shpionam,” or “Death to spies!” Formally a division of the Soviet KGB (its official designation was Department V of the First Chief Directorate), SMERSH operated independently of its former agency from 1948 on, though the two still acted together to complete particularly important or difficult missions when needed. SMERSH’s primarily responsibilities revolved around ensuring Communist loyalty and eliminating those opposing the Soviet regime, whether at home or abroad. The agency pursued this mission with almost mechanical dedication, with no method considered too violent or vicious. By turns, SMERSH engaged in acts including

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics get, nor the execution’s distance from Mother Russia, but because Mercarder wasn’t a Soviet citizen. The son of a Spanish businessman and Cuban Communist mother, Mercarder was recruited into SMERSH by Leonid Eitigon. The practice of recruiting foreign citizens to do SMERSH’s dirty work continued well into the 1960s. Generally, such operatives were given assignments of only minor importance over an extensive trial period, but once a recruit gained a measure of trust with his handler, he was usually summoned to Moscow to receive formal SMERSH training and then given more critical missions, perhaps as a sleeper agent back in his homeland. Another SMERSH tactics, usually employed when executing an operation in enemy territory, employed professional criminals rather than true agents to throw off the scent from the operation’s true ring-leaders. These assets were usually paid enormous sums of money, and often recruited from within Soviet prisons and those of her allies, or through underworld contacts in foreign nations.

These Are the Good Guys? Considering the means and ends of Soviet intelligence agencies, it may be difficult to present them as the heroic superspies around which Spycraft games generally revolve. Consider though, that the tactics of many contemporary American intelligence agencies were sometimes no less reprehensible (see COINTELPRO, page 15, for an example). Ultimately, the GC must keep in mind the ultimate goal of each Soviet intelligence agency — the security and perpetuation of the Soviet Union. This aim overrides virtually every other concern and is the driving force behind much of the Soviet Union’s activities in the 1960s, whether intelligence related or otherwise. As such, the GC has two primary options when running a Soviet-oriented Spycraft game. The simplest solution is to idealize the agencies in question. For example, those targeted by SMERSH assassins might be truly heinous villains, not selected for liquidation due solely to their political leanings but also because they present an immediate threat to the security of the Soviet Union. This makes SMERSH the first, last, and only line of defense against fiends obtaining sanctuary with foreign powers, rather than the assassination unit of a totalitarian state. Alternately, the GC might make Soviet intelligence the campaign focus. Certainly, the ultimate goal of Soviet agencies is the security of their country, but what sacrifices must they make to pursue that goal, and where do they draw the line? What happens to their operatives when they refuse to follow order out of conscience? In such a campaign, the agents might become hard pressed to maintain both their morals and freedom, and should be faced with new dilemmas on almost every operation.

Possible Assistance SMERSH maintains an extensive network of foreign operatives and contacts. During the Gearing Up phase, a SMERSH agent in good standing may make a specialist favor (DC 20). With success, the agent may act as if he possesses the Handler feat for the duration of the current serial, calling upon his agency’s influence to maintain his network. At the end of the current serial, all invested action dice are lost; if the agent later regains access to this feat (either through normal feat selection or another use of this favor check), he does not regain his action die investment. When an agent making this favor check already possesses the Handler feat, he may invest 1 additional action die into developing a mole during the current serial, without actually spending an action die.

Domestic Intelligence (DOMINT) Unlike their American counterparts, Soviet intelligence agencies were free to collect domestic intelligence with little fear of popular repercussion. In the 1960s, Soviet citizens didn’t enjoy the same rights as American citizens, and the right to privacy was unheard of. In fact, several Soviet agencies, such as the KGB, were specifically chartered to investigate political dissent within the Soviet Union, and empowered to utilize any means necessary in pursuit of that end. Many instances of political dissent were consequently stamped out in their infancy, not allowed to grow to endemic proportions as they did in the United States. This aggressive domestic intelligence program further enabled Soviet agencies to cast an effective net for American illegals — agents and spies lacking an official cover while residing within the Soviet Union. Combined with Soviet recruiting tactics, this enabled the Soviet

Tradecraft The following sections detail Soviet tradecraft techniques during the 1960s, divided into accepted espionage categories.

Communications Intelligence (COMINT) Soviet listening posts were frequently successful, especially those established within U.S. borders and within the borders of U.S. allies. One such espionage victory was the POCHIN network (see page 44), though numerous attempts to set up listening posts outside U.S. borders failed — the KGB’s most successful effort at the Soviet embassy in Mexico City yielded poor intelligence from the nearby U.S. embassy and CIA station.

the 1960s agencies found such groups to be rich with potential recruits, though they was kept mind that such spies began their careers with two strikes against them insofar as American counter-intelligence was concerned. Much more effective was the so called “honey trap,” which utilized the principle of compromise. The Soviet Union made perhaps the most widespread use of this tactic throughout the Cold War, in which female agents seduced potential Western spies, and subsequently arranged trysts in locations riddled with KGB surveillance gear. Later, the incriminating evidence produced was used to blackmail the subject into betraying his government. This practice was particularly frequent in Norway and Sweden, where KGB agents hosted large parties in which they could compromise many foreign diplomats and officials at once. In addition to these mundane methods of turning agents, Soviet agencies used brainwashing techniques to help turn political prisoners and POWs. An advantage of this technique was that, provided the brainwashing was successful, no evidence of the procedure remained. For all intents and purposes, it appeared that the subject had simply “seen the light” and adopted the brainwasher’s ideology as his own. During the Korean War in the 1950s, Korean operatives — likely with Soviet assistance — were able to indoctrinate over 7,000 American POWs. It’s likely that similar efforts were made in the Vietnam late during the 1960s.

M.I.C.E. and PAPERCLIP Project: PAPERCLIP — the American effort to recruit Nazi scientists into U.S. space, missile, and aerospace programs — was wildly successful, but it also made U.S. research programs vulnerable to Soviet penetration. Though no evidence exists to suggest Soviet compromise of these scientists, it’s entirely possible that one or more of the former Nazis were actually controlled by Soviet intelligence agencies, using the recruitment of compromise to threaten public revelation of the war criminal’s past. intelligence community to trump its American counterpart in the development of moles and spies. As testament, after the CIA-SIS run mole Oleg Penkovskiy’s arrest in 1962, the West failed to run a highly placed mole in any Soviet intelligence service until after the end of the decade. This was in part due to tight Soviet security measures, and in part to a network of highly placed Soviet moles within Western intelligence agencies.

Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) During the 1960s, the Soviet ELINT effort piggybacked on the Soviet COMINT effort. As technologies both vital to and monitored by modern ELINT were in development throughout the decade, much of the Soviet TECHINT effort revolved around establishing a level technological playing field with the United States. Nonetheless, Soviet ELINT stations were just as effective as their COMINT cousins in providing useful intelligence. As one example, Soviet ELINT trawlers, disguised as transport vessels, prowled international waters scouting for radar emplacements and similar electronic broadcast sources, providing Soviet intelligence with an effective map of coastal radar nets.

Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) Though Soviet intelligence agencies were well versed with gathering imagery intelligence through photography and similar means — indeed, this was vital to a variety of Soviet efforts, including compromising potential agents — the Soviet Union lagged somewhat behind in the area of satellite reconnaissance. Though they successfully orbited the first unmanned satellite in the 1950s, they didn’t manage to their own first-generation reconnaissance satellite — Cosmos 4 — until several months after America’s first CORONA launch. The Soviets’ program was also inferior to CORONA in one important way — Cosmos 4 operated at higher orbits, and while this reduced atmospheric drag, allowing the Soviet satellites to remain in orbit for longer periods of time, it also produced images of far lower quality. Even after the Soviet Union deployed its second-generation reconnaissance satellites featuring improved optics suites, CORONA remained superior to its efforts.

Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Soviet foreign intelligence was a pioneer in the recruitment of agents and spies, tuning the process to a science. Many credit the KGB with coining the acronym M.I.C.E., a pneumonic device describing the four main methods of recruitment — Money, Ideology, Compromise, and Ego — though this is unlikely, due to the obvious linguistic disparity. That said, the KGB was quick to take advantage of any and all of these recruiting devices when handling foreign agents, though it made the most gains using ideology and compromise. Ideology was used widely due to the ease of identifying sympathetic targets. Despite a concerted effort in 1950s America to ferret out Communist elements, U.S. freedoms ultimately ensured that investigation of the Communist faith and membership in Communist organizations couldn’t be prohibited. Soviet intelligence

Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) The execution of Soviet signals intelligence differed from its American counterpart primarily in the deployment of SIGINT assets. While American ground stations were usually placed in close proximity to their targets, Soviet SIGINT stations were often actually based within

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics the target countries, both within the walls of Soviet embassies and in locations controlled by the target. Hand in hand with HUMINT, the Soviet SIGINT program obtained significant scientific and technical intelligence throughout the decade, providing vital support for the advancement of Soviet technology and industry. While internal development of new technology sometimes moved at a snail’s pace, Soviet SIGINT and HUMINT assets were quite capable of hijacking American transmissions, then analyzing and decrypting those signals for even the slightest scrap of technological advantage.

Expanded Brainwashing These rules supplement those presented in the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, presenting the brainwasher with alternative goals for the procedure. Rather than attempting to modify the subject’s memory, the brainwasher may instead modify the subject’s disposition for an extended period of time. The brainwasher must declare that he wishes to alter the subject’s disposition at the start of the procedure, at which time he must also declare the target individual or group toward whom he wishes to alter the subject’s disposition, as well as whether he wishes the subject’s disposition improved or worsened toward this person or group. All skill checks made to perform or resist a brainwashing effort remain unchanged. The same brainwashing methods are available, with the same effects on the error ranges of the brainwasher’s skill checks and the resulting detection/recovery DCs. However, as modifying the target’s disposition frequently involves completely breaking down and rebuilding the target’s psyche, all check intervals are quadrupled (i.e. chemical brainwashing possesses an interval of 6 hours, while hybrid brainwashing possesses an interval of 8 hours and psychological brainwashing possesses an interval of 2 days). If the brainwasher’s complex skill check is successful, he modifies the subject’s disposition by one grade in the desired direction. If the brainwasher scores one or more critical successes during the complex skill check (and the check is successful overall), the brainwasher modifies the subject’s disposition by 1 additional grade per 2 critical successes scored during the complex skill check (minimum 1 additional grade). All secondary brainwashing effects, such as Intelligence damage, are applied per the standard brainwashing rules. The rules for restoring the subject’s disposition toward the declared person or group are the same as those for recovering lost memories — the same conditions apply and the victim’s disposition is restored by one grade per memory that he would normally recover (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, pages 62–63).

Technological Intelligence (TECHINT) Even before World War II, Soviet TECHINT efforts were considered vital to preventing Soviet military technology from lagging behind the West. By the end of the 1960s, over a third of all research and development projects within the Soviet defense industry were based on TECHINT obtained from Cold War enemies. Purportedly, every task set before the KGB in this area was completed successfully. Ironically, this success was partially due to increasing global Capitalism. Most major American companies maintained operations abroad, making these corporations and firms vulnerable to penetration both within and without United States borders. Further, the Soviet desire to maintain pace with U.S. technology was well known, and numerous walk-ins — defectors approaching Soviet intelligence without prior contact — assisted the task of monitoring and capitalizing on Western technological advances. Further, the American freedom to socialize after company hours — which did not exist to the same degree in the Soviet Union — allowed Soviet infiltrators to plumb American colleagues while the latter were under the influence of alcohol and otherwise predisposed to seemingly casual inquiries. Allegedly, Soviet penetration of the American nuclear program advanced the Soviet program by over five years by the end of the decade.

Operations The following Soviet operations highlight the nation’s broad intelligence goals during this turbulent decade.

Missile Crisis, in which Khrushchev nearly blundered into a nuclear war with America. By 1964, Khrushchev was deposed. Yet as stability was restored within the Soviet Union, unrest stirred elsewhere within the Warsaw Pact. By February of 1968, reformers gained a strong foothold in the Czechoslovak government. Led by Alexander Dubcek, this movement was confident that it could modernize Communism, undermining the accepted rule behind the Iron Curtain.

Operation: BEAR CLAW By the end of Khrushchev’s tenure as Soviet Premier, both the people and the Party were rapidly losing patience with him. Though he spoke of great things on the horizon, many of his plans ended badly, either tapering off into irrelevance or embarrassing the Soviet Union. The culmination of this perceived irresponsibility was the Cuban

the 1960s In July of 1968, the entire Soviet Politburo arrived in Prague to demand a return to the old ways. They brought with them an implicit threat of military action from both the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia’s fellow Warsaw Pact nations. Though Dubcek agreed to some of the Politburo’s demands, he was far from ready to cave on every count. On August 21, 1968, Soviet and Warsaw Pact armies launched a massive invasion of Czechoslovakia, dubbed Operation: BEAR CLAW, which was designed to bring the rebellious nation to heel. Overnight, the Soviet Union penetrated the capital, and by morning, Soviet tanks occupied the city’s streets. Czech citizens followed suit, picketing the invaders. Clashes broke out, and the invading armor columns laid waste to large sections of Prague. Dubcek and his co-conspirators were arrested, tried by SMERSH tribunals, and many were executed on the spot. Dubcek himself was spared on the condition that he return to Czechoslovakia and renounce his radical politics. He did, though not without declaring that much of what Czechoslovakia had achieved was lost. Thereafter, Dubcek was demoted, expelled from the Party, and subjected to a form of internal exile as a forestry official in a remote undisclosed location.

Operation: KHODOKI (“Go-Betweens”) In addition to the invasion of Czechoslovakia (see below), Operation: BEAR CLAW featured a number of intelligence operations designed to provide evidentiary support for the Soviet occupation. The most successful of these was Operation: KHODOKI. By mid-July, a cadre of KGB agents succeeded in planting evidence that pointed to preparations for an armed coup against the Communist government of Czechoslovakia, masterminded by Dubcek. On July 19th, Pravda reported a secret cache of American weapons discovered near the West German border, secreted in packages emblazoned with the slogan, “made in the USA”. Finally, the newspaper claimed Soviet authorities had recovered copies of an American plan to overthrow Prague’s Soviet regime. Eastern Bloc press outlets throughout the Warsaw Pact followed with reports of the discovery of similar caches throughout Czechoslovakia. This “evidence” provided the Soviet Union with all the justification it required to implement its Brezhnev Doctrine (see page 32). At a final CCCP meeting before the invasion, the committee agreed to one last summit with Czechoslovak leadership to attempt a negotiated settlement, but if that failed, agreed to the invasion with full support. Prevailing wisdom at the CCCP meeting considered the summit no more than a necessary preliminary to invasion, however, due largely to the success of Operation: KHODOKI.

Operation: EPIGONI Exemplary of the lengths to which the CCCP went to combat subversive behavior, the KGB launched Operation: EPIGONI in 1964. This operation targeted Yuli Daniel and Andrei Sinyavsky, a pair of dissident Russian writers in the habit of smuggling their work outside the Soviet Union for publication in the West. The first of these works was published in 1959, but it wasn’t until after several years of investigation that the KGB tracked down the source of the subversive material. EPIGONI didn’t achieve significant results until 1965. Initial efforts, including arrangements for a thorough, covert search and bugging of each man’s apartment yielded little useful information. But even though it lacked proof, the KGB correctly concluded that a contact in the West was assisting the authors — Ms. Helene Zamoyska, a French acquaintance of Sinyavsky’s from his days at Moscow University, received the manuscripts to be passed on for publication. Finally, after the arrest, search, and interrogation of one of Zamoyska’s couriers failed to reveal any subversive documents, the authors were arrested and ruthlessly interrogated. Both admitted to publishing works under pseudonyms in the West, though they denied the works were anti-Soviet, and further refused to acknowledge Zamoyska’s part in the plot. Surveillance of the pair’s private conversations with visitors revealed several of their contacts, the most important of whom was Andrei Remizov, head librarian at the

In 1968, Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev met with Dubcek in Prague. He was prepared to accept that some degree of change was inevitable, but what he found in Czechoslovakia came as quite a shock. The Czechoslovak leadership still believed the Communist Party should lead, but wished it to lead by consent, not force. They wished for their people to speak, write, travel, and assemble as they chose, and for the State-controlled economy to slowly mutate into a blend of State-controlled and marketdriven elements. Dubcek dubbed this vision “socialism with a human face.” Perhaps the worst fallout of this “new Communism” in Czechoslovakia was the rescinding of State censorship. Suddenly, Czechoslovakian newspapers could editorialize on government programs and policies. The worst atrocities of the Stalinist regime could be revealed in print. Crowds could gather in the streets to debate and discuss these new issues, and fear grew in Moscow that the Czechoslovak Communist Party would lose both power and face, or worse, that Dubcek and his government might align themselves with the West.

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics Moscow Library of Foreign Literature. Once detained, Remizov also confessed he had published works in the West, and went on to further add that he had, indeed, passed material to Helene Zamoyska. The KGB’s suspicions confirmed, they went into action to close the pipeline. The agency cultivated several agents disguised as western visitors and made contact with other writers suspected of similar subversive activity. Several targets thereafter passed material for publication to these agents, which was in turn delivered to the KGB. Operation: EPIGONI’s role expanded, and by the end of 1968, over a dozen subversive writers and intellectuals were apprehended.

Such was the case in Operation: OMUT, during which the KGB mounted an effort to infiltrate and bug the American embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Working under KGB orders, a hotel owner codenamed MARAT founded an employment agency for domestic staff, including maids. The most promising applicant to the service, from the KGB’s perspective, was Mary Matrosian, a Lebanese maid later codenamed VERA. Since the Arab-Israeli Six Day War, VERA had taken refuge with her Armenian family in Syria; prior to that conflict’s outbreak, however, she was a residential maid for the American ambassador to Beirut. Armed with these credentials, MARAT’s agency assigned VERA work in the homes of various American diplomats and their families, where she was ordered to steal and copy documents, eavesdrop on conversations, and perform similar low-intensity espionage. Though it remains unknown whether VERA could have been recruited through conventional means, the KGB considered it expedient to approach her under a false flag — that is to say, MARAT claimed her work would benefit her people rather than the Soviet Union or the KGB.

Operation: KEDR In addition to being a base from which special operations against the U.S. were launched, the Soviet embassy in Canada was a major asset during operations against Canada itself. Perhaps the largest of these intelligence gathering efforts was Operation: KEDR. an immensely detailed reconnaissance study of Canadian oil and gas refineries and pipelines, from British Columbia to Montreal. Each target was thoroughly scouted, photographed from several angles, and examined for vulnerable points in both construction and security. The most suitable approach roads and best getaway routes for sabotage operations are carefully plotted on small scale maps of each area. The take from KEDR was never utilized in a sabotage operation, but it became part of a large-scale effort to build a series of sabotage and disruption operations should war break out with NATO. While KEDR is exemplary of the effort, it was far from the only operation of its kind, nor was Canada the only target. In Europe, KGB residencies in every NATO nation, as well as some neutral powers, were expected to generate detailed plans for the sabotage of four to six major targets each year. Harbors, power stations, and government compounds were considered prime targets. In many instances, further preparations are made — weapon caches were hidden near targets, uniforms in use at the target facilities were manufactured, and the key employees were turned in every nation. War with NATO was not the only circumstance under which these plans were plotted; smaller crises, per KGB plans, regularly required sabotage on a commensurately smaller scale.

Psychotronics By the end of the 1960s, the United States was convinced that the Soviet Union had rocketed forward in vital areas of research. The Soviet Union’s perceived advantage was not in the arms race, however, or the space race, or even espionage technology. American intelligence agencies believed that the Soviets had widened the “psychic gap”. Though American agencies had investigated the possibility of psychic warfare — notably under Project: MKULTRA — they believed that the Soviets had achieved startling success in this area, taking the next step toward a new kind of spy technology. Allowing the Soviets such an advantage was unthinkable. Even the most carefully placed mole could be ferreted out if his hunter could read minds, and no secret was safe from Soviet psionic spies. In reality, however, it’s unlikely that the Soviet Union achieved much success in this area. Soviet agencies did take the task a good deal more seriously than their American counterparts, which likely accounts for the American belief that significant progress was made, but the truth probably lay with any of several Soviet programs intended to feed false and misleading intelligence to American agents. Of course, in a Spycraft game, the Soviets may have achieved true success in this area, as might the Americans. For psionic abilities to be effective within an espionage game, they must be exceedingly rare, or the focus of the game setting. For an excellent example of the latter, see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, available from AEG as Spycraft’s first official world setting.

Operation: OMUT It wasn’t unusual for Soviet intelligence operations to make use of foreign assets, even those who weren’t loyal to either the Soviet Union or Communism. Often, these assets possessed full knowledge of their true masters, but cared little — sufficient motivation — often in the form of currency, or blackmail — existed to compel such spies. Sometimes, however, these foreign assets were deliberately misled by their Soviet recruiters.

the 1960s MARAT himself mentioned no connection with the KGB, instead claiming to serve the best interests of the Armenian people — his people, according to his cover story. VERA believed the ruse and carried out MARAT’s orders. She was quite competent in her new field, even going so far as to successfully bug a CIA officer’s apartment as she was cleaning it. With VERA’s help, the KGB thoroughly penetrated America’s interests in and around Beirut, including both diplomatic and intelligence assets. Though VERA was a valuable asset in Beirut, she was not unique. Around the world, KGB handlers regularly recruited foreign operatives under false flags, with varying degrees of success. Not only does this method make the recruiter’s job easier (as the potential spy is likely to cooperate with a perceived countryman or ally), but prevents recruited spies from revealing the true allegiance if captured.

administration, well before the selection process began. By the end of the decade, over twenty POCHIN intercepts were considered of sufficient importance to share with leading members of the Politburo. Not only did POCHIN grow with this success — eventually establishing five separate listening posts in and around the Washington-Baltimore area, but a sister operation was launched, codenamed PROBA. Secreted within the Soviet mission to the U.N., PROBA intercepted not only American military cables but also diplomatic traffic sent and received by the U.N. missions from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Portugal, Spain, and Venezuela, plus the communications of Radio Liberty and Radio Free Europe. Some of this data was of such significance that it was personally reviewed by both Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and Soviet U.N. representative Yakov Malik. Further Soviet SIGINT efforts were greatly aided by a series of American defections throughout the 1960s. Despite KGB efforts to cultivate defectors, all of those considered vital to the Soviet SIGINT effort during the 1960s were walk-ins (Americans who approached the KGB, rather than the reverse). Through the decade, over half a dozen NSA employees defected to the Soviet Union, and in 1967, Chief Warrant Officer John Walker — one of the Soviet Union’s most valuable foreign assets, and a communications watch officer on the staff of the commander of all American submarine forces in the Atlantic — began an eighteen-year career as a KGB mole, brutally compromising the security of American naval ciphers.

Operation: PANDORA Throughout much of the 1960s, the KGB attempted to turn racial tensions in America to its own advantage. In pursuit of this goal, the Committee initially turned to manipulation, attempting to influence the policies and agendas of civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. It quickly became apparent King was a poor target, who frequently linked the aims of the civil rights movement not to a struggle against American imperialism or decadence, but to a fulfillment of the so called American dream, and the “sacred heritage of [America].” Despite this failure, however, the KGB didn’t give up on PANDORA. Fomenting racial strife remained a potent weapon in the KGB arsenal for the duration of the Cold War, and illustrated why the Party was so keen to shut down political dissent within its own borders. It was all too aware of the chaos and confusion it could sow

Operations: PRESSING and KRAB Though the Main Adversary — America — took pride in its place as the Soviet Union’s favorite target for espionage activities, it was by no means the only target. Indeed, even the United Nations itself, an organization that included the Soviet Union in its membership, was targeted for infiltration and surveillance. Riding high on the success of Operations: POCHIN and PROBA (see the previous column), KGB residencies in New York and Washington launched Operation: PRESSING, which concealed remote-control radio transmitters in the office of the chairman of the United Nations Security Council. Though these devices were expected to remain undiscovered — and did, for some time — both the devices and their casings were constructed from Western materials in order to conceal their Soviet origins. Simultaneously, Operation: KRAB placed similar devices in the office of the U.N. secretariat SecretaryGeneral. Almost as an afterthought, KRAB also bugged the Ghanaian mission to the U.N.

Operations: POCHIN and PROBA Historically, Soviet SIGINT efforts to intercept signals transmitted between U.S. embassies, CIA stations, and ally nation installations — such as Operation: RADAR in 1963 Mexico — met with limited success. Yet listening posts and other SIGINT operations run on U.S. soil proved more reliable. The first of these — codenamed POCHIN — was launched from the Soviet embassy in Washington, D.C. in 1966. From the POCHIN station, Soviet assets monitored the communications of the Pentagon, the FBI, the State Department, local police, and a multitude of other American agencies. Though secure channels were difficult to impossible to crack, a plethora of useful intelligence was broadcast over open channels. Among the secrets gathered, for example, were the identities of over ninety candidates for high level posts in the first Nixon

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics Later the same year, the Washington KGB residency managed to bug the meeting room of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The device used, once again constructed of Western materials, remained in service for four years before KGB press sources indicated it was found. Surprisingly, the bug discovered was not the same bug planted four years earlier — the KGB bug was fixed beneath a chair, while the bug discovered was attached to the underside of the Committee’s press table.

In addition to SMERSH, the KGB also sought assistance from other Soviet Bloc services in order to enlist an assassin capable of reaching Runge in North America, the traitor’s suspected location. Despite the Soviet Intelligence community’s best efforts, however, Runge was never found. Further, an agent hand picked by Hungarian intelligence to locate and execute Runge — codenamed JAGUAR — left for North America and disappeared without a trace. Though it is possible JAGUAR defected as well, it is assumed that either he was either unable to locate his target or was captured or killed in the attempt.

Operation: SPIRT Throughout the 1960s, the KGB launched several operations designed to indicate FBI abuses of the civil rights of American citizens. An example of one such operation was SPIRT, in which a forged letter, allegedly written by Frances Knight, head of the Passport Office in the American State Department, indicated he was a secret FBI agent whose loyalty lay with J. Edgar Hoover rather than the State Department. The letter, published in the Washington Post after delivery to columnist Drew Pearson, reported that a situation of some urgency had cropped up surrounding an FBI request to Knight for information on Professor H. Stuart Hughes, a faculty member at Harvard and vocal critic of American policy in Vietnam. The letter went on to state that Knight was unwilling to put the worst of her concerns to paper for security reasons, and requested a personal meeting. Both Knight and Hoover dismissed the letter as a forgery, but neither denied the FBI’s contacts with the Passport Office, so some of the KGB’s slanderous “mud” stuck. Encouraged by the press’ attention to the fabricated incident, the KGB continued to employ such tactics, eventually broadening the forgeries to include personal missives, usually implying illegal conduct or activities of suspect morality.

Lifestyle Though Soviet lifestyle doesn’t reflect the same rapid, almost manic rate of change as that seen in America, it quickens throughout the 1960s. Where American progressivism during this period tends to revolve around popular movements, ultimately resulting in fits and spasms of government reform, change in the Soviet Union proceeds at a steadier pace. This is largely due to the nation’s top-down management structure. Though the CCCP controls virtually every aspect of Soviet life to some degree, and generally maintains the interests of the Party paramount, both Khrushchev and Brezhnev oversaw dramatic improvements in the lifestyle of the Soviet population at large. Yet while quality of life issues, such as housing and availability of consumer goods, saw some action from Soviet leadership during the 1960s, many of the freedoms taken for granted in America — freedom of speech, religion, and the right to assemble, for example — were practically foreign concepts in the Soviet Union. All were considered, to varying degrees, to be a threat to the CCCP’s power, and therefore contrary to the best interests of the Party, by extension, the State. While severely restricted freedoms lead some to strain against the controls imposed by the government, such policies were not entirely detrimental. Compared against America, violent crime was virtually nonexistent in the Soviet Union — during the very same decade that the United States was torn apart by riots and civil unrest, life in the Soviet Union was relatively peaceful. Luxuries may have been few and far between, but there was balance to the system — each citizen was provided for according to his need, and was expected to uphold his responsibilities to the Party and State in return.

Operation: TREZOR The Soviet intelligence community takes great pains to track down and punish traitors, as well illustrated by the case of defector Yevgeni Runge, who betrayed the Soviet Union to the CIA in Germany in 1967. Formerly codenamed MAKS, the KGB re-designated Runge GNIDA (or “nit”), and a SMERSH tribunal subsequently condemned the traitor to death in absentia. The pursuit was designated Operation: TREZOR and enlisted several other Soviet Bloc intelligence services, as well as more than fifty of Runge’s friends and family throughout the Soviet Union, and East and West Germany. Every item of the targets’ correspondence was opened and examined and their homes were secretly searched and bugged. The Stasi — the East German Secret Police — even went so far as to mount a subordinate operation, COBRA, to cultivate Runge’s sister in law as an informant.

the 1960s State sponsored art programs were widespread, though they were almost always oriented toward subsidizing art that encouraged conformity and subordination of one’s own well being for the sake of the Party and State. Even great Soviet talents were encouraged by the Party to produce work that even the lowliest peasant could understand and sympathize with, and that simultaneously discouraged independent thought and encouraged identification with Proletarian ideals. In the arena of architecture, very little from the Czarist era survives to the 1960s. With only a few exceptions, examples of pre-revolution architecture were destroyed, either by the Nazi invasion during Operation: BARBAROSSA or during the subsequent Stalinization of Soviet cities. During this period, most cities feature bulky, blocky architecture that varies only slightly from building to building, with the exception of government facilities and monuments, which retained their distinctively czarist influences.

Literature Like most venues of expression, Soviet literature is tightly restricted by the State, once again requiring independent writers, such as Yuli Daniel and Andrei Sinyavsky, to seek publication outside the nation. Such endeavors rarely ended well — in the case of the aforementioned authors, both were arrested and imprisoned. State sponsored literature strove to reinforce Communist ideals through demonstration, though whether these ideals were truly Proletarian or the propaganda of the CCCP varied from case to case. Callow Youth (1962) similarly follows the growth of a young man, but is notable for a flood which damages only private homes, sparing State-run housing. I Want to Live (1966) demonstrates the danger inherent in associating with those the state brands as criminals: an old man shares the warmth of his cabin with a gulag escapee, only to be brutalized in return. Even when State-endorsed literature featured themes of rebellion against one’s superiors, the overseers were portrayed as slothful and careerist, perhaps even with Capitalist leanings, while the youth — the hero of the story — had nothing but the best interests of the State and the Party at heart.

Art and Architecture Much Soviet art was also dictated by the CCCP at various levels. Due to the close strictures placed on freedom of expression in the Soviet Union, artists had to either carefully monitor their own work for material that could be considered politically subversive, or go underground. In the latter case, the art produced sometimes saw the light of day only in the West, transported via the black market, friendly Western contacts or Soviet turncoats, and other intermediaries.

The Union of Soviet Socialist republics ability and variety of consumer options. Historically, the prevailing tenets of Soviet fashion required moderation, simplicity, and modesty. Also, unlike its Western counterpart, the Soviet sense of fashion emphasized collectivism and lacked rapid, sometimes seasonal changes. But as the 1960s progressed, gradual increases in standard of living, as well as limited foreign trade and tourism, brought a gradual splash of color to the dresses worn in Moscow.

Education Soviet education in the 1960s was State- and Partysponsored at every level. Included with education in the sciences and humanities was regular indoctrination — Soviet children were taught not math and science, but how to be good Communists and good Soviets. Secondary Soviet education was highly compartmentalized, and largely granted at the whim of the State. Attendance at more prestigious universities was granted only to foreign students (who were often approached by Soviet intelligence for recruitment) and those in good standing with the Party. Even vocational schools, attended by the majority of Soviet citizens seeking secondary education, were State-run and largely out of reach of those considered ideologically impure. All that said, the State always ensured that every citizen received sufficient education to be of value to the Soviet Union — albeit in a profession of the State’s choosing.

Social Reform Social reform is fundamentally rare in the Soviet Union and almost exclusively driven by the State and Party goals, rather than those of the people. Various divisions of the Party apparatus actively discouraged any sort of organized progressivism, and those who persisted were usually arrested as dissenters and imprisoned in the gulags for ideological retraining. Even so, some reform did occur. While Party leadership placed great value on the maintenance of its own political power, it wasn’t entirely unconcerned with the welfare of its people. Great strides were made in several areas during the decade, and daring gambles were made to improve the overall lot of the average Soviet citizen, however disastrous (such as Khrushchev’s plan to sow corn in the Soviet Union — see page 30). While it’s arguable that Party leadership did just enough to keep the people docile, or enough to project its positive propaganda campaign, it’s more likely that some — not all, but some — among the CCCP still placed great stock in the welfare of the people. The communist ideal dictates “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” It seems that not all among the CCCP abandoned this ideal in favor of elitism and comfortable wealth.

Fads and Fashion Fads had little opportunity to develop in the Soviet Union, as the consumer culture required for a fad to take hold of public consciousness was largely discouraged by the State. The difficulty of importing goods for the individual consumer dictated that most consumer goods were manufactured within the Soviet Union itself, in State-run facilities, and therefore not only assembly-produced but also not very conducive to fad-style infatuation. Nonetheless, Soviet fashion subtly began to shift toward less uniform sensibilities during the 1960s, thanks largely to the State’s focus on improving the avail-

the 1960s Moscow chase map

modifier with all Driver checks made as part of the chase, and must spend 2 action dice to activate a critical success. During the summer months, when foot traffic is more frequent, Moscow is considered close terrain for vehicular chases; once the chill of winter sets in, however, pedestrians are few and far between, and the city streets are considered open terrain. The Red Square itself is restricted to government personnel, barring specific dispensation by the CCCP or Politburo. Vehicular chases within this area are therefore always considered to take place in open terrain. Soviet security forces are quick to lend aid if either party involved in a chase is associated with the Soviet government, however (otherwise, they aid the predator in order to end the chase). As long as a chase continues within the Red Square, agents with the Hammer and Sickle feat gain a circumstance bonus with all maneuver checks equal to the number of rounds the chase has continued so far.

Moscow is the heart of the Soviet Union. The Kremlin – a self contained city including armories, churches, and palaces contained within a medieval Russian fortress – is the seat of party power in the country. Residentially, the areas immediately surrounding the city are largely reserved for Party figures and politically affluent citizens. Further, the surrounding area features a multitude of amenities designed to attract foreign guests and demonstrate the benefits of life within the Soviet Union. GUM, a nationally owned department store, is located near the Red Square itself, and many state run hotels occupy the region as well. During the summer months, foot traffic is common throughout the city, while vehicles are both rare and remarked upon. Agents attempting the vanish maneuver during a vehicular chase here suffer a –4 circumstance

Moskva Hotel

sk og o Be lin

Historical Museum

ns entr ance

Alex ande r

sa ekt M ark prosp

Krasnaya Pl. (Red Square)

Presidium and Kremlin Theater

St. Basil’s Cathedral

Palace of Congresses

KREMLIN

Grt. Kremlin Palace

.p.

(wall) aya rezhn nabe a y a vsk VA mle Kre MOSK Toreza risa ya Mo zhna e r e nab

United Kingdom Embassy ya na

z ba La

Bucharest

g Balchu

Le by az hiy p.

Council of Ministers

va he ys yb Ku

k ulo

V.I. Lenin Mausoleum

Gar de

Sa pu no va

e per

Gra novs kog

GUM dept. store

yy bn Ry

Central Exhibition Hall

Moskvoretskaya

Enge l’sa

. e. p Fat

Le ni vk a

ev .p

pr oy ez

he .p

’. p. stal Kru

Lenin Library

Ku yb ys h

Lenin Central Museum Is to ri c

Og ar ev a

Inturist Hotel

Inturist Office

MoscowLomonosov State University

Meropol’ Hotel

Council of Ministers

Natsional Hotel

Ge rts ena

ksa kt Mar prospe

B. Ch.

Yer. Dr. Theater

Children’s Dept. Store Malyy Theater

p. v. ye gi or

Berlin Hotel

TsUM (dept. store)

ya to go

Central Telegraph Office

Bol’shoy Theater

. pr

. pr. hep Shc

tra ea .T ud Kh

Dv ad tsa t’ P

MKhAT

Ok ty ab ry a

Opera Theater

“There are many people in the world who really don’t understand - or say they don’t - what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. . . Let them come to Berlin!” - President John F. Kennedy

The Balance of Power

the 1960s

Introduction

China

By the 1960s, most European nations were aligned with one the two superpowers and their respective treaty organizations. NATO, led by the United States, largely dominated Western Europe, while the Warsaw Pact, controlled by the Soviet Union, occupied most of Eastern Europe. These alliances are both military and political, though France became the exception to the rule in 1965 when it withdrew its military forces from NATO unified command (see page 82) — by the end of 1966, no element of the French military was attached to NATO forces. Similarly, the Warsaw Pact was politically stable, with a couple of exceptions. Though it formally remained a member, Albania halted military support to the Warsaw Pact in 1962. Later, after the Warsaw Pact invasion of fellow member state Czechoslovakia in 1968, Albania formally (and successfully) withdrew. Optional Rule: When making a transportation favor check to travel from a NATO nation to a Warsaw Pact nation (or vice versa), the agents must spend 1 additional action die.

During the 1960s, China is divided between the mainland territory and Taiwan. The former makes up the People’s Republic of China, controlled by Mao Zedong’s Chinese Communist Party, while the Nationalist Chinese Kuomintang control the latter. Ironically, though the People’s Republic of China includes the lion’s share of the nation’s population and land mass, the Nationalist government is recognized by most Western powers — and the United Nations — as China’s rightful ruler, thanks largely to Cold War tensions, and healthy apprehension about communist leaderships.

The People’s Republic of China Despite ideological common ground between the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, relations between the two nations were strained at the outset of the 1960s. This came to a head when, following two diplomatic visits by Khrushchev to Beijing, Mao accused the Soviet Premier of being an American stooge. Soviet advisors were withdrawn from Beijing, and the two mightiest

The balance of power communist nations in the world were at loggerheads. Despite this, relations between the United States and China were far from friendly — America continued to offer military and financial aid to the Nationalist Chinese government in Taiwan, an ongoing point of contention for the People’s Republic through this period. China quickly became the wildcard of the Cold War, aligned with neither superpower. This left both American and Soviet agents operating in the nation on enemy ground. Further, with China’s development of a nuclear arsenal in 1965 (see page 82), and subsequent modernization of that arsenal with the detonation of a hydrogen bomb in 1967 (see page 93, the nation suddenly achieved parity in the nuclear race. Throughout the decade, Chinese conventional forces clashed with those of both superpowers, sparking dozens of Sino-Soviet border skirmishes, as well as occasional shelling — and frequent intelligence activity — targeting U.S. resources supporting Taiwan. China’s domestic situation was in a constant state of flux throughout the decade. In the late 1950s, Mao proposed the infamous “Great Leap Forward,” an economic plan designed to make the People’s Republic of China a preeminent power. The nation industrialized by making use of its massive supply of cheap labor, focusing entirely on producing one commodity: steel. Even crop production was set aside in favor of this goal, leaving many fields to rot while the country ate from government reserves. Even factories, schools, and hospitals closed down to augment the labor force for this “socialist miracle.” Economic theorists and other dissenters were arrested and executed for standing in the way of this grand socialist experiment. Government food reserves were quickly exhausted, but it was already too late to save the abandoned harvest and famine soon followed, resulting in the deaths of tens of millions. Many party leaders attempted to lay the blame at Mao’s feet, and while he admitted a small degree of guilt, he placed much of the fault on the weather. During this dark period of China’s history, agents serving in China find a starving populace possessing a beleaguered morale. Then came the so-called Cultural Revolution, during which prominent Party officials declared Chairman Mao’s word irrefutable, his policies the work of genius. Mao’s wife, Jiang Qin, established a cult of personality around the Chairman. The Red Guard, a paramilitary organization whose membership numbered in the millions, considered Mao’s word absolute gospel. On August 1, 1966, the Chinese government declared its official position on dissent — intellectuals and imperialists (i.e. anyone opposed to Chairman Mao’s policies) were to be purged. The Red Guard was responsible for the lion’s share of these grisly duties, and they pursued this goal with ruthless zeal. Chinese citizens who exhibited even the slightest hint of dissent during this time found

their homes looted and destroyed, their friends and relatives tortured or killed. The accused were often put to death in the streets as examples to humiliate and terrorize the populace. By the end of 1966, the Red Guard were the foremost authority in the nation. Police forces were left nearly powerless as the Red Guard freely broke the law in pursuit of ideological purity, their actions broadly sanctioned by Chairman Mao’s personal order. Soon, the purging extended to items of historical and cultural significance — artifacts and antiques, ancient buildings and libraries alike were burned to ash. In an effort to remove all trace of a non-communist China, the Red Guard destroyed nearly 4,000 years of dynastic history. The purge extended to foreign nationals as well. While care was exercised not to incite direct retaliation from foreign interests, the Red Guard and other communist organizations applied significant covert pressure to foreign citizens, many of whom were harassed, attacked, and even killed by “anonymous” Chinese citizens. By 1967, the Red Guard openly targeted political figures, and behind the scenes perversion began to undermine the organization’s purpose. At the national level, Chinese officials maneuvered behind the scenes to target one another with the Red Guard — often with Mao’s blessing, the Chairman calling for all government bodies to challenge and criticize themselves in order to maintain the purity of the communist revolution.

The Republic of China Headquartered in Taipei, the government of the Republic of China was broadly recognized as China’s sole legitimate leadership. The Kuomintang (KMT), or Nationalist Party of China, seized control of Taiwan in 1949 and exerted political authority throughout the 1960s. Once securely in control, the KMT established itself as one of the richest political parties in the world, and the Republic of China as one of the most affluent nations. The KMT redistributed the holdings of many established landowners to small farmers, reimbursing the former real estate magnates with shares in government-controlled industry. This left some of them impoverished, but many others invested in commercial and industrial ventures, marking impressive profits. Combined with the efforts of refugee businessmen from mainland China, this transformed Taiwan into a leading economic power. Taiwan suffered many of the same social ills as Mainland China, though on a smaller scale, and like the Red Guard, the KMT kept near total control over the nation’s political system, taking great pains to silence domestic dissent. Despite this, however, the United States supported the Taiwanese government both militarily and financially throughout the 1960s.

the 1960s By contrast, the Republic of China was considered China’s rightful government — by the United Nations and the bulk of the Western world. In recognition of this fact, the United States provided this “government in exile” with military and economic support. Still, though democratic elections were theoretically permitted, the Kuomintang ruthlessly repressed dissident views, leading to a monopoly on government positions in this segment of China as well.

China: National Languages Should the GC wish to randomly determine the languages spoken in China he may roll d% and consult the following table. Result Language/Dialect 1–70 Mandarin (Putonghua) 71–75 Cantonese (Yue) 66 Shanghaiese (Wu) 67 Fuzhou (Minbei) 68 Hokkien-Taiwanese (Minnan) 69 Xiang 70 Gan 71 Other Chinese dialect 72–100 Roll twice on this table* * If the GC rolls this result more than once, the results are cumulative.

Republic of China President Chiang Kai-shek (1950–1975): The preeminent political figure in the Kuomintang, Chiang Kai-shek, assumed the presidency of Taiwan in 1954 and was re-elected in 1960, 1966, and 1972. Claiming sovereignty for the KMT over all of Mainland China, Kai-shek vowed that he would one day return to the mainland. This claim was generally recognized by the Western world, and placed agents of Western powers in a precarious position, as the leader’s refusal to allow allied nations to open diplomatic offices on Mainland China prevented agents from maintaining an official cover there. Such agents were forced to operate as “illegals,” risking arrest and summary execution for espionage.

The Game in China Spycraft games taking place both on Mainland China and in Taiwan tend toward a distinctly Orwellian tone. Big Brother — the Chinese Communist Party or the Kuomintang — really is watching… closely. Dissent is not tolerated, and the few who hold anti-government views rarely express them. Citizens live in constant fear of the Red Guard and the KMT, whether loyal or not, and agents — both Soviet and American — are preserved by the thinnest thread of secrecy, all that’s possible in this bleak sociopolitical landscape.

Espionage and Intelligence Organizations The following espionage organizations are active in China during the 1960s. Guojia Anquan Bu (Guoanbu): China’s primary foreign intelligence organ aggressively targeted the United States in an effort to gather useful intelligence in every arena, particularly economy and industry. Its operations arm was quite capable and well trained. Its analysis division was somewhat less so, largely because Guoanbu analysts spent very little time abroad, basing many of their conclusions on the arrogant assumption that the nations of the world would ultimately behave as China did.

Leadership The People’s Republic of China was virtually a totalitarian state, controlled from the top down by the Chinese Communist Party. Preeminent in the Party throughout the decade, Chairman Mao Zedong ruled with an iron fist. Those beneath him scrambled for power, trying desperately to remain in his favor to avoid a Red Guard purge. At the outset of the decade, the People’s Republic of China stood alone in international politics, having recently broken off relations with the Soviet Union, and standing at odds with America over ideology and Taiwan.

Average Guoanbu Agent, 1st-level operative (standard NPC — 21 MP if used as basis for minion type): Department: D-0 Home Office. CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 8/10; Init +2 (+1 Dex, +1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 12 (+1 Dex, +1 class); Atk: Daewoo DP-51 +1 (dmg 1d10+1, recoil 13, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft. — 13 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +3, Demolitions +1, Driver +2, Hide +2, Move Silently +2, Search +1, Spot +2, Surveillance +2. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Career Operative, Jump Up, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of 9mmP JHP ammunition, 2 basic audio bugs, evidence kit, handcuffs. Vehicles and Gadgets: Government car (sedan — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 100, Hrd 6, qualities and mods: none, ordnance: none), echo tracers (×2).

Chairman Mao Zedong (1949–1976): Mao held a variety of titles through his tenure as leader of the People’s Republic of China. From 1959 to 1969, Mao was Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo. In 1969, he served as Chairman of the 9th Party Congress, and by 1970, he was named Supreme Commander of the Chinese nation and army. Early in the 1960s, Mao focused his efforts toward establishing China as a world economic power (focusing Chinese spying efforts on industrial espionage), but turned toward maintaining absolute control later in the decade (reapplying Chinese spies toward domestic efforts).

The balance of power Xinhua — New China News Agency: China’s preeminent news agency doubled as a state intelligence apparatus. In addition to serving as a channel through which Chinese leadership was kept abreast concerning world events, Xinhau also provided a convenient cover for Guoanbu agents. Xinhua’s Security Section was the most active throughout Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, though the organization maintained offices — and agents — worldwide. Xinhua’s status as a Party organ (rather than a state division) granted it additional flexibility, allowing it to extend official diplomatic covers to Security Section personnel. This further allowed China to establish de facto embassies in territories where the nation maintained no formal relations; Xinhua’s Hong Kong offices were one example of this practice.

Atk: fist/punch +1 (dmg 1d6+1 error 1, threat 20); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 12, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +1, Climb +2, First Aid +1, Intimidate +2/+1, Jump +2, Knowledge +1, Tumble +1. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Weapon Group Proficiency (Exotic — Martial Arts, Hurled, Melee). Gear: Handcuffs. Vehicles and Gadgets: None. National Security Bureau: In theory, the NSB’s broad duties required the agency to remain abreast of international developments, but in reality, its efforts were largely focused on the People’s Republic of China. The NSB also handled domestic intelligence and inspired fear in the Taiwanese people, due in no small part to the fact that each of its members held the effective rank of general in the nation’s military command structure.

Average Xinhua Agent, 1st-level media (standard NPC — 24 MP if used as basis for minion type): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 8/10; Init +2 (+1 Dex, +1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 12 (+1 Dex, +1 class); Atk: .45 ACP AF hush puppy +1 (dmg 1d10+2, error 1, threat 19–20, range 20 ft. — 10 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 14; Skills: Diplomacy +3, Gather Information +6, Hide +2, Innuendo +1, Perform +3, Profession (Journalist) +1, Sense Motive +1, Surveillance +1. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of .45 ACP military ball ammunition, 1 basic audio bug, evidence kit, professional camera, personal tape recorder. Vehicles and Gadgets: Government car (sedan — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 100, Hrd 6, qualities and mods: none, ordnance: none), memory paper (2 pages), standard attaché case with safe passage unit option.

Average NSB Agent, 1st-level operative (standard NPC — 18 MP if used as basis for minion type): Department: D-2 Military Operations. CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 8/10; Init +6 (+1 Dex, +1 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 12 (+1 Dex, +1 class); Atk: Daewoo DP-51 +1 (dmg 1d10+1, recoil 13, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft. — 13 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +3, Demolitions +2, Driver +2, Hide +2, Move Silently +2, Search +2, Spot +3, Surveillance +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Improved Initiative, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of 9mmP JHP ammunition, 1 basic audio bug, evidence kit, handcuffs. Vehicles and Gadgets: Government car (sedan — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 100, Hrd 6, qualities and mods: none, ordnance: none), memory paper (2 pages), spray cigarettes (×2, knockout gas — inhaled DC 18, dmg 1d6 Dex/unconscious).

Red Guard: In the People’s Republic of China, the Red Guard were the frontline of the Cultural Revolution. Most Red Guard were teenagers summoned by the State to protect the progression of the Chinese socialist movement against “counter-revolutionary forces.” Red Guard operations weren’t centralized — instead, each locally organized unit persecuted dissidents independently. Average Red Guard Agent, 1st-level martial arts mook (standard NPC — 20 MP if used as basis for minion type): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 9/12; Init +1 (+1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 11 (+1 class);

the 1960s superpower, but nonetheless sought to strengthen its position by cozying up to the Soviet Union, becoming more and more beholden to the communist superpower’s generous trade negotiations. It wasn’t until 1965, however, that Fidel Castro’s power base formally aligned with communism (until then, Cuba’s leading political party was socialist, though the vast majority of American political theorists believe this distinction to be a case of the finest hairsplitting). Soon after, Castro acquiesced to Soviet demands to place his intelligence assets at the disposal of the Soviet KGB, and to allow Soviet operations to launch from the island nation. Though it didn’t formally enjoy diplomatic relations with many African, Asian, and Latin American nations, Cuba’s Communist Party did hold some sway over these nations’ political leanings. This is due primarily to the formation of the Organization for Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAL) and the Organization for Latin American Solidarity (LASO). These groups — administered on behalf of Cuba by the DGI (see page 55), allowed the communist nation to support revolutionary activity throughout the Third World. Their ties were so strong that Che Guevara himself left Cuba in order to carry the revolution to other Latin American nations, fighting alongside their native sons (U.S. Army Rangers later located the revolutionary leader in Bolivia, and killed him). Early in the 1960s, Cuba was a flashpoint for crises, both with the American intelligence community and across the international stage. America’s ill-fated Operation: MONGOOSE suffered a series of failures, most spectacularly the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 (see page 78). Cuba once more exploded onto the world stage only one year later, this time as the epicenter of the Cuban Missile Crisis (see page 79). As the decade marched on, crises in Cuba became less frequent and less visible, due largely to the KGB’s desire to maintain a low profile for its operations launched from Cuban soil. The frequency of Cuban emigration to the United States — combined with lax American immigration laws regarding Cuba exiles, designed to attract intelligentsia and other notables considered undesirable by Castro’s regime — provided ample opportunity for Cuban intelligence agencies to infiltrate the United States. In fact, this is largely the cause of the continued failure of Operation: MONGOOSE to oust Castro from power (see page 22). Despite the harsh rule of Castro’s regime, the Communist Party was fairly popular with Cuba’s people. Social initiatives begun throughout the decade improved the quality of life for many Cuban citizens, and though the U.S. embargo forced the nation to impose food rations and imposed economic hardship, most considered Castro’s regime fairly benign when compared to Fulgencio Batista, his predecessor.

China the Ally When China is an ally of the team’s home nation, an agent may spend 2 action dice to make an intervention favor check (DC 10) to operate with legal impunity within China’s borders. With success, the agent may arrest, harass, and otherwise inconvenience any citizen or foreign national within either Chinese territory — up to and including violence, but not including murder — without risk of local legal retribution. This benefit lasts 24 hours, after which the agent is subject to China’s standard restrictions.

China the Enemy Chinese operatives are relentless — often fanatical — foes. When China is an enemy of the agents’ home nation, all Chinese operatives gain a threat range of 19–20 with all morale checks. Further, when the GC activates a Chinese operative’s critical success, that operative becomes immune to typically required morale checks for the remainder of the current session (for more information about morale checks, see the Modern Arms Guide, pages 12–14). Should the GC wish to use China as a full-fledged threat, he should use the following statistics. • People’s Republic of China: wealth 8, technology 9, loyalty 10, influence 5, scope 6, threat resources: propaganda (Xinhua offices — hierarchy 3, secrecy 2, personnel 2, security 4), weapons of mass destruction (nuclear research laboratory — hierarchy 5, secrecy 4, personnel 2, security 3), agenda: control. • Republic of China: wealth 10, technology 12, loyalty 6, influence 3, scope 5, threat resources: departmental access (“Mystical 110” (NSB headquarters) — hierarchy 4, secrecy 5, personnel 1, security 3), fleet support (Jiao Yang (Navy Cruiser) — hierarchy 3, secrecy 1, personnel 4, security 3), agenda: control.

Cuba In 1959, after the United States officially recognized a new Cuban government led by Fidel Castro, the island nation’s communist disposition became clear. Following a series of political moves nationalizing several industries, Cuba formally opened relations with the Soviet Union. U.S. relations with the nation, long fracturing under the stress of Cuban abuses of American business interests in the region, went sour at the same time. By the spring of 1960, Eisenhower authorized covert action against Cuba designed to overthrow Castro, and in 1963, the Kennedy administration pushed for laws prohibiting travel to Cuba and business transactions between American citizens and Cuban interests. At this point, Cuba was almost totally isolated from the nearest

The balance of power intelligence operatives — to such a degree, in fact, that Cuba’s intelligence community often seemed like an arm of its Soviet antecedent. Further, at Castro’s insistence, elements of Cuban intelligence were dedicated to fomenting communist revolution throughout the rest of Latin America.

Cuba: National Languages Should the GC wish to randomly determine the languages spoken in Cuba he may roll d% and consult the following table. Result Language 1–75 Spanish 76–85 Spanish and English 86–90 English 91–95 Other 96–100 Roll twice on this table* * If the GC rolls this result more than once, the results are cumulative.

Espionage and Intelligence Organizations The following espionage organizations are active in Cuba during the 1960s. Dirección General de Inteligencia (DGI) — Directorate of General Intelligence: Established under the authority of the Minister of the Interior in late 1961, the DGI’s responsibilities are twofold. Not only is the organization Cuba’s primary gatherer of foreign intelligence, but it also includes three Liberation Committees dedicated to spreading the Communist Revolution through the Western hemisphere. Each committee supports communist insurgency in different a different region — the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Aside from these Liberation Committees, the DGI consists of two divisions — Operations and Support. The operational division is further divided into the Political/Economic Intelligence Division, the Military Intelligence Division, and the External Counter Intelligence Division, the latter of which is charged with infiltrating and sabotaging foreign intelligence services and their operations, as well as keeping track of Cuban exiles. Meanwhile, the DGI’s support division provides raw materials necessary for Cuban tradecraft, including false documents, cipher procedures, clandestine communications networks, and intelligence analysis. Late in the 1960s, the Soviet Union applied economic and political pressure against Cuba, forcing the island nation to formally subordinate the DGI to the KGB. Thereafter, the Liberation Committees were considered extraneous to the DGI’s responsibilities, their duties falling to the newly formed National Liberation Directorate. Surprisingly, the DGI was left largely to its own devices under KGB control. Other than having to share its intelligence take with the Soviets, the DGI operated with nominal autonomy. Perhaps the most prominent example of DGI cooperation with the KGB is the establishment of a KGB SIGINT listening post at Lourdes, Cuba.

The Game in Cuba In a nation where an oppressive communist regime presents itself to the people as a liberation movement, the game is all about face, and secrets. The people appear happy and prosperous, while freedoms rot away beneath the veneer of civilization. Even Cuba’s leadership — to all appearances educated and cosmopolitan — conceals a brutal modus operandi just beneath the surface, as businessmen, academics, and political activists are violently run out of the country, arrested, or worse. Even a peaceful siesta is liable to explode into frenetic action or cliffhanging crisis at any moment, as counter-revolutionaries storm the beaches at the Bay of Pigs, or American reconnaissance assets spot Soviet missile sites under construction.

Leadership The upper echelons of Cuba’s leadership were filled almost exclusively by members of Fidel Castro’s revolutionary movement, particularly those who served personally with the Cuban Premier. President Osvaldo Torrado: (1959–1976): A loyal member of Castro’s revolutionary movement, Torrado was imprisoned by Fulgencio Batista’s forces in 1958. He later escaped and fled to Mexico, returning in 1959 to assume the Cuban presidency. Shrewd and competent, Torrado wielded considerable influence, establishing much of Cuba’s legal code and procedures, though he possessed little power over the nation’s foreign policy and intelligence activities. Premier Fidel Castro (1959–present): Once a Cuban exile, Castro returned to the island nation in 1956 at the head of the 26th of July Revolutionary Movement, to which then Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista surrendered the country on New Year’s Day, 1959. Despite claims from Cuban exiles that Castro maintains control through oppression and coercion, the Premier is quite popular with the Cuban people. Due to his nation’s close ties with the Soviet Union, Castro cooperated fully with Soviet

Average DGI Agent, 1st-level operative (standard NPC — 18 MP if used as basis for minion type): Department: D-1: The Power Brokerage. CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 9/12; Init +1 (+1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 11 (+1 class); Atk: sap +0 (dmg 1d3+2 subdual, threat 20), subsonic Makarov PM backup pistol +0 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 11, Dex 10, Con 12,

the 1960s Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 12; Skills: Bluff +4, Demolitions +1, Diplomacy +2 (error 1–2), Driver +2, Hide +2, Intimidate +1/+2 (error 1–2), Move Silently +2, Search +1, Spot +1, Surveillance +1. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Hard Core, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mm JHP ammunition, handcuffs. Vehicles and Gadgets: Government car (sedan — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 100, Hrd 6, qualities and mods: none, ordnance: none), grenade cigarette (×1).

Cuba the Enemy Cuba’s Liberation Committees spread chaos throughout their territory (see page 55 for more information about the DGI and its Liberation Committees). When Cuba is an enemy of the agents’ home nation and any of the agents makes a favor check on Cuban soil, the GC may spend and roll 1 action die to increase the favor check’s DC by the action die’s result. The GC may spend only 1 action die to increase the DC of each agent favor check in this fashion. Should the GC wish to use Cuba as a full-fledged threat, he should use the following statistics: wealth 5, technology 4, loyalty 8, influence 7, scope 4, threat resources: none; agenda: expansion.

Dirección de Inteligencia Militar (DIM) — Military Intelligence Directorate: Though ostensibly responsible for military intelligence and counter-intelligence against Cuba’s enemies and potential enemies, the DIM was in truth focused almost solely on the United States. In part, this was due to Cuba’s sheer proximity to and adversarial relationship with the northern nation, though this was exacerbated by the Soviet Union’s involvement, as Cuba’s intelligence organs squared their sights upon the Main Adversary. In addition to collecting intelligence concerning the U.S. military’s disposition and operations, the DIM coordinated with the Soviet SIGINT effort, especially the facility constructed at Lourdes.

Guantanamo Bay Designated GTMO (pronounced “Gitmo”), Guantanamo Bay is a U.S. Naval base on the coast of the Guantanamo Province in south-eastern Cuba. According to a lease that may only be terminated with the agreement of both governments, the United States pays Cuba $2,000 in American gold per year to harvest coal and maintain a naval base in the area, the latter of which takes priority in the 1960s. Guantanamo Bay is a sore point for Castro’s regime, for it’s an American strong point against communist expansion in the Western hemisphere. Over the years, Castro hatched a number of schemes to oust the Americans from his shores — even cutting off the base’s water supply — to no avail. During the 1960s a number of Cubans hold civilian positions on the base, providing ample opportunity for recruitment on both sides of the fence. American intelligence frequently debriefs these employees for intelligence about Cuba, and Cuba often targets the American facility in return. To date, Gitmo remains secure.

Average DIM Agent, 1st-level operative (standard NPC — 14 MP if used as basis for minion type): Department: “The Basement”. CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 9/12; Init +0 (+1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 11 (+1 class); Atk: sap +0 (dmg 1d3+2 subdual, threat 20), subsonic Makarov PM backup pistol with silencer +0 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 11, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +2, Demolitions +1, Driver +2, Hide +3 (threat 19–20), Move Silently +3 (threat 19–20), Search +1, Spot +2, Surveillance +2. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Iron Will, Stealthy, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mm JHP ammunition. Vehicles and Gadgets: Government car (sedan — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 100, Hrd 6, qualities and mods: none, ordnance: none), radio tooth.

Soviet Ground Station Cuba’s proximity to the United States makes it an excellent launch pad for Soviet operations against the Main Adversary. In particular, Soviet signals intelligence efforts benefit greatly from a communist-controlled nation so close to American shores. The added benefit of listening in on the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay is gravy. This map covers an average Soviet listening post in Cuba, and is representative of the layout of a small SIGINT ground station anywhere in the world, belonging to either the Soviet Union or the United States.

Cuba the Ally When Cuba is an ally of the team’s home nation, the agents find safe haven within the nation’s borders. While on Cuban soil, an agent may make an assistance favor check, choosing a positive modifier of up to +8. The favor check’s DC is equal to the chosen modifier ×5. If the favor check is successful, the DCs of all skill checks made to locate the agents are increased by the chosen modifier. Further, in order to activate a critical threat with any skill check made to locate the agents, the GC must spend an additional number of action dice equal to H this modifier (rounded down).

1. Storage Shed: Assorted supplies are stored here, including parts with which resident agents can repair their surveillance gear. An infiltrator may study the contents of this room for 1 round to make an

The balance of power

Electronics check (DC 20) to deduce the facility’s true nature. The shed’s door is secured with a padlock that requires a successful Open Lock check (DC 20) or Strength check (DC 25) to bypass.

6. Living Room: The ground station’s living room is the first floor’s primary concession to the resident comfort, though it is a poor one. The bookshelves here are lined with extensive material on communist theory and Soviet propaganda, as well as technical manuals on the maintenance and operation of the station’s equipment.

2. Control Room: Resident agents monitor SIGINT traffic from this location. Two operatives are on duty here at all times. Agents who gain access to the surveillance gear located here may covertly disrupt operations by recalibrating the equipment to operate incorrectly, or at less than peak efficiency. This task requires a successful Electronics check (DC 25), and with success alters the gear as desired. Anyone using the gear may notice the tampering with a successful Electronics check opposing the agent’s skill check result.

7. Entrance: The building’s front doors open into this empty narrow hall. The doors here are locked and bolted at all times, though a nearby window may be broken in 1 round with no skill check, allowing an intruder to simply reach in and unlock the door manually. When stealth is required, the door may be bypassed with a successful Open Lock check (DC 25).

3. Conference Room/Library: In addition to its primary purpose as conference room for the residents, this room contains logs of past SIGINT intercepts made by this ground station.

8. Bedrooms: Each of these rooms is the private quarters of one station resident, and contains a wide variety of personal knick-knacks and other items useless in any RPG adventure setting.

4. Kitchen: An industrial-size refrigerator and stove dominate this location. The refrigerator holds enough food to sustain 6 residents for a month.

9. Washroom: The ground station’s washroom is out of the way and discreet, granting up to 1 agent a +4 circumstance bonus with Hide checks.

5. Dining Area: This area is spartan and neatly furnished. Its back door is locked at all times, requiring a successful Open Lock check (DC 20) to bypass. A contact alarm trips anytime the door is opened, alerting the resident on duty of the trespass. A successful Spot check (DC 25) notices the trap, and a successful Electronics check (DC 20) disables it.

10. Roof: The ground station’s antenna array is positioned on the building’s roof. It’s generally concealed with light camouflage netting, requiring a successful Spot check (DC 20) to notice. The receiver equipment possesses a hardness of 5 with 50 wound points and no Break DC.

the 1960s game (see page 104). This movement’s stated goal was to indoctrinate young East Germans as Marxist-Leninists, but the group also ran several discoes and arranged thousands of holidays for the nation’s young people. Throughout the 1960s, Berlin was a flashpoint for American-Soviet relations. Both superpowers stationed military assets — including infantry, armor, and air units — within the city, ready to pounce should conventional warfare break out anywhere in the world. Finally, East Germany was the launch point for many infiltration operations targeting NATO, largely due to its proximity to the physical border between the Western world and the Soviet Bloc and the similarities in appearance and language between East and West German citizens.

East Germany Germany’s division at the end of World War II created two separate countries that were kept at arm’s length from one another by the Iron Curtain throughout much of the remainder of the 20th century. The Soviet Union seized control in the east, imposing its totalitarian regime upon the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR), or German Democratic Republic. Defined as a “country of workers and peasants” by the East German constitution, the DDR resembled Stalin’s Soviet Union more closely than Khrushchev’s or Brezhnev’s. In the heart of East Germany, Berlin was also divided. By 1961, the country’s growing oppression led to massive emigration to the prosperous West, and the Soviet Union erected the Berlin Wall to contain its populace. At first merely a chain-link fence, this division eventually grew into a concrete barrier topped with razor wire, surrounded by guard towers, spotlights, ditches, landmines, and a dog and guard track. This gave rise to Western protests regarding the restrictions placed upon its citizens to move about Berlin freely, and after negotiations narrowly averted a military confrontation, East Germany acceded to the demands in a limited fashion. Thereafter the U.S. established checkpoints Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie along the Berlin Wall, the last of which, located on Friedrichstrasse, was by far the most traveled and became closely associated with espionage efforts against and from East Germany in the minds of the Western public. All three checkpoints were closely monitored by East German intelligence, and any realistic effort to go over the Wall required another approach. As an example, by the end of the 1960s, rumors persist that tunnels dug from basements and back alleys on the East German side were emerging in West Berlin. If they existed, such tunnels would have been a valuable asset to any agency that located them and managed to keep them a secret. The Berlin Wall allowed the Soviet Union to control its people’s freedoms to a degree. The simplest of luxuries — Western cigarettes, clothes, and magazines, to name a few — were routinely labeled contraband by the East German polizei, and anyone caught transporting these items through any of the Berlin Wall’s checkpoints was immediately arrested. Any attempt to escape over the wall into the West was also met with arrest — or simply a bullet in the back without warning Unlike most communist nations, East Germany permitted the existence of four different political parties. Each was subordinate to the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, and all four parties jointly submitted slate for elections held by the Volkskammer (East German Parliament), so this situation provided only the slimmest illusion of choice. In large part, life in East Germany was drab and gray, though the Free German Youth movement injected a splash of color possibly appropriate for a swingin’ sixties

East Germany: National Languages Should the GC wish to randomly determine the languages spoken by any East German citizen, he may roll d% and consult the following table. Result Language 1–80 German 81–85 English 86–90 Russian 91–100 Roll twice on this table* * If the GC rolls this result more than once, the results are cumulative.

The Game in East Germany The intelligence game in East Germany is built upon a foundation of fear and paranoia — agents trust no one, keep their weapons handy, and always watch their backs. Even when an agent’s cover isn’t blown, an East German citizen may turn him in as a spy simply because the citizen needs to distract the Stasi from his own activities, legal or not. In East Germany, everyone has something to hide, because anything — or nothing — can be grounds for summary arrest, conviction, and execution.

Leadership Despite historical and cultural ties with West Germany, East German leadership had more in common with the Soviet Union than any Western nation. The East German government’s power was totalitarian and absolute. Staatsratsvorsitzender Walter Ulbricht (1960–1971): A political player since early in the 20th century, Ulbricht joined the German Socialist Party in 1919 and subsequently attended the International Lenin School in Moscow. After returning to Germany, he held a position in the Reichstag prior to its dissolution, and remained in the country during Hitler’s rise and fall. After a brief period of exile following World War II, Ulbricht assumed the position of Staatsratsvorsitzender, or Head of State.

The balance of power

Ulbricht learned his lessons well, both in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. A master manipulator on a national scale, he specialized in breeding an atmosphere of fear and paranoia in his people. Under his leadership, neighbors turned against neighbors, and brother against brother, in an effort to prove their loyalty to the government.

Average Stasi Agent, 1st-level heavy (standard NPC — 32 MP if used as basis for minion type): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 11/12; Init +0 (–1 Dex, +1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 9 (–1 Dex); Atk: fist/punch +1 (dmg 1d6+2, error 1, threat 19–20), Stetchkin APS service pistol +0 (dmg 2d4, recoil 10, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: MP, ST — 20 shots of JHP ammunition); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA knuckle punch +1 (dmg 1d6+3), palm strike (std. attack + special); SQ None; SV Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +3; Str 14, Dex 9, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 10; Skills: Gather Information +1, Intimidation +3/+1, Knowledge (Underworld) +2, Sense Motive +2, Spot +2. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Heavy, Light, Medium), Career Operative, Martial Arts, Punching Basics, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mm Makarov JHP ammunition, 2 basic audio bugs, handcuffs, standard camera, intelligence grade film (3 rolls). Vehicles and Gadgets: Pistol cigarettes (×2 — dmg 1d6+1, error 1–2, threat 20, range 10 ft. — 1 shot each)*, poison spike watch (ingested DC 15, 1d6 Con/2d6 Con). * Only if allowed by the campaign style (see Chapter 5).

Espionage and Intelligence Agencies The following espionage organizations are active in East Germany during the 1960s. Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (Stasi): East Germany’s Stasi was one of the most effective — and feared — domestic intelligence organizations of the Cold War. During the 1960s, it built an incredibly widespread network of civilian informants — nearly one in every 40 East German citizens. The Ministry further maintained open files concerning over a third of the East German population. Yet despite such a heavy load of surveillance targets, Stasi’s attention to detail was incredible — every phone call and piece of mail from the West was monitored, and every factory, social club, and youth organization was infiltrated. Dissenters were safe nowhere. In addition to monitoring and combating political dissent, Stasi was responsible for East Germany’s counter-intelligence efforts. Every domestic surveillance tactic was utilized in pursuit of this goal — in the European intelligence war, Stasi was every bit as formidable an obstacle as the Berlin Wall itself.

East Germany the Ally When East Germany is an ally of the agents’ home nation and the team is located in Berlin, an agent may spend 1–3 action dice to request an intervention favor check (DC 15). With success, a number of checkpoints equal to the number of action dice spent are closed down for 24 hours.

the 1960s England was generally progressive in the 1960s, though its nobility was often considered staid by comparison to America associates (the “common man” was largely just as rowdy as his counterpart “across the pond”). Further, England’s youth culture had a great deal of impact on America during this period, perhaps most visibly in the “British Invasion” led by the Beatles. Rock and roll, however, was only the beginning — the London Underground, the Mods, and other 1960s British pop culture tropes made their way into the psyche of young America, forever influencing its development.

East Germany the Enemy When East Germany is an enemy of the agents’ home nation and the agents are located within East German territory, the GC may spend 1 action die to cancel the effect of any 1 action die spent by an agent. The GC may use this ability up to a number of times equal to the highest Wisdom modifier among all East German NPCs featured in the current serial. Should the GC wish to use East Germany as a fullfledged threat, he should use the following statistics: wealth: 7, technology 10, loyalty 8, influence 5, scope 5, threat resources: hardened killers (East German prison — hierarchy 4, secrecy 1, personnel 3, security 4), media black out (government censor office — hierarchy 3, secrecy 2, personnel 3, security 3), moles (BND regional headquarters in West Berlin — hierarchy 5, secrecy 5, personnel 1, security 3), agenda: control.

The Game in the United Kingdom In the 1960s, the U.K. intelligence game was still played by the traditional rules of espionage, a sort of gentlemen’s agreement by which agents lived. The action was subdued, but the glamour was unmistakable. Opposing agents in the United Kingdom were just as likely to spar with words as fists, and would often sooner face off over a pair of dice or a baccarat shoe than a loaded pistol.

The United Kingdom Though no longer a dominant colonial force, the United Kingdom was the third most influential power in the world in the 1960s, due in no small part to the quality and professionalism of its intelligence services. The U.K. has always been renowned for its precision intelligence agencies, which worked in close tandem with their American counterparts against the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War — so much so, in fact, that the two communities frequently ran long-term joint operations against communist powers the globe over.

Leadership The British are ruled by a constitutional monarchy. Parliament’s bicamaral organization consists of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, which jointly comprise the U.K.’s legislative authority. The House of Lords also serves as the United Kingdom’s highest court of appeals. The crown holds little real power by the 1960s, and instead serves primarily in ceremonial functions. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan (1957–1963): Macmillan took over a country troubled by the Suez Canal Crises of the 1950s. He rebuilt relations with the U.S., which his predecessor had strained, forging a favorable relationship that remains in place to this day. Macmillan’s primary concerns as Prime Minister were twofold. First, he attempted to strengthen the nation’s economy, though his efforts run contrary to the advice of his treasury ministers, who subsequently resigned. More importantly, in the intelligence arena, Macmillan sought to blunt the nuclear threat. Following the failed Blue Streak and Blue Steel projects (Britain’s attempts to develop a nuclear arsenal capable of serving as a sufficient deterrent against nuclear attack), the Prime Minister arranged the purchase of a supply of American Polaris missiles in 1962, and in the same year became a major force behind the partial nuclear weapons test ban treaty.

The balance of power Under Macmillan’s leadership, the trend to divest British colonies continued. Nigeria was granted independence in 1960, followed by South Africa in 1961 and Kenya in 1963. Macmillan dedicated significant intelligence assets to ensuring a peaceful transition of power in former British colonies. He butted heads with De Gaulle over the U.K.’s application to the European Economic Community, and the nation was ultimately denied entry over De Gaulle’s fear that the EEC might become overly dependent on the United States.

weakening, at one point by attempting once more to secure Britain’s entry into the EEC. Failing that, he fixed wages and prices, raised taxes, and devalued the pound. This helped on the economic front, but Wilson’s administration was plagued with other difficulties as well, especially concerning British colonies worldwide. Most prominently, Rhodesia unilaterally declared itself an independent nation in 1965, triggering a civil war that endured until 1980. Also, despite the fact that the relationship between America and the U.K. was strengthened during his predecessor’s tenure, Wilson’s continuing refusal to lend military support in Vietnam strained the mutual goodwill between the nations.

Prime Minister Harold Wilson (1964–1970): Taking office in the wake of the Profumo scandal (see page 90), Wilson managed a government with a struggling economy. He strove to prevent the British economy from further

Queen Elizabeth II (1952–present): During the 1960s, Queen Elizabeth II held little formal power within the British government, but nonetheless commanded tremendous respect. She conducted regular meetings with all of her ministers in Parliament, and made certain to be well briefed on all relevant issues, offering constructive comments and making incisive inquiries. In the field of espionage, the Queen lacked any direct control over operations or agent assignments — indeed, she was rarely briefed on specific operations conducted by the British intelligence community. Regardless, some British agents felt then — as they do now — that they were in the immediate service of their Queen, “on Her Majesty’s secret service.”

The Sun Never Sets… After the close of World War II, the United Kingdom’s colonial interests dwindled through a combination of independence movements in the nation’s colonies and a voluntary move toward divestment. By the 1960s, the once vast British Empire consisted of only a few colonies, though several nations maintained close bonds with England. Some even accepted the Queen as their Head of State, regardless of domestic constitutional issues, forming the Commonwealth of Nations. During the 1960s, Britain lost or surrendered control of much of Africa, and in 1965, Rhodesia declared its independence as well, sparking an ongoing civil war. By the end of the decade, only a few small principalities remained, and those by choice. Usually this was due to fear of being absorbed by another nation upon declaring independence, as was the case with Gibraltar (near Spain) and Hong Kong (near China). Commonwealth membership as of 1960 included Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa (left in 1961), Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom herself. Throughout the decade, over a dozen nations around the world were added to the Commonwealth roster, primarily in Africa, South East Asia, and the West Indies. Though England itself was fairly small in terms of land mass, and predominantly Anglo-Saxon in heritage, it nonetheless played host to a wide range of ethnicities, thanks in large part to the breadth of the former British Empire. British immigration laws concerning subject nations were fairly loose, and the contributions to English culture from different parts of the world showed through. Clearly, however, England possessed a rich culture and proud history of its own, and this prideful past often defined the actions of her native sons — a strong current of nationalism ran through her people, often manifesting in passionate love for, and incredible loyalty to, the monarchy.

Espionage and Intelligence Organizations The following espionage organizations are active in U.K. during the 1960s. Secret Intelligence Service (SIS): Often referred to as MI6, the SIS was founded in 1909 as a division of the Secret Service Bureau dedicated to gathering overseas intelligence under the leadership of Sir Mansfield Cumming. By 1922, the division distinguished itself in this task, and was formally chartered as an agency independent of the SSB. The SIS’s responsibilities were broad, but ultimately came down to one core tenet: to support the Crown’s government and security by gathering foreign intelligence concerning the security and defense of foreign nations, as well as their economic policies at home and abroad. Operating under the motto Semper Occultus (“Always Secret”), the SIS was rich with tradition. Since its founding, for example, each director has been referred to only as ‘C’, in deference to the organization’s first director. Known internally as “The Firm” — much as America’s CIA refers to itself as “The Agency” — the SIS worked closely with allied intelligence organizations, so much so that it gained a second nickname: “The Friends.” The SIS’s Special Operations Executive was founded for the express purpose of executing the war against Nazi Germany, and was disbanded shortly after the end of WWII, at which point many of its operatives were absorbed

the 1960s counter German espionage. In 1931 MI5 assumed a wider range of responsibility, in particular countering international communist (and subsequently, fascist) subversion. MI5 is extremely an effective deterrent against Soviet infiltration of Western intelligence agencies (some might call them relentless). In the 1960s alone, the agency exposed many key Soviet moles, including George Blake, the Portland Spy Ring, and John Vassal. MI5’s work culminated in 1971 with the expulsion of 105 Soviet spies from England, the result of a tireless counter-intelligence campaign waged throughout the previous decade. MI5’s charter charges the agency’s personnel with protecting the state against any substantial, covertly organized threat, primarily espionage and subversion; later in the decade, as organized terrorist efforts arise, MI5’s operations expand to include this new danger as well.

United Kingdom: National Languages Should the GC wish to randomly determine the languages spoken by any U.K. citizen, he may roll d% and consult the following table. Result 1–75 76–100

Language English English and… 1–40 French 41–65 Welsh 66–75 Spanish 66–80 German 81–85 Swedish 86–90 Finnish 91–92 Hindi 93–94 Afrikaans 95–96 Mandarin 97 Cantonese 98-100 Roll twice on this table* * If the GC rolls this result more than once, the results are cumulative.

Average MI5 Agent, 1st-level police official (standard NPC — 17 MP if used as basis for minion type): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 6/10; Init +1 (+1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 10; Atk: Browning High Power service pistol +1 (dmg 1d10+1, recoil 11, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mod: DP — 13 shots of 9mmP JHP ammunition); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +1; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +1, Bureaucracy +2 (threat 19–20), Demolitions +3 (threat 19–20), Drive +1, Gather Information +1, Listen +2, Search +2, Sense Motive +2, Spot +2, Surveillance +3 (threat 19–20). Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Police Training, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mmP JHP ammunition, 2 basic audio bugs, evidence kit, handcuffs. Vehicles and Gadgets: Tie camera, tracking device business card*. * Only if allowed by the campaign style (see Chapter 5).

into the SIS. Throughout the 1960s and beyond, the agency maintained a cadre of highly skilled field agents with a broad variety of talents and experience, translating its superior political prowess onto the espionage field. Average SIS Agent, 1st-level operative (standard NPC — 28 MP if used as basis for minion type): Department: D-0 Home Office. CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 8/10; Init +3 (+2 Dex, +1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 13 (+2 Dex, +1 class); Atk: Walther PPK pocket pistol +2 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft., qualities and mod: DS, DT — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +4, Demolitions +2, Driver +3, Hide +3, Move Silently +3, Search +2, Spot +1, Surveillance +1. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Charmer, “One Hand on the Wheel…”, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 20 shots of 7.65 mm JHP ammunition, 1 basic audio bug. Vehicles and Gadgets: Government car (classic sports car — SZ L, Occ 1/1, Hnd +6, Spd 750 ft., MPH 75/150, Def 15, WP 80, Hrd 4, qualities and mods: HOT, bulletproof windows, ordnance: 7.62 mm vehicular machinegun (dmg 2d10 (+20), error 1–2, threat 19–20, range 200 ft., qualities and mods: AN — 400 shots of 7.62 mm AP ammunition)* with 1 extra load of 7.62 mm AP ammunition (400 extra shots), spray cigarettes (×2, knockout gas — inhaled DC 18, dmg 1d6 Dex/unconscious).* * Only if allowed by the campaign style (see Chapter 5).

United Kingdom the Ally When the U.K. is an ally of the agents’ home nation, the agents may call upon the agency’s vast and capable counter-intelligence assets, enabling them to determine the motives and loyalties of even the cagiest of foils. Once per session, an agent may spend 1 action die to target 1 foil and request an information favor check (DC 10 + the foil’s character level) to determine the results of a foil’s loyalty check for the serial. If the GC has not yet rolled the foil’s loyalty check during the current serial, he may spend 1 action die to increase the favor check’s DC by a number equal to the foil’s loyalty rating. If the favor check is successful, the GC must reveal whether the foil’s loyalty check succeeded or not. If the GC has not yet rolled the foil’s loyalty check during the current serial, he must do immediately when this favor check is successful (and reveal its outcome).

Security Service (MI5): Founded simultaneously with its sister agency the SIS, this agency’s original aim was uniquely specific — rather than serving as a general counter-intelligence agency, MI5 was formed expressly to

The balance of power Tower: The Vigilant’s main hatch is located on its conning tower. To open the hatch while it’s dogged (secured), an agent must succeed with either a Strength check (DC 25) or Mechanics check (DC 30). When the Vigilant is submerged, this check’s DC is increased by +1 per 10 ft. of depth. Even if the agent succeeds with the Mechanics check while the sub is submerged, he must also make a successful Strength check (DC 10 + 1 per 10 ft. of depth) to open the hatch, due to the surrounding water pressure. Scientists Quarters/Labs: At the moment, British scientists attached to the Office of the Admiralty are studying the effects of long-term service aboard submarines, and developing treatments to mitigate these effects. Missile Room: Access hatches to the missile room are always sealed during deployment, to prevent sabotage. The captain and executive officer each keep a separate key unlocking these hatches, both of which must be used simultaneously. Alternately, two agents may make simultaneous Open Lock checks (DC 25) to bypass the mechanism (one key may be used, requiring only one Open Lock check). The door is guarded at all times by 4 marines. Inside, agents may sabotage the missile launch procedure by making a Mechanics check (DC 30). With success, the agent may choose to either disable the launch procedure (in which case the missiles neither arm nor fire) or disable the missile tube hatch (causing the missile to arm but fail to fire, exploding within the Vigilant and sinking it). Reactor Room: Agents located here may attempt to sabotage the ship’s reactor in one of two ways — a successful Mechanics check (DC 25) disrupts the submarine’s power supply, shutting down its propulsion and electrical

United Kingdom the Enemy When the U.K. is an enemy of the agents’ home nation and the agents are within the Commonwealth of Nations, the GC may spend a number of action dice equal to the number of agents present in order to initiate a national manhunt targeting the team (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, pages 70–71, for more information about manhunts). The GC may only use this ability once per session. Should the GC wish to use the U.K. as a full-fledged threat, he should use the following statistics: wealth 9, technology 15, loyalty 5, influence 8, scope 7, threat resources: departmental access (University of Oxford campus — hierarchy 1, secrecy 1, personnel 2, security 3), departmental training (Fort Monckton SIS training facility — hierarchy 5, secrecy 4, personnel 3, security 3), fleet support (Office of the Admiralty — hierarchy 6, secrecy 0, personnel 4, security 7), weapons of mass destruction (HMS Vigilant (see below) — hierarchy 6, secrecy 6, personnel 2, security 3), agenda: control.

HMS Vigilant This fictional Top Secret project houses the U.K.’s nuclear arsenal, purchased with the nation’s supply of Polaris missiles from the United States. HMS Vigilant: Military submarine — SZ G, Occ 10/80, Hnd –5, Spd 175 ft., MPH 17/35, Def 2, WP 180, Hrd 8, qualities and mods: AIR, LVQ, LSP (120), NVS (+8), SDS, ordnance: Light long-range torpedo (dmg 4d10 (+30), error 1–3, threat 19–20, range 100 ft., qualities and mods: AN — 4 shots, with 4 extra loads of torpedoes (4 shots each)).

the 1960s systems for a number of days equal to the difference between the agent’s check result and his DC, after which it must be restarted manually. Alternately, the agent may cause an overload with a successful Mechanics check (DC 25), followed by a successful Electronics check (DC 35), after which the reactor melts down in 3d4 + 12 hours, breaching the hull and sinks the ship.

In response, the United States assigned military advisors in the South. North Vietnam and the Soviet Union supported the Viet Cong with arms, equipment, and regular troops, and over the first half of the 1960s, commitment grew on both sides. By 1965, the first American combat troops deployed in Vietnam, and by 1968, over 500,000 troops were “in country.” While neither North nor South Vietnam had yet developed a robust intelligence community, North Vietnamese domestic policy incorporated many ideological policing stratagems pioneered by the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China. These measures were executed either by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) or the Viet Cong. The South Vietnamese intelligence network consisted almost entirely of Western agency assets committed to the conflict, primarily the CIA and DIA, which were augmented by additional support from Australian and British espionage services.

Vietnam Throughout the 1960s, Vietnam was the subject of growing concern for powers in both the East and the West (as was neighboring Laos — see Air America, page 19). Until 1954, the small nation was ruled by France, when the colonial power was overthrown by a communist revolution led by Ho Chi Minh. The socialist leader seized control of North Vietnam; South Vietnam soon fell under the leadership of Ngo Dinh Diem. When the initial Geneva Accord of 1955 created the divided nation, provisions were made for elections at a later date, but neither Vietnamese nation signed the electoral clause, and neither was bound by it. Further, the U.S.-supported South feared free elections would provide the communists control of a united Vietnam, while the communist movement in the North refused to relax its grip by risking a free election. Ultimately, with the failure of the proposed election, the communist North formed the National Liberation Front, also called the Viet Nam Cong San, or Vietnamese Communist (Viet Cong for short). The Viet Cong immediately launched a guerrilla war against the South, designed to achieve several aims, chief among them to drive out American imperialist influence and reunite Vietnam under a communist regime.

The Game in Vietnam Vietnamese intelligence practices were ugly and brutal. People died every day in the undeclared war, frequently under fairly gruesome circumstances. All agents and soldiers in Vietnam knew that when they went into the bush, they might not come back… or they might come back in pieces. The only breaks from this cutthroat environment were had along the Vietnamese beaches, where agents and soldiers often shared a drink or visited pretty women before heading back into the fray.

Leadership In many ways, South Vietnamese leadership mirrored that of North Vietnam, differing mainly in national alliance. While Ho Chi Minh’s government was only marginally more brutal than South Vietnam’s during most of the 1960s, ideological alignment dictated that — aside from the U.S. supported coup of Diem in 1963 — the Soviet Union supported the communist, North Vietnamese leadership, while America supported the anticommunist South.

Vietnam: National Languages Should the GC wish to randomly determine the languages spoken by any Vietnamese citizen, he may roll d% and consult the following table. Result 1–70 71–80 81–85

Language Vietnamese French Chinese dialect (roll on the sidebar table on page 52) 86–90 Khmer 91–93 English 94–95 Regional dialect (e.g. Mon-Khmer or Malayo-Polynesian) 96–100 Roll twice on this table* * If the GC rolls this result more than once, the results are cumulative.

President Ngo Dinh Diem (South Vietnam — 1954–1963): Diem made a play for power in 1954 by calling for an electoral referendum. He was quickly voted into office, just after rejecting the Geneva Peace Accord calling for Vietnamese unification and a combined election. A staunch Roman Catholic, his favoritism of those who shared his religious leanings over the nation’s more traditional Buddhist practices created a great deal of tension, and his imprisonment and execution of hundreds of Buddhists was emblematic of his cruel, authoritarian regime. Despite this, Diem continued to enjoy U.S. support for several years, due primarily to his staunch stance against communism. In 1963, after a protest by Buddhist monks ended in violence, the American government

The balance of power Espionage and Intelligence Agencies

Brushfire War While the Vietnam War was fought over a fairly small geographic region, and exerted little influence beyond this immediate locale, it’s nonetheless considered a lynchpin of American foreign policy, specifically concerning Domino Theory and containment (for more information concerning these policies, see page 6). Ultimately, Vietnam escalated from a brushfire war to a costly, prolonged conflict that devastated the nation and took the lives of countless soldiers. Though war was never officially declared, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized the U.S. President to escalate American involvement in response to Viet Cong aggression (see Chapters 1 and 4). Eventually, the Vietnam War was dubbed a “low intensity conflict,” a euphemism for a war undeclared and fought with guerilla tactics by both sides. America remained engaged in Vietnam through the end of the 1960s, and though Nixon began the peace process when he was elected to office, U.S. troops didn’t fully withdraw until 1973. Total combat casualties suffered by all branches of the United States military in Vietnam numbered almost 50,000, and many prisoners of war and personnel listed as missing in action remain so to this day.

The following espionage organizations are active in Vietnam during the 1960s. Viet Nam Cong San (Viet Cong) — Vietnamese Communists: Not precisely an intelligence agency, the Viet Cong was dedicated to prompting a people’s revolution throughout Vietnam by any means necessary. Initially, the Viet Cong didn’t subscribe to Soviet communism — indeed, the Viet Cong’s stated goals included such reforms as racial and gender equality, free elections, and removing the criminal justice system from the hands of the military. Yet a strong anti-American sentiment within the Viet Cong placed it — and its North Vietnamese backers — squarely at odds with the United States and its allies. Initially, the Viet Cong effort to win the ideological war involved propaganda but little violence. Small teams of Viet Cong propagandists infiltrated South Vietnam, visiting backwater villages and promoting a Utopian communist state where Vietnam was at peace and all were equal under the law. Though the Viet Cong met some small success with this tactic, it wasn’t enough to win the hearts and minds of the people, and their proletarian revolution ultimately failed. Initially, the Viet Cong were supported by the North Vietnamese government, and by the early 1960s, it was fully under Hanoi’s direction. Combined with increased Western (and particularly American) presence in South Vietnam, this spurred the Viet Cong to step up their operations to violence and sabotage. The group’s operatives proved to be masters of guerilla warfare, forcing the United States to commit more and more advisors, supplies, and arms to their South Vietnamese allies in order to stem the communist insurgence. In turn, however, the Viet Cong and the North had their own support — though it sent no trainers or advisors, the Soviet Union nonetheless provided the North with Soviet weapons, as well as “technical advisers” to help integrate Soviet technology into Viet Cong operations. Most such contributions came in the form of small arms, though as the decade rolled on, additional support arrived in the form of armor, aircraft, and military hardware. By the end of the 1960s, the Viet Cong were engaged in full-scale war with South Vietnam and its American allies, relying upon the full military support of the North Vietnamese military. Its guerilla warfare tactics were devastating to both Western forces and the South Vietnamese — so successful that by the end of the decade, American leadership no longer pursued victory, but “peace with honor.”

turned on him as well, and within the year, he was deposed and executed by a U.S. supported coup launched by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). ARVN Generals (1963–1967): Between the years of 1963 and 1967, Vietnam is by all accounts controlled by a collection of military leaders, the country locked a profound period of turbulent reorganization. President Nguyen Van Thieu (South Vietnam — 1967–1975): Nguyen Van Thieu helped lead the revolt that overthrew Ngo Dinh in 1963 and became Head of State in 1965 with a formal elected appointment in 1967. His policies were unpopular with the South Vietnamese, however, and his diplomacy was lacking with Ho Chi Minh. The war escalated dramatically under his administration, and he was the butt of many jokes within the United States officer corps. South Vietnam’s internal strife continued under his rule, as well, though not as severely as under Diem. Ho Chi Minh (North Vietnam — 1954–1969): An organizer and leader, Ho Chi Minh helped form the French Communist Party, then fought and defeated the French, leading to Vietnam’s division into two nations. Despite being a brutal and ruthless leader, Ho Chi Minh’s was willing to make almost any sacrifice to bring South Vietnam under the umbrella of one communist government, and his charisma bred great loyalty and fervor among his followers.

Average Viet Cong Agent, 1st-level mercenary (standard NPC — 35 MP if used as basis for minion type): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 10/10; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def 13 (+2 Dex, +1 class); Atk: survival knife +0 (dmg 1d6, error 1,

the 1960s threat 20, range 5 ft. — thrown dmg 1d6), Kalashnikov AK47 assault rifle +2 (dmg 3d6, error 1, threat 19–20, range 150 ft., qualities and mod: CS, DP — 30 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 12; Skills: Demolitions +1, Diplomacy +2, Driver +2, Hide +3, Listen +3, Sense Motive +3, Spot +3, Survival +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Daring Ambush, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 60 extra shots of 7.62×39mm Soviet military ball ammunition, demolitions kit (1-lb. bomb). Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

North Vietnam: When the team is “in country,” an agent may make a favor check (DC 25) to imprison a captured foe in a POW camp for a number of days equal to his agent level. The prisoner endures the brunt of the commandant’s attentions during that time, and for each day the prisoner spends in the camp, he suffers 1 point of temporary Wisdom damage. A character’s Wisdom score may not be reduced below 1 in this fashion. Once freed, the victim must succeed with a Will save (DC equal to the number of days he was in captivity); otherwise, G of the Wisdom damage suffered becomes permanent (rounded down). All temporary Wisdom damage heals at a rate of 1 point per day, as usual. South Vietnam: When the team is “in country,” an agent may spend 1 action die during the Gearing Up phase of any serial in order to requisition a covert chopper to transport his team, without the expenditure of gadget points. The team is inserted into North Vietnamese territory within 1d4 miles of a location of the agents’ choosing. Exactly 24 hours later, the chopper returns to recover the team. If the team is not present when it arrives, it waits 15 minutes before dusting off, not to return. The chopper’s pilot possesses a vehicle skill bonus equal to the requisitioning character’s agent level +2, and a threat range of 19–20.

Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN): The Army of the Republic of Vietnam served under the direct command of the South Vietnamese President until he was overthrown in 1963. The nation was thereafter ruled by a cadre of high ranking ARVN generals, until the 1967 election of Nguyen Van Thieu. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam remained primarily in South Vietnamese territory, relegating the lion’s share of North Vietnamese- destined sorties to American military forces.

Average ARVN Agent, 1st-level minion (standard NPC — 23 MP if used as basis for minion type): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 13/12; Init +1 (+1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 12 (+2 armor); Atk: Colt M16A1 assault rifle +1 (dmg 4d4, error 1–4, threat 20, range 125 ft., qualities and mod: no burst — 30 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ DR 7/C; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0; Str 12, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Climb +2, Demolitions +2, Driver +1, First Aid +2, Intimidate +2/+1, Jump +3, Profession (Soldier) +2, Spot +2, Survival +1, Swim +2, Use Rope +1. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Toughness, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 60 extra shots of 5.56×45mm military ball ammunition, flak vest, military helmet. Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Vietnam the Enemy When either North or South Vietnam is an enemy of the agents’ home nation, the GC may tap the following resources. North Vietnam: When North Vietnam is an enemy of the agents’ home nation, and the team is “in country” and the bush, the GC may — once per session — spend 1 action die to set a booby trap within 20 ft. of the team’s current location. If an agent enters the square containing the trap and fails a Spot check (DC 15 + the team’s average agent level), he triggers the trap, suffering an amount of normal blast damage equal to 1d4 × the team’s average agent level with a blast increment of 5 ft. Should the GC wish to use North Vietnam as a fullfledged threat, he should use the following statistics:

Vietnam the Ally When either North or South Vietnam is an ally of the agents’ home nation, the agent team may tap the following resources.

The balance of power

wealth 6, technology 0, loyalty 8, influence 4, scope 3, threat resources: hardened killers (Viet Cong training camp — hierarchy 3, secrecy 2, personnel 4, security 2), agenda: expansion. South Vietnam: When South Vietnam is an enemy of the agents’ home nation and the agents are “in country”, the GC may — once per session — spend 2 action dice to double the squad size of any group of minions or other standard NPCs. Should the GC wish to use South Vietnam as a fullfledged threat, he should use the following statistics: wealth 6, technology 2, loyalty 4, influence 5, scope 3, threat resources: departmental access (U.S. training camp — hierarchy 2, secrecy 1, personnel 3, security 2), agenda: control

2. Cleared Strip: The land immediately surrounding the camp is cleared of underbrush, negating the skill check penalty described in location #1. 3. Guard House: This single-man guard house contains a chair, one window, and a set of shelves upon which rests a simple radio set (power rating +1). 4. Guard Tower: Each of these guard towers stands atop a 20-ft. scaffold and is topped by a straw-thatched roof. Each is manned by two NVA soldiers at all times, and hosts a Kalashnikov PK machinegun (dmg 2d10+1, error 1–3, threat 19–20, range 175 ft., qualities and mods: RG, IN adjustable bipod — 100 shots), fixed on a pintel mount allowing it to cover a 270° arc outside the camp fence. 5. Prisoner Barracks: These barracks are cramped and uncomfortable, housing up to 12 men. Cots consist of nothing more than vermin-infested thatched straw mats. Any character who spends a night sleeping in this location must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1 per day in the location past the first, maximum 40) or suffer a cumulative –1 morale penalty with all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for the following 24 hours (maximum –10).

North Vietnamese POW Camp North Vietnamese POW camps are difficult to locate, frequently positioned deep in NVA territory and away from population centers. They serve as both detainment camps and psychological — and sometimes physical — torture facilities. When using this location as an action site (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, pages 111–116), at least H the total points spent on secrecy, personnel, and security must be spent on secrecy.

6. NVA Barracks: This barracks houses up to 10 men, and is shared between shifts of soldiers.

1. Jungle: The foliage surrounding the POW camp is thick and lush. Any character making a Search or Spot check suffers a –4 circumstance penalty per 5 ft. of jungle between him and his target (including the 5-ft. square within which the target is located).

7. Graves: When a prisoner is expected to die, he’s forced to dig his own grave. This is used as an intimidation tactic — any character who performs this action must make a Will save (DC 10 + H the character’s agent

the 1960s

level) or suffer a –4 circumstance penalty with all skill checks made to resist interrogation during the following 24 hours (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, pages 66–68).

13. Ammunition Depot: This small structure adjacent to the barracks contains the base’s ammunition supplies. Soldiers are expected to lock their weapons in a common locker in the barracks.

8. Interrogation/Re-Education Area: This building is used for private sessions between prisoners and the camp’s ideological officer. All skill checks made within this location as part of interrogation and brainwashing attempts gain a +2 circumstance bonus (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, pages 61–63 and 66–68).

14. Tiger Pit: This 6-ft. deep pit contains a 4-ft. × 4-ft. bamboo cage into which prisoners are kept for extended periods of time when they misbehave. This location is severely uncomfortable for even a short period, and is made worse by the fact that camp guards have a tendency to dump refuse and offal into the pit while it’s occupied. For each 8-hour period a prisoner spends in the tiger pit, he must succeed with a Will save (DC 25 + 2 per additional 8-hour period) or suffer a –4 morale penalty with all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws during the following 24 hours (maximum –16).

9. Inspection Grounds: This area is usually kept clear, serving as a central gathering point for the camp’s prisoners and an informal mess for the guards. 10. Commandant’s Office: An NVA soldier is usually placed in charge of this type of camp, though occasionally it’s run by one of Ho Chi Minh’s political officers, or even a Soviet advisor. During daylight hours, the camp’s commandant spends most of his time here, or dealing with the prisoners.

West Germany Where East Germany was economically stunted, held in the iron grip of fear (see page 58), its western counterpart was well-developed. Following World War II, American efforts to rebuild the shattered German economy paid off, establishing the country’s western half as an outlet for American goods and a stable trading partner for most of the Western world. West Germany rapidly recovered from the worst damage suffered during World War II — partially due to Allied economic assistance, but mostly due to a series of aggressive economic programs designed to set the nation on its feet. If not for physical ruins — most of which had been cleared by the 1960s — few signs would remain of the

11. Commandant’s Quarters: The commandant’s quarters are sparsely furnished, though they feature the necessities for reasonably comfortable living (in the jungle). The door is locked when the commandant is outside, requiring a successful Open Lock check (DC 20) to bypass. 12. Commandant’s Closet: Unlike his soldiers, who must make do with footlockers, the commandant is afforded the luxury of this 3-ft. × 3-ft. closet.

The balance of power war. This was particularly true when in comparison to East Germany, which didn’t have the advantage of an active economic infrastructure to aid its rebuilding effort. Perhaps in an effort to make up for past national sins, West Germany was particularly tolerant of religious and racial differences within its citizenry, extending progressive protections to such groups. That said, the West German police possessed a great deal of authority during emergency situations, and often took advantage of it.

Ludwig Erhard (1963–1966): Adenauer’s former Minister of Finance succeeded his superior admirably. Ludwig Erhard placed little importance on espionage matters, preferring instead to focus on matters of the economy, a task with which he was quite successful. Largely as a result of his economic initiatives, West Germany was a powerhouse of the European economy by the end of the decade.

City Under Siege

The Game in West Germany

While most of Germany enjoyed prosperity and relative peace in the 1960s, considering its proximity to the Warsaw Pact nations, West Berlin was a city under siege, surrounded on all sides by East German territory. In 1948, claiming “technical difficulties,” the Soviet Union even closed off all land and sea access to the surrounded capital. Faced with the prospect of supplying the citizens of Berlin with the basic necessities of life by air or abandoning the city to Soviet control, NATO engaged in an 11-month campaign to airlift supplies needed by the city’s two and a half million residents. Though the Soviet Union’s 1948 effort failed, the country still coveted West Berlin, and could easily make another attempt in a 1960s Spycraft game. The Soviets could even stage a military assault upon the city, bringing to bear the significant armored assets stationed in and around East Berlin. Unless the Soviet Union can secure an advantage over American armor in the city, however — and disable the Strategic Air Command bomber groups stationed around Europe following the Berlin airlift — such a venture is destined to end in defeat.

The game in West Germany has always been moving and changing, the nation representing the frontier between NATO powers and Warsaw Pact nations in Europe. Counter-intelligence was a priority for West German intelligence in this time before re-unification, making it the ideal point of entry for SMERSH teams, KGB spies, and other agents of the Soviet Union.

Leadership West Germany’s leadership is a collage of policy shifting, forward thinkers who slowly dragged the nation out of the chaos of the Second World War and into a bold new age of evolved political strength. It was not, however, an espionage engine, and struggled with the covert actions of its treacherous neighbors. Konrad Adenauer (1949–1963): West Germany’s first Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, began his political career well before the Nazis came to power in Germany. He didn’t bother to hide his distaste for the regime, and wound up imprisoned by the Nazi Party. Following the war, he set about forming a new Christian political party, and based on the new coalition’s strength won the Chancellor seat in 1949 at the age of 73. Adenauer was firmly anchored in the West, a strong supporter of his nation’s economic growth. Toward that end, he issued a memorandum calling for German contribution to the defense of Europe against communism, and a re-evaluation of West Germany’s status where it concerned the Allied powers. Though he created a stir at home — many Germans didn’t favor remilitarization — his actions led to West Germany’s increased prominence in the Western world, and its eventual admittance to NATO. Adenauer further negotiated a compensation agreement to partially recompense Israel for the horrors perpetrated against its people by Hitler’s regime. Adenauer’s 1960s foreign and domestic policies were major steps toward establishing a moral foundation for the fledgling West German state. Perhaps more importantly for the purposes of this book, he oversaw a massive internal mole hunt performed by the BND in the 1950s, and continued to keep a wary eye on the West German intelligence community for moles and traitors in years to come.

The West German intelligence community suffered for it, however. With its influence withering, the BND had difficulty accessing vital government resources and finances for its operations, leaving it woefully undefended. During Erhard’s tenure, West German agents had to work harder than ever — with fewer resources at hand — to contain the ever-increasing flow of East German spies over the Wall. Kurt Georg Kiesinger (1966–1969): Laying the ground work for his successor’s achievements, Kurt Kiesinger opened diplomatic relations with several Soviet Bloc nations, including Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia. Though he was open to negotiations, he flatly refused to consider conciliatory gestures of any kind for a slight, real or perceived. Willy Brandt (1969–1974): This socialist served only a brief period during the 1960s, pursuing diplomatic talks with Eastern European nations and the Soviet Union early on while still maintaining friendly and profitable

the 1960s relationships with allied NATO powers. By the end of his term, he signed non-aggression treaties with the Soviet Union and Poland. His later service was marred by the discovery of an East German spy in his inner circle.

West Germany the Ally When West Germany is allied to the agents’ home nation, any agent may spend 1 action die to requisition a dossier about any one known East German or Soviet infiltrator. The power rating of the target’s most effective cover identity (i.e. the cover identity with the highest power rating) is reduced by 2 × the agent’s Wisdom modifier. If the target doesn’t possess a cover identity, the agent receives his action die back (along with the knowledge that the target presently possesses no aliases).

Espionage and Intelligence Organizations The following espionage organizations are active in West Germany during the 1960s. Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) — Federal Intelligence Service: At the end of World War II, the United States lacked effective intelligence capability against its erstwhile ally the Soviet Union. Opportunity knocked in the shape of Major General Reinhard Gehlen, the Nazi officer responsible for directing intelligence operations against the U.S.S.R. Accompanied by a staff of roughly 350 officers, Gehlen surrendered to the United States before to the end of the war, immediately negotiating special consideration: in exchange for his freedom, he would continue to run operations against the Soviet Union. Soon, the “Gehlen Organization” was the CIA’s eyes and ears across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, the Organization was riddled with Soviet moles and informants by the end of the 1960s — dozens of operations, hundreds of agents, and thousands of civilians were betrayed by this mole network. As part of a housecleaning effort, Gehlen’s Organization was commandeered by the newly sovereign West Germany in the late 1950s and renamed the Bundesnachrichtendienst. Gehlen remained on board as Chief of the BND until his voluntary retirement in 1958.

West Germany: National Languages Should the GC wish to randomly determine the languages spoken by any West German citizen, he may roll d% and consult the following table. Result Language 1–80 German 81–90 English 96–100 Roll twice on this table* * If the GC rolls this result more than once, the results are cumulative.

West Germany the Enemy The BND’s expertise at ferreting out would-be infiltrators is founded upon hard experience. When West Germany is an enemy of the agents’ home nation and the team arrives in West Germany for the first time during a serial, the GC may immediately spend and roll 1 action die to reduce the power rating of each agent’s cover identity by the action die’s result minus the agent’s Charisma modifier ×2. Should the GC wish to use West Germany as a fullfledged threat, he should use the following statistics: wealth: 9, technology 12, loyalty 8, influence 7, scope 8, threat resources: armory (West German police station — hierarchy 3, secrecy 0, personnel 4, security 4), departmental access (West German Special Forces camp — hierarchy 4, secrecy 4, personnel 3, security 2), departmental training (BND regional headquarters in West Berlin — hierarchy 5, secrecy 5, personnel 1, security 3), agenda: greed.

Average Bundesnachrichtendienst Agent, 1st-level police official (standard NPC — 17 MP if used as basis for minion type): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 6/10; Init +2 (+1 Dex, +1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 11 (+1 Dex); Atk: Walther PP backup pistol +2 (dmg 1d6+1, threat 20, range 15 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +1; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +1, Bureaucracy +2 (threat 19–20), Demolitions +3 (threat 19–20), Drive +2, Gather Information +1, Listen +2, Search +2, Sense Motive +2, Spot +2, Surveillance +3 (threat 19–20). Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Police Training, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of .32 ACP military ball ammunition, 2 basic audio bugs, evidence kit, handcuffs. Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

West Berlin Fussgangerzone A bastion of freedom in the heart of East Germany, West Berlin is the ultimate spy city. NATO and Warsaw operatives regularly pass through the city on dangerous errands. The Fussgängerzone (“pedestrian area”) presented here is typical of such locations in West Berlin, as well as other West German cities. Vehicles are prohibited in Fussgängerzones, so foot traffic is heavy, creating a crowd situation that’s ideal for agents attempting to lose themselves in a crowd, pass information, and make dead drops.

The balance of power

1. Median and Fountains: This concrete median is elevated 1 ft. over the surrounding street level. As prominent landmarks, the fountains are ideal as points of reference for locating dead drop locations — or serving as dead drop locations themselves (the sculpture on each fountain is quite ornate, with handy nooks in which to hide material). An agent making a dead drop in or near one of the fountains gains a +4 circumstance bonus with related Sleight of Hand checks.

stance bonus. Conversely, an agent making a Read Lips check in this area suffers a –4 circumstance penalty. Finally, if an agent suffers an error with any ranged attack firing into or through this area, the GC may spend 1 action die to cause the agent to hit an innocent bystander. 4. Outdoor Café: Trendy cafes often feature outdoor areas for dining and relaxing. Every day, businessmen, tourists, and locals alike lounge at the tables enjoying a cup of coffee, reading a morning paper, or simply people-watching. This area is slightly elevated, providing an excellent view of locations #1 and #3 — an agent making a skill check to notice a handoff or dead drop at either of these locations gains a +4 circumstance bonus.

2. Shops and Restaurants: Fussgängerzones usually overflow with privately owned boutique shops and cozy restaurants. These businesses keep irregular hours as dictated by the area’s peak traffic, making them ideal camouflage for surveillance operations and safe houses. An agent within any of them gains a +4 circumstance bonus with Surveillance checks. Further, an agent may not score a critical success with skill checks made to notice surveillance efforts launched from within one of these locations.

5. Indoor Café: This indoor eatery is dimly lit and smoky, providing ample opportunity for enemy agents to bushwhack a character on his way back out to the streets. When an agent benefits from one or more ambush effects in this location, he benefits from the ambush effects for 1 additional round (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, pages 60–61, for more information about ambushes).

3. Streets: These paved streets lack traffic markings, as they’re solely intended for foot travel. During the day — particularly during the lunch hour, early evenings, and on weekends — this location is crowded with pedestrians. An agent making a Hide check to disappear within a crowd located here gains a +4 circum-

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Agents choosing the barnstorming maneuver attract the attention of the German authorities, automatically initiating a local manhunt. Thereafter, due to the large number of witnesses who saw the chase – and the occupants of the fleeing vehicle – a Gather Information check is made every 6 hours (rather than every 24). For more information about manhunts, see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide pages 70-71. Further, at the conclusion of any chase, there is a 5% cumulative chance per round the chase lasted that the authorities initiate a local manhunt for any participants. A three round chase, for example, generates a 15% chance of this result.

Berlin is the divided heart of espionage activity in Europe, broken into sectors by zones of control (with one sector each controlled by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union). East Berlin – the portion occupied by the Soviet Union – is radically different from her Western counterpart. If conventional warfare were to break out between the Soviet Union and the United States, Berlin would be at its heart. Both superpowers maintain a strong military presence in the city, consisting primarily of armor and infantry assets. Similarly, in addition to local intelligence assets attached to each German government, both the CIA and the KGB – as well as other American and Soviet agencies, to a lesser extent – frequently run agents and operations from the city. Similar to many German cities, portions of Berlin are closed to vehicular traffic, and available only to foot traffic. These Fussgängerzones are not only dangerous for vehicle chases – considered tight terrain – but such chases tend to attract the notice of the Berlin municipal authorities and the intelligence services of the appropriate nations (depending on whether the chase takes place in East or West Berlin).

“We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world. . . or the last.” - President John F. Kennedy

Turning Points: 1960s Events

the 1960s Special Note: Unless otherwise specified, should one espionage climate ever come into play when the same espionage climate is already in play, the climate’s effects remain unchanged. The effects of multiple identical espionage climates are never cumulative unless a special rule or condition indicates that they are (as is the case with espionage climates prompted by 1960s campaign styles — see Chapter 5).

Signs of the Times The 1960s provide a diverse and dynamic backdrop for operatives of the world’s espionage services. This section provides a collection of ‘espionage climates’ that GCs can use to reflect the atmosphere and environment during this tumultuous decade, each of which provides a description of the political and espionage trends of the period, as well as specific mechanics that influence actions taken by the agents and other characters. When playing through a 1960s campaign, many events trigger a ‘change in the weather’ causing a new espionage climate to take hold. Some events are variable, allowing agents to influence the thinking of heads of state and the directors of major espionage organizations based on their mission performance. Others are fixed, as certain critical events shape the thinking of the public on a scale too large to be easily diverted. In both cases, a climate continues until a new event or mission spurs a shift in thought within the halls of power (i.e. until a new espionage climate comes into play), at which time the new climate replaces the old unless otherwise specified. Each major event in the 1960s is associated with certain espionage climates, as illustrated in each crisis or event description. Finally, espionage climates apply worldwide, as espionage agencies tend to react to opposing agencies’ stratagems and tendencies in kind.

Bloodbath Bodies are piling up in the shadows. Every conflict seems to leave the field littered with the dead and dying. This espionage climate comes into play if the Bay of Pigs goes particularly poorly (see page 78). Effect: Well placed hits are potentially lethal unless special care is taken to prevent injury. When an agent or special character scores a threat with any successful attack, the threat is automatically activated as a critical hit unless the character spends 1 action die.

Clear Skies It’s business as usual in the world of espionage, with all the usual protocols being observed, and with all the old traditions being followed. This espionage climate may come into play during the Chinese nuclear crisis, if cooperation between American and Soviet agents reduces tensions between the superpowers generated by the Cuban Missile Crisis (see page 79). Effect: This is the default espionage climate. No special rules are in effect here.

Cold Snap Intense infighting between the superpowers provides nothing but opportunity for those not directly embroiled in the struggle. This espionage climate comes into play as France leaves NATO and the superpowers scramble to discover De Gaulle’s motives, opening the field to allow an isolationist French terrorist cell to strike at American and Soviet representatives (see page 82). Effect: Agents possessing the neutral allegiance gain a +4 bonus with all Charisma-based skill checks made targeting characters possessing either the American or Soviet allegiance.

turning points Cooler Heads Prevail

Domino Effect

During this period when subtlety dominates, agents find that diplomatic and stealthy solutions are the most successful and rewarding. This espionage climate comes into play if the agents manage to defuse the U-2 incident without major embarrassment to their government (see page 77). Effect: All agents and special characters suffer a –1 penalty with all attack rolls. Further, all XP rewards gained for performing non-combat actions are increased by an additional +10% (rounded up). Conversely, all XP rewards gained for performing combat actions are decreased by 20% (rounded down).

Communism is spreading, and the people know it! This espionage climate comes into play if the Soviet Union scores a major victory in the Tet Offensive (see page 85). Effect: All characters possessing the Soviet allegiance gain the benefits of the Hammer and Sickle feat (see page 165) until this espionage climate is replaced with another. Any character who already possesses the Hammer and Sickle feat gains double the feat’s stated benefit.

The Freshmen Rapid changes in world events create an environment where young, up and coming agents are poised to make a significant difference on the global landscape, usually by tapping new training and technology. This espionage climate comes into play if the agents fail to infiltrate and subvert Castro’s communist regime (see page 79). Effect: At the beginning of each serial, each agent may choose one skill which he may not typically use untrained. For the duration of that serial, the agent may use that skill even if he possesses no ranks in it. Further, each agent gains 1 additional GP during the Gearing Up phase of each serial. Finally, each henchman featured in the serial gains an additional number of GP equal to the number of agents.

Creeping Paranoia The outlook seems bleak, as evidence mounts that the enemy could strike at any time — if they haven’t already. This espionage climate comes into play when the defector SNIPER claims NATO intelligence services are heavily infiltrated by KGB moles (see page 88). Effect: All agents and special NPCs gain a +4 bonus with awareness checks made to notice or avoid ambushes. Conversely, everyone’s motives are suspect, and the DCs of all favor checks are increased by +5.

Death to Spies! The order comes down that all enemy spies must be eliminated. Already, assassinations are prompting reprisals and life in the shadows has become perilously short. This espionage climate comes into play if preliminary investigations of Kennedy’s assassination indicate Oswald is a Soviet operative (see page 80). Effect: The threat ranges of all agents and special characters are increased by 2 during attacks made against other agents and special characters.

Golden Age The world’s fears trigger a sudden rush of espionage spending, granting agent teams excellent financial support. Unfortunately the same fears pour money into the coffers of arms dealers, smugglers, and other underworld figures, backing many of the team’s enemies as well. This espionage climate is illustrated by the increased intensity and frequency of Air America operations (see page 87). Effect: All agents roll d10s instead of d6s when determining mission budget.

Doldrums Things are quiet and the action is subdued. Careful observation and few explosions highlight what appears to be a slower turning world. This espionage climate comes into play as the Berlin Wall is raised, and local agents, defectors, and spies must reevaluate their options (see page 88). Effect: At the beginning of each session, each agent receives 1 fewer action die than standard and the GC only receives the highest number of action dice received by any one agent on the team (i.e. the GC does not receive action dice equal to the number of agents on the team). Further, when either an agent or the GC spends 1 or more action dice to activate a threat, the opposition may spend the same number of action dice to cancel the critical.

The Great Experiment The advantages of democracy and free trade are embraced around the world. This espionage climate comes into play when America beats the Soviet Union to the Moon, scoring the first major American victory of the space race and spreading the appeal of capitalism across the globe (see page 85). Effect: All characters possessing the American allegiance gain the benefits of the Stars and Stripes feat (see page 166) until this espionage climate is replaced with another. Any character who already possesses the Stars and Stripes feat gains double the feat’s stated benefit.

Example: Donovan spends 1 action die to activate a threat scored during an attack. The GC spends 1 action die to cancel the critical hit, and damage is applied to the target’s vitality rather than his wounds.

the 1960s Open Season

Walking on Eggshells

War escalates in the shadows, and professional detachment is set aside for concrete results. This espionage climate comes into play when Adolf Eichmann is captured, leading the agency to find still more Nazi fugitives (see page 87). Effect: Agents and special characters gain a +1 bonus with attack and damage rolls made against characters possessing an opposed allegiance. This bonus increases to +2 if the agent or special character possesses a disposition toward his target of adversary or worse.

The world is in crisis and one false step could spell disaster. This espionage climate comes into play at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the world is threatened by nuclear annihilation (see page 79). Effect: The threat and error ranges of all skill checks are increased by 2. Further, no character may take 10 with any check possessing a DC of 20 or greater.

Running a 1960s Campaign

Peace in Our Time All seems quiet in the shadows and there’s hope that the situation will continue to improve. This espionage climate comes into play if the Cuban Missile Crisis ends with a peaceful resolution (see page 79). Effect: When an agent or special character gains a skill check bonus for possessing a positive disposition toward his target, that skill check bonus is increased by an additional +1. Further, agents cooperating with characters with a different allegiance than their own provide a +3 cooperation bonus (rather than the normal +2).

When running a Spycraft game set in the 1960s, the GC has three basic options, as follows. • The campaign’s serials have no real connection to the actual events and turning points of the decade, and instead simply utilize 1960s tropes as backdrop. In this case, the GC may simply skim this book’s first three chapters for the basics, using the rules included in Chapters 6 and 7 and possibly the threats presented in Chapter 8 to create the action. He may also wish to choose one espionage climate for the entire decade as well (see Signs of the Times, page 74).

Strange Days

• The campaign’s serials revolve around one or more significant 1960s events. This chapter details several such events, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Tet Offensive, and the defection of Oleg Penkovskiy. The GC can easily use any of these events as the basis for an entire season, in which case we recommend that he use the espionage climate listed for the chosen event throughout the course of the season (e.g. the death to spies! climate would remain in play throughout a season built around the initiation of Operation: MONGOOSE).

Sometimes nothing seems to go right. Events spiral out of control for no other reason than mischance and missed opportunities. Both agents and their governments must be especially careful to avoid embarrassment. This espionage climate comes into play as China joins the nuclear club and American and Soviet agents must work together to ensure the country can’t sell its nuclear secrets to other governments (see page 82). Effect: The error ranges of all attack rolls and skill checks made by agents and special characters are increased by 1 while they’re in the presence of one or more agents or characters possessing an opposing allegiance.

• The campaign’s serials run through the course of the decade, with the agent team participating in several major and minor events along the way. Many portions of this book are built to support this style of play — optionally, the agendas possessed by the threats in Chapter 8 might advance for each year the agents don’t tangle with the threat, rather than for each serial (for details about how this process works, see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, page 104). Further, the events described in this chapter do not take place in a vacuum — the team’s success or failure during each crisis determines the espionage climate affecting the world thereafter.

Under the Weather Sometimes the complexity of the political landscape becomes overwhelming, and it’s hard to determine one’s enemies. This espionage climate comes into play when France’s withdrawal from NATO throws the balance of power in Europe into chaos for a short time, and both the Soviet Union and the United States scramble to adjust to its new political structure (see page 82). Effect: An agent’s allegiance may not determined through interrogation (see page 138). Further, an agent suffers a –5 penalty with all inspiration checks unless he possesses either the Hammer and Sickle or Stars and Stripes feat (see pages 165 and 166, respectively).

This chapter presents two types of events — major crises and minor crises — both of which induce an espionage climate as listed in the event’s description.

turning points An espionage climate prompted by a major crisis lasts until it’s replaced by another espionage climate, while an espionage climate prompted by a minor crisis lasts until the end of the last serial involving the crisis or until it’s replaced by another espionage climate (whichever comes first). At the conclusion of any event or plot hook, the GC should gauge the agents’ performance and adjust the espionage climate as follows.

The Victory and Defeat results listed throughout this section assume the agents serve America or an allied nation. If the agents work for the Soviet Union, simply apply the results in reverse (i.e. when successful, Soviet agents trigger the espionage climate listed in the Defeat entry).

1960: The U-2 Incident During a U-2 reconnaissance flight over Soviet territory, pilot Francis Gary Powers is shot down near Sverdlosk, allegedly by a Soviet surface-to-air missile. Subsequent interrogation proves that — despite the 1955 U.S. ‘Open Skies’ proposal — the United States continues to violate Soviet airspace in order to perform reconnaissance flights. Infuriated by this breach, Khrushchev cancels a scheduled summit between America, France, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. Though President Eisenhower initially claims no such flights occur, he recants when faced with the accumulated evidence and agrees to suspend U-2 reconnaissance flights. This is insufficient to placate Khrushchev, however, and the summit never takes place. U-2 sorties into Soviet airspace are discontinued, though the program continues elsewhere in the world. Some mystery surrounds the incident, however — while the Soviet Union claims the aircraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile, the U-2 was designed to operate at altitudes well outside the reach of such weaponry.

• If the agents achieved the majority of their goals, the espionage climate listed under the event or plot hook’s “Victory” entry takes effect immediately. • If the agents achieved some of their goals, but were stymied by others, the event’s starting espionage climate continues until replaced. • If the agents are foiled, the espionage climate listed under the event or plot hook’s “Defeat” entry takes effect immediately. The clear skies espionage climate is in effect on January 1, 1960, unless the GC wishes to start with a different climate to reflect the flavor of his campaign.

Major Crises: Year by Year One major crisis is presented here for each year of the 1960s. Some are matters of public record, while others are hypothetical scenarios surrounding historical events.

Plot Hook #1 (Strange Days) Powers is not the victim of a Soviet missile, but sabotage, and U.S. forces arrest the Soviet saboteur responsible for the U-2’s malfunction only hours after contact is lost with Powers’ plane. Under interrogation, the saboteur reveals that many similar incidents are currently in the works — operations designed to further embarrass the United States. Through the coming year, American intelligence assets around the world are revealed through Soviet sabotage and espionage, and it’s up to the agents to foil these operations, while simultaneously keeping American assets out of the spotlight. Victory (Doldrums): Though the U-2 incident proves an embarrassment, espionage is an accepted facet of modern foreign relations. The wider Soviet effort fails to expose the breadth of American espionage operations. Defeat (Under the Weather): Soviet assets uncover a wide variety of American operations, especially those targeting nations friendly to America — perhaps even those targeting American citizens, such as COINTELPRO (see page 15). This colors the global political landscape with greater mistrust and confusion.

Crisis Descriptions Following each crisis event’s name and description are three plot hooks, each with a starting espionage climate and the following information. Each crisis event’s espionage climate remains in effect until another espionage climate replaces it, even following the crisis event’s conclusion. Victory: The espionage climate and other conditions listed here take effect when the agents achieve the majority of their goals during the crisis event. This climate remains in play until a new crisis event is prompted, even after the crisis event’s conclusion. Defeat: The espionage climate and other conditions listed here take effect when the agents fail to foil the crisis event’s mastermind or otherwise botch their objectives. This climate remains in play until a new crisis event is prompted, even after the crisis event’s conclusion. Special: Sometimes, certain aspects of a crisis event have lasting ramifications beyond mere victory or defeat. Should the conditions listed in any crisis event’s special entry be met, the espionage climate listed here replaces the climate listed in the victory or defeat entry.

the 1960s Plot Hook #2 (Under the Weather)

through HUMINT methods, from targets located throughout the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Armed with Powers’ flight plan, Soviet Intelligence attempts to foil the agents every step of the way. Victory (Cooler Heads Prevail): The agents penetrate the Iron Curtain and gather the required intelligence, defeating or evading Soviet counterintelligence at every turn. Though the Soviet Union remains incensed at the U-2 incident, no evidence of further reconnaissance operations comes to light, and the U-2 overflight is eventually dismissed as an isolated incident. Defeat (Open Season): The agents are unable to gather ground truth evidence on Powers’ targets, and may even be discovered by Soviet counter-intelligence. Lack of intelligence and further evidence of the United States’ ongoing espionage activities raises the stakes in the intelligence war. Special (Cooler Heads Prevail): If the agents manage to recover both Gary Powers and his downed aircraft, the Soviet Union is left with little evidence to back up its claims of American espionage.

An American tracking station in Turkey reports that Powers’ U-2 was not actually shot down — just before it disappeared from American radar, the aircraft landed at an airstrip in Sverdlosk. It seems that Powers is defecting, and taking the U-2’s technology with him. The agents must track down Powers’ Soviet recruiter, and follow the trail deep into the Soviet Union in an effort to capture Powers and recover (or destroy) his U-2 before it’s too late. The Soviet recruiter lurks somewhere in Turkey, or perhaps in the United States itself. Victory (Walking on Eggshells): Not only do the agents capture Powers, they uncover a network of Soviet recruiters operating throughout the U.S. military. This provides the United States with a counter to Soviet accusations of espionage. Both superpowers must hereafter operate with extreme caution, for fear of blowing too many secrets. Defeat (Creeping Paranoia): Powers escapes, and the Soviet Union, supported by Powers’ traitorous testimony, reveals the United States’ duplicity. Powers was considered a loyal American before the incident, but now spies could be behind every door. Further, elements in Soviet Intelligence are all too aware that even as Powers defected, Soviet agents are vulnerable to the decadent lure of capitalism.

1961: The Bay of Pigs Beginning in May of 1960, the CIA trains a force of over 1,500 Cuban exiles to infiltrate Cuba, foment insurrection, and ultimately overthrow Fidel Castro. President Eisenhower authorizes the provision of arms to the insurgents, though little additional support is rendered. Partially due to a lapse in security within the U.S. intelligence community, Castro is forewarned of the invasion, and deploys his forces to meet the exiles on the beach. The Cuban army easily defeats the rebels, capturing or killing most.

Plot Hook #3 (Walking on Eggshells) On top of the capture of the U-2 and her pilot, as well as the Soviet Union’s attendant outrage, the U-2 incident presents another problem — vital intelligence, to be collected by Powers’ reconnaissance equipment, is now unavailable to the agency. The agents must physically infiltrate Soviet territory and collect the information

Plot Hook #1 (Golden Age)

The High Cost of Democracy 78

In addition to the training and equipment provided to the rebels, the CIA launches several operations in Cuba in order to pave the way for the insurgents’ arrival. The agents are sent to infiltrate Cuba, and through a campaign of sabotage and subversion, turn popular opinion against Castro and communism. No risk or expenditure is too great to prevent the spread of communism in America’s own back yard. Victory (The Great Experiment): The Cuban exiles succeed beyond the agency’s expectations, thanks largely to the agents paving the way. Though it’s unlikely that Castro is actually deposed (his regime is, by now, entrenched), the insurgents’ influence upon the Cuban popula-

turning points tion can’t be ignored. Full scale revolution seems imminent, and in an effort to appease the growing dissident population, Castro is forced to backpedal on many of his communist ideas. Defeat (The Freshmen): The exiles receive little successful support, and are met and scattered at the beach by the Cuban army. News of the incident spreads, proving a great embarrassment to the Agency and the United States. Heads roll within the intelligence community and many long-time agents are handed their walking papers.

Defeat (Creeping Paranoia): Soviet shadow assets in the United States seem to multiply by the score. Secret after secret falls into Soviet hands, with no end in sight — sensitive technological, political, and military information that undermines U.S. activities on every front. More and more radical movements in the United States are subverted by Soviet spies — the enemy is everywhere now. Special (Bloodbath): If any head of state is killed during this course of events — particularly Castro — the game of espionage gets downright ugly, as global politics turn personal, and the people react in kind.

Plot Hook # 2 (Open Season) 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis

Enough is enough, and word comes down from on high that Cuba’s freedom is merely the first step in a grander Agency design to defeat communism around the world. Throughout Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, the Agency dedicates tremendous resources to training and supporting anti-communist guerrilla forces, and launching a series of black operations aimed at deposing or even assassinating communist leaders around the world. Victory (Cold Snap): Many rising communist governments — possibly including Cuba itself — are thrown into chaos, and mistrust of such governments spreads like wildfire. Nations tending toward communism once more waffle between the superpowers, turning the board into an open field upon which anyone could come out with more pieces. Defeat (Bloodbath): Not only do the U.S. efforts to subvert communism fail, but the target governments respond with even harsher security measures — and no mercy toward enemy spies. Further, after discovering the lengths to which America goes to throw down communism, the Soviet Union returns the effort in kind against capitalist nations, forcing the U.S. into a defensive posture for the remainder of the year, and perhaps longer.

Until now, the U.S. has possessed a significant advantage in the nuclear arms race, as American missile bases in Turkey place nuclear weapons within reach of Soviet soil. The Soviets attempt to counter this threat in kind, by placing missiles in Cuba, within striking distance of the U.S. eastern seaboard. Their efforts are discovered via reconnaissance photography before construction of the Cuba base is complete, however, and the U.S. blockades the island nation, demanding the missiles be removed. When a mole within the Soviet government confirms that the missile base is not yet able to launch its payload, President Kennedy calls Khrushchev’s bluff, effectively defusing the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Plot Hook #1 (Walking on Eggshells) Desperate to gain an advantage in the nuclear arena, or at least level the playing field, Soviet intelligence agencies launch a multi-pronged operation. Along with the missile silos in Cuba, Soviet agents penetrate West Berlin in order to sabotage NATO’s conventional warfare resources in preparation for an effort to kick the west out of Berlin once and for all. The Cuban operation’s purpose is twofold — first, to counter the American nuclear arsenal in Turkey, and second, to provide a distraction for Soviet operatives in Berlin. If the Soviet Union’s Berlin operations are successful, it doesn’t have to back down in Cuba, and instead allows the United States to launch air strikes against the missile sites, justifying its own retaliation marches on West Berlin. Victory (The Great Experiment): The agents manage to uncover the true motives behind the Cuban armament and foil the Soviet Union’s operations in Berlin. With its true goal now out of reach, the Soviet Union backs down, much to its international embarrassment. Defeat (The Domino Effect): The Soviet operation goes off without a hitch and conventional warfare breaks out in Berlin. A decisive victory is still months or years away, but the Soviet Union possesses the obvious advantage going in, thanks to its advance preparations.

Plot Hook # 3 (The Freshmen) The rise of communism in Cuba is the heart of a growing movement in the Western Hemisphere, and fear abounds that communist agents based on the island nation have already infiltrated the United States. The agents must investigate and foil communist insurgents on their home soil, and keep close watch on domestic organizations vulnerable to communist infiltration. Following utter failure at the Bay of Pigs, it’s clear that the American intelligence community needs a good housecleaning. Victory (Doldrums): The agents uncover spy after spy, and halt countless sabotage and espionage attempts within U.S. borders. Many of these attempts are traced back to Soviet or Cuban instigation, and under interrogation, the perpetrators provide needed intelligence concerning Soviet operations. Though the Bay of Pigs was a failure, American agencies are once more secure — for the time being.

the 1960s Plot Hook #2 (Cold Snap)

Plot Hook #1 (Death to Spies!)

With U.S. relations severed and the increasing likelihood of Soviet domination over his fledgling government, Fidel Castro attempts to set the superpowers at each other’s throats. He orders the construction of mock missile sites in Cuba, designed to resemble true Soviet nuclear assets, counting on the fact that the Soviet Union will stand nose to nose with America rather than admit ignorance of his mock Soviet hardware. Victory (Golden Age): Through covert meetings in Berlin and the Soviet Union, the agents confirm that the assets in Cuba are not Soviet. Further, they may travel to the island nation and personally confirm that the missile sites are only mock-ups. The crisis is defused and both superpowers save face. Defeat (Death to Spies!): With “Soviet” nukes within striking distance of American soil, the U.S. strategic advantage is squandered. The Soviet Union’s espionage efforts grow bolder and bolder with each passing day, as its leadership realizes that even though the missile sites aren’t theirs, the Americans believe they are — a high stakes bluff indeed, but one that pays off for Soviet operations in months to come.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Lee Harvey Oswald was in fact a Soviet agent. Worse, evidence concerning nightclub owner Jack Ruby indicates that he, too, is a Soviet agent, and was ordered to silence Oswald. The agents must follow a tangled web of lies and spies back to its source, somewhere in the Soviet Union. Victory (Golden Age): The agents successfully tie the assassination to a Soviet agency, possibly SMERSH or the KGB. Though the information is never publicly disseminated, as public demand for reprisal would become overwhelming, the Soviet Union is pressured into several important political and diplomatic concessions. This success — though costly at its heart — reiterates the value of intelligence agencies to the inner government circle. Defeat (Creeping Paranoia): The web of secrets and lies proves too complex for the agents to unravel, even though circumstantial evidence is thick. Unable to make an accusation stick, the Agency and its law enforcement allies are saddled with the knowledge of their greatest defeat — and the fear of more in the future.

Plot Hook #2 (Creeping Paranoia) Plot Hook #3 (Domino Effect)

It’s immediately apparent that Oswald did not act alone, but evidence the agents uncover points to elements within the United States, either within its government or civilian population. Victory (Under the Weather): The agents uncover the conspiracy and lay it bare before the American people. Though it’s comforting to know that the culprits are apprehended, the event casts a shadow of doubt over the American dream — if people can’t trust their own government, who amongst their allies can be trusted? Defeat (Doldrums): According to what little evidence the agents are able to uncover and confirm, the fall of the Kennedy administration — known popularly as Camelot — is the work of one man. People begin to wonder… if one man can wreak so much harm to a nation’s morale, can that nation be prepared to battle another superpower for global primacy?

As news of the Soviet plot spreads, Soviets illegally residing in America seize the opportunity to launch a massive propaganda campaign against the U.S. government. The agents must track down and silence the propagandists before the campaign of paranoia erupts into panic and violence in the streets. Victory (Peace in Our Time): The agents successfully stymie each of the staged incidents, preventing the situation from spinning out of control domestically. With America’s leadership hereafter able to focus on the Cuban problem, the crisis reaches successful resolution. Defeat (Walking on Eggshells): The agents are unable to stem the paranoia and a rash of panicked riots erupts across the country, distracting the American leadership and allowing it to be bullied by the Soviet Union. With the U.S. forced to accept the missile site’s construction, the world is now one step closer to nuclear annihilation.

Plot Hook #3 (Creeping Paranoia) 1963: Kennedy Assassinated

Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, Soviet intelligence decides to wreak bloody vengeance on those responsible for the Soviet Union’s loss of face. Kennedy is only the first piece to fall in this campaign of terror — each of his advisors is targeted for elimination by SMERSH strike teams. Victory (Open Season): The agents manage to foil the Soviet assassinations and President Johnson — incensed by the Soviet assassination of his predecessor — orders a variety of intelligence missions set against Soviet agents at home and abroad.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy is shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. Shortly afterward, Lee Harvey Oswald is arrested for the crime, but assassinated himself only a day later. Though the Warren Commission, a government committee chartered to investigate the assassination, later concluded that Oswald acted alone, many suspect various conspiracies. Perhaps the most likely theory is fueled by Oswald’s Marxist leanings and recent desire to renounce his U.S. citizenship and defect to the Soviet Union: Oswald was a Soviet operative commissioned to assassinate the President.

turning points Plot Hook #2 (The Golden Age)

Defeat (Cooler Heads Prevail): Several targets are eliminated before the agents put the reins on the Soviet operations and despite professional and clean hits, world opinion concludes that perhaps the Soviet Union really is responsible for Kennedy’s assassination, as well as those who followed. With an example made of those men who contravened Soviet plans during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet Union calls off the operation before it’s irrefutably linked to the assassinations.

A prominent Party member for years, Leonid Brezhnev is well known to the American intelligence community. Nonetheless, the agents are assigned official covers at the American embassy in Moscow and ordered to evaluate the new Premier’s stance on matters of concern to the Agency and the United States. Unfortunately, the recent coup has left the Party in an uproar, as several factions vie for control. Once apprised of the threat, the Agency orders the team to ensure Brezhnev’s position is secure — better the devil you know… Victory (Doldrums): The dust settles, and Brezhnev and Kosygin remain in control of the CCCP and the Soviet Union. All remains quiet on the eastern front — for now. Defeat (Strange Days): Brezhnev seizes power only to be ousted himself. The subsequent Party power is a virtual unknown to the American intelligence community, whose actions and policies are impossible to predict. The Agency must prepare for anything, from assassination attempts against American politicos to brushfire wars to glasnost two decades early.

1964: Khrushchev Removed From Power Many among the CCCP consider Khrushchev boorish and uncivilized throughout his tenure as Premier. Raised from peasant stock, Khrushchev lacks the refined mannerisms of his Party contemporaries and continually embarrasses the party with his behavior on the international stage. These incidents are isolated affairs with few repercussions, but after losing so much prestige during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Politburo decides that measures must be taken. A movement within the CCCP and Soviet Presidium, led by Khrushchev’s soon to be successor Leonid Brezhnev, strips the Premier of his title and places him under house arrest, where he remains for seven years until his death in 1971.

Plot Hook #3 (Strange Days) Khrushchev’s ousting provokes dissatisfaction within the Soviet Union’s population, as the former Premier was known to value the welfare of the worker and his predecessor — Stalin — was not so munificent. Despite the KGB’s best efforts, a rash of public demonstrations erupts across the Soviet Union. The Agency takes advantage of this volatile situation to place several illegal residents as provocateurs within Soviet establishments, including State-owned factories, social organizations, and the Party itself. The agents are to become a support team for this endeavor, scouting organizations vulnerable to infiltration and making an initial, temporary penetration. Victory (Cooler Heads Prevail): The agents enter and exit their targets cleanly, paving the way for Agency assets to thoroughly riddle Soviet society. It takes years for the KGB to ferret out many of these infiltrators, and some are never found at all. The CIA even manages to place a mole within the Soviet intelligence community for the first time since HERO’s arrest (see page 89). Defeat (Domino Effect): The team is exposed or captured and Soviet counter-intelligence steps up its vigilance against Western insurgency. Further, leads turned up while investigating the agents allow Soviet counterintelligence to purge many spies from its territory, leaving the Agency with precious few human intelligence assets in the Soviet Union. For the next several months, America is practically flying blind in the intelligence war.

Plot Hook # 1 (Walking On Eggshells) Desperate to maintain his slipping hold on Soviet power, Khrushchev launches a desperate ploy to set America against his would-be successor. He sends a garbled threat through the hot line to President Johnson, implying that he’s already been unseated, and that his successor — who’s now in control of the hotline, and the source of the missive — is unstable and dangerous. The agents are dispatched to Moscow to infiltrate the Kremlin and assess the situation. There, they become entangled in the coup and must tread carefully lest America be accused of interfering with internal Soviet matters. Victory (Clear Skies): The agents escape the Kremlin (and the country) by the skin of their teeth, avoiding an awkward encounter with high-level Soviet politics. Defeat (Walking on Eggshells): The agents are caught up in the Kremlin events, and forced to side with either Brezhnev or Khrushchev. Regardless of their choice, or the final victor, the Soviet Union subsequently blasts America for political subversion at the very heart of its government. The U.S. suffers great loss of prestige on the international stage and President Johnson cancels Operation: MONGOOSE for fear of being caught once again with his hand in the cookie jar (see page 22 for more about Operation: MONGOOSE).

the 1960s Victory (Clear Skies): The agents manage to discredit or sabotage the position of the Chinese negotiating team, forcing the purchasing parties to bail out of the bargain. The cooperation between American and Soviet agents does much to ease tensions between the superpowers, which have been high since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Defeat (Cold Snap): Nuclear secrets fall into the hands of many nations around the world, from staunch allies of both the United States and the Soviet Union to rogue nations with loyalty toward none, save perhaps a fanatical agenda. The world enters a new phase of nuclear paranoia, in which Armageddon is only a step away and the first strike could come from anywhere.

1965: China Joins the Arms Race Until 1960, the Soviet Union considers China an allied communist power and provides its nuclear program with scientific and logistical support. When formal relations are dissolved between the nations in the 1960s, however, China — and its nuclear program — is left to its own devices. In 1965, the People’s Republic of China performs its first test detonation of a nuclear weapon, signaling to the world that a third party has entered the arms race. The further possibility that China might export elements of the technology to other nations presents a threat to both superpowers, forcing their Agency assets to intercede or risk losing their global edge.

Plot Hook #3 (Golden Age)

Plot Hook #1 (Strange Days)

The entry of a third superpower triggers a flurry of activity in the espionage community on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and it’s quickly revealed that a leak of nuclear secrets from one of the existing superpowers aided the development of China’s nuclear program. The leak must be plugged as soon as possible to prevent China from making further progress, or perhaps even surpassing the superpowers in the nuclear arena. Victory (Clear Skies): The team ferrets out the spy within their own Agency or within the maze that is the enemy’s Agency. Though China joins the arms race, the situation is halted before it gets any worse. Defeat (Cold Snap): The spy escapes, defecting to the People’s Republic of China. He brings along a great deal of damaging information about each of the superpowers’ intelligence communities, gathered through his Agency’s files and counter-intelligence operations. Not only is China armed with nuclear weapons, but a vast amount of intelligence against the superpowers’ agencies and operations as well.

After a brief consultation on the hotline, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. jointly undertake an operation to sabotage Chinese nuclear capability, eliminating the new competitor. Of course, in addition to the stated goal, each nation seeks to capture any Chinese innovations for itself. In the coming weeks, American and Soviet agents contend with both Chinese agents and each other in a race to gain a new arms race advantage. Victory (Peace in Our Time): Not only do the agents damage the Chinese nuclear program, but they prevent their foreign superpower counterparts from seizing an arms race advantage. China retains nuclear capability, but it’s unable to deploy the weapons in a fashion that presents a serious threat to either superpower. For the time being, the arms race is closed to a dangerous new entrant, and the successful joint operation leads to a slight — and temporary — thaw in U.S./Soviet relations. Defeat (Walking on Eggshells): Not only is the joint operation foiled by Chinese counter-intelligence, but the failure results in recriminations between the superpowers. China further raises protests in the United Nations regarding the superpowers’ desire to close access to a technological plateau they’ve already reached, damaging the development of other nations. Both American and Soviet intelligence operations in Third World nations are severely curtailed, so as not to confirm Chinese accusations.

1966: FrEncH TROOPS Leave NATO Long since recovered from the ravages of World War II, and opposed to the United States’ military strategy of massive nuclear retaliation, France gradually grows disillusioned with NATO throughout the 1960s. Finally, in 1966, Charles De Gaulle announces France’s military withdrawal from the NATO alliance and its integrated command structure, as well as the impending expulsion of foreign troops. Further, and of more concern, De Gaulle arranges a visit with Soviet leadership later in the year — within the Soviet Union. These unexpected moves threaten the existing balance of power, and intelligence agencies around the world scramble to determine France’s motives and loyalties.

Plot Hook #2 (Strange Days) With no major incident between the superpowers of late, things seem quiet in the espionage world, but word soon arrives that not only has China joined the nuclear club, it’s in negotiations to sell its secrets to nations all over the world. The agents must foil these negotiations by any means necessary, perhaps even cooperating with their counterparts on the other side of the Iron Curtain.

turning points

Plot Hook # 1 (Under the Weather)

Plot Hook #2 (Cold Snap)

The agents must determine the true motives of De Gaulle and his government — the French leader claims NATO’s interests don’t coincide with the best interests of France, but does this mean the entire nation is aligning itself with the Soviet Union? If so, he must be stopped, as NATO can ill afford a bastion of communism in the heart of Western Europe… Victory (Clear Skies): The agents influence De Gaulle to limit his parley with the Soviet Union to a courtesy call, either through blackmail, threats, or other means, or they spoil relations between the nations another way (e.g. by staging falsely slandering events, or framing Soviet or French agents for espionage or murder conducted against the other summit partner). Though it damages NATO to lose France’s troop strength, all NATO nations realize that it could have gone far worse. Defeat (Domino Effect): The agents fail to influence De Gaulle’s position — and reveal that NATO powers attempted to do so, cementing the new alliance! Though not formally a Warsaw Pact nation, nor subject to the Brezhnev Doctrine later in the decade, France devotes its espionage services and political clout to the Soviet Union.

A new unaligned power in the heart of Western Europe, France is suddenly alive with agents, spies, and saboteurs. One organization in particular — a fanatical supporter of France’s independence from exterior influences — targets foreign tourists, diplomats, and facilities for elimination. The organization plans a simultaneous bombing of both the Soviet and American embassies. Victory (Doldrums): The agents foil the operation in its entirety — or at least prevent the bombing of their own nation’s embassy. De Gaulle disavows any knowledge of the organization and further swears that French vigilance in such matters shall increase tenfold in coming years. The frenetic pace of French espionage slows to a crawl as the nation’s intelligence community secures itself against threats both foreign and domestic. Defeat (Creeping Paranoia): The saboteurs are extremely effective, achieving the destruction of every target upon which they set their sights. Suspicions that the perpetrators are agents of an unknown nation surface, and accusations are leveled against virtually every nation currently fielding an active foreign intelligence agency. The truth, for now, remains hidden…

the 1960s Plot Hook #3 (The Freshmen)

Plot Hook #1 (Death to Spies!)

France, at arms’ length from NATO, becomes receptive to visitors and diplomats from both sides of the Iron Curtain. Paris becomes a new Berlin, a hotbed of intelligence activity, and both superpowers’ agencies establish new divisions to deal with the situation. The agents are assigned to France to unravel and defeat the foreign threat before its tendrils spread throughout the local government through blackmail, coercion, and recruitment. Victory (Doldrums): The agents uncover and foil an unprecedented number of operations on French soil, each mounted by Soviet intelligence. This could prove a major embarrassment to the U.S.S.R., if not for the fact that American intelligence is operating without the French government’s authority. Nonetheless, Soviet operations are crippled, and France’s intelligence environment stabilizes. Defeat (Walking on Eggshells): Not only does Soviet intelligence achieve a clear advantage in France, but the agents’ activities are discovered by French authorities. This proves a major embarrassment for the American government, and cripples future U.S. operations on French soil. Similarly, the newly vigilant French intelligence community increases its pressure on Soviet operations, and statements of support from nations around the world make it quite clear that operations launched by the superpowers had best be conducted outside of the sovereign borders of other independent nations.

With the withdrawal of UN forces, Nasser’s intentions are quite clear — at least, as far as Mossad is concerned. The Israeli intelligence organization devises an operation to assassinate the Egyptian ruler, hoping that his successor will be wise enough not to threaten Israel. But the Agency is all too aware that any such action is likely to make matters worse, and dispatches the agents to foil the operation. Victory (Clear Skies): Nasser not only survives but remains unaware of the attempt on his life and therefore remains driven by politics rather than revenge. Tensions escalate until Israel strikes first, ending the war decisively. Defeat (Bloodbath): The assassination is successful, but doesn’t forestall the coming conflict — indeed, it only motivates a first strike by Arab forces, crippling Israel’s defense. The United States comes to its ally’s aid and is soon embroiled in a brushfire war pitting American and Israeli forces against an Arab coalition armed with Soviet hardware and technical support.

Plot Hook #2 (The Great Experiment) Supported by American technology and expertise, the Israeli war effort is stunningly successful. The Arab coalition is armed with a great deal of Soviet hardware The U.S.S.R. commits intelligence assets to drum up even more interest in its supplies (and therefore, hopefully, a political alliance), and consequently launches a flurry of operations designed to sabotage the Israeli war effort, political infrastructure, and civilian morale. The Agency counters by sending the team to confront the Soviet assets. Victory (The Great Experiment): The agents foil the vast majority of the Soviet operations — certainly enough for Israel to prevail over its foes in the short term. Confidence in Soviet hardware — once strong — now wanes somewhat in the face of American technology that carries the besieged nation to victory. Defeat (Domino Effect): The Israeli war effort is crippled and the Soviet-supported Arab coalition achieves great territorial gains. The perceived value of Soviet-supplied arms skyrockets throughout the Third World and the U.S.S.R. hereafter makes a brisk business in arms sales, both to allied national militaries and communist insurgencies.

1967: Six-Day War Border incidents between Israel, Syria, Egypt, and Jordan increase during the early 1960s, as Syria continues to actively support Palestinian guerrillas. In May of 1967, Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser requests the withdrawal of UN forces from Egyptian territory, mobilizes units in the Sinai, and closes the Gulf of Aqaba to Israel. Israel responds in kind, preparing its military for conflict. The escalation continues until June 5, 1967, when Israel launches a massive air assault that cripples Arab air capability. Quickly establishing air superiority, Israel controls the Sinai Peninsula within three days, then turns its attention to the Jordanian frontier, capturing Jerusalem’s Old City. Meanwhile, on the Syrian border, Israel gains the strategic Golan Heights. The war ends on June 10, after which Israel refuses to give up Jerusalem or other captured territories until significant progress is made in Arab-Israeli relations. Frequent artillery duels and clashes between Israelis and Palestinian guerrillas hereafter follow along all involved frontiers.

Plot Hook #3 (Walking on Eggshells) With war apparently inevitable, Israel entreats the United States for aid. Fearing entanglement in another brushfire situation — particularly in light of the brewing war in Vietnam — America commits Agency resources instead. The agents must penetrate the territory of Israel’s enemies, sabotage their military assets, and sow confusion among the ranks — all without revealing U.S. involvement.

turning points Victory (Clear Skies): The agents achieve each of their objectives, planting the seeds for a quick Israeli victory. They’re in and out like shadows, and their successful operations are assumed to be the work of Mossad. Defeat (Bloodbath): The agents are foiled or discovered. In the former case, the Arab coalition is left with the resources to pursue the war for months, and Israel suffers badly from the Agency’s operational fallout. In the latter case, the discovery of American interference compels the Soviet Union to take an active — though restrained — hand in the conflict, dragging it out in similar fashion. Violence becomes commonplace in regional espionage operations, and the tendency eventually extends to the rest of the world as well, wherever U.S. and U.S.S.R. assets come in conflict.

the attack rocks American and South Vietnamese forces. For the first time, discussion of “peace with honor” replaces discussion of victory concerning Vietnam.

Plot Hook #2 (Doldrums) Prior to Tet, the Vietnam conflict drags on and on, at the cost of many American lives and hundreds of American POWs. Most such prisoners are soldiers, but a few are intelligence operatives, one of whom — according to an Agency informant in Hanoi — is a firsthand witness to Viet Cong plans for the next stage of the war. The agents must penetrate North Vietnamese territory and spring their compatriot. Victory (Bloodbath): The agents retrieve the captured spy and escape the POW camp. During the debriefing, the Agency discovers the impending Tet Offensive and prepares the American forces for the massive attack, beating back the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong is demoralized and likely to suffer many additional defeats in coming months, perhaps even losing the war. Defeat (Strange Days): The agents fail to recover their compatriot and return to South Vietnam empty-handed. The Viet Cong launch the Tet Offensive only days later, mercilessly smashing into American forces. American military and intelligence agencies scramble to recover from the attack, and the war drags on with no end in sight.

1968: Tet Offensive By 1968, conventional wisdom amongst U.S. leadership, as well as within public corners, dictate that the war in Vietnam is already won, but on the last day of January 1968, the massive Viet Cong Tet Offensive shows these claims to be wildly inaccurate. During the largest battle in the war to date, the Viet Cong gain tremendous ground, territory which takes the United States and South Vietnam weeks to recover — including the former Imperial capital of Hue. Although the offensive was not strategically successful for the Viet Cong, as it achieved little long-term territorial gain, it was nonetheless a powerful maneuver, dramatically — and visibly — contradicting U.S. claims of inevitable victory, and giving the Viet Cong a marked political and psychological edge.

Plot Hook #3 (Death to Spies!) Secretly, the Tet Offensive also serves as a distraction for the first major Soviet operation of the war — SMERSH squads launch deadly attacks against American agents, diplomats, and dignitaries throughout South Vietnam, excising the heart of U.S. actions in the country. Victory (Open Season): Though the Tet Offensive is a major victory for the Viet Cong, the Agency infrastructure in country remains largely intact, thanks to the agents’ stalwart efforts. The American war effort is damaged, but far from destroyed. Defeat (Domino Effect): Through a wide range of operations during the Tet Offensive — mainly wetwork — the Soviet Union establishes a major advantage in Southeast Asia. Beyond the effects of the attack upon the American military, American intelligence is shredded throughout Vietnam. It’s only a matter of time before America must withdraw, due largely to lack of reliable intelligence in the region.

Plot Hook # 1 (Domino Effect) The Tet Offensive masses an unprecedented amount of Soviet hardware for a concentrated strike. Intelligence indicates the threat is gathering, but fails to guess its magnitude, and the agents are sent to scout into North Vietnamese territory, evaluating — and possibly decreasing or destroying — the threat, then returning in time to prepare American forces for the coming onslaught. Victory (Golden Age): Not only do the agents provide solid intelligence concerning the Tet Offensive well before the attack, but they eliminate one or more key commanders and hardware assets from the equation. The Offensive is still the largest mounted by North Vietnam to date, but American forces beat it back, suffering only minimal casualties. Already high, the perceived value of firm military intelligence leaps in recognition, and the Agency gains additional support when committing additional resources in country. Defeat (Domino Theory): The Viet Cong achieve major territorial gains, and though the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Cong are unable to defend the acquisitions for long,

1969: Moon Shot Despite lagging behind in the space race throughout the 1950s and most of the 1960s, the U.S. is ultimately the first to cross the metaphorical finish line with the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. In July of this year, Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins voyage to

the 1960s the Moon, scoring a major victory for the U.S. space program. Unfortunately, the “Moon Shot” is likely the last milestone in the space race — Mars is well beyond the reach of contemporary space missions and remains so for some time.

Victory (Walking on Eggshells): All the astronauts slated for the moonwalk survive and land as planned. Further, the agents uncover circumstantial evidence implicating Soviet intelligence in the assassination attempts. If concrete evidence of Soviet interference in the American space program is discovered, the Soviet Union has a lot to answer for on the international stage. Defeat (Creeping Paranoia): When the last of the qualified men available to fly the Apollo mission are cut down, the Moon Shot is scrubbed. Though everyone suspects the Soviet Union (specifically, SMERSH), no one can prove it. Fear of Soviet wetworks teams increases exponentially across the world.

Plot Hook #1 (Clear Skies) Though security is tight leading up to the launch of Apollo 11, the KGB attempts to mount a sabotage operation. If the Soviet organization can prevent the American Moon Shot and steal vital technological intelligence about the U.S. space program, it might be able to retain its dominance in the space race. Victory (The Great Experiment): The agents foil the Soviet effort and Apollo 11 achieves its mission without a hitch. With one great step for mankind, America’s global prestige skyrockets. Defeat (Domino Theory): Apollo 11 explodes on the launch pad, crippling the American space program. It’s years before NASA attempts another Moon Shot, and by then it’s well behind the Soviet’s hammer and sickle standard.

Plot Hook #3 (Cooler Heads Prevail) Unbeknownst to the world at large, the Soviet Union rushes its own Moon Shot through the planning and development phases, and prepares to launch only days before Apollo 11. The agents must penetrate the Soviet Union, locate the launch facility, and prevent the Soviet space program from trumping their own. Victory (The Great Experiment): The agents successfully hinder the Soviet Moonshot — perhaps so much so that it’s never repeated, though certainly enough that the American mission reaches the moon first. Defeat (Walking on Eggshells): Not only does the Soviet launch go as planned, but the U.S.S.R. accuses the United States of attempted sabotage during an open session of the U.N. Security Council. In the future, the American intelligence community operates under the global intelligence community’s watchful eye, and must

Plot Hook #2 (Death to Spies!) Rather than attempt to penetrate the tight security surrounding the NASA space center, the Soviet Union instead targets the roster of U.S. astronauts qualified for the Moon landing. One of the mission’s backup astronauts is the first to fall, and after his grisly murder the agents are ordered to investigate and apprehend the culprits before any of the men on the launch list are killed.

turning points take care at every juncture to avoid embarrassment. Meanwhile, Soviet intelligence seizes the moral high ground and carefully conceals its shadier operations to maintain this advantage.

CORONA Launched; NRO Established (The Freshmen) The CORONA satellite network gives America a significant advantage in the field of imagery intelligence, and prompts the creation of the National Reconnaissance Office (the NRO) to analyze and disseminate the accumulated data. Plot Hook: A whole new field of the intelligence game opens up when American intelligence agencies gain access to CORONA and the work of the NRO — for the first time, intelligence is gathered from a world away. But nothing can replace agents on the ground, and the commitment of American intelligence assets increases radically to take advantage of the community’s new capabilities.

Minor Crises: Year by Year While the following events don’t generally prompt the ongoing fallout inflicted by the major crises described in the previous section, they nonetheless have an immediate impact. Each of the following event’s espionage climates remains in effect only until the event’s conclusion, or until another espionage climate replaces it, whichever comes first (per the GC’s discretion).

Greville Wynne Contacts HERO (Creeping Paranoia)

1960 The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1960.

During a visit to Moscow in late 1960, Greville Wynne, a representative of private British manufacturing interests — and an agent of MI5 — makes contact with HERO, a Soviet mole. HERO hereafter proves an invaluable asset for the West (see Chapter 1). Plot Hook: The agents are dispatched to Moscow to babysit HERO, running interference against Soviet counter-intelligence operatives and preventing them from gathering concrete evidence on the mole’s activities.

Adolf Eichmann Captured (Open Season) One of the most feared and hated Nazis of World War II, Gestapo leader Adolf Eichmann took refuge in Argentina after the Allies’ victory in Europe. It isn’t until 1960 that he’s finally captured by Mossad agent Zvi Aharoni and brought to Israel for trial. Plot Hook: Adolf Eichmann is interrogated at length by the Mossad, and reveals a great deal of information on the location of his Nazi compatriots throughout the world. The agents must locate the Nazi refugees and capture them. Though the Nazis might ordinarily be recruited for Project: PAPERCLIP (the U.S. operation targeting war criminals with critical scientific knowledge), Mossad monitors the results of all investigations, and demands that the war criminals stand trial.

OPEC Formed (Cold Snap) The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is created at a conference in Baghdad, with Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela forming its core. Through the rest of the decade, it grows to include Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, and Algeria. The U.S. government considers friendly relations with OPEC a vital priority, partly because the nation relies on Middle Eastern oil, but more so because the Middle East is considered a strongpoint from which the spread of communism can be confronted. Plot Hook: The OPEC nations share only one commonality — the production of oil. Otherwise, many have fundamentally conflicting value systems, ranging from religion to political allegiance. The United States must carefully weigh its oil purchases — both in terms of the sellers and the quantities — for fear of offending other member nations, and thus the organization as a whole. Despite a delicate balancing act, however, the Shah of Iran soon threatens to orient his oil production toward the Soviet Bloc, halting the Iranian oil supply to the United States, and perhaps, eventually, all of OPEC. In truth, the Shah is in direct contact with KGB operatives who have offered him a lucrative private deal separate from OPEC. The agents must uncover this backroom deal and expose it to the other member nations in order to secure OPEC and Iranian oil for the United States.

Civil War in Laos; Increased Air America Operations (Golden Age) Soviet-supported revolutionaries launch a civil war against the newly independent Laotian government, and in an effort to bulwark Southeast Asia against communist incursion, the CIA orders Air America to provide logistical and tactical support to the beleaguered region (for more information about Air America, see page 19). Plot Hook: Though America commits no conventional military forces to Laos’ defense, intelligence assets prove invaluable in combating the Red Menace in the embattled nation. The Agency routinely launches operations against Pathet Lao, and continually attempts to disrupt Soviet supply lines into the nation.

the 1960s Plot Hook: With the erection of the Berlin Wall, emigration to West Berlin suddenly slows to a trickle — and, at times, to a complete halt. For the first time, complex operations into Germany must be launched against a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Dozens are arrested each day for attempting to escape over the Wall. One among them is a defector guaranteed sanctuary by the Agency, whom the team is ordered to rescue from an East Berlin prison. In order to complete their operation, the agents must get past the Wall — twice.

Sino-Soviet Relations Splinter; Trade Continues (Under the Weather) Growing tensions between China and the Soviet Union over trade issues finally reach a boiling point, and all trade between the two nations ceases. Nonetheless, communist solidarity remains for the time being, and diplomatic relations continue. Plot Hook: The agents are dispatched to China in order to widen the rift between the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, performing operations against both nations and attempting to lay the blame for each successful operation at the doorstep of its erstwhile ally.

DIA Formed (The Freshmen) Starting in autumn of 1961 with only a handful of operatives and rented office space, the Defense Intelligence Agency faces much resistance early in its life. For the most part, this resistance is internal, as the various Armed Forces intelligence services resist becoming subordinate to a new organization, particularly an organization outside the traditional military chain of command. The DIA reports directly to the Joint Chiefs, however, and quickly establishes itself as the nerve center of American military intelligence. Plot Hook: The KGB plans to undermine the fledgling DIA by launching a series of operations designed to draw out and eliminate the organization’s field operatives, including the agents. As the DIA’s numbers thin, SMERSH teams are added to the mix, launching direct assassination attempts against the remaining agents. Worse, there seems to be a traitor within one of the armed services providing SMERSH with intelligence…

SNIPER Defects (Creeping Paranoia) After writing over a dozen letters over the course of two years, a Soviet informant codenamed SNIPER (Polish Col. Michal Goleniewski) walks into the CIA station in Bern, Switzerland. Among the valuable intelligence provided by this defector is evidence of Soviet moles within British and West German intelligence services. Plot Hook: The agents are tasked with following up on SNIPER’s claims, running sting operations on the suspected moles.

1961 The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1961.

America Severs Diplomatic Ties to Cuba; Operation MONGOOSE Begins (Death to Spies!)

Golitsyn Defects (Under the Weather) In December of 1961, KGB officer Anatoli Mikhailovich Golitsyn walks into the United States embassy in Helsinki, defecting to America, after which he’s exfiltrated to the United States to provide reams of intelligence. Many of his “revelations,” however, turn out to be extravagant theories or fabrications, wasting precious agency resources. Plot Hook: The agents are responsible for transporting Golitsyn to the United States — in theory a simple task. Golitsyn is convinced SMERSH teams are in hot pursuit, however, and insists the agents detour in order to cover his tracks, avoiding the assassins. In this case, he’s right (though if he survives, the agents likely find his “reliable” intelligence somewhat flawed in the future).

Following several attempts to diplomatically resolve differences with Cuba, the United States finally breaks off relations with the island nation. Behind closed doors, Kennedy authorizes Operation: MONGOOSE, a concerted effort to remove Castro and company from power. Plot Hook: Operation: MONGOOSE is incredibly broad, including propaganda efforts, industrial sabotage, and even assassination attempts against Castro’s cabinet and the dictator himself. Doubtless, Soviet attempts to aid Cuban counter-intelligence present the agents with a formidable foe as well.

Berlin Wall Erected (Doldrums) Seemingly overnight, the Berlin Wall appears. Initially, this political and physical barrier is only a chainlink fence dividing East and West Berlin, but it soon becomes a concrete wall topped by razor wire, a mine field, and an expansive guard contingent. The Wall soon became symbolic of the Iron Curtain as a whole.

Soviet Union Detonates Hydrogen Bomb (Domino Effect) The Soviet Union test detonates the largest nuclear weapon the world has ever seen, surpassing the combined power of all of the explosives used during World War II. Though the United States detonated the first hydrogen bomb over a decade before, fear of a shrinking missile gap

turning points is widespread and curtails further research. Now this fear is rekindled a hundredfold, as the terrifying weapon falls into the hands of the Great Bear. Plot Hook: The agents are ordered to infiltrate the Soviet Union and gather fresh intelligence about the Soviet nuclear program. They discover a Soviet research team in the process of redoubling the effect of their latest test, a step which will rocket the Soviet Union’s nuclear technology years ahead of the United States. The agents must sabotage the research effort before the Soviets achieve this significant strategic advantage.

Plot Hook: With little success bugging Soviet facilities of late, and new intelligence indicating that the KGB has developed a new device designed to ferret out audio bugs — a gadget equivalent in function to the modern external unit (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 134) — the CIA orders the agents to infiltrate the Soviet embassy in Washington, identify the device, and capture it for reverse engineering and study.

HERO Arrested (Death to Spies!) After almost two years of productive spying, the United States’ pre-eminent mole, HERO, is arrested by the KGB, and his contact ANNE is expelled from the country (see page 87 for more information about HERO). Plot Hook: While HERO’s worth as a mole is destroyed with his exposure and arrest, his insight into Soviet operations could give American agents a field advantage for years to come. Further, many in the CIA and SIS feel HERO has earned an extraction, and knowing that if he is left to the KGB, he’ll be executed in short order, request that the agents locate HERO, infiltrate the prison where he’s held, and bring him safely back to his new home.

1962 The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1962.

America and Soviet Union Sign Geneva Accord Regarding Laos (Doldrums) In the interest of stability in Southeast Asia, the United States and the Soviet Union sign the Geneva Accord of 1962, prohibiting interference by either superpower in Laos’ internal struggle. Plot Hook: Despite the Accord, the Soviet Union continues to render succor to socialist revolutionary forces in Laos. In response, the U.S. deploys unprecedented numbers of field agents to combat Soviet influence, all the while attempting to maintain the barest pretense of the Geneva Accord.

First Reference to NSA (Creeping Paranoia) The existence of the NSA is revealed for the first time within government literature. The secretive agency remains outside public awareness, however, as the documents in question are circulated only at the highest levels of U.S. leadership. Plot Hook: The phone of a Washington-based CIA agent is tapped due to information provided by SNIPER (see page 88), and the KGB arranges a dead drop with its Soviet contact to receive a copy of the manual detailing the NSA’s existence. The Agency discovers the tap and sends the agents to intercept the drop, but the traitor catches wind of the operation and escapes. The agents must race against the KGB to recapture the traitor before he reaches the Soviet Union, sensitive intelligence in hand.

CIA Assumes Leadership Role (The Golden Age) President Kennedy authorizes the CIA to “oversee and provide guidance” to the American intelligence community, placing the agency firmly in a leadership role within the U.S. government — for the first time, the CIA’s DCI is the top man in the intelligence food chain. Coordination between agencies improves and the overall effectiveness of the American intelligence community increases hereafter. Plot Hook: As the CIA assumes command over the U.S. intelligence community, KGB moles within the organization seize the opportunity to sow chaos across many American operations. After one too many instances of “bad intelligence” and “poor direction” endangering its agents, the CIA assigns the team to root out the traitor and save its own hide.

Second Vatican Council (Clear Skies) Pope John XXIII assembles the Second Vatican Council to discuss means through which the church can increase unity and fervor of Catholics worldwide. Included on the agenda are methods by which the Vatican can reach Catholics in the Soviet Union, who are denied their right to practice their religion without hindrance. Plot Hook: In an effort to both short-circuit efforts to support Soviet Catholicism and demonstrate what it believes is a basic fallacy of Catholicism in general (that the Pope speaks for God), SMERSH dispatches an assassin to murder the Pope during a highly visible Mass, with the Council in attendance. The agents must infiltrate the Council and foil the assassination without revealing the American penetration to the assembled Council.

CIA Directorate of Research Formed (The Freshmen) The CIA’s Directorate of Research is formed (and renamed the Directorate of Science and Technology a year later). This unit is tasked with pursuing the development of technology relevant to the espionage field and monitoring the technological development of the Soviet Union.

the 1960s Plot Hook: With its nuclear program still in development (see China Joins the Arms Race, page 82), the People’s Republic of China attempts to sabotage the PTBT proceedings, hoping to prevent any possible hindrance to its future nuclear tests. Chinese intelligence assets compromise one of the delegates to the conference and compel him to hinder the proceedings as best he can. Alerted to the diplomat’s odd behavior, the Agency sends the agents to track down and neutralize the source before the treaty is scrapped.

Sino-Indian War (Walking on Eggshells) Triggered by a dispute over the Himalayan border in the Aksai Chin region, the Sino-Indian War lasts only a few months. The disputed area is strategic for the People’s Republic of China, as it contains a major road between Tibet and Xinjiang. Ultimately, the PRC declares a unilateral cease fire after occupying the Indian town of Tezpur. Plot Hook: Fearing the spread of a communist power’s influence, the United States initiates several covert operations designed to cripple the Chinese advance. The agents must infiltrate the town of Tezpur before the Chinese occupation, and then work from within the town to disrupt the Chinese war effort.

Profumo Caught in Honey Trap (Under the Weather) British Secretary of War John Profumo is entangled in, and thereafter exposes, a joint MI5/SIS honey trap operation (see page 40 for more information about honey traps). The operation’s current subject, Soviet naval attaché Yvgeny Ivanov, is only one of a wide range of targets. Alerted by the public furor surrounding the Profumo’s embarrassment, however, he evaded the British compromise attempt and warned his superiors, effectively saving future targets. Plot Hook: In fact, Ivanov is aware of the honey trap well before Profumo becomes involved, and plays the arrangement against itself. His favorite girls — all MI5 operatives — possess a great deal of intelligence that’s quite valuable to his Soviet masters, and just as they pump him for information, so too does he gather useful intelligence from them. The difference is that the information surrendered by Ivanov is merely useless bait. Now the agents must locate the source of “another” intelligence leak somewhere in the United Kingdom, never realizing that it’s already been highlighted by MI5.

1963 The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1963.

“Hot Line” Goes Live (Clear Skies) Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, a direct hot line is established between the White House and the Kremlin, to allow the American President and the Soviet Premier the opportunity for direct dialogue in emergency situations. Plot Hook: An unknown party compromises the hot line at one end and sends false transmissions to the other end, ranging from mildly aggressive to overtly threatening. In response, the receiving party mobilizes conventional forces around the world, expecting an attack. The agents must locate the source of the false transmissions and repair lines of communication before war breaks out.

1964 Operation: RADAR Begins (Creeping Paranoia)

The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1964.

The Soviet Union sets up its first SIGINT intercept post located in its own embassy, in Mexico City, and charges it with monitoring communications to and from the United States embassy and local CIA station. Plot Hook: RADAR is initially successful, compromising several CIA operations in Central America. The agents must investigate the security breach and ultimately infiltrate the Soviet embassy to sabotage the Soviet SIGINT equipment located there.

EPIGONI Begins (Doldrums) The Soviet Union launches Operation: EPIGONI, an effort designed to ferret out the pipeline through which Soviet dissenters publish their work in the West (for more information about EPIGONI, see page 42). Plot Hook: Through political contacts, Helane Zamoyska approaches the Agency, begging for assistance on behalf of Andrei Sinyavsky and Yuli Daniel, Soviet authors seeking asylum in the United States. As the authors are considered valuable propaganda resources within the Soviet Union, the Agency agrees, sending the agents to spirit them safely out from under the KGB’s nose. Thereafter, Sinyavsky and Daniel continue to publish their work in the West.

Partial Test Ban Treaty Signed in Moscow (Peace in Our Time) The Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom sign the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) in Moscow, prohibiting nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in outer space, or underwater.

turning points Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (The Great Experiment) On August 2, 1964, the U.S. destroyer Maddox is attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats while conducting a reconnaissance mission. The attack is repelled, and five days later, Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, enabling the President to “take all necessary measures to repel armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” This leads directly to America’s vastly increased commitment in Vietnam. Plot Hook: The agents are dispatched to perform ground reconnaissance in advance of the Maddox, and discover a squadron of torpedo boats that far outmatches it. On its own in enemy territory, the U.S. destroyer is easy prey for the Vietnamese attack boats, and so the agents must disable or destroy as many North Vietnamese vessels as possible before its arrival under radio silence.

HONETOL Launched (Creeping Paranoia) In 1964, a massive mole hunt is launched by a joint CIA/FBI committee, codenamed HONETOL. Based on information provided by SNIPER (see page 88), the hunt is predicated upon the assumption that the American intelligence community is heavily infiltrated by Soviet moles. The effort occupies the lion’s share of the agencies’ attention, to the extent that more assets are dedicated to observing CIA officers than KGB. Plot Hook: The information provided by SNIPER that triggers HONETOL is quite vague — the mole’s name begins with a “K” and might end in “–ski”, the mole worked in Germany, etc. While HONETOL is operational, the agents are assigned to investigate SNIPER himself. They eventually determine that his information is false, though whether this is because he’s a KGB plant or because he’s simply attempting to cement his value to the Agency is up to the GC.

Sino-Soviet Relations End (Cold Snap) Relations between the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China continue to deteriorate following the cessation of trade in 1960, and finally the Soviet Union formally ends diplomatic relations and closes its embassy in Chinese territory. Plot Hook: The agents are assigned to China in order to gather viable intelligence from the Soviet embassy before it closes its doors for good. Their collected data could become quite valuable, as state-of-the-art Soviet SIGINT technology is located on site, which cannot be easily moved thanks to its sheer mass and bulk. Unfortunately, a Soviet saboteur arrives simultaneously with the agents, intent upon destroying the equipment in order to prevent its capture.

the 1960s Plot Hook: In an attempt to demonstrate his displeasure at American interference in a Vietnamese matter, a particularly fanatical Viet Cong officer assigns a team of assassins to target American soldiers and diplomats in Saigon. When U.S. military troops capture and successfully interrogate the officer, they discover the plot and seek help from the Agency.

1965 The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1965.

Dominican Rebellion (Bloodbath) Dominican exile and socialist Juan Bosch stages an attempted coup in the Dominican Republic, compelling the United States to commit a military intervention in the Western Hemisphere for the first time since World War II. Plot Hook: The agents are assigned to the Dominican Republic to perform surgical extractions of certain powerful supporters of Bosch, in order to erode the would-be potentate’s support base. They’re required, however, to operate in secret — while military intervention is acceptable, covert removal of influential individuals could have undesirable political repercussions on the global stage. Bosch himself is not to be touched, as he’s far too visible to the world.

1966 The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1966.

POCHIN Launched (Clear Skies) The most successful SIGINT post established by the Soviet Union, POCHIN operates out of the top floor of the Soviet embassy in Washington (for more information about POCHIN, see page 44). Plot Hook: Once again, the American intelligence community springs a leak. The agents must trace the security breach to the Soviet embassy and somehow subvert its data collection by fooling KGB operatives into mistaking false communications and transmissions for the real thing.

EPIGONI Uncovers Document Channel to West, and Concludes Operations (Domino Theory) Unless the agents successfully foil the EPIGONI launch (see page 90), the operation concludes in 1965 with the arrest of Andrei Sinyavsky and Yuri Daniel. Unfortunately, their capture could lead to the exposure of American sympathizers in the Soviet Union, specifically those who aided the authors in smuggling manuscripts to the West. The agents must infiltrate the Soviet Union in time to ensure the safety and security of such assets, and if possible, exfiltrate Sinyavsky and Daniel as well. Plot Hook: Through political contacts, Helane Zamoyska approaches the Agency, begging for assistance on behalf of Andrei Sinyavsky and Yuli Daniel, Soviet authors seeking asylum in the United States. As the authors are considered valuable propaganda resources within the Soviet Union, the Agency agrees, sending the agents to spirit them safely out from under the KGB’s nose. Thereafter, Sinyavsky and Daniel continue to publish their work in the West, to be distributed throughout the Free World.

Stokely Carmichael Leads SNCC (Under the Weather) In 1965, having aided in the establishment of — and assumed a leadership position in — the Black Panther Party, Stokely Carmichael is elected head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. His ideological approach to civil rights is at odds with Martin Luther King’s philosophy of nonviolence, as Carmichael considers peace a viable tactic only so long as it achieves visible and significant progress, and he’s perfectly willing to resort to violent ends otherwise. Plot Hook: Soviet provocateurs capitalize on Carmichael’s stated willingness to use violence to achieve his ends, fomenting a radical faction with the radical’s organization. Ultimately, Soviet agents attempt to approach Carmichael himself, at which point the agents — ordered to infiltrate or observe Carmichael and his organization — have orders to capture the enemy operatives.

First United States Air Sorties Into North Vietnam; First U.S. Combat Troops Arrive (Open Season)

United States Military Presence in Vietnam Increases to 500,000 (Bloodbath)

Following the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (and predicated on the same), United States troops deploy into Vietnam en masse to battle Viet Cong insurgencies into the south. In response, the Viet Cong steps up operations, committing to more frequent, and more violent, sorties.

The United States military presence in Vietnam increases five-fold within only one year, representing an unprecedented American commitment in the battle against the Viet Cong. Plot Hook: Increased American presence in Vietnam leads to the capture of more American soldiers in the field. In the process of investigating a Vietnam internment camp, the agents stumble across a Soviet indoctri-

turning points nation facility, wherein American prisoners are brainwashed, their loyalties shifted toward the Soviet Union. They are then allowed to “escape” and return to their comrades. The agents must capture the Soviet specialist on site in order to unravel his technique to aid the deprogramming effort, as well as identify past “escapees” for deprogramming.

Plot Hook: SMERSH mounts an attempt on Runge’s life while he’s under the agents’ protection. Not only are the agents ordered to keep the defector safe, but they must discover SMERSH’s source for Runge’s location as well. The attacks continue periodically until the security breach is rectified — one of Runge’s friends in West Germany is the leak, but not willfully so. Without his knowledge, the KGB has bugged his phone and routinely reads his mail. Every time Runge contacts him, SMERSH gets another shot at the traitor.

1967 The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1967.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Proposed (Peace In Our Time)

China Detonates First Hydrogen Bomb (Cold Snap)

Proposed in 1967 and ratified in 1968, the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty prohibits its signatories — the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and 59 other nations — from distributing nuclear technology to non-nuclear nations. France and China, both nuclear powers, choose not to sign the agreement. Plot Hook: The French elect not to sign the agreement because they are helping non-nuclear nations to develop a nuclear arsenal in exchange for trade and economic considerations. When the Agency discovers a nuclear development program in Brazil, the agents must infiltrate the research facility, determine the source of the technology, and put a stop to the transfer, then gather tangible evidence of France’s assistance.

Advancing by leaps and bounds in the nuclear arena, the People’s Republic of China cements its status as a nuclear power on par with the United States and the Soviet Union. Plot Hook: Now able to back up its conventional forces with a nuclear threat, the People’s Republic of China becomes a military peer of its neighbor, the U.S.S.R. In fact, certain elements of the Chinese government seek to establish superiority over their communist neighbor, partially in response to Soviet slights from earlier in the decade, and partially due to older military grudges. The agents must defuse the brewing conflict — even though a war between the two communist superpowers might benefit the United States, the risk of a nuclear exchange is simply too great.

1968 The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1968.

John Walker Begins Spy Career (Creeping Paranoia)

Brezhnev Doctrine Set Down; Czechoslovakia’s Red Spring (Domino Theory)

In late 1967, Chief Warrant Officer John Walker, staff communications officer of the American Commander of Submarine Forces in the Atlantic (COMSUBLANT), walks into the Soviet embassy in Washington with a sheaf of sensitive documents, demanding money in exchange for his service as a spy. He’s quickly snapped up by the KGB’s Washington resident and fielded as a Soviet mole. Plot Hook: After discovering Walker’s treason, one of Walker’s fellow officers disappears (in reality murdered by the new mole). Ordinarily, an investigation of the murder would be the province of military authorities, but due to the sensitive nature of the victim’s post on COMSUBLANT’s staff, the agents are called in.

Displeased with the direction of government in the Warsaw Pact nation of Czechoslovakia, the Soviet CCCP invades the country and reinstates Soviet Communism (for more information, see page 32). Plot Hook: While Operation: KHODOKI fabricates evidence of American involvement in Czechoslovakia’s Red Spring (see page 42), the best lies are founded with a grain of truth. The Agency has in fact hidden caches of weapons and supplies throughout Czechoslovakia, in preparation for a resistance against the country’s Soviet masters. Unfortunately, the Agency didn’t plan for the Brezhnev Doctrine (see page 32), nor a full scale Soviet invasion. Desperate to eliminate evidence of American involvement, the Agency dispatches several teams — the agents among them — to clean up the mess.

Operation TREZOR Launched (Death to Spies!) Like many Soviet defectors, Yevgeni Runge is condemned to death in absentia by a SMERSH tribunal. Tremendous resources are dedicated to his liquidation. For more information about TREZOR, see page 45.

the 1960s Plot Hook: North Korea’s accusations are true — the Pueblo was indeed spying on Korean military assets, particularly in the area of ELINT gathering, but at the moment, the United States can ill afford the embarrassment of such a scandal. The agents must infiltrate North Korea and scuttle or capture the ship before the North Korean government has the opportunity to fully analyze her equipment.

NVA Invades Laos; Air America Sorties Multiply Exponentially (Walking On Eggshells) Pleased to support the insurgence of a potential communist ally, Hanoi has long aided the Pathet Lao. By 1968 the North Vietnamese have become impatient with the leader’s progress and invade Laos in a gambit to guarantee access to the neighboring nation’s territory, enabling easier troop movement for the conflict against South Vietnam and the imperialist powers (for more information, see Air America, page 19). Plot Hook: Though valuable to the Hmong tribesmen, American military advisors are placed in tremendous danger by the invasion, and the agents are charged with heading behind enemy lines to extract them. Fortunately, the agents can count on the aid of Air America for pickup once the advisors are located and assembled.

1969 The following minor crises may be tapped as agent missions during 1969.

KGB’s Fifth Chief Directorate Formed (The Freshmen) Assuming several former duties of the organization’s Second Chief Directorate, this new KGB Directorate is dedicated exclusively to combating political dissent within the Soviet Union, whether it springs from religious factions, national minorities, the intelligentsia, or the artistic community. Plot Hook: The formation of the new Fifth Chief Directorate catches the American intelligence community off guard, as several illegal residents placed within the communities targeted by the new Chief Directorate are detained for interrogation. The agents are dispatched to Moscow, where they must determine the location of the gulag holding the American assets and spring them prior to interrogation. If the team arrives too late, several American operations within the Soviet Union are blown.

My Lai Massacre (Under the Weather) American soldiers in Vietnam face tremendous mental strain, and for some it’s beyond endurance. On March 16th, 1968, a company of American soldiers, under the command of Lt. William Calley, invades the Vietnamese village of My Lai and murders every person in the area. Plot Hook: Calley’s bizarre orders are the result of a Soviet attempt to discredit the American military in the eyes of the Vietnamese, fomenting further anti-war sentiment in the United States. Captured briefly earlier in the year, Calley was subjected to severe Soviet brainwashing before being released (and, later, claiming to escape). The brainwashing removed certain moral inhibitions, enabling Calley to order the horrific My Lai massacre. He is not however, the only such victim. Though an isolated incident thus far, the remaining Soviet brainwash victims may enact a rash of mass murders through Vietnamese villages if not found and stopped.

Qaddafi Seizes Lybia (Cold Snap) On September 1, 1969, 27-year-old Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi deposes the king of Lybia and revolutionizes the country, making it a pro-Arabic, anti-Western, Islamic republic with socialist leanings. A notorious firebrand, Qaddafi works the already strong anti-Israel sentiment into a frenzy and aligns himself with dictators such as Uganda’s Idi Amin, fostering the birth of modern terrorism. Plot Hook: As the coup launches, several Western tourists in Lybia are taken hostage by Qaddafi’s forces. The captives are held as leverage against the United States in order to force the nation to withdraw support from its Israeli allies. The agents must infiltrate Lybia, locate the hostages, free them, and escape.

Pueblo Captured (Walking on Eggshells) During a reconnaissance sortie in the waters surrounding Korea, the naval environmental research vessel U.S.S. Pueblo becomes the target of a North Korean attack, including both naval and air power. The vessel is seized, her crew is captured, and the North Korean government formally accuses the United States of spying. The crew is held for 11 months before their release and repatriation.

“History’s like a story in a way: it depends on who’s telling it.” - Dorothy Salisbury Davis

Alternate Campaign Styles

the 1960s • The military campaign should amp the strategic and tactical elements of play to the limit of the players’ tolerance. As much as possible, the players should be urged to take cover, plan ambushes, and use elevation, morale-defeating approaches, and other conditions to their advantage. Rules for all of these conditions and more are found in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, which, when run “out of the box,” presents mechanical scenarios in which the agents must rely upon calculated precision to survive.

Introduction As illustrated throughout this book, the 1960s espionage campaign often revolves around the central U.S./Soviet Union “slow burn” conflict, with the agents typically operatives from one side or the other vying for control of delicate information, Third World territories, and other resources critical to the Cold War. As shown in this chapter, however, a 1960s Spycraft campaign can turn the Cold War’s accepted focus on its ear, or even shift the action away from spies altogether…

• Military campaigns promote soldierly brotherhood. The bonds forged on the battlefield are one of the most important aspects of this campaign. The agents should regularly be presented with the opportunity to save one another’s lives — perhaps more importantly, to do so dramatically. The military campaign should foster a feeling of complete devotion, where even men who hate one another would willingly risk their lives to ensure each other’s safety.

The Military 1960s Campaign In the military 1960s campaign, the agents are commonly part of a mercenary unit or similar tactical force. This style of 1960s play is about warfare (open and otherwise), strategy, camaraderie, and, often, betrayal. The unit is everything here, the singular nuclear group, more important than family. When one considers the 1960s, the Vietnam Conflict is usually the first war to come to mind, but many other conflicts are available as well. In the 1960s, civil rights movements set the world on fire, causing revolutions on almost every continent, especially in South America and Africa. De Gaulle’s withdrawal from the French colonies poured gasoline on this sociopolitical blaze, sparking revolution as the nations freed of the French yoke sought a new place in the world. Further, given the proclivity of both the United States and the Soviet Union to meddle in the affairs of Third World countries, the potential exists for many types of violence as they come to blows over puppet regimes and other territorial conceits. Otherwise relegated to remote corners of the globe, brushfire wars have the potential to explode into worldwide bloodshed, or even a full-scale nuclear confrontation, once the superpowers become involved — that is, unless the agents put a stop to the escalation first.

• ∑ With military struggles revolving around matters of politics, religion, and similarly subjective issues, the distinction between the white and black hats is fairly ambiguous in this style of campaign. Consequently, the utility of the sample organizations in this section is left open — either may be used as the Agency, leaving the other to become the “threat” of the piece.

Campaign Rules The military campaign is focused much more heavily upon gritty combat and close unit discipline than the superspy genre, necessitating the following global rules changes. • When hostilities erupt, the subtle means of espionage have already failed. No one is pulling any punches and lives are quickly lost, often by the dozens, sometimes by the hundreds. During any military 1960s campaign, the bloodbath espionage climate is always in effect (see page 74 for more about espionage climate). This condition applies at all times in addition to any other espionage climate triggered by events or circumstances, and has no effect when another bloodbath climate is in effect.

Campaign Tropes

∑• Each agent should either possess a military rank in one of his nation’s armed forces, or a compelling reason for joining a military team in the field (e.g. a civilian expert sent with a military team to fulfill a specific purpose).

The military 1960s campaign generally includes the following tropes. • The military campaign tends toward gritty realism. The GC should always strive to make the agents feel the sweltering heat bearing down on them, hear the flies buzzing past their ears, and smell the sweat pouring from their brows. Military play styles range from painfully realistic tactical simulations to gun-toting fun — the important thing is that the setting always be as vibrant and powerful as possible.

• At the beginning of each military 1960s campaign serial, the GC may assign one agent as the team leader (generally the agent with the highest military rank). Once per session, the leader may issue one order as if he possesses the pointman’s tactics class ability (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 28). Should

alternate campaign styles any subordinate agent simply ignore this order, he suffers a –2 morale penalty with all action die results until he’s released from the order or until the end of the current session (whichever comes first). This penalty does not affect whether an action die explodes. Should any subordinate agent directly oppose this order, he suffers a –1 morale penalty with all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws until he’s released from the order or until the end of the current session (whichever comes first).

some gadgets are available, reducing each agent’s GP allotment to H standard (rounded down), and limiting the team to no more than 1 gadget per agent, or even 1 gadget per 2 agents (rounding down).

Special Incursion Force This sample U.S. organization is appropriate for military 1960s campaigns and features background information and supporting NPCs. Due to the ambiguous nature of goals in a military campaign, this group may be used as either the Agency or the “threat” for such a game, gaining the appropriate resource as needed (see page 101 for sample military agent and threat resources).

∑• Should any agent on a leader’s team suffer an XP penalty (even voluntarily), the leader suffers twice the same XP penalty. • Agents in a military campaign are loaded for bear. The cost for all standard-issue weapons and armor (i.e. those requisitioned with BP) is reduced to H standard (rounded up).

Area of Concern: This team of crack soldiers is drawn from the U.S. Army and Marine Corps (with an occasional Navy SEAL thrown in for good measure). It looks after U.S. interests abroad, acting as a quick-response assault force ready to be deployed anywhere in the world with minimal warning. Function: The SIF is trained in many different forms of combat, possessing specialists in everything from jungle fighting to urban assault. Each of its team members is cross-trained, allowing them to double in at least one secondary capacity when needed.

• On the other hand, esoteric resources are in great demand, and gadgets are parceled out with great care, if at all. The agents receive no GP during a military 1960s campaign, nor may they gain any through feats, class abilities, or other game rules. Vehicles are provided by the Agency/GC during the Gearing Up phase of each mission, as needed. (The GC may rule that

the 1960s Tactics: Small-unit hit and run assaults are the SIF’s specialty. Its troops attack with mobile, platoon-force numbers, hitting fast and hard, then leaving before the enemy can marshal a response. During a well-executed SIF assault, the mission objective is achieved before the enemy has the opportunity to mobilize. Organizations: The SIF draws most of its agents from the U.S. Army, the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Air Force. Headquarters: The SIF HQ is housed within a sprawling military base located in the middle of the Arizona desert, a location codenamed SPARROW FLIGHT. Control: The SIF’s commanding officer is General William S. Henrik, a “retired” Marine Corps general (see the next column).

The SIF follows a typical military structure. Its units are supplied and supported by high-security clearance personnel borrowed from other forces, and Navy doctors and Army supply clerks wander their bases in imposed ignorance. No SIF personnel may make or take phone calls, and only those who can guess their location based on time zone and climate have any chance of knowing where they are until they go into action. The SIF’s chain of command is based upon an Army model, with General William S. Henrik the Agency’s CO. The General answers to the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, affording the President plausible deniability. During the late 1960s, SIF troops are positioned suspiciously close to Vietnam and Laos. The agency can field up to three companies in these hot zones at any time.

With no paper trail on any official U.S. documents, no money trail leading to its agents, and congressional oversight, the SIF operates completely off the books, siphoning money from hundreds of actual government programs, each of which possesses inflated accounting sheets. In an age of $200 hammers and $20 nails, the SIF has a cost in the hundreds of thousands of phantom construction tools. The SIF maintains over a dozen units in position all over the world, along with five “roving” units that go wherever the action is at the moment unless official orders dictate otherwise. Each stationary unit remains on standby 9 months each year, with a 3-month break for R&R, during which its agents may remain in the area or travel, as they wish (so long as they return in time for their next duty shift). Roving units are the SIF’s elite squads, and are left on their own when not called in for missions. No elite squad soldiers may venture further than a day’s travel by car from their unit (and most simply remain with their unit at all times, even taking R&R with their teammates). The SIF can marshal enough troops to form nearly any standard military unit, up to and including a full company, with nearby stationary and roving units supplementing missions when needed. Large operations are frowned upon, as they’re usually violent and high profile, so platoon-size units are preferred, with squads and fire-teams considered the ideal field size. By Presidential order, the SIF’s first and foremost duty is secrecy (during a decade of social unrest, the U.S. can’t afford the scandal of such a blatant covert taskforce). All SIF agents are under strict orders to use aliases at all times and to collect and dispose of all corpses yielded during missions. They use non-American guns and wear the emblems of European forces. They don’t even smoke American cigarettes (much to the chagrin of their soldiers). No SIF personnel may keep personal effects in the field (pictures of loved ones are allowed so long as they bear no writing, nor include architecture or other details that can help people track down those depicted).

General William S. Henrik: The SIF’s commanding officer was once married, but lost his wife to slow cancer while he was away on a protracted mission. Today, he’s a hard-boiled, powerful man, a brutal inspiration to his troops but a holy terror when angered. The SIF is his life and his life’s work. General William S. Henrik, 5th-level soldier/5thlevel tactician (special NPC — 50 MP as mastermind or 20 MP as henchman): Department: D-2 Military Ops. CR 10. SZ M; v/wp 89/12; Init +10 (+2 Dex, +8 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 17 (+2 Dex, +5 class); Atk: Colt M1911A1 service pistol +11 (dmg 1d12, recoil 20, threat 19–20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: RG, TD — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ accurate, ambush tactics, armor use +1, break away (retreat), DR 1/—, soldier’s soldier (1 grade), stratagem (self), tempo (surge), wily; SV Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +8; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 13; Skills: Balance +6, Bluff +9 (threat 18–20), Climb +6, Concentration +7, Cultures +9, Diplomacy +9 (threat 18–20), Driver +3, Intimidate +12/+13 (threat 18–20), Jump +6, Knowledge (Military History) +9, Languages +7, Listen +6, Profession (Military) +13, Sport (Skydiving) +3, Spot +12, Surveillance +12, Survival +5, Swim +6. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Combat Instincts, Confident Charge, Expertise, Fortunate, Hard Core, Jump Up, Persuasive, Weapon Focus (Colt M1911A1 service pistol), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical), Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of .45 ACP military ball ammunition, tactical radio, 2 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Jeep (military jeep — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 90, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: ORD, ordnance: None). Captain Richard Jones: The SIF’s most (privately) decorated member is a career soldier and ex-Green Beret who distinguished himself many times during the Korean conflict. Tall, muscular, and always clean shaven — even under the worst conditions — Captain Richard Jones is the classic “boy scout.”

alternate campaign styles • The agent may spend 1d6 hours getting in touch with a military base when making a favor check to request “three hots and a cot.” With success, the military base in question finds a place for the agent’s unit to sleep for a night and offers the team access to its mess hall, conference room, and briefing room, as well as communication facilities with a power rating of +2.

Captain Richard Jones, 7th-level soldier (special NPC — 35 MP as mastermind or 14 MP as henchman): Department: D-2 Military Ops. CR 7. SZ M; v/wp 75/14; Init +13 (+3 Dex, +6 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+3 Dex, +3 class); Atk: Colt M1911A1 service pistol +11 (dmg 1d12, recoil 20, threat 19–20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: RG, TD — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ accurate, armor use +1, DR 1/—, weapon specialization (Colt M1911A1 service pistol); SV Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +4; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +5, Climb +4, Demolitions +2, Intimidate +8/+7, Jump +5, Profession (Military) +14, Sport (Skydiving) +3, Spot +7, Survival +4, Swim +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Bullseye, Improved Initiative, Martial Arts, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Run, Toughness, Weapon Focus (Colt M1911A1 service pistol), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of .45 ACP military ball ammunition, 1 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Jeep (military jeep — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 90, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: ORD, ordnance: None).

• The agent may spend 1d6 hours getting in touch with a military airbase when making a favor check to hitch a ride on a military aircraft. The ride is uncomfortable and takes twice the time listed on the 1960s air travel matrix (see page 127), but bypasses customs and costs the agent nothing. • The agent may spend 1d6 hours getting in touch with military intelligence when making a favor check to request a report and photos concerning one specific location. This report provides the agent with a +2 gear bonus with Survival checks made in the location and increases the bonus granted by any tactics abilities possessed by the agent or his teammates by an additional +1.

SIF Soldiers: SIF soldiers are an elite military force, recruited out of various U.S. military branches, mainly Special Forces units.

The Sickle This sample Soviet organization is appropriate for military 1960s campaigns and features background information and supporting NPCs. Due to the ambiguous nature of goals in a military campaign, this group may be used as either the Agency or the “threat” for such a game, gaining the appropriate resource as needed (see page 101 for sample military agent and threat resources).

SIF Soldiers, 5th-level minions (standard NPCs — 43 MP if used as minions): CR: 4. SZ M; v/wp: 37/16; Init +7 (+3 Dex, +4 class), Speed 30 ft.; Def 15 (+3 Dex, +2 class); Atk: Colt M16A1 assault rifle +9 (dmg 4d4, error 1–4, threat 20, range 125 ft., qualities and mods: no burst — 30 shots), fragmentation grenade (×2) +8 (dmg 2d10, error 1–4, range 15 ft. — 1 shot each); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None, SQ None; SV: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +1; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +5, Demolitions +2, Intimidate +5/+2, Jump +5, Sport (Skydiving) +8, Spot +6, Survival +5. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Weapon Focus (M16A1 assault rifle), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, BP per mastermind options (if used as part of a threat). Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Area of Concern: The Sickle is a powerful strike force fielded by the Soviet Union’s foremost military agencies, representing Soviet ideals throughout the world. Function: The Sickle serves two purposes — to operate as the Soviet military’s supreme arm, enforcing its will throughout the world, and to operate as a sort of “bogey man” within the political arena — an open secret used to convey thinly-veiled threats to foreign and domestic forces. Tactics: This brigade-sized unit uses the least force necessary to achieve its objectives, generating awesome destruction and atrocious fear with precision. Every action taken by the Sickle is a calculated cut in the world fabric, intended to combine with many others toward a grander design. Organizations: Members of the Sickle hail from almost all corners of the Soviet military, but most are recruited directly out of the Soviet Spetsnaz Special Forces. Headquarters: The Sickle operates out of a military outpost situated only miles from Leningrad.

SIF Resources The U.S. military is one of the largest armed services in the world, consisting of five branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and the Coast Guard. This provides the SIF with an infrastructure throughout the world, as well as the following resources. Possible Assistance: An SIF agent in good standing may call upon the following assistance from the U.S. military. Each option requires contact with the branch in question, or the SIF command structure, as well as proper SIF credentials.

the 1960s Control: The Sickle’s commanding officer is Igor Innokentyevich Novikov, a WWII veteran and lifelong Soviet hardliner.

General Igor Innokentyevich Novikov: The Sickle’s commanding officer is five-foot-six but imposing, swaggering when he walks and drinking perhaps a bit more than he should. His preferred meeting place is a steam room (within which he also recovers from his regular hangovers). General Novikov is known to strategically place his own men within any room long before he enters — just in case combat breaks out.

The Sickle is only ostensibly secret, and while care is taken to keep it off the official books (a process not nearly as difficult in the Soviet Union as in the United States), its practices of open terrorist warfare give it a fairly high profile. Everyone in the Soviet Union knows that the Sickle exists, as do military forces and governments the world over. Soviet politicians even use the group as a bludgeon with which to threaten their rivals. The Sickle is capable of any kind of combat, but specializes in nighttime raids and remote location raids. Its troops train in extreme conditions, giving them the fortitude to survive in the most arctic blight or the deepest jungle with equal ease. The Sickle also maintains a dependable private transportation force, allowing its troops to arrive combat-ready in nearly any location on Earth in 36 hours or less. Like its immediate rival, the SIF, the Sickle keeps a standard military command structure, with General Novikov answering directly to the Soviet Premier without an intervening hierarchy. General Novikov — and therefore the Sickle — has significant power inside the Soviet government, and is known even to make his own demands (and his own threats) on occasion.

General Igor Innokentyevich Novikov, 5th-level soldier/5th-level officer (special NPC — 50 MP as mastermind or 20 MP as henchman): Department: D-0 The Home Office. CR 10. SZ M; v/wp 82/16; Init +10 (+2 Dex, +8 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+2 Dex, +4 class); Atk: Makarov PM backup pistol +10 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA lead the charge (damage); SQ accurate, armor use +1, blood of heroes +4, DR 1/—, encouragement, field logistics, tactics 3/session (+3 bonus); SV Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13; Skills: Balance +3, Bluff +10 (threat 18–20), Bureaucracy +10, Climb +2, Diplomacy +17 (threat 18–20), Intimidate +13/+14 (threat 18–20), Knowledge (Military History) +5, Profession (Military) +10, Survival +7, Swim +1. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Bullseye, Hard Core, Jump Up, Persuasive, Point Blank Shot, Political Favors, Precise Shot, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mm Makarov military ball ammunition, tactical radio, 9 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Jeep (military jeep — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 90, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: ORD, ordnance: None). Captain Semyon Filipovich Yakovlev: This unassuming man goes through life quietly, often mumbling, never raising his voice, yet his calm exterior shields the world from a man who once interrogated a man until he wept blood. Among Semyon Filipovich’s men, he is viewed as something of a pussycat, but all follow him regardless, fearing that the extreme stories of his cruel treatment of traitors are true.

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alternate campaign styles Captain Semyon Filipovich Yakovlev, 5th-level soldier/2nd-level grunt (special NPC — 35 MP as mastermind or 14 MP as henchman): Department: D-2 Military Ops. CR 7. SZ M; v/wp 63/12; Init +11 (+2 Dex, +5 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+2 Dex, +3 class); Atk: Makarov PM backup pistol +9 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA alpha-strike; SQ accurate, armor use +1, DR 1/—, hot blooded; SV Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +8; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 14; Skills: Balance +6, Bureaucracy +4, Climb +4, Concentration +4, Demolitions +4, Intimidate +12/+14, Jump +2, Profession (Military) +10, Spot +5, Survival +9, Swim +2, Tumble +4, Use Rope +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Endurance, Great Fortitude, Hard Core, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Political Favors, Toughness, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mm Makarov military ball ammunition, tactical radio, 7 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Jeep (military jeep — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 90, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: ORD, ordnance: None).

• The agent may spend 1d6 hours getting in touch with a military base when making a favor check to request “three hots and a cot.” With success, the military base in question finds a place for the agent’s unit to sleep for a night and offers the team access to its mess hall, conference room, and briefing room, as well as communication facilities with a power rating of +2.

Sickle Soldiers: Sickle soldiers are the Soviet military’s most prized combatants, recruited primarily out of the Spetsnaz (though select members are recruited from the ranks of the KGB and the GRU as well).

Threat Resources: The GC may call upon the following threat resources to support the organization and its operatives in play.

• The agent may spend 1d6 hours getting in touch with a military airbase when making a favor check to hitch a ride on a military aircraft. The ride is uncomfortable and takes twice the time listed on the 1960s air travel matrix (see page 127), but bypasses customs and costs the agent nothing. • The agent may spend 1d6 hours getting in touch with military intelligence when making a favor check to request a report and photos concerning 1 specific location. This report provides the agent with a +2 gear bonus with Survival checks made in the location and increases the bonus granted by any tactics abilities possessed by the agent or his teammates by an additional +1.

• Enemy forces often call for reinforcements when up against unknown foes or superior numbers. Five minutes after at least one of the agents is spotted by the enemy and word of the team’s presence arrives with an enemy radio operator, the GC may spend 1 action die to introduce 1 new minion squad to the scene, adding them to the number of characters already present in the region. These minions appear at the most appropriate location, such as the front gate of a compound under assault or the edge of the enemy patrol zone. They purposefully seek out the agents, attempting to eliminate them quickly and efficiently.

Sickle Soldiers, 5th-level minions (standard NPCs — 48 MP if used as minions): CR: 4. SZ M; v/wp: 37/16; Init +7 (+3 Dex, +4 class), Speed 30 ft.; Def 15 (+3 Dex, +2 class); Atk: Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle +9 (dmg 3d6, error 1, threat 19–20, range 150 ft., qualities and mods: DP, RG — 30 shots), fragmentation grenade (×2) +8 (dmg 2d10, error 1–4, range 15 ft. — 1 shot each); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None, SQ None; SV: Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +5, Demolitions +3, Intimidate +6/+3, Jump +9, Sport (Skydiving) +5, Spot +8, Survival +8. Feats: Weapon Focus (AK 47). Gear: Weapons, BP per mastermind options (if used as part of a threat). Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

• Hostile forces live and die in the field based upon the skill of their patrols. When the GC spends 1 action die to increase the result of skill checks made by a patrol squad to detect the agents’ presence, he may roll that action die twice, keeping the higher result.

Agent and Threat Resources Both of the sample organizations described in this section rely upon the troops, gear, and ordnance of a superpower’s military. This provides each organization with a worldwide infrastructure and a set of agent or threat resources, as follows.

• When an enemy group is in radio contact with supporting artillery forces, the GC may spend 4 action dice to target a 500-ft. × 500-ft area with artillery fire. Mortar fire or artillery shells the area 1 minute later, inflicting a –2 morale penalty upon all skill checks and attack rolls made by the agents, and reducing their speed by 10 ft. Further, any time an agent suffers an error within this area, the GC or an opposing player may spend and roll 1 to 5 action dice to cause a shell to land at the character’s feet with a blast damage value equal to the action dice spent and a blast increment of 5 ft.

Agent Resources: An agent in good standing may call upon the following assistance from his organization’s supporting military force. Each option requires contact with the branch in question, or the Agency command structure, as well as proper credentials.

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the 1960s 1. Officer’s Latrines: The appeal of these shower and toilet stalls is only a shade above their enlisted counterparts, but they offer more privacy. A paranoid man, the unit’s CO keeps a nationally appropriate pistol taped underneath the lid of one of the latrines — just in case.

Campaign Hooks This section contains a detailed encounter location and two plot hooks appropriate for a military 1960s campaign.

2. Officer’s Mess: This chow tent is neat and well organized — a far cry from the chaos of the enlisted mess (see location #4).

Flashpoint: Military Field Base This encounter location may belong to either the SIF or the Sickle, and may be located almost anywhere in the world. It’s in an open grassy area — a clearing at the very least, and possibly a larger open space. The grass immediately around the base is short enough to keep clean lines of sight out to a minimum of 300 ft. in all directions, having been trampled down or burned away to leave hardpacked dirt behind. The base is composed of several tents, dug latrines, and a barbed wire perimeter that is always under guard. It’s most appropriate for wilderness and wartime encounters (such as those most likely seen in Vietnam or during the Six-Day War). Each “X” on the map below represents 1 sentry. Unless otherwise specified, all sentries and other characters described here possess the statistics of the group’s standard rank and file (see pages 99 and 101 for SIF and Sickle troops, respectively).

3. HQ: The unit’s nerve center contains utilitarian desks, files and the unit’s communications gear (which possesses a signal power rating of +2). 4. NCO Tents: The unit’s sergeants occupy all these locations but one (the CO’s quarters), bunking two to a tent. 5. NCO Mess: The unit’s sergeants dine here, on smaller, nicer tables than those endured by the unit’s enlisted men. 6. Armory: This location contains the unit’s sidearms, combat gear, and tactical weapons. A sentry remains on duty here at all times, responsible for guarding and checking out all armaments.

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alternate campaign styles 7. Supply Tent: Adjacent to the armory (see location #6), this location contains the unit’s tools and other noncombat gear. A supply sergeant or national/rank equivalent remains on duty here at all times, responsible for checking out all armaments.

team is sent in to negotiate for their compatriot’s release. They find that the CIA operative is being held and questioned concerning the La Unidad operations, of which the true CIA has no record. The presence of a military organization of questionable loyalty leads the CIA to call upon the SIF, involving a team of the organization’s agents in a manhunt across Mexico. The agents are given strict orders to keep a low profile, leading to a covert war across the Mexican countryside with both forces taking careful steps to make sure the Mexican people learn nothing about the fighting. As this covert war escalates, the Sickle eventually becomes involved, escalating the situation and bringing the support of another superpower’s task force to bear.

8. Enlisted Mess: The hungry enlisted hordes feast upon large quantities of questionable military chow within this large tent. Its interior consists of 20 large campground-style benches and a temporary field kitchen capable only of cooking for 30 or more. 9. Enlisted Tents: The enlisted men sleep here, organized by platoon, four to a tent. 10. Gate/Checkpoint: Two guards are on duty here at all times, examine all incoming people and packages, checking credentials, and questioning anyone who looks suspicious.

2. La Unidad kidnaps several local communist leaders, framing the CIA and the U.S. military for the action. The Mexican Communist movement is enraged, threatening direct retaliation should their leaders not be returned within 24 hours. Worse, the situation has attracted international attention and several other nations — possibly including Cuba, China, Poland, or small localized communist movements in England, France, or even the U.S.— are lining up to support Mexico’s response. The leaders have in fact been sequestered within the hidden La Unidad jungle base (again, use the military field base encounter location for this area), where they are guarded by La Unidad and Sickle troops. In this plot hook, the agents may become SIF agents secretly sent by the CIA to find and rescue the communist leaders or Sickle operatives guarding the hostages. Either way, this event likely sparks a full-scale covert conflict between the organizations (and if they are as yet unaware of each other, may even act as the start of a new espionage campaign between them).

11. Barbed Wire: The camp’s fence line is 12 ft. high and topped with sloped barbed wire (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, page 119). 12. Enlisted Latrines: The cramped showers and toilets here are separated only by thin divisions of light water-shielded wood.

Campaign Hook #1 The Soviet government hires a third-party Brazilian mercenary unit called La Unidad to help set up a communist Mexican state. One hundred of their number sets up a field base 500 miles south of El Paso, from which they imitate CIA agents and U.S. soldiers, creating false “black” operations (the GC may use the military field base encounter location seen on the previous page for this headquarters). This causes unrest within Mexico as the Mexican Communist movement picks up momentum. The agents are sent in to investigate and tangle several times with La Unidad, which strives to place the blame for the fallout on the agents’ organization or another group if possible. As the agents work up the chain of La Unidad command, they find the enemy entrenched deeper and deeper in Mexico, eventually clashing directly with the organization’s elite forces and their Soviet commanders, the Sickle, in one of the following ways.

3. La Unidad pushes into U.S. territory masquerading as Mexican communist guerrillas and performs surgical strikes against the country’s military bases along the border. The Sickle hopes its lap-dogs will provoke CIA retaliation and further inflame the Mexican communists. Unexpectedly, the U.S. government takes a different tack, assigning the SIF instead. The agents must track the enemy forces back to their base of operations and, if possible, destroy it. Whether they succeed or not, La Unidad counters with strikes directed against the SIF, hoping that taking the unit out will force the U.S. back down a covert road. This gambit fails, however, and the situation rapidly escalates to overt military action all along the southern United States.

Possible Flashpoint Encounters: 1. The CIA discovers the La Unidad operations while conducting true black ops in Mexico. The CIA’s black ops teams learn that Mexican authorities have started rounding up and detaining random U.S. citizens and interrogating them, in an effort to draw La Unidad — and its presumed U.S. government masters — out into the open. When a true investigating CIA operative carrying an emergency pocket litter (information packet) is captured at the border, forcing the U.S. to abandon an upcoming mission and months of preparation, a

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the 1960s Campaign Hook #2

supplies later show up in the hands of local guerrillas. Should they fail to stop the direct assault, their allies suffer narrow supply routes for weeks or months to come.

In 1965, the constant border skirmishes between Pakistan and India over the northern state of Kashmir explode into open warfare. Kashmir acts as a strategic border between the Soviet Union and hostile China, and when China supports Pakistan in the violent conflict, the Soviet Union’s response is decisive and highly visible — demands are made that Pakistan back down, maintaining India as a buffer against Chinese expansion. Though officially neutral, U.S. leaders quietly support the Soviet Union’s effort, no more desiring China’s expansion than their counterparts in the Kremlin. The fighting lasts less than one year, but Kashmir becomes a critical hot spot for military organizations such as the SIF and the Sickle for decades to come. During the early months of the war, the GC may call upon the following options to kick off a protracted military campaign in and around Kashmir and along the Pakistan/India border.

3. The agents are sent on a seek and destroy mission, sweeping a region for enemy troops and capturing or destroying as many as possible. Little do they know, their superiors’ intel is flawed — the area is much more heavily fortified than expected, and hosts a sizable night mission concurrently with the agents’ orders. An entire company of enemy troops, complete with largescale patrols, is spreading out to “capture” the territory as a security drill, effectively cutting the agents off from their path out of the area. When the agents engage one of the enemy units, they draw the wrath of dozens of hostiles and must likely withdraw, assuming a defensive posture until dawn. Assuming the agents survive, this serial may launch them into a long-term rivalry with the company’s commanders.

Possible Military Actions: 1. The agents are a part of a military unit assigned to capture and hold a small town currently occupied by twenty or more Kashmir guerrillas. Their mission is covert — they’re provided disguises as locals and ordered to spread out, gather as much intel as possible, and strike from within, toppling the city before the guerrillas have time to respond. Once the town is secured, the agents must hold it against enemy counter-attack and simultaneously keep as many of the town inhabitants alive as possible. In this case, the agents may be members of either the SIF or the Sickle, operating in the interests of their respective governments, while the enemy forces are either Pakistani or Indian. If the agents manage to secure the town long enough for reinforcements to arrive (up to 1 week, depending on international and transportation concerns, per the GC’s discretion), the town becomes a focal point for future military action. This action may in turn launch into a full-blown military campaign, using the town as a base of operations.

The Swingin’ Sixties Campaign While agents and villains in swingin’ sixties campaigns usually serve governments and criminal empires, most have more in common with the freewheeling style and culture of the youth movement. Hip clothing, groovy dance moves, and youthful idealism are the earmarks of agents in this style of 1960s game, in which even the most dour Soviet mastermind might secretly tap his foot to the syncopated beat of American rock and roll. Wisecracks are common here, while action is fast, fluid, but almost never lethal. Villainous plots range from the sublime to the ridiculous, but despite the camp inherent in the genre, the ultimate consequences of agent failure are no less severe. In general, a sense of irrepressible optimism percolates through swingin’ sixties campaign. Even in the Soviet Union — a repressive regime in most other styles of play — twentysomething Russians are on the cutting edge of style.

2. The agents are members of a security unit charged with protecting a friendly supply depot that’s recently suffered several enemy raids, and which is critical to the plans of the team’s government in the region. Enemy forces attack during the agents’ guard duty, seeking to capture the depot’s contents and then destroy the outpost. To make matters worse, a second group infiltrates the depot during the attack — a group of black marketers looking to seize the goods themselves. Per the GC’s discretion, these black marketers might be members of the agents’ own unit or locals looking to make a quick buck. Should the agents fail to stop the black marketeers, their reputation as an effective unit is tarnished and the stolen weapons and

Campaign Tropes The swingin’ sixties campaign generally includes the following tropes. • Though swingin’ sixties campaigns are often campy, the characters never break the fourth wall (the barrier between fiction and reality). The moment an agent seriously refers to himself as the star of a movie, or makes a witty aside toward the camera, the illusion is lost.

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alternate campaign styles • Though the ultimate mission of a swingin’ sixties team differs little from that of a standard Spycraft team, the agents are usually having fun, even on the job. The profession of espionage is often referred to as the Great Game, but when swingin’ sixties agents say it, they mean it.

Further, each special NPC gains a +2 circumstance bonus with Charisma-based skill checks made against standard NPCs. • Special NPCs never suffer crippling injuries, or severe psychological trauma. Any effect that would cause permanent ability score damage to a special NPC instead causes temporary ability score damage.

• The line between heroes and villains is defined by motivation, but marked by style. Agents are groovy swingin’ bachelors and babes. Minions dress in drab clothing and have no rhythm, henchmen are bulky, blocky thugs in ill-fitting, drab suits, and foils and masterminds are the exceptions that fit either mold.

Escape Incorporated This sample Agency is appropriate for swingin’ sixties campaigns and features background information, supporting NPCs, and agent resources.

• Finally, no matter how ridiculous a serial might seem from the players’ point of view, a fine line exists between camp and spoof. Spoof pokes fun at the espionage genre; indeed, the agents frequently crack witty asides to the “audience.” Camp, on the other hand, is funny not because agents laugh at their own predicaments, but because they take the threat of New York City being bathed in red paint entirely seriously, and we cannot help but laugh at them. The audience should laugh at the swingin’ sixties game, not with it.

Area of Concern: This Agency’s primary purpose is to demonstrate the Western swingin’ lifestyle to the communist world, and hopefully tempt valuable Warsaw Pact citizens — and perhaps even agents — to defect. Naturally, Escape Incorporated’s operatives assist these efforts, providing an effective “underground railroad” out of the Soviet Union. This Agency also sows populist unrest amongst the Warsaw Pact nations, hoping the demand for Western music and pop culture will force the Soviet Union to relax its current restrictions. This gives the Agency a greater foothold on a fledgling market in the communist world, as well as greater opportunity to aid defections — furthering the Agency’s primary end. Tactics: Escape Incorporated has developed a “home revolution kit” that includes everything a repressed citizen needs to embrace the capitalist lifestyle and throw off the yoke of communism. Due to tight Soviet market protections, however, the Agency must secretly package the kit with other products, such as national meal kits. In order to achieve a distribution network in the U.S.S.R., Escape Incorporated hopes to first create such outrageous demand that the CCCP is forced to allow market penetration or face riots and unrest. Toward that end, Escape Incorporated has produced a record designed to instill subliminal desire for such products in Soviet listeners. Organizations: Escape Incorporated is the parent company of Capitalist Records, a major U.S. music publisher. Further, the Agency finances a wide variety of clubs and other venues in which its music is played exclusively. These venues are above-board in the United States (though they often come under fire from conservative spokespersons), and kept completely underground in the Soviet Union. Headquarters: Capitalist Records maintains its headquarters in the Empire State Building in New York City. Control: Lance Little, Capitalist Records’ C.E.O. and primary stockholder, is described later in this section (see page 106). The remaining shareholders, including Kyle Goodman (see page 106), are all aware of Escape Incorporated and its true purpose, and take an active hand in its operations.

∑• Unlike military campaigns (see page 96), sides are clean and obvious in swingin’ sixties games. Consequently, the sample organizations in this section are given clear Agency and threat assignments, according to their actions and goals.

Campaign Rules Swingin’ sixties games are often stereotypical and campy, and the setting is a usually sugar-coated, an idealized mirror of our own that necessitates the following global changes. • The agents are always young, hip, and happening. During any swingin’ sixties campaign, the freshmen espionage climate is always in effect (see page 74 for more about espionage climates). This condition applies at all times in addition to any other espionage climates triggered by events or circumstances, and has no effect when another freshmen weather condition is in effect. • Groovy villains rarely die. Any time a special NPC with a Charisma score of 13 or higher is reduced to –10 wounds or less, the GC may spend 1 action die, plus 1 additional action die per 5 wound points the character’s suffered beyond –10, to ensure he lives to fight another day. The GC explains away this sometimes miraculous survival, and even the most ridiculous excuse is acceptable. • The agents are extremely popular with the opposite sex, and the dispositions of all NPCs of the opposite sex toward an agent are increased by 2 grades.

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the 1960s Capitalist Records produces groovy sounds, and signs bands that are incredibly popular with American — and hopefully Soviet — youth culture. Due to the Agency’s mission, however, it also employs a cadre of behavioral psychologists and subliminal message experts who manipulate the company’s tracks to produce various desired effects. Recently, Escape Incorporated developed a form of mind control technology — by exposing a listener to specific sets of audio frequencies, the Agency’s “happiness engineers” plant suggestions ranging from the desire to buy many copies of every new Capitalist Records album to mounting an armed rebellion against an oppressive government.

Kyle Goodman, 12th-level faceman (special NPC — 60 MP as mastermind or 24 MP as henchman): CR 12. SZ M; v/wp 76/10; Init +12 (+2 Dex, +10 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 19 (+2 Dex, +7 class); Atk: sword cane +11 (dmg 1d6, error 1–2, threat 19–20), Walther PP backup pistol +11 (dmg 1d6+1, threat 20, range 15 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ 1,000 faces 1/session, adaptable, backup 3/session, cold read 2/session, fake it 1/session, linguist +5, quick change 5/session; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +9; Str 11, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 18; Skills: Bluff +19 (threat 18–20), Cultures +15, Diplomacy +19 (threat 18–20), Drive +16, Forgery +8, Gather Information +14, Intimidate +5 (threat 18–20), Knowledge (Psychology) +10, Languages +11, Search +14, Sense Motive +15, Spot +15. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Firm Hand, Lane Dancer, Persuasive, Weapon Finesse (Sword Cane), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of .32 ACP military ball ammunition, designer clothes (2 sets), 4 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: hypnosis lenses, standard tread shoes with homing beacon option, 2 GP.

Lance Little: This charismatic, scrappy little man is known for his million-dollar smile. Short, smarmy, and irrepressible, Lance Little can sell anything to anybody. As far as the public is concerned, Lance made his millions as a musician in the early 1950s, and later purchased majority ownership of Escape Incorporated. In truth, he answers to the CIA, maintaining Escape Incorporated as a proprietary front business for the U.S. government’s foreign intelligence branch.

The Focus Group: Ostensibly, this study group is dedicated to gauging the viability of expanding the business of Capitalist Records into Berlin. In truth, however, its members make regular covert entries into East Germany in order to both distribute copies of certain carefully selected Capitalist Records releases and gauge whether the communist nation can get its groove back.

Lance Little, 14th-level pointman (special NPC — 70 MP as mastermind or 28 MP as henchman): CR 14. SZ M; v/wp 95/12; Init +7 (+6 class, +1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def 17 (+6 class, +1 Dex); Atk: fist/punch +10 (dmg 1d6, error 1, threat 20), Walther PP backup pistol +11 (dmg 1d6+1, threat 20, range 15 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ assistance (G time), cross-class abilities (public relations +3, smooth talker 1/session), generous, lead 6/session, serendipity 1/session, strategy 1/session, tactics 3/session, versatility (Cultures, Disguise, Forgery, Gather Information, Hobby, Intimidate, Languages, Listen, Profession, Surveillance); SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +13; Str 11, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 17, Wis 18, Cha 15; Skills: Bluff +22 (threat 18–20), Diplomacy +22 (threat 18–20), Driver +12, Forgery +17, Intimidate +22 (threat 18–20), Languages +20, Listen +18, Sense Motive +20, Sport (Skiing) +11, Spot +18. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Filthy Rich, Five Star Service, Martial Arts, Persuasive, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of .32 ACP military ball ammunition, designer clothes (3 sets). Vehicles and Gadgets: Company car (luxury car — SZ L, Occ 1/4, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 110, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: HOT), blacklight bills (×5), 5 GP.

The Focus Group, 10th-level minions (standard NPCs — 36 MP if used as minions): CR: 9. SZ M; v/wp: 56/11; Init +11 (+3 Dex, +8 class), Speed 30 ft.; Def 17 (+3 Dex, +4 class); Atk: H&K VP70 service pistol +13 (dmg 1d10+1, recoil 12, error 1, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: BF, MP — 18 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None, SQ None; SV: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +5; Str 12, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12; Skills: Balance +7, Driver +7, First Aid +4, Intimidate +5, Jump +5, Listen +8, Profession (Espionage) +6, Search +6, Spot +8. Feats: Alertness. Gear: Weapons, BP per mastermind options (if used as part of a threat). Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Escape Incorporated Resources As the front men for one of the CIA’s most ambitious operations, Escape Incorporated agents may call upon the following resources. Agent Resources: An Escape Incorporated agent in good standing may call upon the following favors from Capitalist Records. Each option requires contact with the agents’ designated Capitalist Records contact, or the Escape Incorporated home office, as well as proper Agency credentials.

Kyle Goodman: Capitalist Records’ Vice President of Marketing, Goodman pays close attention to the whims of focus groups and market studies. He’s currently seeking to launch a program of covert communication with Soviet youth organizations, inserting agent infiltrators into these groups in order to gauge their musical and entertainment predilections.

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alternate campaign styles ∑• As a successful American corporation, Escape Incorporated has access to vast funding. An Escape Incorporated agent may spend up to 2 action dice to increase his mission expenses during the Gearing Up phase.

The Red Scare has several operations in the works at any given time, generally one per inner circle member. The organization’s commanders operate independently, though they coordinate their actions such that Red Scare missions occur approximately once a month (meaning each member must coordinate one operation every three months). Red Scare operations range from the simply demoralizing (e.g. manufacturing crop circles in the shape of a hammer and sickle outside Detroit) to the deadly (in a rare coordinated effort, the organization once attempted to poison the reservoirs of each of the four cities it’s infiltrated — not only would the poison have killed millions of people, but every tainted reservoir would have changed color to a deep red for no less than 24 hours). Despite its status as a Soviet threat on U.S. soil, American counter-intelligence efforts such as CHAOS and COINTELPRO are oblivious to the Red Scare’s membership (see pages 20 and 15 for more about these U.S. operations, respectively). Each of the organization’s inner circle commanders takes pains to present himself as a redblooded American, keeping his distance from politically active and progressive groups.

•∑ As a major entertainment firm, Escape Incorporated knows that image is all-important. During the gearing up phase, an Escape Incorporated agent may requisition a makeover. This costs 25 BP and grants the agent a +2 gear bonus with seduction checks (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 271), as well as Bluff and Diplomacy checks targeting special characters of either gender. Finally, the agent gains DR 1/– against all Charisma damage. All of these benefits are lost if the agent’s wounds are ever reduced to 0 or less, and is otherwise automatically lost at the end of the current serial. •∑ Agents may call in help from Escape Incorporated’s extensive psychological section. When making an specialist favor check targeting the Gather Information, Hobby (Hypnosis), Intimidation, Knowledge (Psychology), or Perform skills, the favor check’s bonus is increased by an additional +6 (a bonus of +12 becomes +18).

Jackson Johnson: Supreme Commander of the Red Scare, Jackson Johnson is currently focused on his most ambitious plan to date. Over the past several months he’s secreted bombs in strategic locations all over New York. These are not traditional bombs, but rather will splatter gallons of red paint over dozens or even hundreds of feet each. When all the bombs detonate simultaneously, a citysized, dartboard-style target becomes apparent to a Soviet spy satellite passing overhead. When the satellite spots the target, it will launch a missile to destroy the city only hours after the world realizes the Red Scare is responsible!

The Red Scare This sample threat is appropriate for swingin’ sixties campaigns and features background information, supporting NPCs, and agent resources. Area of Concern: The Red Scare is a KGB covert action committee dedicated to executing grand, sweeping schemes designed to not only create chaos and destruction on American soil, but make sure every American citizen knows the Soviet Union is responsible, without leaving any tangible proof. Tactics: Red Scare operatives perform missions throughout American territory, living double lives as U.S. citizens. They range from the proverbial square scientist to the happening hipster. Each maintains a network of minions who also live double lives in a suburban house and 9-to-5 jobs in the city. Organizations: The Red Scare operates largely independently of its parent agency, only occasionally receiving coded mission orders. Each member of the terrorist circle maintains an offshore bank account, sustained by the KGB, to finance its actions. Headquarters: Each member of the Red Scare’s inner circle maintains a home in a different American city. So far, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, DC have been infiltrated. Control: Jackson Johnson, New York’s Red Scare operative, leads the organization.

Jackson Johnson, 5th-level pointman (special NPC — 25 MP as mastermind or 10 MP as henchman): CR 5. SZ M; v/wp 37/12; Init +4 (+2 Dex, +2 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 14 (+2 Dex, +2 class); Atk: fist/punch +5 (dmg 1d6+2, error 1, threat 20); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA knuckle punch +5 (dmg 1d6+3), palm strike (std. attack + special); SQ assistance (H time), generous, lead 2/session, tactics 1/session, versatility (Demolitions, Electronics, Hide, Mechanics, Move Silently, Spot, Surveillance); SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +5; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 16; Skills: Bluff +9, Bureaucracy +10, Demolitions +8, Driver +9, Hide +8, Move Silently +8, Sense Motive +4, Spot +5, Surveillance +5. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Martial Arts, Punching Basics, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: 15 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: 3 GP.

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the 1960s Kevin Carson: Carson, the Red Scare’s Los Angeles operative, plots to launch a simultaneous assault on three ideals nearest and dearest to the American public — baseball, mom, and apple pie. As part of his civilian cover, Carson holds a job at a snack food manufacturer, which, in reaction to the popularity of the TV dinner, plans to launch a line of ready-to-eat single-serving apple pies. He’s climbed the corporate ladder and — now responsible for developing new sales and marketing avenues — arranges for an “American Way” day at a Dodgers™ baseball game, during which each mother receives a free sample pie. Each pie is loaded with an edible explosive charge prior to distribution, set to detonate during the seventh inning stretch…

Red Scare Resources The Red Scare maintains a large network of operatives throughout the United States. Most of these supporters gravitate toward the cutting edge of pop culture, though a few are found across all walks of American life. This network provides the organization with the following resources. Threat Resources: The GC may call upon the following threat resources to support the Enforcers and its operatives in play. •∑ Red Scare operatives are difficult to sway with “capitalist pig” propaganda. When the GC spends 1 action die to increase a skill check result opposing an agent’s Charisma-based skill check, he rolls two dice instead of one, keeping the higher result.

Kevin Carson, 4th-level faceman (special NPC — 20 MP as mastermind or 8 MP as henchman): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp 26/10; Init +4 (+1 Dex, +3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 13 (+1 Dex, +2 class); Atk: Makarov PM +4 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ adaptable, backup 1/session, cold read 1/session, linguist +3, quick change 1/session; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 17; Skills: Bluff +10, Cultures +4, Diplomacy +10, Disguise +5, Driver +5, Forgery +6, Gather Information +8, Languages +4, Perform +5, Read Lips +6, Search +6, Sense Motive +9, Spot +8. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mm Makarov military ball ammunition. Gadgets and Vehicles: 2 GP.

•∑ Many Red Scare operatives have insinuated themselves into America’s counter-culture, seeking out elements opposed to the American government’s “imperialist” agendas. At any time, the GC may spend 1 action die to have one of these groups create a distraction to conceal Red Scare operations, usually in the form of a massive, Mardi Gras-scale party, or an equally prominent protest. The event begins 1d6 hours after the GC spends the action die and lasts for 2d4 hours thereafter. While containment of the proceedings occupies government resources, the agents may not spend action dice to call in favor checks (note that the event need not be local to the agents for it to tie up government resources).

Red Scars: Though minion have few distinguishing characteristics in general, they have even fewer in a swingin’ sixties game. They ain’t got flash, dad, so they’re all the same to the agents. The Red Scare’s minions are no exception — all are Caucasian, with dark hair ranging from dark brown to black cut close to their skulls, and all dress uniformly in maroon coveralls and dark goggles. Few talk, mainly for fear that their masters will turn their deranged imaginations toward them…

•∑ When an agent scores an error with a Charisma-based skill check, the GC may spend 1 action die to increase the DCs of all Gather Information checks made by any member of the agent team by 5 for the remainder of the current session.

Campaign Hooks This section contains a detailed encounter location and two plot hooks appropriate for a swingin’ sixties campaign.

Red Scars, 1st-level minions (standard NPCs — 19 MP if used as minions): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp 8/14; Init +3 (+2 Dex, +1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 12 (+2 Dex); Atk: 9mmP CZ Scorpion submachinegun +3 (dmg 2d4, accuracy –1, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: CS, SS — 12 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +0; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16; Skills: Balance +4, Climb +4, Demolitions +1, Driver +3, First Aid +2, Intimidate +3/+2, Jump +3, Spot +2, Survival +2, Tumble +2. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, BP per mastermind options (if used as part of a threat). Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Flashpoint Location: The Aquarium The Aquarium is a nightclub the GC can plug into any Spycraft season, though it is most appropriate for a swingin’ sixties game. The club is dominated by a central aquarium (location #10), lit by powerful lamps set into the ceiling. The light filters through the water, casting rippling patterns of contrasting glare and shadow across the club’s shag-carpeted walls and pastel floors.

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alternate campaign styles Lighting at the club’s otherwise dim bar (location #18) and dance floor (location #12) is partially supplemented by traditional overhead lights, set low to preserve the effect of the aquarium’s effect. The lounge (location #11) is illuminated only by the aquarium lights, giving it a surreal feel. The Aquarium may become a club frequented by agents and other operatives as a safe house, meeting place, or long term base of operations in enemy territory. This is especially true if the GC uses the Escape Incorporated Agency (see page 105).

4. Restrooms: The windows into these rooms contain smoked glass sandwiching wire mesh, granting them a hardness of 2, 10 wound points, and a Break DC of 15. 5. Storage Rooms: Locked during club hours, the Aquarium’s storage rooms are flush with alcohol, extra tables and chairs, and assorted items left behind by previous guests. The ice chest is located in the room farthest from the entrance, behind which is propped a small case containing the owner’s personal sidearm, a Beretta Model 1951 service pistol, and 100 shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition.

1. Front Steps: During club hours, these are manned by two burly bouncers. When the club reaches capacity (which happens about halfway through every night), these bouncers turn away all but the most VIP among new patrons.

6. Manager’s Office: Securely locked, this soundproofed room may only be entered with the key or a successful Open Lock check (DC 20). Each night’s door and bar takes — a combined 4d6 × $1000 — is stored in a safe behind the desk here, which is accessed with an additional successful Open Lock check (DC 25).

2. Foyer: This room’s walls are bathed in light blue pastel and cherry-colored wood. Heavy drapes section it off from the rest of the club.

7. Manager’s Private Bathroom: Like the manager’s office (location #6), this room is soundproofed.

3. Coat Room: This dimly lit room’s back corners ideal for a dead drop.

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the 1960s 8. Janitorial Closet: Tucked beneath the lounge (location #20), this room holds an assortment of cleaning supplies.

Possible Outcomes of the Investigation: • Located in Los Angeles, the Aquarium is owned by a dummy identity belonging to Kevin Carson (see page 108). The missing agent stumbled upon a shipment of Carson’s edible explosives while he was snooping after suspected Red Scars activity at the club. While taking photographs of the shipment (in crates stamped with a skull and crossbones in bright red ink), the agent was jumped from behind, knocked out, and fed to the Aquarium’s aquatic life. Fortunately, the agent lost his camera during the struggle, which has since migrated with the garbage into which it fell and rests in the trash-strewn alley outside. Whether the agents determine the agent’s true fate and follow up on his lead before Dodger Stadium becomes a Mother’s Day fireworks display or not, this mission likely spikes (or perhaps even sparks) activity between the opposed swingin’ sixties organizations.

9. Front Hallway: The west exit from this location opens into an alley, some 40 ft. from the nearest street. 10 The Aquarium: The club’s centerpiece houses a variety of wild and predatory sea life, ranging from sharks to piranha (though never at the same time). 11. Lounge: Featuring several cozy couches and thick shag carpeting, this location is a favorite of couples seeking a little privacy during their visit. 12. Dance Floor: The Aquarium’s dance floor is polished to sparkling after closing, ensuring that the tank’s eerie glow is reflected throughout the club’s central room for at least the first hour or two each night. 13. Stage: The Aquarium’s reputation is a shade from commanding the finest musical acts in the nation. As it is, the guests must settle for simply stellar entertainment.

• Caught in one of Carson’s honey traps at the Aquarium, the Agency operative convinced his seducer to elope to Mexico, escaping the country with his blushing Soviet bride. Unfortunately, Carson doesn’t take kindly to his sting operative’s sudden resignation and calls upon the Red Scars to return his former bait, dead or alive. The agents must locate the lovebirds and protect them from the Red Scars, possibly gaining valuable insight into Carson’s organization during the debriefing. Of course, they must also contend with their former colleague’s determined efforts to stay missing with his new wife, who has revealed sensitive information to him about her superiors, including the locations of her captive relatives back home in Russia…

14. Backstage Storage: This area houses the building’s backup lighting and sound equipment, plus an exit onto Halloran avenue across from a handy (and similarly dim) lakeside park. 15. Manager’s Hall: This back hallway — to which only the manager has the key and which otherwise requires a successful Open Lock check (DC 15) to enter — provides access to the stage, manager’s restroom, and alley outside. 16. Halloran Avenue. 17. Fire Escape: Extending out from the balcony (location #20), this landing gives patrons an easy exit from the club — or ready access to the nearest building with a successful 12-ft. jump.

• The agent was the latest victim of Carson’s new master plan to subvert the United States — the villain laces the drinks served at his club with a time--release psychological depressant that soon causes the victims to behave in a very Russian fashion. Drab clothing, depressing anecdotes, and bad haircuts become the order of the day. The agents locate their erstwhile compatriot in a run down apartment, the refrigerator stocked with borscht and vodka, where — after much prodding — he reveals Carson’s plan to contaminate Los Angeles’ water supply with the depressant, giving the Soviet Union a sympathetic foothold in the city (or at least, making the populace easier to subvert and command).

18. Lounge: This spacious area provides a place for exhausted dancers to rest between sets and comfortable couches for the casual patrons. 19. Bar: Having a grim sense of humor, the bartender names all his drinks after unfortunate water-related conditions. The “Drowning Man” and “Pressure Bubble” are patron favorites. 20. Balcony: This elevated platform overlooks the lounge and is typically reserved for VIPs — and anyone willing to tip the bouncer at least $30.

Plot Hook #2 Plot Hook #1

Bizarre and extremely localized weather patterns draw the Agency’s attention, which sends the agents to ensure that the conditions aren’t a new Soviet plan to somehow subvert the swing of the States. The agents soon find that the Red Scare has developed a tiny breed of

An agent comes up missing, his last known location the Aquarium. The agents must infiltrate the club and discover his fate.

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alternate campaign styles radio-controlled robot that can manipulate weather patterns. They also discover the villain’s next nefarious plot to use the robots…

present an agency and a threat suited to Mission: Highly Improbable in this section, as a preview of things to come…

Possible Red Scare Schemes: • Using his extensive contacts, Jackson Johnson arranges to seed the local cloud cover over New York City with tiny robots designed to induce serious levels of acid rain. Though not lethal, the rainfall strips make-up and frizzes hair, damaging the American public’s hipness. As people are forced to do without flashy makeup and the latest hairstyles, the streets of New York look more and more like the gray streets of Moscow in the summer. Johnson’s Soviet handler plans to visit the United States soon, and he plans to cite the newly “Sovietized” city as proof of his operational genius.

Campaign Tropes The telefantasy 1960s campaign generally includes the following tropes. • The first thing you notice about telefantasy is that there aren’t many folk about. Roads are traffic-free, city squares are empty, and minions, passers-by, and other extras kept to a budget-friendly minimum. • Wild and outlandish super-science devices are common, but not usually in the hands of agents. Instead, a single device, with effects that at first appear paranormal or inexplicable, might be the focus of a mastermind’s plot. When the device is finally revealed, our heroes examine it with a wry smile. It is not considered polite to remark on the fact that the device breaks the laws of physics. Nor do agents save the device for use in next week’s serial.

• A sudden spate of extremely acidic rain on the West Coast sizzles massive swaths of land to a crisp. Though the storm passes seemingly without further result, continuing East, the agents soon discover Jackson’s ultimate goal — burning a tremendous hammer and sickle across the crops of the Midwest, so large it can be seen from orbit.

• The Cold War is a constant backdrop in telefantasy serials, but seldom referred to directly. An agent might casually ask of a corpse “Was he one of ours, or one of theirs?”, but wouldn’t feel the need to spell out who “they” are. Politicians are given equally short shrift: agents are cool, poised and detached, while politicians (and generals) are always shouting and getting needlessly agitated over minor matters, such as the mastermind threatening to wipe out London with his Destructo™ ray.

• A tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico approaches the coast of Louisiana, its winds quickly picking up speed. Yesterday, a U.S. destroyer was capsized by the powerful winds, and in a week, the storm will arrive in New Orleans — at the height of Mardi Gras! The agents must put a stop to Jackson’s mad weather manipulation before he destroys the biggest party in the United States!

• Telefantasy serials are fun, tongue-in-cheek, and ironic. They may contain moments of high camp but they’re not whimsical. Tongue-in-check is when the country squire is killed by an exploding cowpat. Whimsy is when leprechauns are painting cows green. There’s no excuse for that kind of thing.

The Telefantasy 1960s Campaign Telefantasy is over-the-top espionage fiction that aired on 1960s television, much of it made in Britain. Often tongue in cheek, sometimes serious, always exaggerated, the telefantasy 1960s campaign involves extreme plotlines, from attacks by alien plant life to mind swapping to freakish mutations of scientific laws. Future science is heartily encouraged in telefantasy, especially when used by villains and as plot devices.

Campaign Rules The following global rules changes apply during telefantasy campaigns. •∑ ∑Telefantasy agents eschew wanton gunplay in favor of wit and charm. During any telefantasy campaign, the cooler heads prevail espionage climate is always in effect (see page 74 for more about political climate conditions). This condition applies at all times in addition to any other political climate conditions triggered by events or circumstances, and has no effect when another cooler heads prevail climate is in effect.

Mission: Highly Improbable Shortly after the release of this book, Spycraft fans worldwide will be presented with an all-new campaign book by AEG’s latest Spycraft engine partner, New Breed — Mission: Highly Improbable. This thrilling collection of serials, departments, feats and gadgets is designed expressly to support telefantasy roleplaying, though players will find it useful in many 1960s campaigns. We

∑• ∑People are frequently injured or killed in telefantasy serials, but you never see any blood. Agents and special characters automatically stabilize upon being

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the 1960s reduced to negative wound points, even if unconscious. Agents can still be killed if they suffer enough damage to reduce their wound points to –10 or lower. The same is not true of most NPCs the characters encounter, who die instantly upon reaching negative wound points (say, as a result of stepping on an exploding cowpat).

(see the Shadowforce Archer Worldbook, page 175). The GC may also permit a player to create an agent using these options, though a limit of no more than one such agent per team should likely be enforced.

The Ministry of Order This sample Agency is appropriate for telefantasy 1960s campaigns and features background information, supporting NPCs, and agent resources.

•∑ ∑Telefantasy agents also recover from being knocked out far quicker than their regular Spycraft counterparts (it being such a regular occurrence). After a combat scene is over, an agent receiving a successful First Aid check automatically recovers to a wound point total equal to H their maximum.

Area of Concern: The Ministry of Order is primarily concerned with threats to Britain and her allies. Function: To counter threats posed by those criminal masterminds, foreign powers, and alien invaders who prefer to employ future-science devices, psionics, hypnotism, drugs, or unlikely and imaginative plots to achieve their goals. It’s the difference between robbing a bank with guns and dynamite, and robbing a bank by convincing the manager he’s accompanied everywhere by an invisible man. Tactics: Whatever works. Sir Charles only recruits agents who do their work with panache and discretion. Ministry of Order agents may have different methods and styles, but they all have style. Organizations: The Department of Miscellaneous Requisitions is one of many departments in the Ministry of Supply which appear to serve no useful function. The

•∑ ∑The size of all minion squads is reduced to H standard (rounded up). However, these minions also tend to be a more credible threat to the agents — they are not automatically removed from combat by critical hits. •∑ ∑While rare, psionics are not unheard of in telefantasy campaigns (particularly in the hands of villainous organizations). Threats may be designed including any number of psionic special characters at the cost of 5 MP, plus 3 MP per special character possessing 1 or more psion levels. This includes characters with any levels in the mentalist, physical adept, or telepath base classes, as well as feats from the psion feat trees

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alternate campaign styles difference is that this department cloaks the Ministry of Order. Headquarters: To reach Sir Charles’ office you take an ancient, shuddering, lift to the top floor of the Ministry of Supply, turn down a dusty and neglected corridor, and find the door marked “Head of Requisitions (Misc.)”. To avoid unwelcome attention, Ministry of Order agents seldom visit HQ and briefings are usually held off-site, in a variety of unlikely locations. Control: Sir Charles Beckinridge (see the next column).

for the Board of Trade – do not, of course, greet him, but there is a certain shuffling up and rearranging of hats and umbrellas, which suggests he is welcome. The four men have been making this journey together for nearly ten years. The others know Sir Charles to be one of the higher grades of civil servant: that much is apparent from his well-cut coat, striped trousers and bowler. They would be very surprised indeed to discover his true role is Director of the Ministry of Order.

At the end of the WWII, while his Military Intelligence colleagues were arguing the case for peacetime intelligence organizations, one officer was petitioning hard, and in the highest quarters, for a different kind of agency, one which could protect Britain against threats too bizarre for MI5 or MI6 to handle. With permission granted, Sir Charles embarked on the next phase of his plan: to ensure everyone forgot his agency had ever existed. The first time most recruits hear of the Ministry of Order is when, over a gin and tonic at the In and Out Club, Sir Charles whispers three words to them. Ministry of Order agents are drawn from a wide range of departments, from the military, the espionage community, and civilian life. Sir Charles does not restrict himself to British nationals, and is happy to recruit from the new aristocracy of pop singers, photographers, and celebrity hairdressers. What he looks for in a prospective agent is imagination, a certain flexibility of mind, and, above all, style. One of the benefits of joining the Ministry of Order is never again wondering how you will pay your tailor. As Sir Charles is fond of saying, the great thing about being Head of Requisitions (Misc.), is no one asks the reason for your Misc. requisition. This doesn’t mean agents can have any gear they choose, however – Ministry of Order agents are expected to solve problems using their wits, and whatever household objects are to hand. After all, a white coat, glasses and a clipboard will get you into that mastermind’s secret base just as easily as a stealth suit, and won’t spoil the line of your dress. Ministry of Order agents go where they please and speak to whomsoever they please. When challenged, they’re always “from the Ministry”, which works 90% of the time. If questioned further, Ministry agents reply: “I could tell you which Ministry, but then I’m afraid you’d have to fill out Form 32B. And Form 147A. And Appendix 79D. In triplicate”. This works 100% of the time.

Sir Charles Breckinridge, 15th-level pointman (special NPC — 75 MP as mastermind or 30 MP as henchman): Department: D-0 The Home Office. CR 15. SZ M; v/wp 109/12; Init +6 (+6 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+6 class); Atk: Walther PPK pocket pistol +11 (dmg 2d4, threat 20, range 20 ft., qualities and mods: DS, DT — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ assistance (1/4 time), cross-class abilities (cold read 3/session, linguist), generous, lead 7/session, serendipity 1/session, strategy 1/session, tactics 3/session (+2 bonus), versatility (Boating, Concentration, Cultures, Gather Information, Hide, Innuendo, Intimidate, Languages, Move Silently, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand); SV Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +12; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +24 (threat 17–20), Bureaucracy +12, Cultures +12, Diplomacy +24 (threat 17–20), Driver +7, Gather Information +8, Hide +10, Innuendo +7, Intimidate +5/+7 (threat 17–20), Languages +8, Move Silently +9, Open Lock +8, Profession (Espionage) +13, Sense Motive +13, Sleight of Hand +9, Spot +12. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Charmer, Fortunate, Grand Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Persuasive, Political Favors, Undermine, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 7.62 mm P military ball ammunition, 31 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: 11 GP. Honoria “Eddie” Everett-Gore: Eddie is very “County”: a tall, sporty, outdoorsy kind of girl. There are three things you know about her immediately: she calls her mother “Mummy”, she still sleeps with her childhood teddy bear, and she must have a wicked baseline serve (those arms!). Betjemen would have loved her. During the week she acts as confidential secretary to Sir Charles (Grade 1: Top Hush). At weekends, she hunts. The question of what she hunts is perhaps best left open. Honoria Everett-Gore, 12th-level soldier (special NPC — 60 MP as mastermind or 24 MP as henchman): Department: D-2 Military Ops. CR 12. SZ M; v/wp 107/12; Init +11 (+1 Dex, +10 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+1 Dex, +5 class); Atk: fist/punch +16 (dmg 1d10+6, error 1, threat 18–20), garrote +16 (dmg special, error 1–2), Walter PPK pocket pistol +13 (dmg 2d4, threat 20, range 20 ft., qualities and mods: DS, DT — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA may perform two unarmed attacks with each

Sir Charles Beckinridge: At 8.10 am every weekday, Sir Charles Beckinridge boards the Waterloo train at Snettersham Junction, unfolds his newspaper and starts on the Times crossword. The other occupants of the First Class carriage – the tall thin one who is quite high up in the Foreign Office, the fat red-faced one who is something in the city, and the sallow heavy-browed one who works

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the 1960s standard attack action (–5 with all attacks made during the same round), need not spend action dice to activate unarmed critical hits, bone grind (special), drop kick +10 (dmg 2d10+12, error 1, threat 17–20), flying jump kick (std. attack + special), flying palm (std. attack + special), flying tackle (special), flying throw (special), foot sweep (special), joint lock (special), jump kick (std. attack + special), knuckle punch +16 (dmg 1d10+8, threat 18–20), nerve lock (special), one-handed choke (special), pain touch (std. attack + stun), palm strike (std. attack + special), roundhouse kick (std. attack vs. 2 adjacent targets), take down (special), weapon specialization (fist/punch, garrote, Walther PPK pocket pistol); SQ accurate, armor use +3, DR 2/—, portable cover (G cover); SV Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +4; Str 18, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 14; Skills: Balance +8, Climb +12, Driver +6, Jump +13, Profession (Espionage) +7, Spot +8, Swim +5, Tumble +20. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Holding Basics, Holding Mastery, Five Style Adept, Kicking Basics, Kicking Mastery, Martial Arts, Master of the Fifth Style, Punching Basics, Punching Mastery, Throwing Basics, Throwing Mastery, Weapon Focus (fist/punch), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 12 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: 6 GP.

Agent Resources: A Ministry agent in good standing may call upon the following favors from Europe’s polite and wealthy. Each option requires contact with the person in question, or the Ministry home office, as well as proper Ministry credentials. • The agent may spend 1d6 hours getting in touch with a member of Europe’s social elite when making a favor check to obtain an introduction to any one politician or member of nobility within the next 24 hours. Alternately, the agent may use this resource to gain an invitation to any one party among Europe’s upper crust within the same period of time. • The agent may spend 1d6 hours getting in touch with a member of Europe’s social elite when making a favor check to receive hospitality at one of the target’s residences. Aside from a luxurious place to sleep and gourmet meals, this hospitality provides the agent and each member of his team with a cover identity possessing a power rating of +2. This cover identity expires after 48 hours, if not revealed by curious socialites before then. • During the Gearing Up phase, an agent may spend 4 GP to gain either the Martial Arts feat or the Safe House feat for the duration of the current serial. These temporary feats may not be used to meet the requirements for prestige classes or the prerequisites of other feats.

Ministry Operatives: An agency like the Ministry of Order requires a better class of minion: someone who has the social polish to carry him through a black-tie banquet and the combat training to mount an assault on the mastermind’s base later that night. And who’ll still be in the office at 9am the next morning, a fresh carnation in his buttonhole and ready for a full day’s filing.

The Enforcers This sample threat is appropriate for telefantasy 1960s campaigns and features background information, supporting NPCs, and agent resources.

Ministry Operatives, 10th-level minions (standard NPCs — 32 MP if used as minions): CR: 9. SZ M; v/wp: 35/10; Init +10 (+2 Dex, +8 class), Speed 30 ft.; Def 16 (+2 Dex, +4 class); Atk: Walther PP backup pistol +12 (dmg 1d6+1, threat 20, range 15 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None, SQ None; SV: Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +7, Balance +7, Climb +5, Driver +5, Hide +7, Move Silently +7, Search +5, Sense Motive +9 Spot +7, Surveillance +9. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, BP per mastermind options (if used as part of a threat). Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Area of Concern: As far as the Party is concerned, The Enforcers are a freelance espionage team working for the Soviet government. Function: To destabilize capitalism from within. The Enforcers have performed this task with considerably more relish since Boris Boricov realized an excellent way to destabilize capitalism would be to seek out arch-capitalists and separate them from their money. Tactics: The Enforcers are chosen for their ability to devise outlandish and extravagant plots, and are free to choose their own targets and their own methods. Provided they keep up a steady stream of reports describing heroic victories for the Workers, their political masters are happy. Organizations: The Enforcers were designed to be detached from the usual channels of control. Of course they could subsist on the meager allowance the Paris rezident would provide. Or they could be self-supporting (see Function). Decisions, decisions.

Ministry Resources Ministry agents are usually very well-connected. Even those from more obscure backgrounds can rely on Sir Charles or Eddie to obtain an introduction to pretty much anybody.

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alternate campaign styles Headquarters: An apartment building on the Left Bank. The Enforcers now own the whole building, from the smoky jazz club in the basement (Le Perroquet), to Boris Boricov’s elegant penthouse suite. Control: The mastermind behind The Enforcers is Boris Boricov.

Con 10, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 18; Skills: Bluff +22, Bureaucracy +16, Diplomacy +26, Disguise +9, Forgery +7, Gather Information +11, Innuendo +20, Knowledge (Politics) +11, Languages +7, Listen +4, Open Lock +7, Perform +9, Sense Motive +16. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Charmer, Credible, Hard Core, Little Black Book, Political Favors, Rousing Speech, Silver Tongue, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mm Makarov military ball ammunition, 32 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: 8 GP.

There are only two kinds of Russians in telefantasy: those who have been seduced by decedent Western materialism, and those who are fighting it. Boris Boricov belongs to the first type. His deputy, Valentina Kovalenko, is still resisting. Six years ago, the Party created a new kind of agency. Designed to burrow into the termite mound of capitalism like parasitic wasps, The Enforcers would use un-Soviet methods to sting the Westerners where it hurt. Their choice of targets would be so imaginative, their techniques so bizarre, that their activities would be put down to some colorful secret society or perhaps a new criminal mastermind. It was decided to base this new agency in Paris. In retrospect, this was probably a mistake. Brussels, for example, would have been a better choice. Rotterdam is really quite boring. There’s remarkably little to do on a wet Thursday evening in Antwerp. But Paris? After six months in the capital of hedonism, the Enforcers had a new agenda: to steal enough money to live the high life, while claiming sufficient successes to ensure that they never, ever had to go home again. This course correction shouldn’t be taken to indicate that The Enforcers have become less dangerous. Now the difference between success and failure is the difference between Paris in the springtime and getting home in time for the turnip harvest, they’re more ruthless than ever.

Valentina Stepanova Kovalenko: A true daughter of the revolution, Boris Boricov’s new deputy wants nothing more than to serve the Party. She’s fought for the Party and killed for the Party, but this is the first time she’s been asked to wear a mini-skirt for the Party. Sent out to keep an eye on Comrade Boricov, Valentina is shocked by the excesses of Paris. Women here have no appreciation of the glorious struggle: they think of nothing but clothes and make-up and music and dancing… Valentina thinks she’s Rosa Luxembourg. She doesn’t realize her new boss has cast her as Ninotchka. Valentina Stepanova Kovalenko, 6th-level faceman/6th-level soldier (special NPC — 60 MP as mastermind or 24 MP as henchman): Department: D-0 The Home Office. CR 12. SZ M; v/wp 64/12; Init +10 (+10 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+6 class); Atk: fist/punch +13 (dmg 1d8+5, error 1, threat 19–20); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA flying tackle (special), foot sweep (special), joint lock (special), jump kick (std. attack + special), one-handed choke (special), roundhouse kick (std. attack vs. 2 adjacent targets), weapon specialization (fist/punch); SQ adaptable, armor use +1, backup 1/session, cold read 1/session, DR 1/—, fake it 1/session, linguist +3, quick change 2/session; SV Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +6; Str 16, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 14; Skills: Balance +3, Bluff +11, Bureaucracy +6, Climb +8, Cultures +10, Diplomacy +11, Driver +1, Innuendo +10, Intimidate +13/+12, Jump +5, Knowledge (Finance) +10, Open Lock +5, Sense Motive +10, Spot +7, Survival +4, Swim +4, Tumble +2, Use Rope +1. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Blocking Basics, Charmer, Five Style Adept, Holding Basics, Kicking Basics, Martial Arts, Throwing Basics, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mm Makarov military ball ammunition, 32 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: 8 GP.

Boris Andryevich Boricov: His superiors felt some of Boris Boricov’s ideas were a little… odd. Using drugs to make a Western agent talk, they could understand. But building an eight-foot-high playpen to convince the agent he was back in his nursery? Obviously Comrade Boricov was a natural for The Enforcers. Despite being passed over for promotion, Boris used to be a loyal servant of the USSR. That was before he discovered fois gras. And Chateau Rothschild ’54. And the Folies-Bergeres. Boris Andryevich Boricov, 13th-level faceman/2ndlevel politico (special NPC — 75 MP as mastermind or 30 MP as henchman): Department: D-1 The Power Brokerage. CR 15. SZ M; v/wp 101/10; Init +13 (+2 Dex, +11 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 22 (+2 Dex, +10 class); Atk: Makarov PM pocket pistol +12 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft., — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ 1,000 faces 1/session, adaptable, acquaintances, backup 3/session, cold read 2/session, entourage (personal staff), fake it 3/session, linguist +5, quick change 6/session, red flag, statesman; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +11; Str 8, Dex 14,

Enforcer Operatives: Before coming to Paris, Boris’ minions were brutish, slab-faced Soviet thugs. Now they’re brutish, slab-faced thugs who spend their time smoking Gauloises, drinking cheap red wine and chatting up girls. It’s the lifestyle they’ve always wanted and they’ll fight like tigers to keep it.

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the 1960s Enforcer Operatives, 10th-level minions (standard NPCs — 32 MP if used as minions): CR: 9. SZ M; v/wp: 55/14; Init +10 (+2 Dex, +8 class), Speed 30 ft.; Def 16 (+2 Dex, +4 class); Atk: Makarov PM pocket pistol +12 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None, SQ None; SV: Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +7, Climb +5, Hide +7, Intimidate +12/+12, Move Silently +7, Search +5, Sense Motive +7 Spot +7, Surveillance +5. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, BP per mastermind options (if used as part of a threat). Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Campaign Hooks This section contains a detailed encounter location and two plot hooks appropriate for a telefantasy 1960s campaign.

Flashpoint Location: Moonbase Alpha This remarkable structure might be operated by either of the organizations presented in this section or an entirely new group (it may even have been constructed by one group and later found or captured by another). It is located near the Moon’s South Pole, where the effects of the sun’s light and heat upon the base’s environmental systems is minimized. All of the base’s interior pressure doors possess a hardness of 15 with 600 wounds and no Break DC, though none has a locking mechanism (the builders didn’t expect much uninvited company). Airlocks are large — 15-ft. × 15-ft. × 40 ft. — in order to accommodate the rocket fuel containers and replacement cells frequently delivered to the base, and possess a hardness of 16 with 800 wounds and no Break DC. The airlock doors likewise possess no locking mechanism, but cannot be opened to the wrong atmosphere without a successful Electronics check (DC 25).

Enforcer Resources The Enforcers maintain a vast network of contacts in the world’s black markets, allowing them to request necessary weapons, gear, and identities quickly and quietly. This provides the organization with the following resources. Threat Resources: The GC may call upon the following threat resources to support the Enforcers and its operatives in play.

1. Hydroponic Greenhouse: This area carefully maintained hydroponics farm provides food and air for the entire base at all times. Due to the month-long days on the Moon, this location features no windows to the surface, instead relying upon a series of full-spectrum lights which simulate night and day. Should this greenhouse ever be shut down or destroyed, the base would run out of air in 24 hours (the base stockpiles enough food for 6 months at all times).

• ∑ The Intelligence scores of all Enforcer characters are increased by 2 at no additional MP cost. This bonus is applied to after ability scores have been assigned or purchased. • Special Enforcer characters begin play with 2 cover identities possessing a power rating of +4 each at no additional MP or BP cost. Enforcer minions begin play with 1 cover identity possessing a power rating of +3 at no additional MP or BP cost.

2. Landing Platform: The landing platform is located in an underground dome, shielded by a large outcropping of fake lunar rock. The dome retracts to reveal a large smooth-stone surface with maintenance buildings and tools circling its rim. The entire area is depressurized except during certain routine maintenance, when it’s filled with air and drained over a two-hour period. At any time, three rockets are stored here, each possessing the following statistics: crew-piloted rocket — SZ H, Occ 2/10, Hnd +4, Spd 3,000 ft., MPH 300/600, Def 10, WP 120, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: AIR, LSP (20).

• At any time during which an Enforcers operative’s location is unknown for at least 6 hours, the GC may spend a number of action dice to establish a new cover identity for him. The power rating of the operative’s new cover rating is equal to the number of action dice spent ×2 (e.g. if the GC spends 2 action dice, the operative’s new power rating is +4). • The Enforcers are incredibly talented at pulling out of an operation without leaving the slightest hint of physical evidence. Whenever an Enforcer unit cleans an area, the GC may spend a number of action dice up to the number of Enforcers performing the cleaning. For every action die spent, the DCs of all Gather Information, Search, and Spot checks made in the area to notice the Enforcers’ activities are increased by 5. This cleaning requires a number of rounds equal to the number of action dice spent.

3. Machine Room: This large area contains metal lathes, forges, metal presses, and other equipment used to manufacture any metallic part the base could require. When used to create any metal part or object, this room’s equipment grants a +8 circumstance bonus with the Craft (Machining) skill. 4. Apocalypse Room: Moon Base Alpha’s nerve center is also the location of its doomsday device (for more about this device, see Campaign Hook #2, page 118).

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alternate campaign styles

5. Storage: This location consists of enormous, high “shelves” housing heavy replacement machinery for the equipment in location #3 and other large supplies needed by the base’s occupants, all stacked on pallets. The second and higher shelves may only be reached with a forklift (three are stored here at all times).

9. Large Apartments: These suites are reserved for married couples and high-ranking personnel. Each consists of a master bedroom, living room (half the rooms also contain a retractable observatory “skylight”), kitchenette, bathroom, and walk-in closet. 10. Small Apartments: These dormitories house all single and low-ranking personnel. Each consists of two bunks and a work desk, and every other room contains a small porthole opening onto the lunar landscape. Bathroom facilities are provided down the hall, one per block of four dorms.

6. Atmosphere Processing: This soundproofed chamber is filled with noisy fans, heating and cooling equipment, and air processing machinery. Agents within this room (or within 20 ft. when its door is open) suffer a –4 circumstance penalty with Listen skill checks. 7. Offices: This block of business-style offices is lavishly appointed, mimicking Earth’s finest entrepreneurial power centers. The largest of these offices houses the base’s mastermind or Control, as appropriate — behind a tank of tropical fish here sits an impressive walk-in safe that requires a successful Open Lock check (DC 25) to enter.

11. Labs: All research is conducted here, away from the rest of the base. This module is powered by its own generators and pipes in its own air supply once each day before the work shift. It then seals itself to prevent a mishap here from endangering the rest of the base.

8. Dining Room/Kitchen: The roof of this communal area may split and retract, converting the room into a makeshift observatory when the base faces Earth.

Mistress Constance Case, a long-time informant and sometime operative of over a dozen of the world’s top espionage agencies — including both the Agency and its immediate rival — is offering “all she knows” to the high-

Plot Hook # 1

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the 1960s est bidder. This sparks a global competition to secure her knowledge, or silence her for good.

Possible Nefarious Plots: 1. Moon Base Alpha’s controllers are afraid of the “inevitable nuclear war between the superpowers,” and built the base as an ark to preserve humanity when the end comes. They’re currently collecting the last of their population, seeking enough genetic diversity to re-launch the human race after the Earth is destroyed. Unfortunately, the controllers have set a timetable for their new residents, warning them that cataclysmic war is imminent, and they intend to stick to that schedule — in this case, the base’s apocalypse room controls several nuclear missile silos capable of launching bombs toward the U.S. and the Soviet Union, forcing the nations’ hands.

Possible Approaches: 1. The agents are sent to make contact with Miss Case on a train winding through the British countryside. On board, they discover that at least one other organization — their immediate rival — had the same idea. What they don’t realize is that Miss Case has already cut the deal with a third party and that the Miss Case on board is in fact a robot set to detonate, taking the train, its passengers, and all the operatives along with it. 2. One of the secrets Miss Case offers is a new gadget design — the armor clothing option (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 136). She wears the only known prototype and therefore carries herself with exceptional arrogance throughout the negotiations. During her meeting with the agents, however, she is attacked by operatives wielding special laser weapons that short-circuit the gadget, electrifying and killing her. The agents are hereafter presented with a new threat on the scene (or perhaps an old one with a new toy).

2. Moon Base Alpha’s controllers have built rockets into the Moon capable of shifting its orbit (implausible in nearly every genre except telefantasy). Unless the Earth succumbs to the controllers’ demands (perhaps global domination, perhaps something of the GC’s own device), they’ll activate this device, prompting tidal waves and earthquakes that will destroy much of Earth’s civilization. 3. Moon Base Alpha’s controllers seek the lost continent of Atlantis and have developed a laser powerful enough to evaporate all the Earth’s oceans. They intend to focus it on the Atlantic, evaporating all of the water until their prize is revealed. Of course, this will decimate the planet and its population, but the controllers expect that their base’s population will be enough to begin anew — this time with the wisdom of the “world’s most evolved civilization” at their disposal.

3. Miss Case is known to swim every day at the same time. Someone who wishes her information to end with her crumbles dehydrated water tablets into her morning meal and times them to activate while she’s swimming (once again, this is a gadget too unrealistic to be featured in any genre save telefantasy or something equally fanciful). Unexpectedly, Miss Case twists her ankle just before the swim and goes into her house for a rest, drowning in bed. The agents arrive for their scheduled meeting later that day, only to become the last people to see her alive (and therefore targets of the world’s espionage agencies for what she must have told them before they killed her).

Plot Hook #2 The Agency becomes aware of Moon Base Alpha, possibly through a traitorous transmission from the Moon, a defecting lab technician dying from a failed experiment in the base’s labs, or due to a freak accidental spotting by a neutral astronomer (this latter option could lead into a prequel serial in which the enemy also learns of the astronomer’s find, sparking a race to secure the astronomer before he’s killed). The agents are either sent to investigate the base or prevent a forthcoming plot about which they’re warned by the traitor or another source.

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“More history is made by secret handshakes than by battles, bills, and proclamations.” - John Barth

New Agent options

the 1960s Fixer: The fixer’s procure class ability requires twice the listed time to use in the 1960s. Further, the fixer’s improvisation special ability may not produce an item with an actual cost exceeding $5. Pointman: The pointman’s cross-class ability provides him with the following wire options — flawless search; intuition 1/session; intercept communication 1/session; undivided attention 1/session; jury-rig +2. Snoop: This class’s reliance upon modern technology is inappropriate to the time period. The snoop’s role on an agent team is instead filled by a new base class presented in this book — the wire (see page 148).

Introduction A 1960s Spycraft agent is very similar to his modernday counterpart. Nevertheless, some of the options available in the 21st century have yet to be invented in the ’60s, so the agent of that era has some new options — such as allegiance, a loyalty mechanic that offers a number of mechanical benefits and weaknesses. Chapter 6 introduces this material along with an all-new alternate base class, new prestige and senior agent prestige classes, new and alternate departments, feats, skill uses, and other tools to give a distinct 1960s feel to your agents. This chapter is broken into two parts. The first covers which agent options are available from previously published Spycraft products, while the second covers all new material in the same format as seen in those previous products. In all cases, mechanical revisions are made to the standard Spycraft rules to reflect the simpler, more agentcentric atmosphere of the 1960s, when skill and talent were markedly more useful than the tools of the time.

Skills All skills seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. Computers: This skill is replaced in its entirety by a new set of skill uses presented in this book (see page 156). Craft: When successfully used to generate an income, this skill grants the agent’s skill check result × $5. Also, unskilled laborers can expect to earn an average of $40 per week. Electronics: Though in its infancy, this skill’s applications remain the same. All that changes are the device examples for the disarm/disable device skill use, as follows — simple (pressure pad, crude electric eye), tricky (surveillance camera), difficult (chemical sniffer), and obnoxious (thermal sensor). Forgery: In the 1960s, state of the art forgery-resistant document creation techniques include watermarks and extremely high pressure printing dyes (as holograms have yet to be invented). Also, the synergy bonus with Forgery checks gained for possessing 5 or more ranks in Computers is not available. Perform: When successfully used to generate an income, this skill grants the agent the following income, based on the quality of his performance — terrible ($1), poor ($1d2), routine ($1d4), enjoyable ($1d8), great ($1d12), memorable ($1d20), or extraordinary ($2d12). Profession: When successfully used to generate an income, this skill grants the agent’s skill check result × $7. Also, unskilled laborers can expect to earn an average of $60 per week.

Agent Options From Other Products This section provides supplementary options and minor changes to agent options from previous Spycraft releases. Any agent options not touched upon here are identical between the 1960s and the modern era. Gadgets are a special case and handled in their own section, beginning on page 133.

Spycraft Espionage Handbook The standard process for creating and playing an agent as described in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook remains largely unchanged during the 1960s. The following agent options and other rules are modified or deleted for 1960s play, as listed.

Departments All departments seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification to 1960s agents except D-3: Computer Espionage, whose reliance upon modern technology is inappropriate to the time period. D-3’s role within the Agency is instead filled by a new department presented in this book — D-3: Technical Espionage (see page 139).

Feats All feats seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following style feats. Filthy Rich: This feat grants an extra $200 to the agent’s field expenses at the start of each mission. Further, an agent with this feat gains $20 for every XP he sacrifices to gain emergency funding.

Classes All classes seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

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new agent options Five Star Service: When gambling or shopping, this feat grants the agent $10,000 credit, plus or minus $1,000 × the agent’s Charisma modifier. With a successful Bluff check to increase this limit, the agent gains an additional $1,000 per point by which his check result beats the skill check result of the establishment’s financial director. With a critical success to increase this limit, the agent gains an additional $10,000 more. Credit limits at lesser establishments begin at $1,000 per star, plus $100 × the agent’s Charisma modifier, with credit increases gained in $100 increments and a critical success yielding an additional $400 per star. Private Identity: The agent has $200 stashed away.

Melee Weapons: All melee weapons seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification except tasers. Firearms: If using the generic firearms options from the Spycraft Espionage Handbook instead of the named weapons from the Modern Arms Guide, then all firearms seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification except the following. • Handguns: .40 caliber backup pistols and .40 and .50 Magnum service pistols are unavailable in the 1960s. Further, the standard capacity for all backup pistols is 7 rounds, the standard ammunition capacity for 9mm service pistols is 12 rounds, and the standard ammunition capacity for .45 service pistols is 7 rounds.

Standard-Issue Gear

• Other Handgun-Like Weapons: Mace spray is unavailable in the 1960s.

Gear is easily the most heavily impacted element of Spycraft agent creation and play during the 1960s, with many items unavailable and many commonplace items not yet introduced. First and foremost, while each agent’s BP and GP pools remain the same, field expenses are calculated by rolling 2d4, adding the result to the agent’s class budget bonus, and multiplying the second result by $20. Further, when requesting emergency funds, an agent gains only $2 per XP sacrificed. Additionally, requisitioning gear while in the field requires twice the time listed on page 106 of the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, unless one of the agents possesses the procure class ability. Finally, all standard-issue gear seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook is available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

• Shotguns: Close Assault Weapons System (CAWS) shotguns are unavailable in the 1960s. • Ammunition: Teflon-tipped (TEF) bullets, safety slugs (SS), flechette shells, and gas shells are unavailable in the 1960s. Tactical Weapons: If using the generic tactical weapon options from the Spycraft Espionage Handbook instead of the named weapons from the Modern Arms Guide, then all tactical weapons seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification except the following. • Grenade Launchers: Flash ammunition is unavailable in the 1960s.

Bundles: Bundles A, B, and C are replaced in their entirety by the following.

• Rocket Launchers: Anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) ammunition is unavailable in the 1960s.

• Bundle A: large briefcase and clothes carrier (to store bundle), 1 set of average clothes, 1 set of designer clothes, Walther PPK pocket pistol or Makarov PM (Makarov 9mm) backup pistol with standard silencer, miniature camera with 1 roll of intelligence-grade film, evidence kit, and lockpicking kit.

Hurled Weapons: All hurled weapons seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification except flash, and flash/bang grenades. Exotic Weapons: All exotic weapons seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification. Protective Gear: All protective gear seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook is available without modification except kevlar vests, tuxedo liners, kevlar BDUs, assault vests, and sealed helmets. Further, the door-gunner vest has undergone many improvements over the years and its 1960s version is constructed with ballistic nylon instead of kevlar, providing it better defense against flak than bullets (BP 50, DB –2, DR 7, MDB +0, ACP –7, Spd –15 ft., Wt 40 lb., actual cost $600). Finally, while Gore-tex™ suits are unavailable in the 1960s, other roughly equivalent cold protection suits exist, weighing 25 lb. and applying a –10 ft. speed penalty. Other Gear: All other gear seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook is available without modification except the following.

• Bundle B: Large “hockey bag” (to store bundle), 1 set of average clothes, 1 set of trendy clothes, assorted street and topographical maps, crowbar, professional-grade camera with 1 roll of intelligence-grade film, duct tape and rubber bands, first aid kit, lockpicking kit, Swiss Army knife, handcuffs, flashlight, standard audio bug, and 2 tactical radios. • Bundle C: Military “sea-bag” (to store bundle), 1 set of average “plain” clothes, 1 set of camouflage fatigues, all-weather lighter, 5-day supply of “C” rations, digging/entrenching tool, miniature camera with 1 roll of intelligence-grade film, S&W Model 10 service revolver or 9mm Beretta Model 1951 with 100 shots of military ball ammunition, 2 tactical radios.

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the 1960s check cap is 25 and they have a range increment of 5 ft. (from the bug’s placement location). Further, the DCs of all Search and Spot checks made to notice bugs are reduced by 4.

The Little Things In the modern world, we take many items for granted that weren’t available in the 1960s. Some of these common lifestyle amenities follow. Photocopiers, Scotch tape, personal computers, erasable ink, cell phones, satellite imaging, videotape, cassette tapes, CDs, computer graphics, bigscreen televisions, digital watches, velcro (except at NASA), microwave ovens, global positioning (GPS) systems, more than 4 or 5 channels on TV, cordless phones, portable radios, most electrical appliances, most items whose name includes the word “instant”, realistic cinematic special effects, live television reporting of major events anywhere in the world, inexpensive Asian-made cars, flavored potato chips, vacuum-persevered dinners, and aluminum cans.

•

Standard cameras possess a range increment of 20 ft. and weigh 3 lb.

•

Miniature cameras possess a range increment of 10 ft., provide 10 exposures, and weigh G lb.

•

Professional cameras possess a range increment of 35 ft. and weigh 10 lb. The option to increase the number of exposures in a professional camera is unavailable.

•

• Clothing: Fatigues are a single, solid color in the 1960s, rather than patterned. When an agent wears fatigues, his circumstance bonus to Hide checks made in natural surroundings and darkness is only +1.

Video cameras are replaced with motion picture cameras, which may only be requisitioned in professional quality, cost 40 BP or $1,000, weigh 40 lb., and provide 30 minutes of recording time per tape (which may not be extended).

•

∑Commercial-grade film or tape possesses a Spot/Surveillance check cap of 16 and provide 20 exposures or 30 minutes of recording time.

• Communications Gear: No communications gear featured in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook is available in the 1960s.

•

∑Professional-grade film or tape possesses a Spot/Surveillance check cap of 20 and provide 20 exposures or 30 minutes of recording time.

•

∑Intelligence-grade film or tape possesses a Spot/Surveillance check cap of 24 and provide 3 exposures or 5 minutes of recording time.

•

∑Parabolic microphones weigh 10 lb., possess range increments of only 50 ft., cannot be hooked up to a computer, and require a successful Listen check (DC 25) when used to pick out sounds from ambient noise.

•

∑Personal tape recorders weigh 1 lb. and possess dimensions nearly double that of their modern counterparts (2 in. × 4 in. × 8 in.), and cost 3 BP or $30.

•

Weapons Accessories: Laser sights are unavailable in the 1960s.

• Computers: Only huge mainframes possessing power ratings of up to +6 and gadget-based computers possessing power ratings of up to +8 are available in the 1960s. The former may not be requisitioned by agents (though they can be accessed with a favor check). The latter are presented in the New Gadgets section (see page 170). • Hazardous Terrain Gear: GPS receivers are unavailable in the 1960s. Further, bomb sniffers, chemical analyzers, and Geiger counters and metal detectors weigh 5 lb. each. • Kits: Each demolitions kit produces a bomb possessing the statistics of 2 sticks of dynamite. The weights of all kits are doubled. • Medical Gear: Liquid skin patches and stimulant shots are unavailable in the 1960s.

Vehicles

• Optics Gear: Night vision goggles and thermal imagers are unavailable in the 1960s. Further, binoculars weigh 3 lb.

All vehicles seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

• Surveillance Gear: Micro-tape recorders, basic video bugs, voice-activated bugs, digital cameras, disposable cameras, and IR filter lenses are unavailable in the 1960s. Further, a number of changes are made to the following items. •

Air Vehicles: Space shuttles, ultralights, and VTOLs are unavailable in the 1960s. Jet packs are only available if allowed by the campaign style (see Chapter 5). Armored and Heavy Vehicles: Bullet trains and hovercraft are unavailable in the 1960s. Ground Vehicles: The standard sports car statistics should be used for 1960s sports cars and the classic car statistics should be used for earlier vintage cars

Basic audio bugs possess a range of H mile through open air, G mile in cities, and 300 ft. underground. They weigh ⁄/% lb., their Listen

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new agent options (circa 1950s and before). Compact cars, economy cars, Humvees, minivans, sub-compact cars, and SUVs are unavailable in the 1960s. Personal Vehicles and Mounts: ATCs, jet skis, quads, and racing cycles are unavailable in the 1960s. Water Vehicles: Diving drones and submersible cars are unavailable in the 1960s. Mini-subs are only available if allowed by the campaign style (see Chapter 5).

New Rules All new rules seen in the Modern Arms Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. New Skill Descriptions: The Craft (Gunsmithing) skill may not be used to produce magnum charges in the 1960s. New Bundles: The following changes are made to this book’s bundles.

Favor Checks

• Demolitions Bundle: Large metal toolbox (to store bundle), 1 set of mechanic’s coveralls, 1 set of plainclothes, earplugs, demolitions kit, flashlight, duct tape, pocket tool, 4 sticks of dynamite.

All favor checks seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. Information Favor Checks: Internet searches, credit histories, private email, spy satellite data, and corporate email archives are all unavailable in the 1960s. Private postal mail may be intercepted with a successful information favor check (DC 15) and corporate and government snail mail may be intercepted with a successful information favor check (DC 25). Transportation Favor Checks: Concorde and space shuttle pick-ups are all unavailable in the 1960s.

• Entry Team Bundle: Large garment bag (to store bundle), 1 set of fatigues, ski mask, gas mask, flashlight, knife, crowbar, 3 CS gas grenades, 2 pairs of handcuffs. • Trail Bundle: The trail bundle does not change in the 1960s. New Gear Qualities: The composite (CP) quality is unavailable in the 1960s. Masterwork Firearms: The composite body, cryogenic treatment, and floating barrel modifications are unavailable in the 1960s. The custom grip modification is available using carved wood or molded rubber at a cost of 8 BP or $200. Other Masterwork Weapons: The composite body modification is unavailable in the 1960s.

Travel In the 1960s, air travel is slower, though arguably more luxurious, and circling the globe takes significantly more time for the globe-trotting 1960s jet set. Given the far less advanced air traffic systems in place in this decade, all flight travel times are adjusted as shown on Table 6.1: Approximate Direct Flight Travel Times (see page 127). However, as a minor added benefit for agents who smoke (or make use of cigarette gadgets), the concept of the non-smoking flight is still a decade away.

1960s Power Ratings Modern devices are far more powerful than their 1960s equivalents. Consequently, the maximum power ratings of many items are reduced, as follows.

Traps Unless allowed by the campaign style or genre (see Chapter 5), no electronic traps included in this section are available to 1960s agents and criminal organizations.

Ciphers: With computer-based encryption and decryption decades away, the maximum power rating of any cipher is reduced to +6. Communications: Lacking digital technology to optimize the performance of communications gear, the maximum power rating for any such item is reduced to +8. Likewise, the maximum power rating for any jamming device is reduced to +6. Computers: With computers still massive, experimental devices of limited utility, the maximum power rating of any computer is reduced to +6. Portable computer systems are unavailable in the 1960s as standard-issue gear (see New Gadgets, page 133, for some 1960s gadget models). Cover Identities: With the cat and mouse game of falsifying and confirming identity a handicapped field (documents are easier to forge, but they’re less likely to be trusted), the maximum power rating of any cover identity is reduced to +6.

Modern Arms Guide The Modern Arms Guide reflects the most recent trends in weapons technologies, and while most melee weapons and some firearms are available in the 1960s, many others are not. Outside of the following restrictions and modifications to this book’s offerings, we present several new weapons and gear options at the end of this chapter (see pages 166–170).

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the 1960s ∑• Bolt-Action Rifles: De Lisle Silent Carbine, Savage Arms Company 116SE Safari Express, SigArms Mauser M98 Magnum, Springfield Armory M6 Scout, and US Rifle, Caliber .30, Model 1903 bolt-action rifles are available in the 1960s. The Remington 597 is unavailable, but various other commercially available rifles are identical for game purposes.

Other Masterwork Gear: The composite body and cracked software modifications are unavailable in the 1960s. Black Market: All dollar values in this section are divided by 5 (rounding up).

Melee Weapons All melee weapons seen in the Modern Arms Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except aluminum baseball bats, police flashlights, retractable batons, and tasers.

•∑ Sniper Rifles: Dragunov SVD and Remington Model 700 sniper rifles are available in the 1960s. Shotguns: Only the following shotguns are available in the 1960s.

Hurled Weapons

∑• Break-Action Shotguns: No specific break-action shotgun models from the Modern Arms Guide are available. However, equivalent designs with identical traits are available for every model, as break-action shotgun technology has not changed significantly in the last century.

All hurled weapons seen in the Modern Arms Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except aerodynamic grenades, flash grenades, flash/bang grenades, grenade arrows, and grenade bolts.

Exotic Weapons

•∑ Combat Shotguns: No combat shotguns are available in the 1960s.

All exotic weapons seen in the Modern Arms Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents.

•∑ Pump-Action Shotguns: Mossberg Model 500 and Remington Model 870 pump-action shotguns are available in the 1960s.

Firearms Unlike most other agent options, the vast majority of the Modern Arms Guide’s firearms are unavailable to 1960s agents, as follows. Handguns: Only the following handguns are available in the 1960s.

Submachineguns: Only the CZ Scorpion, German State Arsenal MP-40, IMI Uzi family, Sterling L2A3, and Thompson M1928 family submachineguns are available in the 1960s. Ammunition: Only armor piercing (AP), blank, boat tail, dum-dum, full metal jacket (FMJ), hollow point, jacketed hollow point (JHP), tracer (T), and wad cutter (WC) ammunition is available in the 1960s. Only beanbag, blank, non-lethal, rock salt, shot, and slug shotgun shells are available in the 1960s.

• Backup Pistols: Makarov PM (a.k.a. the Makarov 9mm) and Walther PP backup pistols are available in the 1960s. • Pocket Pistols: Walther PPK pocket pistols are available in the 1960s. • Service Pistols: Beretta Model 1951, Browning Hi-Power, Colt M1911A1, and Daewoo DP-51 service pistols are available in the 1960s.

Accessories All accessories seen in the Modern Arms Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

• Hunting Revolvers: Colt Python hunting revolvers are available in the 1960s, having statistics identical to the Colt Anaconda. Also, Ruger Redhawk hunting revolvers are available in the 1960s, having statistics identical to the Ruger Super Blackhawk.

• Bow Accessories: Laser sights, night vision sights, and speed quivers are unavailable in the 1960s. • Cosmetic Options: Illuminating paint is unavailable in the 1960s.

∑• Service Revolvers: S&W Model 10 service revolvers are available in the 1960s.

• Holsters and Cases: Tactical holsters are unavailable in the 1960s.

Rifles: Only the following rifles are available in the 1960s.

• Optical Weapon Accessories: Day/night scopes, laser sights, 2nd- and 3rd-generation night vision sights, advanced and compact combat optical gunsights, and power grips unavailable in the 1960s. Starlight scopes are available, but cost 4 BP or $150.

•∑ Assault Rifles: Colt CAR-15, Colt M16A1, FN FAL, H&K G3, and Kalashnikov AK-47/AKS-47 assault rifles are available in the 1960s.

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new agent options • Slings and Ammunition Carriers: Bungee slings are unavailable in the 1960s.

The Value of the Dollar: 1960s This book assumes a general inflation rate multiplier of 5 between the 1960s and the modern era — that is to say, the actual cost of any item available in the 1960s is ⁄/% its modern-day actual cost. The true inflation multiplier is closer to 6, but we chose 5 to keep the math simple. Actual cost adjustments are not factored into the sections describing what’s different in the 1960s — these modifications are left to the GC to adjudicate.

• Tactical Accessories: M70 Commando mortar systems, mortar ballistic computers, and tactical suppressors are unavailable in the 1960s.

Tactical Weapons Unlike most other agent options, the vast majority of the Modern Arms Guide’s tactical weapons are not available to 1960s agents, as follows. Explosives: Only blast mine, cherry bomb, claymore, detonating cord, fragmentation mine, bounding fragmentation mine, satchel charge, and thermite explosives are available in the 1960s. Flamethrowers: Only the Chinese Arsenal Type 67, Soviet Arsenal LPO-50, and US Arsenal M9A1 flamethrowers are available in the 1960s. Grenade Launchers: Only the following grenade launchers are available in the 1960s.

Protective Gear All protective gear seen in the Modern Arms Guide is available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. Armor: All armor seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook is available without modification except the following.

∑• Repeating Grenade Launchers: Saco Mk19 Mod 3 repeating grenade launchers are available in the 1960s.

∑• Light Armor: Armored float vests, ballistic vests, contour vests, hot weather vests, kevlar vests, stab vests, stake-out vests, tactical deployment vests, tuxedo liners, undercover vests, and all inserts for these items are unavailable in the 1960s.

∑• Stand-Alone Grenade Launchers: AA1 M79 and Tula KBP GM-94 stand-alone grenade launchers are available in the 1960s.

∑• Medium Armor: Kevlar BDUs, quilted ballistic jackets, and all inserts for these items are unavailable in the 1960s.

•∑ Under-Barrel Grenade Launchers: No under-barrel grenade launchers are available in the 1960s.

•∑ Heavy Armor: Assault vests and inserts for them are unavailable in the 1960s. Further, the door-gunner vest has undergone many improvements over the years and its 1960s version is constructed with ballistic nylon instead of kevlar, providing it better defense against flak than bullets (BP 50, DB –2, DR 7, MDB +0, ACP –7, Spd –15 ft., Wt 40 lb., actual cost $600).

Machineguns: Only the Kalashnikov PK, Kalashnikov RPD, Maremont M60E4 LMG, and Rheinmetall MG3 machineguns are available in the 1960s. Mortars: Only the M-224 Light and M-252 Medium mortars are available in the 1960s. Rocket Launchers: Only the RFAS RPG-7, Talley M72 LAW, and US Arsenal M20 rocket launchers are available in the 1960s. Tactical Ammunition: Only the following tactical ammunition types are available in the 1960s.

•∑ Other Armor: Ballistic helmets and sealed helmets are unavailable in the 1960s.

∑• Tactical Grenades: Chemical, CS gas, flechette, fragmentation, illumination, incendiary, smoke, and white phosphorus tactical grenades are available in the 1960s.

Safety Gear: All safety gear seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook is available without modification except armored blankets, ballistic goggles, bomb blankets, bomb covers, flash goggles, and dry suits. Further, the following items are modified for 1960s play.

∑• Mortar Shells: High-explosive (HE), illumination, and smoke mortar shells are available in the 1960s.

∑• Gas masks weigh 5 lb. and gain the limited vision (LV) quality.

•∑ Rockets: High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rockets are available in the 1960s.

•∑ Camouflage clothing is a single, solid color in the 1960s, rather than patterned. When an agent wears camouflage clothing, his circumstance bonus to Hide checks made in natural surroundings and darkness is only +1.

•∑ Rifle-Launched Grenades: Rifle-launched grenades are also available in the 1960s, in the styles available under hurled weapons (see the opposite page).

•∑ Radiation monitors require greater expertise to use effectively in the 1960s, and a successful First Aid or Profession (Doctor) check (DC 15).

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the 1960s ∑• While Gore-tex™ suits are unavailable in the 1960s, other roughly equivalent cold protection suits exist, weighing 25 lb. and applying a –10 ft. speed penalty.

∑• Bodyguard Bundle: Large suit-bag (to store bundle), 1 set of designer clothes, plate carrier vest, shoulder holster, mirrored sunglasses, punch gloves, chemical analyzer, police scanner, first aid kit, $500 in bribe money.

Other Gear

•∑ Pilot Bundle: Small duffel bag (to store bundle), military aviator flight suit, aviator helmet, mirrored sunglasses, parachute, survival kit, survival radio, 1 day’s military rations, 5 flares, survival knife, local phrasebook.

All other gear seen in the Modern Arms Guide download chapter (Chapter 9: Other Gear) is available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. Computer Gear: None of this gear or its supporting skill uses are available in the 1960s. Images may be doctored using the Forgery skill without a computer or image processing software, but the skill check cap under these circumstances is 25. Courier Gear: Digital cipher machines are unavailable in the 1960s. Environmental Gear: Cams, explosive and titanium pitons, inertial compasses, leatherman tools, dive computers, glow spray, underwater radios, water filtration tablets, and universal power supplies are unavailable in the 1960s. Optics and Light Sources: IR goggles, UV goggles, IR/UV floodlights, and light amplification binoculars are unavailable in the 1960s. Security and Penetration Gear: Electronic locks, and electric and electronic lockpicks are unavailable in the 1960s. Surveillance and Detection Gear: Bomb sweep detonators, borescopes/fiberscopes, burst transmitter bugs, data bugs, handheld lie detectors, portable radar and sonar units, caller ID blocks, cell phone signal interceptors, line tracers, signal scramblers, tap detectors, and thermal neutron activators are unavailable in the 1960s.

•∑ Mechanic Bundle: Wheeled metal tool box (to store bundle), 2 sets of coveralls, mechanics kit with superior tools, craftsman kit (machining), craftsman kit (any one), 2 large canvas tarps, 2 extension cords (100 ft. each), flashlight, tire iron, 4 padlocks with keys, equipment manuals (any three), pinup calendar. ∑• EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Bundle: Heavy locking carrying case (to store bundle), 1 set of fatigues, bomb squad suit, military helmet with face shield, bomb blanket (level 1), 2 bomb disposal kits, religious icon of choice.

Departments All departments seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. Officer Training: All of this macro-department’s options are available except the Australian Defense Force Academy, which didn’t open its doors in 1985. The Royal Military College provides identical benefits in the 1960s. Military Academy Training: All of this macro-department’s options are available with the following exceptions and modifications.

Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide

•∑ The Military University of Russia doesn’t exist in the 1960s. Several military academies within the Soviet Union provide identical benefits.

Combat methods and talents remain the same across time and much of the material in this book follows suit. All agent options and new rules seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

•∑ The National Defense Academy of Japan exists in the 1960s, but doesn’t yet possess a highly developed computer science program. Instances of the Computers skill within this benefits package are replaced by the Languages skill.

Bundles The following changes are made to this book’s bundles.

•∑ The University of the German Federal Armed Forces was founded in 1972, and is therefore unavailable to 1960s agents.

•∑ Arctic Operations Bundle: The arctic operations bundle is unchanged in the 1960s. ∑• Bush Bundle: Trail backpack (to store bundle), 1 set of fatigues, 3 applications of face paint, load-bearing equipment, flashlight, machete, survival knife, 5 flares, camouflage net, 4 throwing knives, 40 water filtration tablets, survival kit, 7 days’ military rations, magnetic compass, local maps.

New Skill Uses All skill uses seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. Sport (Boarding): This skill may only be used to skateboard.

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new agent options ∑• Fixed-Wing Vehicles: Airliners (except jumbo models), supersonic and stealth bombers, fighters (except attack, ground attack, and strike models), reconnaissance drones, and space shuttles are unavailable in the 1960s. Skycars and personal and crew-piloted rockets are only available if allowed by the campaign style (see Chapter 5).

Sport (Skydiving): This skill may not be used to perform HA/LO jumps (unless the GC runs a fantastic campaign, incorporating super-science gadgets — see page 133).

Personal Ordnance All personal ordnance seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide is available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

•∑ Rotor-Wing Vehicles: Commercial, drone, and service helicopters are unavailable in the 1960s.

Guided Missile Launchers: All “light” guided missiles are unavailable in the 1960s, as are standard wire-guided and television-guided missiles. Heavy (Vehicular) Machineguns: 30mm and 40mm heavy (vehicular) machineguns are unavailable in the 1960s. Grenade Launchers: 20mm grenade launchers are unavailable in the 1960s.

Armored and Heavy Vehicles: All armored and heavy vehicles seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide are available without modification except the following. •∑ Railed Armored and Heavy Vehicles: Sky trams and bullet trains are unavailable in the 1960s. Mag-lev trains are only available if allowed by the campaign style (see Chapter 5). •∑ Tracked Armored and Heavy Vehicles: Bridge-layers, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), amphibious tanks, drone tanks, and super-heavy tanks are unavailable in the 1960s. Digger-drillers are only available if allowed by the campaign style (see Chapter 5).

Vehicles All vehicles and vehicular options seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. Air Vehicles: All air vehicles seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide are available without modification except the following.

∑• Wheeled Armored and Heavy Vehicles: Armored drones and infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) are unavailable in the 1960s.

Table 6.1: Approximate Direct Flight Travel Times (in hours) Bangkok

BAN

BER

BUE

CAI

CAS

DEL

FRA

IST

LON

MAD MEX

MON MOS

PAR

RIO

ROM

SIN

SYD

TOK

WAS

—

10.5

9.5

16.5

12.5

11.5

1.5

9.5

5.5

17.5

Berlin

11.5

—

3.5

0.5

11.5

12.5

1.5

8.5

Buenos Aires

—

11.5

14.5

15.5

12.5

9.5

16.5

10.5

22.5

10.5

Cairo

—

4.5

5.5

1.5

4.5

15.5

4.5

15.5

3.5

2.5

10.5

11.5

Casablanca

3.5

11.5

4.5

—

9.5

22.5

14.5

Delhi

5.5

—

5.5

8.5

5.5

8.5

17.5

Frankfurt

0.5

14.5

—

11.5

0.5

11.5

1.5

0.5

12.5

20.5

11.5

8.5

Hong Kong

11.5

—

17.5

11.5

3.5

9.5

16.5

Istanbul

9.5

15.5

1.5

5.5

—

3.5

14.5

12.5

1.5

18.5

10.5

London

4.5

8.5

0.5

3.5

—

1.5

3.5

0.5

11.5

1.5

21.5

Los Angeles

16.5

11.5

15.5

11.5

14.5

—

11.5

3.5

11.5

12.5

17.5

4.5

Madrid

12.5

4.5

1.5

3.5

1.5

11.5

—

11.5

9.5

4.5

1.5

13.5

7.5

Mexico City

9.5

15.5

17.5

14.5

3.5

11.5

—

13.5

11.5

9.5

12.5

20.5

Monte Carlo

11.5

3.5

9.5

—

13.5

10.5

17.5

Moscow

16.5

5.5

3.5

4.5

13.5

—

9.5

14.5

10.5

9.5

New York

10.5

13.5

9.5

—

9.5

19.5

13.5

0.5

Paris

11.5

8.5

0.5

11.5

10.5

—

11.5

1.5

13.5

7.5

Rio

12.5

9.5

17.5

12.5

11.5

12.5

9.5

14.5

9.5

11.5

—

11.5

19.5

9.5

Rome

12.5

2.5

11.5

1.5

12.5

1.5

11.5

—

12.5

20.5

Singapore

1.5

10.5

12.5

3.5

17.5

20.5

10.5

19.5

13.5

19.5

12.5

—

6.5

19.5

Sydney

9.5

22.5

20.5

9.5

18.5

21.5

17.5

20.5

—

9.5

19.5

Tokyo

5.5

22.5

14.5

11.5

9.5

13.5

6.5

9.5

—

13.5

Washington, D.C.

17.5

8.5

10.5

11.5

8.5

16.5

10.5

4.5

7.5

9.5

0.5

7.5

9.5

19.5

13.5

—

How to Use This Table: Find the city from which you’re departing in the left column and cross-reference it with the city to which you’re traveling along the top. The resulting number is the approximate travel time between the cities, in hours. These numbers represent standard 1960s airline travel (at an average of 500 MPH), and are rounded to the nearest half-hour.

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the 1960s ∑• Guided Missile Launchers: All “light” guided missiles are unavailable in the 1960s, as are standard wireguided, television-guided missiles, and kinetic missile ammunition.

Ground Vehicles: The standard sports car statistics should be used for 1960s sports cars and the classic car statistics should be used for earlier vintage cars (circa 1950s and before). Further, all ground vehicles seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide are available without modification except the following.

•∑ Rocket Launchers: Kinetic rocket ammunition is unavailable in the 1960s.

∑• Cars: Commuter cars (except sedans and station wagons), economy cars, electric cars, electric-gas conversion cars, civilian jeeps, and mini-vans are unavailable in the 1960s. Electric golf carts are replaced with gas-powered golf carts possessing the same statistics.

•∑ Vehicular Machineguns: 30mm and 40mm vehicular machine guns are unavailable in the 1960s, as is depleted uranium ammunition. •∑ Precision Bombs: Precision bombs are available in the 1960s, but have “that general area” accuracy rather than “pinpoint” accuracy, and therefore possess threat ranges of 19–20.

•∑ Trucks: Humvees and Humvee limousines, recreational vehicles (RVs), road graders, SUVs, commuter trucks, monster trucks, and racing trucks are unavailable in the 1960s.

•∑ Grenade Launchers: 20mm grenade launchers are unavailable in the 1960s.

Personal Vehicles: All personal vehicles seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide are available without modification except the following.

Fixer/Pointman Class Guide Covert and criminal activities are timeless. All agent options and new rules seen in the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

∑• Personal Air Vehicles: Ultralights are unavailable in the 1960s. •∑ Personal Ground Vehicles: ATCs, ATVs, street luge boards, motorcycles (except choppers, off-road models, and sidecars), in-line skates, and snowboards are unavailable in the 1960s.

Prestige Classes All prestige classes seen in the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

•∑ Personal Water Vehicles: Boogie boards, jet skis, sail boards, and submersible sleds are unavailable in the 1960s.

Forward: This prestige class is unavailable to 1960s agents. Grifter: The “do I want to know” ability can be used to generate $40 (at 1st level), $50 (at 5th level), or $60 (at 9th level), or a standard-issue item of equivalent value. Inventor: The improvisation ability may not produce an item with an actual cost exceeding $5. Provocateur: When using the psy-ops ability to increase an action site’s loyalty, the provocateur need only spend 5 BP or $200 in field expenses. Smuggler: The smuggler’s in the market class ability requires 2 hours to use in the 1960s. Further, any critical success using the wheel and deal ability results in the smuggler paying only $10 per BP requested.

Water Vehicles: All water vehicles seen in the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide are available without modification except the following. •∑ Surface Water Vehicles: Hydroplane boats, racing boats, and speed boats are unavailable in the 1960s. Hovercraft are available in the 1960s, but have the exotic (EXO) quality. •∑ Submersible Water Vehicles: Submersible drones and submersible sleds are unavailable in the 1960s. Escape pods, mini-subs, and submersible cars are only available if allowed by the campaign style (see Chapter 5). Vehicle Qualities: The camouflage (CMF), chaff (CHF), jamming counter-measures (JCM), reactive armor (RAR), stealth design (SDS), and vertical take-off and landing (VTL) qualities are unavailable in the 1960s. Masterwork Vehicles: The performance chip, turbo kit, camouflage, jamming technology, tracer security, whisper mode, paint laser, thermal sights, and gyro-stabilized modifications are unavailable in the 1960s. Vehicular Ordnance: Vehicular ordnance may not be automated in the 1960s. Further, the sensor suppression action introduced in this section may not be taken in this decade. Finally, the following vehicular ordnance is unavailable in the 1960s.

Bundles The following changes are made to this book’s bundles. •∑ Command Post Bundle: This bundle is unavailable in the 1960s. ∑• Forward Reconnaissance Bundle: Heavy-duty backpack (to store bundle), 1 set of fatigues, binoculars, camouflage net, military backpack radio, entrenching tool, facepaint (3 applications), one-man tent, regional maps (any one), night-vision viewer, 20× spotting scope, 5 days’ military rations, deck of playing cards.

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new agent options ∑• HAZMAT Bundle: The HAZMAT bundle is unchanged in the 1960s.

Safe House Citadel: The exterior surveillance cameras provided by this feat are replaced with standard audio bugs. Safe House Command Center: The teleconferencing gear provided by this feat is replaced with a phone that is guaranteed to be secure unless the agent has previously let his enemies know the safe house’s location. Further, the anachronistic command center gear allocated to one safe house per serial is replaced with an environment tailored specifically to the agent’s personality and leadership strengths that grants the same Charisma bonus. Safe House Hub: This feat is unavailable to 1960s agents.

•∑ Ninja Bundle: The ninja bundle is unchanged in the 1960s. ∑• Provocateur Bundle: The provocateur bundle is unchanged in the 1960s, save for the loss of its cellular phone. The cost of the bundle is unchanged. •∑ Wetworks Bundle: The wetworks bundle is unchanged in the 1960s.

Departments All departments seen in the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

Fencing Gear When an agent successfully fences gear, he generates the BP sacrificed × $20. Further, the process takes twice the listed time.

Freelancer: This department offers a bonus of +$100 at 1st level and an additional $20 per agent level gained thereafter. Organized Crime: All of this macro-department’s options are available except the South American drug cartels, which first came into existence during the mid-1960s. Consequently, 1960s agents are discouraged — though not prohibited — from choosing this department. Special Operations: All of this macro-department’s options are available with the following exceptions and modifications.

Drones, Vehicle Qualities, and Masterwork Modifications Unless allowed by the campaign style or genre (see Chapter 5), these rules are all unavailable to 1960s agents.

Infiltration Gear Acoustic foam, digital counters, leach probes, and skin masks are unavailable to 1960s agents.

∑• The First Reconnaissance Regiment and Lanceros don’t exist as collected forces of their respective nations’ militaries prior to 1972. Agents trained in military reconnaissance or airborne assault tactics may choose these departments as generic “military reconnaissance” and “airborne infantry” options respectively, gaining the same benefits.

Police Action Police procedures are not fast, nor as efficient, in the 1960s, resulting in the following modifications to this rules system. Alerts: Police education check DCs to recognize suspects rise to 12 (when the alert concerns major crimes) and 18 (when the alert concerns minor crimes), respectively. Manhunts: All police Gather Information check DCs rise by 5.

•∑ The GIGN and the PLA Special Operations Force don’t exist in the 1960s, nor do any comparable groups belonging to other nations. These departments are therefore unavailable to 1960s agents.

New Skill Uses Taking to the Streets

All skill uses seen in the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the Profession (Smuggler) skill use, which yields an income equal to the agent’s skill check result × $40 per full week’s work.

The following modifications are made to this rules system in the 1960s. Timing: All listed times are doubled when using this system. Payment: All listed dollar amounts are divided by 5 (rounding up), after all listed calculations are made.

Feats All feats seen in the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following gear feats.

Threat Resources All threat resources seen in the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s criminal organizations except the following gear feats.

Drone Operations: This feat is unavailable to 1960s agents.

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the 1960s Filthy Stinking Rich: This feat ensures that the mastermind always has at least $200,000 in handy cash, and generates an additional $200,000 per GC action die spent. Orbital Bombardment/Rapid Transit Network/ Satellite Network: The GC should be mindful that no realworld groups have access to these resources. Incorporating them into a criminal organization gives that enemy a substantial benefit over everyone else (though this might very well be the point!).

ing fingerprints than on DNA and chemical examination. As such, the DCs of all checks made to collect evidence of Fine size or smaller are increased by 5, and when such evidence is the target of evidence analysis, the time required to draw useful results is doubled (after all other modifiers are applied). Oracle: This prestige class is unavailable to 1960s agents. Profiler: While no changes are precipitated for this class, the player is advised that the profiling field is still fledgling in the 1960s, and that many well-known modern investigative methods are unavailable. The rules stay the same, but as with many Spycraft agent options, they’re interpreted differently. Profilers in this era rely much more upon eyewitness testimony and vague psychological theory than computers and complex psychiatric analysis. Thus, the error ranges of all skill checks made to build a profile of either type are increased by 1 (e.g. an error range of 1 becomes 1–2). Sentry: All references to email and the Internet are moot. Further, the sentry only benefits from video surveillance if he possesses gadgets or another option providing him with such technology. Finally, the eye in the sky ability provides the sentry with a fighter with a camera pod (see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 116).

Threat Resources All threat resources seen in the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s criminal organizations.

New Security Options Unless allowed by the campaign style or genre (see Chapter 5), all electronic traps included in this section are unavailable to 1960s agents and criminal organizations.

Streamlined Assault Generally, unless playing a fantastic or fanciful campaign (see page 133), the GC should not roll to check for electronic security when agents enter a new location. Optionally, the GC may wish to compensate by increasing the chance that the agents encounter mechanical security to the action site’s secrecy level + 8 (instead of the action site’s secrecy level + 5).

Bundles The following changes are made to this book’s bundles. • Cleanup Bundle: 2 military “sea bags” (to store bundle), 1 lightweight jumpsuit, police scanner, 20-ft.square painter’s drop cloth, 3 body bags, chainsaw, sledgehammer, entrenching tool, first aid kit, paper towels, 2-gallon jug of high-concentration nitric acid, 5-gallon can of gasoline, 3 pairs of gardening gloves, windproof cigarette lighter and strong cigarettes, ammonia solution spray, 1 melee weapon (agent’s choice — used in a previous local crime).

Faceman/Snoop Class Guide Of all the activities of the modern spy, surveillance and investigation are perhaps most severely hampered in the 1960s, making much of this book’s material decidedly too advanced for play in this decade. All agent options and new rules seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

• Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) Bundle: The ELINT bundle is unavailable in the 1960s.

Prestige Classes

• Exclusive Party Bundle: The exclusive party bundle is unchanged in the 1960s.

All prestige classes seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

• Forensic Investigation Bundle: Large toolkit case (to store bundle), 1 set of coveralls, 3 evidence kits, casting kit, fingerprinting kit, metal detector, chemical analyzer, flashlight, magnifying glass, pocket microscope, professional camera with 3 rolls of professional-grade film and high-intensity flash, gas mask, keyhole saw, spray paint, chalk, 10-ft.-square rubberized tarpaulin, body bag, various legal forms.

Casanova: When using the “can I borrow this?” ability, the casanova may borrow up to $20 × his total Bluff skill bonus. Examiner: In the 1960s, forensic science is only beginning to be widely accepted by many governments as an investigation method, and technology is still a glass ceiling under which many examiners are trapped. While no changes are made to this prestige class, the examiner focuses much more on medical pathology and interpret-

•∑ Stakeout Bundle: The stakeout bundle is unchanged in the 1960s.

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new agent options • Tourist Bundle: Suitcase and carry-on bag (to store bundle), cover identity (power rating +3), 3 sets of average clothing, standard camera with 3 rolls of commercial-grade film, camera bag, local language and travel manuals, 3 doses of knockout drug (hidden in “prescription medicine” vial), miscellaneous local souvenirs including a hollow item, 5 dead-drop spikes, $500 in traveler’s checks.

Jury-Rig and Elbow Grease The kit-bashing option requires only $5 worth of household items.

New Skill Uses All skill uses seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

Departments

Forgery: Images may be doctored using the Forgery skill without a computer or image processing software, though the skill check cap under these circumstances is 25. Knowledge (Forensics): In the 1960s, criminal forensics focuses much more on physical evidence than chemical traces. The DCs of all attempts to use this skill to analyze or collect evidence invisible to the naked eye are increased by 10. Profession (Espionage): When successfully used to generate an income, this skill grants the agent’s skill check result × $10.

All departments seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. Dot-Commie: The dot-com boom occurred three decades too late for 1960s agents. This department is therefore unavailable to them. Intelligence Agency Training: All of this macrodepartment’s options are available with the following exceptions and modifications. ∑• The Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is a modern agency with no 1960s equivalent, and is therefore unavailable to 1960s agents.

Feats

• The DGSE was formed in 1982 from its direct predecessor, the SDECE (the External Documentation and Counterespionage Service). This department is available without modification in the 1960s under its contemporary name.

All feats seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the Double Life cover feat, which provides a sedan and $2,000 additional cash.

• The Ministry of State Security (Guoanbu) was formed in 1983 from its predecessor, the Central Investigation Department. This department is available in the 1960s without modification under its contemporary name.

New Gear All gear seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide is available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

Counter-Intelligence Agency Training: All of this macro-department’s options are available with the following exceptions and modifications.

Police Gear: Ballistics kits, narcotics test kits, and UV flashlights are unavailable to 1960s agents. Surveillance Gear: Infrared film, quick-change lens adapters, and studio-quality tape recorders are unavailable to 1960s agents. Electronic Warfare Gear: Automatic jammers, expendable tactical jammers, and field tactical jammers are unavailable to 1960s agents. Radios: Family-channel radios and SIGINT terminals are unavailable to 1960s agents. Other Communications Gear: Data surveillance receivers, point-of view cameras, satellite phones, and video surveillance receivers are unavailable to 1960s agents.

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a modern agency with no 1960s equivalent, and is therefore unavailable to 1960s agents. • The Federal Border Service (FPS) didn’t exist until after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Agents trained in border security and customs enforcement may choose this department option as a generic “border security” option. • The Security Information Service (BIS) is a modern agency with no 1960s equivalent, and is therefore unavailable to 1960s agents.

Building a Better Bug The DCs of all Search and Spot checks made to notice bugs are reduced by 4. Further, all bug options seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

131

the 1960s Bug Cores: Electrical line and infrared (IR) cores are unavailable to 1960s agents. Bug Sensors: Data tap, GPS, inertial, infrared (IR), radiation, and video bug sensors are unavailable to 1960s agents. Bug Options: Thermal imaging, ultra-miniaturization, and ultrasonic bug options are unavailable to 1960s agents.

Surveillance All surveillance options seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents.

The Deduction System With the exclusion of inappropriate investigative means described earlier in this section, all deduction system options seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agent except the following.

Additionally, 1960s agents may turn the mouthpiece of any telephone into a room bug simply by tapping its line. This requires a successful Electronics check (DC 25), for which the agent gains a +2 synergy bonus if he possesses 5 or more ranks in the Surveillance skill. After a telephone is modified in this fashion, the agent may use it to listen in on sounds near the phone with a Listen check cap of 25, even when the phone isn’t in use.

Investigation Sites: Hacking sites are inappropriate for 1960s clue chains.

Cover Identities and Stolen Identities With the cat and mouse game of falsifying and confirming identity a handicapped field (documents are easier to forge, but they’re less likely to be trusted), the maximum power rating of any cover identity or stolen identity is reduced to +6.

New Vehicle Gear All vehicle gear options seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available to 1960s agents except the intercept suite. Further, all black market dollar values in this section are divided by 5 (rounding up).

Communications and Electronic Warfare Forensics

All communications and electronic warfare options seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents.

All forensic options seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

Intelligence Resources

Forensic Specialties: 1960s forensics tends to deal with physical evidence over intangibles such as psychiatry, and chemical analysis isn’t as sophisticated as it is today. All forensic specialties are available during the 1960s, but forensic chemistry, psychiatry, and toxicology are not well developed at this point, so the DCs of all skill checks made with respect to these fields are increased by 10. Further, forensic psychiatry is not yet a well-respected discipline and the DCs of all skill checks made to locate a specialist in this field are increased by 10. Evidence Collection: Microscopic evidence cannot be located in the 1960s (making the Traceless feat quite a bit more effective in this era). Evidence Analysis: DNA evidence cannot be analyzed in the 1960s. Further, blood spatter and hair and fiber collection are considered trace evidence during this decade.

All intelligence resource options seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. Aerial Reconnaissance: All aerial reconnaissance options are available to 1960s agents.. Air Strikes: Drone strikes are unavailable to 1960s agents — only manned strikes using light and heavy bombers are possible. Further, the strike plane may not be armed with cruise missiles or precision bombs. Cryptologic Supercomputers: Calling upon this intelligence resource’s 1960s equivalent requires the agents to deliver the target ciphers to the home office (potentially using the hand-off rules), and takes 1d4+1 days. Cryptologic supercomputers possess power ratings of +4 to +6 (all other costs and rules for their use remain unchanged). Diplomatic Station Support: Secure communications provided by this resource possess a power rating of +6. Fallback Caches: A fallback cache is delivered in a case with a hardness of 10 and may only contain revised bundles presented in this book. Satellite Reconnaissance: This intelligence resource is unavailable to 1960s agents. Signals Intercepts: This intelligence resource may only be used to intercept phone and radio communications.

Profiling All profiling options seen in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide are available without modification to 1960s agents, with one change — the error ranges of skill checks made to build profiles of either type are increased by 1.

132

new agent options Advanced Cryptography

Gadgets

With computer-based encryption and decryption decades away, the maximum power rating of any cipher is reduced to +6. Further, all rules seen in this section are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

Though futuristic by their very nature, many gadgets are simply too advanced to justify their standard availability in the 1960s. That said, the cinematic superspy genre that the core Spycraft rules portray tend to frequently break this technological barrier when superscience is involved. To represent this — and to provide GCs with an easy-to-use method of setting their games’ level of realism — we introduce the following styles of play.

Mathematical Codes: All rules pertaining to mathematical codes are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

∑• Plausible: At this level of play, the only gadgets readily available — even to the Agency — are those which could have theoretically been built in the real world in the 1960s. With realism as the ultimate goal, no gadgets with either the super-science or futurescience qualities are available.

• Creating or breaking a mathematical cipher doesn’t require a computer, but does require the agent to possess the Living Cipher feat (see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 120). • Adding encryption capability to a transmitter or receiver costs 2 BP or $20 × the desired encryption power rating. The second and each additional stream cipher requisitioned for such a device costs 4 BP or $50 × the desired encryption power rating.

•∑ Fantastic: At this level of play, many gadgets exist that — while likely beyond the realm of natural 1960s science — are not too far outside of the realm of the imagination. Many of these gadgets might be possible in a realistic 1970s or 1980s campaign. By giving the players a setting a little flexibility, gadgets with the super-science quality are allowed, though gadgets with the future-science quality are still unavailable.

• Requisitioning a block cipher costs 5 BP or $100 × the desired encryption power rating. Non-Mathematical Codes: All rules pertaining to nonmathematical codes are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

• Fanciful: Most appropriate for the telefantasy and similar genres (see page 111), this level of play provides for gadgets of nearly any caliber. Most such gadgets are simply not possible in the real world, even with modern or near-future technology. Often wild and hyperbolic, or just plain surreal, this campaign allows for gadgets possessing any qualities.

• The fixed encryption power rating for a book cipher based on the complexity of the key text ranges in +1 increments from +2 (for a cipher based on a children’s book) to +6 (for a cipher based on a multi-volume reference set).

While a gadget’s GP cost should usually remain as is for play balance purposes (it balances the item’s utility against agent GP pools), its Spot DC and weight may change according to the manufacturing options of the time period. Generally, only realistic and super-science gadgets are affected, however — future-science gadgets are so advanced that they circumvent physical restraints. Though these play style descriptions and the gadget qualities provided throughout this book are geared for 1960s play, this system is pliable enough to represent any time period by simply adjusting the base descriptions and re-assigning the super-science and future-science qualities within the existing gadget pool. Future Decade Books will take this approach when presenting gadgets and — when time periods farther from the modern day are explored — perhaps even standard-issue gear. The future-science quality mentioned here has the following characteristics.

Gentlemen’s Agreement Season Book All agent options and new rules seen in the Gentlemen’s Agreement Season Book are available without modification to 1960s agents except the following.

New Gear All new gear seen in the Gentlemen’s Agreement Season Book is available without modification to 1960s agents except the following. GPS Unit: This item is unavailable in the 1960s. Seismometer: This item weighs 6 lbs. in the 1960s. Its sensors detect the approximate time of an impending eruption, within 2d20 minutes either way. “Silver Suit”: This item weighs 80 lbs. in the 1960s. Further, it offers only 4 points of damage reduction against heat and fire. Finally, it possesses an armor check penalty of –4.

Future-Science: Occasionally, gadgets are created at such an amazing level of technology that they surpass even super-science. A successful Spot check against the Spot check DC of a gadget with this quality reveals its completely alien mechanics.

133

the 1960s Book Name Abbreviations

Bug Detector Gadgets in the 1960 S

Within the following gadget sections, the names of Spycraft products are abbreviated as follows — Spycraft Espionage Handbook (SH), Spycraft Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide (SW), Spycraft Fixer/Pointman Class Guide (FP), Spycraft Faceman/Snoop Class Guide (FS), Gentlemen’s Agreement Season Book (GA).

• Plausible Science: None. • Super-Science: External unit (SH, Spot DC 20, range 20 ft.). • Future-Science: Acoustic unit (SH).

Business Card Gadgets in the 1960 S

Personal Gadgets

• Plausible Science: Contact poison (SH), frame-job cards (SH).

All personal gadgets seen in Spycraft supplements to date are available in the 1960s based on the GC’s campaign and style of play, as follows. Weight, Spot DC, and infrequent mechanics changes are included when warranted (generally, gadgets may call upon rules that are otherwise unavailable during the time period).

•∑ Super-Science: Razor’s edge (SH). • Future-Science: Tracking device (SH, range H mile, duration 1 hr.).

Cigarette Gadgets in the 1960 S

Attache’ Case Gadgets in the 1960 S

∑• Plausible Science: Dart gun (SH).

• Plausible Science: Standard armored case (SH, 10 lb., Spot DC 25, Hrd 4, 40 WP), attaché case bomb option (SW, 10 lb.), submachinegun option (SH).

• Super-Science: Nerve gas (FS), pistol (SH), spray (SH), welder (SH, ignores up to 10 points of damage reduction).

•∑ Super-Science: Booby-trapped option (SH), countersurveillance unit option (SH, +2 lb.), safe passage unit option (SH), surveillance unit option (SH, range 800 ft., storage capacity 12 hours).

•∑ Future-Science: Aphrodisiac (FS), dog-leg (FS), flamethrower (SH), fugue (FS), grenade (SH), lethe (FS).

• Future-Science: Attaché case rocket launcher option (SW, Wt 20 lb.), copycat unit option (SH, +5 lb., storage capacity 12 hours — only if computers are available), “Magic box” option (SH, +2 lb.), portable PC unit option (SH, +5 lb., power rating +1 (max. +3) — only if computers are available).

Clothing Gadgets in the 1960 S • Plausible Science: Tie camera (SH). • Super-Science: Standard cold suit (SH, Spot DC 15), standard liner suit (SH), standard multi-environment suit (SH, Spot DC 15). • Future-Science: Armored suit option (SH), bungee suspenders option (SH, can support up to 300 lb. and stretch 200 ft.), chameleon suit option (SH, duration 5 min. per day, becoming invisible requires 1 full action and grants only one-half concealment during any round in which the agent makes an attack, whether the attack is successful or not), “gold suit” (GA, 5 GP), lapel pin gun option (SW, 2 lb., Spot DC 25 or 20 when used), laser sampling/splitter threading (FP, +2 GP — only if laser surveillance is available), lung shroud (GA), panic button option (SH, range 50 mi. alert/10 mi. homing beacon, duration 3 hrs.), thermal dam (FP, duration 5 min., venting 4 min.), trauma suit option (SH, heals 1d10 vitality, may be used up to 3 times).

Backpack Gadgets in the 1960 S ∑• Plausible Science: “Balloon-in-a-box” (SH, 20 lb.). •∑ Super-Science: Jet pack (SH, Hnd 2 + agent’s Dex modifier, Spd 300 ft., MPH 30/60, Def 16, 10 or 20 lb.), white noise generator (SH, 6 lb.). • Future-Science: Collapsible glider wings (SH, 10 lb.).

Belt Gadgets in the 1960 S • Plausible Science: Lockpick set option (SH, +G lb., Spot DC 30 if chosen as standard belt). • Super-Science: None. • Future-Science: Standard grappling belt (SH, can support up to 400 lb.), belt sword option (SW, +1 lb.).

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new agent options Cosmetic and Jewelry Gadgets in the 1960 S

• Plausible Science: Other-directional glasses (SH).

• Plausible Science: Poison lipstick (SH).

• Super-Science: Cold eye drops (FS, duration 1 hr.), magnet eyes (SH, Spot DC 20, +4 to Search checks made to spot weapons, gadgets, and electronics), penetrator lenses (SW), starlight lenses (SH, Spot DC 20), target analysis lenses (SW), telescopic lenses (SH, Spot DC 20, magnification 10×, range +25%), thermographic lenses (SH, +4 to Spot checks made to track body heat), threat lenses (SW), x-ray lenses (SH, Spot DC 20, range H ft. or Hrd 3).

∑• Super-Science: Woman’s compact (SH, explosive operates like 3 sticks of dynamite). • Future-Science: Endless prism earrings (SH — only if laser-based sensors are available), micro-grenade earrings (SH, error 1–6), taser cufflinks (SH, Spot DC 25).

Currency Gadgets in the 1960 S

• Future-Science: Electro-thermal overlay lenses (FS), faceprint lenses (SH — only if computers are available, storage 3 facial patterns, +4 with Spot checks made when searching a crowd), H.U.D. lenses (SW, Spot DC 15 — obvious), hypnosis lenses (SH), iris lenses (SH), LCD lenses (SH), otherman drops (SH — only if DNA profiling is available), overhead tactical display lenses (SW, 6 lb. — only if satellites are also available), sealed lenses (SH), translator lenses (SH), transmitter lenses (SH).

• Plausible Science: None. • Super-Science: Flash currency (FS, Spot DC 20), glow currency (FS, Spot DC 25), tracer currency (FS, duration 6 hrs.). • Future-Science: EMP currency (FS), Razor currency (FS), white phosphorus currency (FS).

Document Gadgets in the 1960 S • Plausible Science: Memory paper (SH, Spot DC 20, Forgery +5), microfiche reader (SH, Spot DC 20, Hrd 0, duration 10 min.).

Personal Gadgets in the 1960 S • Plausible Science: None. • Super-Science: None.

• Super-Science: “ENIGMA Plus” (SH, Wt 0 lb., Spot DC automatic, power rating +4).

• Plausible Science: None.

• Future-Science: Holographic loop lens (FP, Wt H lb., Spot (DC 20) to notice — only if electronic surveillance is available), resonance synchronizer (FP, 5 lb., Spot DC 15 — only if noise sensors are available), sonic shadowcaster (FP, 5 lb., Spot DC 15 — only if motion sensors are available), trace residue mapper (FP, 5 lb., Spot DC automatic, no housing).

• Super-Science: Fingerprint film (SH), toiletry kit portable chem. lab (SH, Wt 8 lb., Spot DC 15).

Phone Gadgets in the 1960 S

• Future-Science: Document scanner (SH).

Evidence Analysis Gadgets in the 1960 S

• Future-Science: DNA analyzer (SH, Wt 6 lb., Spot DC automatic/experts only, only if DNA profiling is available, storage 20 patterns, battery 1 wk.), fingerprint camera (SH, Wt 5 lb.).

• Plausible Science: None. • Super-Science: None. • Future-Science: Last call (FS, Spot DC 25 — obvious), universal receiver (FS, 4 GP — only if cell phones are available).

Explosive Gadgets in the 1960 S • Plausible Science: None.

Protective Gear Gadgets in the 1960 S

• Super-Science: Explosive pen (SH, Spot DC 20), magnetic flask (SH, Wt 1 lb., operates like 2 sticks of dynamite).

• Plausible Science: None. • Super-Science: HALO rig (SW, 90 lb.).

• Future-Science: Micro-burst gel (SH, 3 uses).

• Future-Science: Fibermesh armor (SW, +5 lb.), hardened joints (SW, 5 lb.), reflexive joints (SW, 5 lb.), reinforced joints (SW, 5 lb.).

Eyewear and Eye Drop Gadgets in the 1960 S Special Note: Contact lenses are unavailable in the 1960s, even to house gadgets. Glasses may house only one gadget option in the 1960s.

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the 1960s Shoe Gadgets in the 1960 S

Voice Modulator Gadgets in the 1960 S

• Plausible Science: Blade shoe option (SH, Wt 1 lb. and Spot DC 25 if chosen as standard shoe), gun shoe option (SH, 1 lb. and Spot DC 25 if chosen as standard shoe).

∑• Plausible Science: None. • Super-Science: External unit (SH, Spot DC 15). •∑ Future-Science: Larynx implant (SH, duration 6 months).

• Super-Science: Standard analysis shoe (SH, Spot DC 25 — experts only), homing beacon option (SH, range 15 mi.), phone option (SH, operates like a tactical radio), roller/ice-blade option (SH), shock-tip option (SH), suction shoes option (SH), treads option (SH).

Watch Gadgets in the 1960 S • Plausible Science: Garrote (SH, Spot DC 25 if chosen as base watch), poison spike watch (SH).

• Future-Science: None.

• Super-Science: Rotary saw option (SH, +4 to Escape Artist checks).

Sonic Gadgets in the 1960 S

• Future-Science: Standard laser watch (SH, cutting damage 6d10, recharge 10 min.), explosive option (SH, operates like 2 sticks of dynamite), GPS watch option (SH, +2 GP — only if satellite network is available), memory cache watch option (SH, storage 500 megabytes — only if computers are available).

• Plausible Science: Danger sensor (SH, Wt 2 lb., Spot DC 25 — experts only/no housing), sonic sensor (SH, Wt 2 lb., Spot DC 25 — experts only/no housing). • Super-Science: White cone generator (SH, Wt 2 lb., Spot DC 20 — experts only/no housing, range 5 ft.). • Future-Science: None.

Weapon Gadgets in the 1960 S

Surveillance Gadgets in the 1960 S

• Plausible Science: Cane rifle (SW, 4 lb.), umbrella gun (SH, Spot DC 20 — obvious).

Special Note: Non-sinusoidal transmission, piezobugs, tri-ference analysis, and tri-ference photogra phy are unavailable in the 1960s, even as future-science.

• Super-Science: AF hush puppy (SH), quick mine (SH), sonic grenade (SW).

∑• Plausible Science: None.

• Future-Science: EMP grenade (SW), microwave cannon (SW, 100 lb., ammo capacity 2 shots).

•∑ Super-Science: Video gyro-pack (SH). • Future-Science: Voice trigger (SH, Spot DC 25 — experts only).

Weapon Enhancements in the 1960 S • Plausible Science: All-in-one revolver (SH), breakdown gun (SH), breakdown SMG (SW), breakdown rifle (SW), CQB modification (SH), dummy line (SH, motor Str 20, range 10 ft.), hush puppy CQB modification (SH), knife launcher (SH), match grade weapon (SH), personalized fighting knife (SH), spring-loaded weapon holsters (SH), weapon accurizing (SH).

Tooth Gadgets in the 1960 S • Plausible Science: Hollow tooth (SH), suicide pill (SH). • Super-Science: Radio tooth (SH, range 25 mi., duration 6 mon.). • Future-Science: None.

•∑ Super-Science: Machine pistol modification (SH), remote-operated gun mount (SH, Wt 30 lb., range 200 ft.), silenced revolver (SH), taggant ammunition (FS, 1 GP per 5 shots), transponder ammunition (FS, 1 GP per 2 shots).

Tracer Gadgets in the 1960 S • Plausible Science: None. • Super-Science: Bullet tracers (SH, Spot DC 20 — experts only), echo tracers (SH, Spot DC 20 — experts only, range 25 mi.).

• Future-Science: Cloaking device (SH), gun camera (FS, Wt 2 lb.), linked targeting system (SW).

• Future-Science: None.

Vehicular Gadgets All vehicular gadgets seen in Spycraft supplements to date are available in the 1960s based on the GC’s campaign and style of play, as follows. Spot DC, option slots, and infrequent mechanics changes are included when warranted.

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new agent options Vehicular Gadgets in the 1960 S

Allegiance

• Plausible Science: Armored compartment option (FP, Hrd +4), auto-tint (SH), ditch switch option (FP), electrified frame (SH), enclosed engine block (SW), enlarged compartment option (FP, minimum vehicle size Large), hidden cargo compartment (FP, minimum vehicle size Medium), hidden compartment (SH, Spot DC 25, minimum vehicle size Medium), hidden gun tray (SW, Spot DC 25, minimum vehicle size Small), improved handling (SH), linked ordnance (SW), nitrous oxide system (SH, 2 option slots, each stage increases speed and MPH by 20%), oil slick (SH), pop-up compartment option (FP), pop-up shield (SH, Hrd 6, WP 40), reinforced tires (SH), revolving license plate (SH), selfdestruct mechanism (SW), smoke screen (SH), spike dropper (SH), spoil sport switch option (FP, Dmg 4d6 for 5 rounds or until reduced to ash), tire slasher (SH).

The 1960s political climate drives the world’s spies into one of two camps, and the machinations of the two superpowers shape the political landscapes as certainly at the two poles of a magnet force metal filings to align. Every 1960s agent must choose one of the following allegiances during character creation (though an agent’s allegiance may later shift — see page 137). American: The agent is strongly committed to the goals of the Western powers, the United States in particular. He’s convinced of the superiority of capitalism and the free market, with each individual having the full opportunity to “get ahead” based on his talents and drive. The agent also reviles the domination and “lockstep mentality” of his counterparts in the East, viewing communism as a real and present threat to the freedoms he fights to protect. Soviet: This agent is firmly grounded in the philosophies of the United Soviet Socialist Republics and the ideals of communism. He counts on having a valued place, being cared for and protected by the state, giving to the best of his ability, and receiving according to his needs, not his desires. He looks upon the decadent Western powers as a frightened, indulgent species, hiding behind others who fight their battles for them and sacrificing the lives of countless potential citizens whom they refuse to “allow into the club” at the elite end of their social spectrum. Neutral: An agent may have no interest in the national and ideological conflict between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., either living in a neutral state, resisting the propaganda of the times, or simply being too apathetic to be strongly committed to either position. These individuals gain no advantages from belonging to either camp, but also avoid the fierce hostilities between the superpowers that ravage the 1960s time period.

• Super-Science: Auto-pilot (SH, 2 option slots), bulletproof windows (SW), concealed machinegun (SH, ammo capacity 60 shots, 2 option slots), concealed weapon port (SW, 2 option slots), drive by wire system (SW, 2 option slots), ejection seats (SH), extra armor (SH, Hrd 4), hidden controls option (FP, +2 option slots), life support option (FP, +2 option slots, duration 1 day), tubular space frame (SH), wind resistance reduction (SH). • Future-Science: Advanced jamming technology (SW, 2 option slots), black headlights (SH), H.U.D. display (SH, Spot DC 10 — obvious), combat computer (SW, 4 GP, 2 option slots), GPS pursuit unit (SW — only if satellites are available, 2 option slots), hostile intrusion and seizure system (SW, 2 option slots), laser mount (SH, 4 GP per shot, error 1–6, threat 19–20, range 100 ft.), lava coat (GA), maneuver simulator (SW, 2 GP, 2 option slots), null space option (FP, 4 GP, +2 option slots), molten skin (GA), optical cloaking device (FP, 4/5/6/8/10 GP, duration 5 min. per day, becoming invisible requires 1 full action and grants only one-half concealment during any round in which the agent attacks from the vehicle, whether the attack is successful or not), Proteus package (SH, 8 GP, 6 option slots), remote control (SH, remote control Driver penalty –6, 2 option slots), rocket launcher (SH, Spot DC 20, 2 option slots — obvious, ammo capacity 2 rockets), signal-absorbing paint (SW), Tempest countermeasures (SW, 3/6/9/12 GP, 2 option slots, power rating +7), Tempest surveillance technology (SW, 3/6/9/12 GP, 2 option slots, range 25 ft./250 ft./ H mi./5 mi.), traffic signal changer (SW), voice-activated command system (SH, 5 GP, 2 option slots).

Opposing Allegiances During the 1960s, agents with the American and Soviet allegiances are directly opposed. Agents with the Neutral allegiance do not directly oppose characters of either other faction, but are sometimes looked down on by American and Soviet agents for their failure to take a stand. These political standards are specific to the era — in forthcoming Decade Books, new allegiances will be presented and existing allegiances may shift or even vanish due to the circumstances of history.

What’s In It for Me? When choosing an allegiance, it’s important to understand what the decision means for an agent, both within the setting and mechanically. An allegiance shapes the

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the 1960s agent’s fundamental outlook. It’s one of his core values and most cherished beliefs. For the spy, it must also be one of his most closely kept secrets while in the field — revealing attachments can give enemies terrible leverage, or simply result in an agent’s elimination. An agent’s allegiance affects some of his feat and prestige class options — feats which draw upon the agent’s core beliefs can provide powerful rewards for keeping the faith, while some training paths are only available to those who are trusted by the leaders of their side’s intelligence agencies. Allegiance is both a prerequisite for certain feats and as a requirement for prestige classes unique to each faction. Further, both the American and Soviet allegiances offer these additional opportunities and mechanical effects, usually when the agent acts against supporters of the opposing side. These options are flagged throughout the book. Finally, the disposition of an agent possessing the American allegiance toward an agent possessing the Soviet allegiance may never improve past helpful (or vice-versa). Whenever an agent possessing the American allegiance suffers an error when attempting to adjust the disposition of an agent possessing the Soviet disposition (or vice-versa), the error is automatically activated as a critical failure at no cost.

If a character possesses the Flawless Identity feat, each of his identities may possess a different, separate allegiance (which may or may not be the same as his true allegiance).

Changing Allegiance On occasion, an agent may find himself in a position where the grass seems awfully green on the other side of the fence. At any time, an agent or special character may choose to hop that fence, forsaking his allegiance in favor of another (e.g. an agent possessing the American allegiance may choose to drop his current allegiance, becoming neutral or gaining the Soviet allegiance). When an agent changes allegiance, he immediately suffers two effects, as follows. • His XP reward for the current serial is reduced to H (rounded down). If the agent is between serials, his XP reward for the next serial is reduced to H (rounded down). • He loses access to any feats for which the allegiance he’s forsaking is a prerequisite. The agent’s XP rewards return to standard at the start of the next serial (or the serial after next, if the agent is currently between serials). The agent does not regain access to his allegiance-dependent feats unless he regains his former allegiance. Instead, if the agent changes allegiance from either American to Soviet or vice-versa, he gains the comparable feat for which his new allegiance is a prerequisite when he regains his standard XP reward, as follows.

Discovering Allegiance An agent’s allegiance is one of his most important — and best kept — secrets. A character’s allegiance may only be revealed in one of the following ways. • A character may reveal his allegiance. When a character lies about his allegiance, he must make a Bluff check opposed by the Sense Motive skills of those in audience. With success, he conceals his true allegiance; otherwise, those listeners who won the opposed skill check are unconvinced (though they still don’t know the character’s true allegiance with any certainty).

American-Allegiance Feats Stars and Stripes The Eagle American Patriot

Soviet-Allegiance Feats Hammer and Sickle The Bear Soviet Comrade

An agent may voluntarily change allegiances only once per season.

• A character may be successfully interrogated (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, page 66). In this case, the interrogator must successfully elicit three questions in order to learn the character’s true allegiance.

New Backgrounds The following backgrounds are common during the Cold War era, but may also be acquired by modern agents.

• A character may be targeted with the cold read class ability (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 22). In this case, the questioner must spend three questions to learn the character’s true allegiance (and the character may still spend 3 action dice to avoid revealing it, in which case the questioner is still assumed to have used his cold read ability).

Death Wish You’re not convinced your life is worth living — at least not any more. You’ve seen and done so many horrible things that you’ve lost the will to live. You seek opportunities to end your life, hoping that you’ll either succeed or find renewed purpose. The number of points invested in this background determines the frequency with which you encounter opportunities to kill yourself and how difficult they are to resist. The GC may rule that any such

• When an exact biographical or psychological profile of the character is collected, his true allegiance is revealed (see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 75).

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new agent options opportunity requires you to make a Will save (DC 10 × the points invested in this background) to avoid succumbing, though more complex representations of this background are recommended for best effect.

those quarters by both opportunity and necessity. Most are accomplished political analysts and favor traders, though a few are also recruited from the vast post-war military-industrial complexes and a bare handful drawn from the nascent think-tanks of the coming information age. With global telecommunications on the horizon during the 1960s, most power brokerage agents still prefer face-to-face methods of exerting influence and acquiring resources, and consequently prefer duty stations in national capitals, particularly those viewed as “neutral ground” by the superpowers.

Suspicion Other people instinctively question your motives and are reluctant to assist you. Given sufficient provocation, they may even attempt to thwart your efforts, possibly with violence. The number of points invested in this background determines the strength and extent of the suspicion you engender, as well as the extent to which others attempt to stand in your way as a result.

D-2: Military Operations The nuclear clock is a handful of seconds away from midnight in the 1960s, and no one is more aware of it than the cold warriors of D-2. An all-out nuclear exchange is the worst nightmare of any military professional of the era, and Military Operations personnel are all but officially sanctioned to do anything to prevent such an outcome. More than any other department, D-2 is committed to protecting the world from itself, and more than any other agent pool, its operatives employ all the gruesome techniques devised over the history of human conflict to achieve this goal. The irony of this position is not lost on Military Operations agents — they train for a job they pray they’ll never called upon to perform.

Existing Departments Many departments presented in previously published Spycraft products are entirely suitable for use in the 1960s, while others require some modification or are unusable for historical reasons. This section details these options and changes.

Spycraft Espionage Handbook The past four decades have seen great leaps in the technologies and methods used in the intelligence field. With the notable exception of D-3, the Agency’s core departments (as seen in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook) have maintained their original charters and training methods over the intervening years, but their operational profiles have changed dramatically. The following sections examine the roles of Departments 0 through 6 and “the Basement” in the 1960s, all of which are available to 1960s agents except D-3: Computer Espionage, which is replaced with its predecessor, D-3: Technical Espionage.

D-3: Technical Espionage Department 3 agents are masters of the electronic realm. Though their science is young and ill developed at the height of the Cold War, they push at its boundaries daily, plucking information from airwaves and through solid walls like latter-day wizards. In the 1960s, D-3 operatives are responsible for the near daily improvements made on Agency gear, as well as field testing the wondrous devices created as part of the organization’s fledgling gadget house.

D-0: The Home Office Special Talents

The close connections between this department and the Agency’s headquarters provide D-0 agents with advanced training opportunities unavailable to other personnel, as well as a broader base of knowledge and training than an equivalent agent from another department. In an era where capture or a compromised cover usually results in a copper-jacketed retirement plan rather than a jail sentence, Home Office agents tend to be especially skilled at evading detection or pursuit, making them invaluable at the front end of the Cold War.

• +2 Intelligence, –2 Wisdom. • The Listen and Spot caps of all surveillance equipment the agent builds or requisitions are increased by 5. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 2nd level and for every 2 agent levels gained thereafter. • +1 department bonus with Electronics and Surveillance skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

D-1: The Power Brokerage

• Bonus Feat: Any gear feat. The agent must still meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks and other feats — before choosing it.

At the height of the Cold War, the global balance of power lies firmly in the hands of the superpowers’ governments, centering the vast majority of D-1 agents in

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the 1960s D-4: Urban Assault

“The Basement”

The acronym “CQB” (Close-Quarters Battle) defines 21st-century Urban Assault operations — but in the 1960s, it’s years from inception. Instead, this department’s veteran agents hark back to the brutal house-to-house fighting of occupied Europe during the closing months of WWII, and courageously bring this expertise to bear during their current missions. Meanwhile, D-4’s younger recruits — possessing personal experience with inner-city racial and political conflicts — provide uniquely social seasoning to the department’s recipe for action. With engineering reaching arrogant new heights and urban sprawl consuming thousands of square miles, the Agency calls these broadly skilled agents to burrow their way into their chosen communities’ infrastructures, learning each new alley and skyscraper from the bedrock to the highest cloistered towers. When the need arises for ops in these areas, these agents are nearly always the first step — and just as often the last.

Serial killers and arcane cults are historical curiosities during this period, not yet today’s annual phenomena. Accordingly, the focus of the Basement lies in other areas, such as uncovering communist or capitalist subversion and propaganda, or delving into the shadowy arenas of mind control and brainwashing. They also keep a close eye on UFO sightings and alien abduction reports, ever mindful of enemy operations disguised as paranormal activity. Toward the later years of the decade, the Basement also scrutinizes the New Age movement and growing drug culture for possible threats to national stability.

New Departments The past 40 years have seen a multitude of intelligence and counter-intelligence agencies grace the stage of world events. Some are still in existence with little change in mission or ethos, while others have outlived their usefulness and vanished into history. A few even continue to make their presence known years after their official demise. The following new departments represent intelligence agencies and other organizations that provide suitable backgrounds for agents operating in the 1960s. Some of these profiles may contain one or two additional items of information, as follows.

D-5: Black Ops The operational profile of Black Ops has not changed one iota since the phrase “black mission” was first coined. The defining trait of a Black Ops agent remains success at all costs, and survival at all costs but failure. The average age of a Black Ops agent is higher than that of any other department’s personnel, and the maxim “old age and treachery will always defeat youth and beauty” rings especially true for anyone who’s been on the wrong end of a Black Ops agent’s knife or rifle butt.

• Shadowforce Archer Option: This entry details any changes to the department that apply when it’s used in the Shadowforce Archer world setting. These changes are also recommended for other settings that incorporate paranormal and similar elements from Shadowforce Archer products.

D-6: Wetworks Forensic analysis beyond fingerprinting and plaster casting is still in its infancy during the 1960s, so the task of a D-6 agent shifts from fooling science to fooling people. Trained as living weapons and deployed to burrow their way to the very heart of enemy society, 1960s Wetworks agents might lay dormant for years before being activated, yet all the while they must never forget the difference between their professed loyalties and their true allegiances. Some vanish into a foreign country’s streets like smoke, changing accents and faces like hats, while others become high-profile ‘targets’ to draw suspicion away from the rest. Apocryphal tales speak of deep cover agents assigned from this department who’ve fallen off the books —men and women who’ve been behind enemy lines since 1945 or before, and who continue to wait for signals that no living Control knows to send them.

• Future History: This entry details any major changes in the department between the 1960s and the present day that affect its use in campaigns set after 1969.

Astronaut / Cosmonaut With the space race in full swing and both the United States and the Soviet Union constantly searching for pilots willing to strap themselves to rockets built by the lowest bidders, the Agency has little trouble finding qualified applicants within the ranks of NASA and its foreign counterparts. Agents who choose this department invariably possess military aviation backgrounds, as well as extensive training in a wide variety of topics and physical regimens. Special Note: This department may also represent training as an atmospheric test pilot.

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new agent options • Bonus Feat: Any basic skill feat. The agent must meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks — before choosing it.

Special Talents •

+2 to any ability except Charisma, –2 to any ability. This penalty may be applied to the same ability as the bonus, if desired. ∑ Pilot is always a class skill for the agent.

Future History: The FBI’s focus of operations shifts over the years, but its basic mission and recruiting preferences remain the same. This department remains a valid option for modern characters, with no mechanical changes.

• +1 department bonus with Fortitude saves. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

Foreign Military Advisor

• ∑ +1 department bonus with Pilot and Spot skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

At this point in the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union find themselves engaged in conflicts by proxy across the globe. Both superpowers actively train troops and military leaders in Third World nations, providing their own operatives or recruiting specialists from the local population to fulfill the mentoring demand. Agents from this department may be recruited from virtually any military background, though American Special Forces and Soviet Spetsnaz are the most common origins.

• Bonus Feat: Astronaut Wings. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum ability scores and skill ranks — are waived. Future History: Starting in the 1980s, astronaut programs expand to include personnel who are not pilotqualified. Modern agents who choose this department do not gain Pilot as a class skill, but may choose to receive a department bonus with Electronics or 1 Knowledge focus in place of this lost department bonus. Additionally, modern agents may apply this department’s +2 ability modifier to any ability, including Charisma.

Special Talents • +2 to Strength or Constitution, –2 to Wisdom. • Cultures and Profession (Military) are always class skills for the agent.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Feds. Suits. G-Men. FBI agents represent America’s preeminent federal police force and its primary counterintelligence agency. The FBI operates with an odd mix of outdated tradition and cutting-edge police procedure, and is noted for hiring personnel with career experience in fields other than law enforcement, including (but far from limited to) accountants, college professors, craftsmen, and countless tradesmen. Agents must have the American allegiance to join this department.

• +1 department bonus with Diplomacy and Profession (Military) skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

Special Talents

• Bonus Feat: Military Contacts. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks and other feats — are waived.

• +1 department bonus to the agent’s Charisma score for the purpose of using and determining the benefits from class abilities. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 5th level and for every 5 agent levels gained thereafter.

• +2 to any ability; –2 to any ability. The bonus and penalty may be applied to the same ability, if desired. • One Profession skill focus is always a class skill for the agent (agent’s choice).

Project: Blue Book Launched in 1947, Project: Blue Book is the U.S. Air Force’s investigation into the UFO phenomenon. Its official position to date is that no tangible evidence exists of advanced technology or extraterrestrial presence on Earth. Rumors persist, however, that Blue Book personnel are simply the visible portion of a massive research and cover-up operation into… something else. Agents must have the American allegiance to join this department.

• 4 extra skill points at 1st level. The agent gains 1 additional skill point per agent level gained thereafter. (The 4 additional skill points at 1st level are added as a bonus after you have calculated your starting skill points, not multiplied in.) • +1 department bonus with Knowledge (Forensics) and all Profession skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

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the 1960s • +1 department bonus with Will saves. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

Special Talents • +2 Intelligence, –2 Strength. • +1 department bonus with Bluff and Bureaucracy skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

Future History: The CIA’s basic structure and function remain largely unchanged in the present day. All aspects of this macro-department except Project: MKULTRA are suitable for use by modern agents (see page 143 for more about MKULTRA). Although the Directorate for Science and Technology doesn’t exist until 1963, the other directorates’ assembled technical staffs provide identical benefits prior to that year.

• +1 department bonus to the maximum power rating of gear the agent may requisition. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter. This bonus may raise the maximum power rating of the agent’s gear above the cap typically imposed by 1960s technology (see page 123).

Directorate of Administration The CIA is a bureaucracy which requires a legion of administrators to coordinate its operations. This is the primary task of the Directorate of Administration, which also manages the CIA’s recruiting and training programs.

• Bonus Feat: Any gear feat. All minimum agent level requirements for this feat are waived, though the agent must still meet all other prerequisites — including minimum skill ranks and other feats — before choosing it.

Special Talents Shadowforce Archer Option: The agent’s bonus feat may be chosen from the gear or fringe feat trees. The agent must still meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum agent level, minimum skill ranks, and other feats — before choosing it. Future History: Project: Blue Book is officially discontinued on December 17, 1969. Agents whose careers with the unit begin after this date may only choose this department with GC approval (and a suitable in-setting explanation).

• +1 department bonus with Bureaucracy and Diplomacy skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter. • Bonus Feat: Personal Staff. All prerequisites for this feat — including other feats — are waived. All assistants provided by this feat are Directorate of Administration personnel or contract employees, possessing traits appropriate to their CIA duties.

Directorate of Intelligence

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

The Directorate of Intelligence is the CIA’s analysis apparatus, responsible for collating, processing, filing, distributing, and occasionally forgetting the raw data collected by the Directorate of Operations and other sources.

The proverbial 800-lb. gorilla of the NATO intelligence community, the CIA jealously guards its areas of responsibility from other American agencies. It enjoys cooperative relations with the intelligence services of other English-speaking nations, however, and to a lesser degree with its counterparts in other NATO nations. This “macro-department” introduces agents trained by the CIA. When an agent chooses “CIA” as his department, he gains all the special talents and benefits listed immediately hereafter, as well as benefits from the specific CIA directorate of his choice. Agents must have the American allegiance to join this department.

Special Talents • Once per session, the agent may make an information search favor check without spending action dice. The agent receives an additional free information search favor check at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter. • Bonus Feat: Scholarly. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks — are waived.

Special Talents Directorate of Operations

• +2 to Charisma or Intelligence, –2 to Strength or Constitution.

When most civilians think of “spy work,” the tasks of this Directorate come to mind. The CIA’s smallest directorate, Operations is responsible for gathering intelligence through “clandestine means,” and would never consider conducting covert operations in other nations — not officially , anyway…

• Bureaucracy and Profession (Espionage) are always class skills for the agent.

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new agent options • Bonus Feat: Undermine. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum ability scores and skill ranks — are waived.

Special Talents • +1 department bonus to the threat range of all Cultures, Gather Information, and Profession (Espionage) checks (e.g. a threat range of 19–20 becomes 18–20). This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 5th level and for every 5 agent levels gained thereafter.

Shadowforce Archer Option: In lieu of the Undermine feat, Shadowforce Archer agents may choose any psion feat as their bonus feat. If an agent takes this option, he must meet all prerequisites for the selected feat before choosing it. Future History: Project: MKULTRA is officially discontinued in 1963. Agents whose careers with the unit begin after this date may only choose this department with GC approval (and a suitable in-setting explanation).

• Bonus Feat: Career Operative. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum agent level — are waived.

Directorate for Science and Technology

Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti (KGB)

The DST was formed in 1963, but bureaucratic turf wars kept it from becoming fully functional until 1965. Its primary obligation is to consolidate responsibility for all scientific and technical analysis and development, a task previously shared between the other three directorates.

This monolithic Committee for State Security scrutinizes virtually all aspects of Soviet national security. In the eyes of Soviet allies and enemies alike, the KGB is the most feared intelligence and counter-intelligence agency in the world. This “macro-department” introduces agents trained by the KGB and its various Warsaw Pact allies. When an agent chooses “KGB” as his department, he gains all the special talents and benefits listed immediately hereafter, as well as a number of benefits from the specific KGB directorate of his choice. Agents must have the Soviet allegiance to join this department.

Special Talents • +5 BPs as part of the agent’s personal budget. The agent also gains a bonus of +2 BPs to each mission budget, which is increased by an additional +1 BP at 2nd level and for every 2 agent levels gained thereafter. Finally, the agent gains a bonus of +1 GP at the start of each mission, which increases by +1 additional GP per mission at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter. • Bonus Feat: Any gear feat. The agent must still meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks and other feats — before choosing it.

Special Talents • +2 to Charisma or Wisdom, –2 to Strength or Dexterity.

Project: MKULTRA

• If Russian is not among the agent’s starting native languages, he gains Russian as a bonus native language that does not count against his number of starting languages.

MKULTRA is the CIA’s covert research program into various forms of mind control: hypnosis, long-term psychological conditioning, chemical treatments, and even more fantastic and extreme options. MKULTRA is a “black” program and isn’t officially recognized by the CIA, let alone the U.S. government. Those few outsiders in the know are only aware of the program through persistent rumors that its research delves into not only the physical sciences, but also more esoteric disciplines such as telepathy and remote viewing…

• +1 department bonus to the threat ranges of all Innuendo and Intimidate checks (e.g. a threat range of 19–20 becomes 18–20). This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 5th level and for every 5 agent levels gained thereafter. Future History: The KGB undergoes a massive reorganization between 1989 and 1981, following the end of the Cold War, and all of its functions are reassigned or reclassified as parts of newer Soviet intelligence groups and government bodies. These changes are explained in detail on a directorate-by-directorate basis in the following sections.

Special Talents • +1 department bonus with Concentration, Hobby (Hypnosis), and Sense Motive skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

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the 1960s department within the Soviet intelligence community, but many Department V personnel are still active, either as freelance agents or in service to various Balkan governments or European criminal organizations. Agents whose careers with the unit begin after 1991 may only choose this department with GC approval (and a suitable in-setting explanation).

First Chief Directorate The KGB’s foreign intelligence arm is divided into 16 departments — ten with responsibility for varying areas of the world and six with administrative and support functions. This slice of the KGB pie also incorporates a multitude of directorates and departments specializing in various areas of foreign intelligence collection and analysis.

Second Chief Directorate

Special Talents

The Soviet Union’s fearsome “eyes and ears of the State” apocryphally maintain up to one-third of the Soviet population as informants, leaking information about the other two-thirds. If this were even remotely true, the KGB’s Second Chief Directorate would be their handlers, as the group is officially responsible for both internal political control of Soviet citizens and counter-intelligence operations against other nations’ agents operating within the U.S.S.R.

• Bluff, Cultures, and Profession (Espionage) are always class skills for the agent. • At 1st level and for each agent level gained thereafter, the agent receives 1 additional skill point, which must be spent to raise his Bluff, Cultures, or Gather Information skills, or to secure a long-term contact (see page 186). • Bonus Feat: Handler. All prerequisites for this feat — including other feats — are waived.

Special Talents

Future History: The KGB’s First Chief Directorate is disbanded by the modern day, its remnants forming the core of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) when the latter agency is founded in October 1991. This department option is therefore not available to modern-day agents. For details on the SVR, see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 38.

• Profession (Espionage) and Sense Motive are always class skills for the agent. • +1 department bonus with Innuendo and Sense Motive skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter. • Bonus Feat: Any basic skill feat. The agent must still meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks — before choosing it.

Executive Action Department (Department V)

Future History: The Second Chief Directorate, along with the Third and Fifth Chief Directorates and the Seventh Directorate, is disbanded in 1991 and incorporated into the Ministry of Security. By 1993, the Ministry of Security undergoes a total reorganization, becoming the Federal Counter-Intelligence Service, later re-designated the Federal Security Service (FSB). The modern-day FSB provides benefits identical to those provided by the Second Chief Directorate as described here.

The espionage catchphrase “wet work” — mokrie dela in Russian — is derived from a KGB euphemism for murder, literally “wetting the ground with blood.” Department V, while technically part of the First Chief Directorate (see above), is the archetypal wetwork department, and in practice it’s a realm unto itself. Department V personnel are tasked with kidnapping, sabotage, assassination, and other direct actions in which many Western agencies are officially forbidden to indulge.

Third Chief Directorate

Special Talents

A primary concern of the U.S.S.R. is Western subversion of the Soviet military structure through propaganda and espionage. The Third Chief Directorate’s responsibility is military counter-intelligence, as well as ensuring the political reliability of Soviet military personnel. Additionally, the organization’s charged with protecting and transporting all Soviet nuclear weapons, which are maintained separately from their delivery systems.

• +1 department bonus with all attack rolls made during a surprise round or as part of a coup de grace action. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter. • Bonus Feat: Traceless. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum ability scores — are waived. Future History: Department V is active until the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, often cross-training with and recruiting from Spetsnaz units up to that point. Thereafter, no official record exists of a comparable

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new agent options Special Talents

Special Talents

• Profession (Military) is always a class skill for the agent.

• +1 department bonus with education and Cryptography skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

• +2 department bonus with all favor checks requesting facility access or transportation in any Warsaw Pact nation. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 2nd level and for every 2 agent levels gained thereafter.

• Bonus Feat: Cryptology Basics or Electronic Warfare Basics. The minimum agent level prerequisite for this feat is reduced to 2+ with each required skill, though the agent must still meet all other prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks — before choosing it.

• Bonus Feat: Any ranged combat feat. The agent must still meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum ability scores and other feats — before choosing it.

Future History: Along with the Sixteenth Directorate (which maintains all Soviet state radio and telephone communication networks), this Directorate forms the Federal Agency for Government Communications and Information (FAPSI) in 1994. It continues to operate in a fashion similar to that of the Eighth Chief Directorate after this shift, allowing modern agents to choose this department option after making the necessary background modifications.

Future History: The KGB’s Third Chief Directorate loses custody of Soviet nuclear assets at the end of the 1960s, but remains otherwise intact until the KGB’s dissolution in 1991. Modern Russia no longer maintains this degree of political control over its military — the Third Chief Directorate has no modern equivalent and is therefore not a valid option for modern Spycraft agents.

Ninth Directorate

Seventh Directorate

Agents of the KGB’s executive protection are responsible for providing bodyguards to high-ranking KGB and Communist Party officials, and for safeguarding official Soviet government operations (save many intelligence missions, which are self-monitored).

The Seventh Directorate handles domestic surveillance operations. Most of its personnel work in Moscow and Leningrad, focusing on the large foreign populations in these areas. This directorate is divided into twelve sub-departments, each tasked with conducting surveillance on a specific target group.

Special Talents Special Talents

• +1 department bonus with awareness checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 2nd level and for every 2 agent levels gained thereafter.

• +1 department bonus with Cultures and Surveillance skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

• Bonus Feat: Any basic combat feat. The agent must still meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum ability scores and base attack bonuses — before choosing it.

• Bonus Feat: Bugging Basics. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks — are waived.

Future History: A significant minority of this directorate’s personnel join the newly formed Federal Protective Service (FSO) or Presidential Security Service (PSB) throughout late 1992 and early 1993. The training provided by these modern agencies is identical to that of the Ninth Directorate, allowing modern agents to choose this department option after making the necessary background modifications.

Future History: In 1991, the Seventh Directorate is subsumed into the newly formed Ministry of Security (see the Second Chief Directorate on the previous page for additional details). The Seventh Directorate’s personnel continue to operate with the same techniques as their predecessors, allowing modern agents to choose this department option after making the necessary background modifications.

Eighth Chief Directorate

Border Troops Directorate

The KGB’s Eighth Chief Directorate is a close parallel to the American NSA (see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 39), responsible for monitoring foreign transmissions and ensuring the security of Soviet communication and cryptological systems.

Organized primarily as a military force, the Border Troops Directorate emphasizes that its personnel are not only soldiers and interdictors of smuggling, but defenders of Soviet ideology. They’re expected to minimize the flow of contraband — including subversive media materials — across all Soviet borders, and may use lethal force to prevent Soviet citizens from defecting to the West.

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the 1960s • Bonus Feat: Any gear feat. The agent must still meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks and other feats — before choosing it.

Special Talents • +1 department bonus with Appraise and Forgery skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

Future History: Though many of its operatives are now active as freelancers, no equivalent to the Technical Operations Directorate exists among the diversified intelligence services of modern Russia. This department is therefore not an option for modern agents.

• Bonus Feat: Track. Future History: The Border Troops Directorate forms the core of the Federal Border Service (FPS) when the latter agency is established in the early 1990s. Agents whose careers with the unit begin after this period should instead choose the FPS department presented in the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide.

Special Investigations Department The proverbial watchers of the watchers, the KGB’s Special Investigations Department is responsible for investigating treasonous and criminal activities performed by senior government, Communist Party, and KGB officials.

Personnel Directorate The KGB’s Personnel Directorate handles recruitment and training of all new KGB personnel — except those in Department V (see page 144). It also provides the KGB’s “human resources” functions, tracking and managing the careers of all the agency’s employees.

Special Talents • Once per session, the agent may make a favor check outside official channels in order to avoid alerting up to a number of superior officials within his government equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1). This favor check has no action die cost, but the agent’s bonus with the check is reduced to H his agent level (rounded down). The agent receives 1 additional favor check of the same type per session at 5th level and for every 5 agent levels gained thereafter, each with the same conditions.

Special Talents • The agent may choose 2 cross-class skills to become class skills for him. He may choose 1 additional crossclass skill to become a class skill for him at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter. These skills remain class skills for the agent even when he multi-classes. • Bonus Feat: Any advanced skill feat. The agent must still meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum agent level and skill ranks — before choosing it.

•∑ Bonus Feat: Political Favors. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum agent level — are waived. Future History: Though many of its operatives are now active as freelancers, no equivalent to the Special Investigations Directorate exists among the diversified intelligence services of modern Russia. This department is therefore not an option for modern agents.

Future History: No equivalent to the Personnel Directorate exists among the diversified intelligence services of modern Russia. This department is therefore not an option for modern agents.

Technical Operations Directorate

The Fourth Estate

Charged with providing much of the gear and nearly all of the technical support for KGB field personnel, this Directorate often relies upon brute force and improvisation to counter often-superior Western technology, even resorting to the heinous concoctions in its covert chemical warfare laboratories when required.

Well before the age of global coverage, the news media diligently seeks out newsworthy information. This worldwide community of reporters, producers, and editors often learns of critical events along with the intelligence services — and sometimes even earlier. Almost all intelligence agencies adopt media cover identities for their agents, but some go so far as to bring journalists into the fold to exploit their superior investigative skills. This “macro-department” encompasses the major disciplines of news reporting. When an agent chooses “The Fourth Estate” as his department, he gains all the special talents and benefits listed immediately hereafter, as well as a number of benefits from the specific news medium of his choice.

Special Talents • +1 department bonus with Craft and Electronics skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

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new agent options Special Note: All Fourth Estate department options are available to modern day agents without modification.

Photojournalist Like the cameraman, the photojournalist captures news as it happens, immortalizing it for future generations. Unlike the cameraman, however, the photojournalist specializes in still life, split-second views of fragile moments and reactions.

Special Talents • The agent may choose up to 2 mental abilities — Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma — each of which is increased by 2. For each bonus taken with a mental ability, one of the agent’s physical abilities — Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution — is decreased by 2. The agent may not choose to increase or decrease any ability more than once (i.e. he may not increase any ability by 4, nor may he decrease any ability by 4).

Special Talents • +1 department bonus with initiative and Craft (Photography) skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

• Profession (Journalism) is always a class skill for the agent.

• Bonus Feat: Camera Basics. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks — are waived.

• +2 department bonus with all security clearance favor checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 2nd level and for every 2 agent levels gained thereafter.

Print Journalist The classic “pavement pounder” seen in books and movies, the print journalist is the consummate master of refined razor-sharp commentary and thought-provoking accounts of major world events. He wields perhaps the most power of any of his brethren, as his work is neither fleeting nor reliant upon the imprecision of television or radio.

Cameraman With the reflexes and eagle eye required to capture incredibly powerful images and the instincts needed to know when and where to point the camera, an agent with this department is on the forefront of 1960s journalism, providing movie clips and televised broadcast material of the decade’s most compelling stories.

Special Talents • +1 department bonus to the threat ranges of all Cultures and Gather Information checks (e.g. a threat range of 19–20 becomes 18–20). This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 5th level and for every 5 agent levels gained thereafter.

Special Talents • +1 department bonus with Craft (Photography) and Surveillance skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter. • Bonus Feat: Camera Basics. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks — are waived.

• Bonus Feat: The Pen is Mightier. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum ability scores — are waived.

Editor

Radio Reporter

The news editor is as much a producer and director of news broadcasts as an actual splicer of takes and scenes. He’s the glue that holds any powerful broadcast together, the voice in the anchor’s ear, and the vision behind each revealing investigative series.

The most common means of disseminating news throughout First World countries, radio reporting carries a certain “royal standing” that other news channels never quite attain. Radio reporters are the accepted voice of reason and knowledge, offering sterile sound bites in a practiced cadence, bringing events across the globe into peoples’ homes and cars without the baggage of film or the permanence of paper. Radio reporting is not free of the pitfalls of opinion, however, a condition many “air voices” use to their advantage when they come to the Agency.

Special Talents • Once per session, the agent may spend 1 action die to allow any member of his team to re-roll one failed Gather Information skill check. The agent may use this ability 1 additional time per session at 5th level and for every 5 agent levels gained thereafter.

Special Talents • +1 department bonus with Perform skill checks made when speaking in public, including voice-only broadcasts. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter.

• Bonus Feat: Any one ‘contacts’ style feat. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum skill ranks — are waived.

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the 1960s • +1 department bonus to the signal power rating of all radio communications gear used by the agent. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 5th level and for every 5 agent levels gained thereafter.

Class Skill Appraise Bureaucracy Computers Concentration Craft Cryptography Cultures Diplomacy Driver Electronics First Aid Gather Information Hide Hobby Knowledge Languages Listen Mechanics Move Silently Profession Search Sense Motive Slight of Hand Spot Surveillance

•∑ Bonus Feat: Rousing Speech. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum ability scores and skill ranks — are waived.

Television Reporter With powerful reputations as trustworthy and reliable public servants, television reporters wield remarkable power over public opinion. From feel-good human-interest stories to on-the-scene reporting in the midst of conflict to caustic examinations of wrongdoing, their stories never fail to elicit sharp responses. The forte of the ideal television reporter is shaping these responses into a united angry outcry, division between the classes, or a more complex reaction.

Special Talents • +1 department bonus with Bluff and Intimidate skill checks. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at 4th level and for every 4 agent levels gained thereafter. • Bonus Feat: Undermine. All prerequisites for this feat — including minimum ability scores and skill ranks — are waived.

Key Ability Int Cha Int Wis Int Int Wis Cha Dex Int Wis Cha Dex Wis Int Wis Wis Int Dex Wis Int Wis Dex Wis Wis

Skill Points at 1st level: (8 + Int modifier) × 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Class Features

Wire

All of the following are class features of the wire. Alternate Base Class: The wire is an early variant of the snoop, adjusted to fit the 1960s. Agents possessing levels as a wire may not gain levels as a snoop, and vise-versa. Further, the wire gains a +2 bonus with information favor checks. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the wire gains the following feats.

This is a base class. With elaborate, automated techniques for cryptography, surveillance, and communications coming to the fore and covert agencies scrambling to recruit and train some of the brightest minds of the day, the 1960s are the golden age of the Cold War spy. The classic ‘black hat’ of the era, the wire is capable of taking to the field to gather critical intelligence through a variety of indirect — and often relatively high tech — methods. His mastery of technology, from planting bugs to reviewing scratchy recordings to analyzing the latest surveillance flight photos, ensures his team never operates in the dark. Without a wire on the team, vital pieces of information are almost certain to be overlooked. Abilities: Wires emphasize Intelligence — with so many skills to buy as they advance, they need all the skill points they can get. Wisdom is of secondary importance, as many of their commonly used skills are based on this ability. Vitality: 1d8 plus Con modifier per level.

Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Astute: Whenever the wire spends 1 action die to increase an Intelligence-based skill check result, the results of 2 dice are added instead (e.g. a 1st-level wire’s bonus of 1d4 becomes 2d4). This is the wire’s core ability. Flawless Search: When rolling a Search or Spot check to find clues or other important information, the wire may never completely fail unless he suffers an error. Even when an error is rolled, the GC must spend 2 action dice to activate the wire’s critical failure. The wire normally finds at least one clue or vague piece of information — if either exists to be found.

Class Skills The wire’s class skills and key abilities are:

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new agent options If the wire possesses the flawless search ability from two or more classes, the second and each additional flawless search ability reduces his error ranges with all Spot and Search checks by 1 (to a minimum of 0). Intuition: Starting at 2nd level, once per session as a free action, the wire may ask the GC to provide 1 hint about how to use a clue or piece of information the team has discovered. Such a hint might be phrased as follows: “The text appears to be written in a Babylonian religious script.” The wire may ask the GC to provide 1 additional hint per session at 11th level, and a third such hint at 19th level. Intercept Communication: Starting at 3rd level, once per session, the wire may intercept 1 telephone call, radio signal, or other communication originating from a specific person or location, and clandestinely listen in without making a Surveillance skill check. The wire may use this ability 1 additional time per session at 7th level, and for every 4 class levels gained thereafter. Undivided Attention: When a wire’s on the job, no detail or event — no matter how minute — escapes his attention. Starting at 4th level, once per session, the wire may re-roll 1 failed Listen, Search, Spot, or Surveillance check. The wire may re-roll an error, but must choose whether or not to do so before any opponent receives the option to activate the error as a critical failure. The wire may not re-roll any check a second time, and must keep the second result, even if it’s worse than the first. The wire may use this ability 1 additional time per session at 8th level, and for every 4 class levels gained thereafter.

Jury-Rig: The wire must often serve as his team’s field technician. Starting at 5th level, the wire gains a +2 competence bonus with Electronics checks made to attempt temporary or jury-rigged repairs (see the Electronics skill description for more information about temporary repairs). This bonus increases by an additional +2 at 9th level, and for every 4 class levels gained thereafter. Special Ability: At 6th level, and for every 3 class levels gained thereafter, the wire receives one of the following abilities. Some of these abilities may be chosen multiple times, in which case the effects of choosing it more than once are detailed within the ability description. Comb the Streets: Once per game session, the wire may locate someone within the local city using either a physical description or a current ID. This takes one day per agent level the target possesses. This ability may be chosen multiple times, each time granting 1 extra use of the ability per session. Intelligence Analysis: The wire may quickly sift through large amounts of data in order to find information relevant to a particular topic. This process requires approximately 10 minutes per large file, report, or book. Search and Spot checks must still be made to notice important information while using this ability — unless it’s obvious, in which case the GC may rule that it’s found automatically once the time is taken to sift through the material. This ability may be chosen only once.

Table 6.2: The Wire Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4

Def Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5

Budg Pts 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

Gadg Pts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12

+5 +5 +6

+3 +3 +4

+5 +5 +6

+8 +9 +10

+6 +7 +7

20 22 24

10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

+6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +9 +9 +10

+4 +4 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6

+6 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +8 +9

+10 +11 +12 +13 +14 +14 +15 +16

+8 +8 +9 +10 +10 +11 +11 +12

26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

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Special Starting feats, astute, flawless search Intuition 1/session Jury-rig +2 Undivided attention 1/session Intercept communications 1/session Special ability Jury-rig +4 Undivided attention 2/session Intercept communications 2/session, special ability Hard sweep 1/session Intuition 2/session, jury-rig +6 Special ability, undivided attention 3/session Intercept communications 3/session Global search Jury-rig +8, special ability Undivided attention 4/session Intercept communications 4/session Special ability Intuition 3/session, jury-rig +10 Hard sweep 2/session, undivided attention 5/session

the 1960s Electronics Familiarity: The wire is considered to be familiar with all types of electronic devices, even control consoles found deep within enemy lairs (see the Electronics skill description for the effects of being familiar with a device). This ability may be chosen only once. Feat: The wire gains 1 bonus gear feat. He must still meet all prerequisites for the feat — including minimum ability scores and base attack bonuses — before choosing it. This ability may be chosen multiple times, each time granting 1 extra bonus gear feat. Phone Bug: In the 1960s, all phones are hardwired to actual phone lines, and a phone’s mouthpiece may be used as a bug merely by tapping its line. The wire may tap a phone to use the mouthpiece as a passive bug without making an Electronics check. In order to do so, he must gain access to the nearest switching box (usually outside the target building) and spend one minute and 1 BP converting any standard (non-secure) phone in the target building into an audio bug. This does not require the phone to be in use — it transmits even if the phone is on the hook. This ability may be chosen only once. Skill Mastery: The wire selects a number of skills equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. He may always take 10 when using these skills, even if stress and distraction would typically interfere. This ability may be chosen multiple times, each time allowing the wire to take 10 with 3 additional skills. Wired for Sound: As a full action, the wire may conceal 1 wire bug or 1 other piece of surveillance gear weighing less than 1 lb. on his person or on the person of an ally. All searches made to find gear concealed in this fashion automatically fail unless the searcher scores a threat and spends 2 action dice to activate the critical success. This ability may be chosen only once. Hard Sweep: Starting at 10th level, once per session, the wire may sweep a location for bugs without making any skill checks. During each round of such a search, the wire may inspect a number of 5-ft. × 5-ft. squares equal to his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). The wire’s search may take no longer than a number of rounds equal to his agent level. While using this ability, the wire automatically finds all bugs located within the target area (regardless of their Concealment DC), and may disable each bug he discovers as a free action, if he wishes. At 20th level, the wire may use this ability twice per session. Global Search: Starting at 14th level, once per game session, the wire may determine the city within which a specified target is located, anywhere in the world. This requires either a current ID or physical description of the target, and a number of days equal to the target’s agent level. Finally, the GC may require the team to perform a task, such as getting in touch with a known snitch, to acquire the information.

Attache This is a prestige class. The attaché is the classic diplomatic spy, a consummate operative handler and master of tradecraft. Typically attached to one of his country’s embassies, the attaché serves as a frontline coordinator for his government’s intelligence activities. Abilities: Most of the attaché’s class skills rely on Wisdom, so that ability should be at the top of his list. Charisma is also useful, aiding the attaché’s work as a front-line intelligence coordinator. Vitality: 1d10 plus Con modifier per level.

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Languages: 4+ ranks. Knowledge (Politics): 4+ ranks. Sense Motive: 4+ ranks. Slight of Hand: 2+ ranks. Feats: Alertness, Political Favors.

Class Skills The attaché’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Bluff Bureaucracy Cryptography Cultures Diplomacy Disguise Driver Gather Information Hide Innuendo Knowledge Languages Listen Open Lock Profession Search Sense Motive Sleight of Hand Spot Surveillance

Key Ability Cha Cha Int Wis Cha Cha Dex Cha Dex Wis Int Wis Wis Dex Wis Int Wis Dex Wis Wis

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features The following are class features of the attaché. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the attaché gains the following feats.

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new agent options Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Hurled) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee)

At 7th level, when the attaché becomes aware of a tail and attempts to lose it discreetly, the follower may no longer make a Surveillance check to realize that the attaché is trying to lose him. Merry Dance: The attaché must be able to move about freely and in the open to accomplish his mission objectives, and must be prepared to evade any enemy operatives who notice his presence. At 3rd level, the DCs of all skill checks made to tail the attaché — as well as all Surveillance checks made to notice when the attaché is trying to lose a trail — are increased by his class level (see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 83, for more information about tailing). Bonus Feat: At 4th level, the attaché gains 1 bonus covert or style feat. The attaché must meet all prerequisites for this feat — including minimum ability scores and skill ranks — before choosing it. At 8th level, the attaché gains 1 additional covert or style feat, with the same restrictions. Diplomatic Charm: At 4th level, the attaché can maneuver through the political ocean without raising a ripple. During each session, he may make a number of event favor checks equal to his Charisma modifier without spending an action die (minimum 1). Further, he does not suffer any disposition penalties applied by allegiance (see pages 137–138). Heart of the Web: The attaché has shaken hands with countless dignitaries, informers, and spies, and even knows private phone numbers of a few minor world leaders. At 6th level, the attaché gains an additional 10 skill points which may only be spent to acquire permanent long-term contacts. The attaché may spend these points at any time thereafter, but once any number of points is spent, those points may not be reassigned. At 10th level, the attaché gains an additional 20 skill points (for a total of 30 bonus skill points), with the same restrictions.

Acquaintances: Levels in this class are added to the agent’s faceman levels when determining the effectiveness of his backup ability. Steadfast Friends: The number of level 3 long-term contacts the attaché may maintain at any one time is increased by N the attaché’s class level (rounded up). Further, the GC or opposing players must spend 4 action dice to prevent the attaché from calling upon a level 3 contact (see page 186 for more information about long-term contacts). This is the attaché’s core ability. Vigilant: The attaché is almost always assigned to work ‘behind enemy lines’ in offices located in foreign nations. At 1st level, the attaché gains the Advanced Skill Mastery feat linked to his Alertness feat. At 5th level, the attaché gains the Grand Skill Mastery feat linked to his Alertness feat. At 9th level, the attaché gains the Perfect Skill Mastery feat linked to his Alertness feat. All prerequisites for these feats — including minimum agent level — are waived. Casual Handoff: One of the attaché’s most important jobs is to stand at one end of a chain of cut-outs, either passing information or receiving it. Starting at 2nd level, the attaché may take 10 when making handoffs (see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 94), even when stress or distraction would typically interfere. Further, he gains a bonus with all skill checks made during a handoff equal to his class level. At 7th level, once per session, the attaché may automatically score a critical success with 1 skill check made during a handoff, even if he doesn’t score a threat. This critical success has no action die cost, and the attaché may activate it even when he takes 10.

Table 6.2: The Attache Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

151

Budg Pts 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30

Gadg Pts 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5

Special Steadfast friends, vigilant (Advanced) Casual handoff (take 10) Merry dance Bonus feat, diplomatic charm Vigilant (Grand) Heart of the web (10 points) Casual handoff (critical), merry dance Bonus feat, “who do you work for?” Vigilant (Perfect) Heart of the web (20 points)

the 1960s “Who Do You Work For?”: At 8th level, once per session, the attaché may choose 1 target with whom he’s currently talking and make a Sense Motive check (DC 10 + the target’s agent level) to determine his true allegiance (see page 138), as well as the organization for which he works (if any). If the target’s agent level is higher than the attaché’s, the target may spend 3 action dice to conceal this information (even if the attaché’s skill check is successful). The attaché may only use this ability on any single character once per serial.

Computers: 4+ ranks. Cryptography: 8+ ranks. Feats: Mathematical Genius, Scholarly.

Class Skills The code breaker’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Appraise Bureaucracy Computers Concentration Craft Cryptography Cultures Driver Electronics Hobby Innuendo Knowledge Languages Listen Mechanics Profession Search Sleight of Hand Spot Surveillance

Code Breaker This is a prestige class. The ultimate challenge facing all espionage organizations is the safe transmission of delicate data. To meet this challenge, every agency invests fortunes into the development of ever more complex ciphers — and even more in the training of agents who develop them (and crack them). The code breaker has an intuitive sense for cryptographic puzzles, seeing the entire world as a progression of mathematical interactions. Whether creating a new code, decoding an intercepted communiqué, or applying his talents in an unconventional way, the code breaker brings his team invaluable information and outside-the-box solutions. Abilities: Far and away the most important ability for a code breaker is Intelligence, which is key to many of his skills, including Cryptography. Vitality: 1d10 plus Con modifier per level.

Key Ability Int Cha Int Wis Int Int Wis Dex Int Wis Wis Int Wis Wis Int Wis Int Dex Wis Wis

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the code breaker. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the code breaker gains the following feats.

Requirements Agent Level: 5+. Intelligence: 15+.

Table 6.3: The Code Breaker Lvl 1

Base Fort Att Bon Save +0 +0

Ref Save +1

Will Save +1

Def Bon +1

Init Bon +1

Budg Pts 2

Gadg Pts 1

2 3 4

+1 +2 +3

+0 +1 +1

+2 +2 +2

+1 +2 +2

4 6 8

2 3 4

5 6

+3 +4

+1 +2

+3 +3

+3 +4

10 12

5 6

9 10

+6 +7

+3 +3

+4 +5

+5 +6

18 20

9 10

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Special Complex substitution, master key (Basics) A beautiful mind (cipher) Always thinking Master key (Mastery), the larger pattern 1/session Brilliant +1 Range-finder, the larger pattern 2/session A beautiful mind (Living Cipher), Master cracker 1/session Master key (Supremacy), the larger pattern 3/session, Brilliant +2 Mind’s eye, the larger pattern 4/session

new agent options Armor Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun)

At 9th level, the code breaker’s Intelligence score rises by an additional 1 (for a total increase of 2). Range-Finder: Beginning at 6th level, the code breaker’s intuitive feel for numbers serves him well when judging distances by sight. The code breaker always knows the exact range to any target within his line of sight. Further, his range penalty when making a firearm or hurled attack is reduced to H standard (rounded down). Master Cracker: At 7th level, once per session, the code breaker may automatically figure out one password, cipher key, or similar piece of information. If used to break a code, this ability immediately reduces a cipher’s power rating by 3. This ability requires at least 1 full action to use, and the GC may require the team to perform a task, such as breaking into a certain building, in order to acquire the information. Mind’s Eye: At 10th level, the code breaker may substitute his Intelligence modifier for his Wisdom modifier when using any of his Wisdom-based class skills. Further, he may activate a threat when using any Intelligence- or Wisdom-based skill check without spending an action die a number of times per session equal to his Intelligence modifier.

Complex Substitution: The power rating of any cipher created or purchased by the code breaker is increased by +2 (to a maximum of +12). This may increase the cipher’s power rating above the maximum limit typically enforced in the 1960s (see page 123). This is the code breaker’s core ability. Master Key: Simply “crunching the numbers” rarely leads to the successful extrapolation of a cipher — particularly before the widespread use of powerful computers. Instead, the code breaker must be an artist, relying upon his knowledge of cipher creation within other agencies around the world. At 1st level and for each class level gained thereafter, the code breaker gains 1 additional skill point which must be spent to increase his Cryptography skill. Additionally, at 1st level, the code breaker gains the Cryptology Basics feat. At 4th level, the code breaker gains the Cryptology Mastery feat. At 8th level, the code breaker gains the Cryptology Supremacy feat. All prerequisites for these feats — including minimum skill ranks — are waived. A Beautiful Mind: At 2nd level, the code breaker gains the Cipher feat. At 7th level, the code breaker gains the Living Cipher feat. All prerequisites for these feats — including minimum ability scores and other feats — are waived. Always Thinking: At 3rd level, the GC should call for (or secretly make) a Cryptography check the first time the code breaker encounters any code, including any message sent using the Innuendo skill (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 56), even if the code breaker wouldn’t typically be aware of the code’s presence.

Menace This is a prestige class. The archetypical mastermind of the 1960s, the menace heads up a secret organization with shadowy ties to rival governments or follows a privately funded agenda with global consequences. He’s a consummate administrator, organizer, and when needs be, field commander. As his organization’s absolute dictator, he sets goals, selects missions, and receives all intelligence gathered by his minions. He’s the head of the snake that coils around his enemies, whom the Agency seeks to slay — or in some cases, recruit. Abilities: Menaces rise to power through expertise, talent, and ambition. High Intelligence and Charisma scores are necessary to achieve power, and also to plan operations and control the rank and file. Vitality: 1d8 plus Con modifier per level.

Example: The code breaker is reading a newspaper in which Soviet cryptographers have hidden a message to a foreign spy cell. The GC makes a secret Cryptography check using the code breaker’s statistics. With success, the GC informs the agent that he notices a pattern in the clues for a crossword puzzle, and tells him what the coded message says.

Requirements

The Larger Pattern: The code breaker pieces together facts that seem unconnected. At 4th level, once per session, he gains a bonus with any one inspiration check equal to his class level. At 6th level and for every 2 class levels gained thereafter, the code breaker may use this ability 1 additional time per session. Brilliant: The code breaker has a highly tuned intellect, capable of solving a wide variety of puzzles and problems. At 5th level, his Intelligence score rises by 1.

Organization: The menace must control at least part of an organization, either as a mastermind, henchman, or foil within a criminal enterprise or as a Control, handler, or other official within the Agency or a similar group. Agent Level: 9+. Charisma: 13+. Bluff: 4+ ranks. Diplomacy: 4+ ranks. Intimidate: 8+ ranks. Feats: Personal Lieutenant, Undermine.

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the 1960s Table 6.4: The Menace Lvl 1 2 3 4 5

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3

Init Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2

Gadg Pts 1 2 3 4 5

Special “Before I kill you…” (taunt), continuity “Follow the plan!” (1 level) Extensive dossiers “Before I kill you…” (master plan) “Follow the plan!”(2 levels), menace’s privilege

ing him, he gains 1 action die (to a maximum of bonus action dice equal to the menace’s class level). The menace gains no XP for action dice awarded in this fashion, and all action dice gained from this ability are lost at the end of the current session. At 4th level, the menace may lay out his master plan to a captured enemy agent, revealing his goals, the location of at least 1 action site (or his headquarters), at least 3 of his organization’s ratings (wealth, technology, loyalty, influence, or scope), and his organization’s agenda (if any). For the remainder of the current session, each of the menace’s allies — including teammates, henchmen, and minions — are inspired by their leader’s confidence, gaining a +2 morale bonus with all attack and damage rolls, as well as all saving throws. “Follow the Plan!”: At 2nd level, the menace’s organization may benefit from 1 level with any 1 agenda chosen by the menace for the duration of the current serial (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, page 104, for more about threat agendas). If multiple agents possessing this class ability are members of the same organization, they may each grant the organization a level 1 agenda (to a maximum number of bonus agendas equal to the Charisma modifier of the group’s mastermind, minimum 1). All benefits from this class ability are lost if the menace is killed. At 5th level, the menace’s organization may benefit from 1 additional level with the chosen threat agenda (for a total of 2 levels with the chosen agenda). Extensive Dossiers: The menace has access to files concerning nearly all known organizations and agents. At 3rd level, he gains a +6 gear bonus with Knowledge (Espionage) checks, and may attempt to identify an active agent by making a Knowledge (Espionage) check (DC 40). With a success, the menace becomes aware of the target agent’s true identity, class levels, feats, and ability scores, as well as the contents of his service record with his parent organization. Menace’s Privilege: Once per serial, when the menace is the prey during a chase and has the option of choosing at least 1 finishing maneuver, he automatically escapes. Alternatively, when the menace is the prey in a chase and located out of line of sight from all opposing agents for 1 minute or longer, he automatically escapes.

Class Skills The menace’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Bluff Bureaucracy Concentration Cultures Intimidate Innuendo Knowledge Languages Profession Sense Motive

Budg Pts 3 6 9 12 15

Key Ability Cha Cha Wis Wis Str or Cha Wis Int Wis Wis Cha

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the menace. Senior Agent: The menace is a senior agent class with no core ability. If the agent has yet to gain a core ability from a prestige class, he gains the core ability of the first non-senior agent prestige class with which he gains a level. Class Feats: At 1st level, the menace gains the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Continuity: As something of a finishing school for masterminds and rogue agency controls, this class offers the agent a chance to hone the skills that brought him to power. At 1st level, the menace may choose 10 skills that are class skills for any other class with which he possesses at least 1 level. These skills are considered class skills for the agent when he gains levels with this prestige class. “Before I Kill You…”: When in possession of a captured enemy agent, the menace may taunt the agent and prolong his eventual fate, taking great personal pride in the process. Starting at 1st level, for every hour that the menace holds a captured enemy agent without interrogat-

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new agent options Problem Solver: When the spymaster spends 1 action die to make an inspiration check, he may also make a favor check at no additional cost. This is the spymaster’s core ability. Voice of Experience: At 1st level, as a full action, the spymaster may choose 1 skill with which he possesses at least 1 rank and grant a number of ranks with that skill to a teammate with whom he’s in verbal or visual contact, up to a maximum of H of the spymaster’s ranks in the skill (rounded down). The teammate may not gain any ranks in a skill for which a feat is required (such as a psionic feat in the Shadowforce Archer world setting) unless he already possesses the required feat. These temporary ranks do not stack with any ranks in the skill already possessed by the teammate, and may not exceed the teammate’s standard skill rank maximum (i.e. his agent level + 3). These temporary ranks remain with the teammate for 1 minute or until he makes 1 skill check using them, whichever comes first, after which they are lost. The spymaster’s ranks with the skill are unaffected during this period. The spymaster may use this ability a number of times per session equal to H his agent level (rounded down). At 5th level, if the spymaster’s threat range with the chosen skill is greater than that of the teammate, the teammate also gains the spymaster’s threat range for the same duration. At 9th level, the maximum number of ranks the spymaster may grant with the chosen skill is equal to his total ranks in the skill (though these ranks may still not exceed the teammate’s skill rank maximum). Versatility: At 2nd level, the spymaster may select 4 cross-class skills to become class skills for him. At 7th level, the spymaster may choose an additional 4 cross-class skills to become class skills for him. If the spymaster chooses Craft, Hobby, or Sport to become class skills for him, all focuses for the chosen skill also become class skills for him. Team Player: The spymaster knows how to make the most of his agency’s resources. At 3rd level, the spymaster’s GP cost to requisition intelligence resources from his organization is reduced by –2 per resource (for more information about intelligence resources, see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 113). At 7th level, the spymaster’s GP cost to requisition intelligence resources from his organization is reduced by –4 per resource. This ability may never reduce the cost for requisitioning an intelligence resource below H its standard cost (rounded up). Hot Line: The spymaster is privy to special codes to prompt immediate action from the home office. At 4th level, the spymaster may spend 1 additional action die when making a favor check to reduce the time required for that check to H standard (rounded down, minimum 1 minute).

Spymaster This is a prestige class. The spymaster is the quintessential secret agent, a mission centerpiece coordinating whole teams and multiplying the effectiveness of every member. The most renowned spymasters orchestrate vast operations involving hundreds of agents in dozens of nations, all while taking the field to complete the most critical parts of the mission themselves. Abilities: Possessing highly flexible tactics and needing to interface with agents of any other class, the spymaster requires a balance of all abilities. Vitality: 1d10 plus Con modifier per level.

Requirements Agent level: 5+. Bureaucracy: 2+ ranks. Diplomacy: 4+ ranks. Innuendo: 6+ ranks. Profession (Espionage): 8+ ranks. Feats: Training.

Class Skills The spymaster’s class skills and key abilities are: Class Skill Bluff Bureaucracy Cultures Diplomacy Gather Information Innuendo Knowledge Languages Listen Open Lock Profession Search Sense Motive Spot Surveillance

Key Ability Cha Cha Wis Cha Cha Wis Int Wis Int Dex Wis Int Wis Wis Wis

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features All of the following are class features of the spymaster. Class Feats: At 1st level, the spymaster gains the following feats. Armor Proficiency (Light) Armor Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

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the 1960s Table 6.5: The Spymaster Lvl 1

Base Fort Att Bon Save +0 +0

Ref Save +0

Will Save +2

Def Bon +1

Init Bon +0

Budg Pts 3

Gadg Pts 0

2 3 4 5 6

+1 +2 +3 +3 +4

+0 +1 +1 +1 +2

+3 +3 +4 +4 +5

+2 +3 +3 +4 +5

+1 +1 +2 +2 +2

6 9 12 15 18

1 2 3 3 4

7 8

+5 +6

+2 +2

+5 +6

+6 +6

+3 +3

21 24

5 6

9 10

+6 +7

+3 +3

+6 +7

+7 +8

+4 +4

27 30

6 7

Special Problem solver, voice of experience (1/2 ranks) Versatility (4 skills) Team player (–2 GP) Hotline, improved cooperation (threat +1) Voice of experience (threat range) Improved cooperation (activate threat) Team player (–4 GP), versatility (8 skills) Improved cooperation (threat +2) total control Voice of experience (full ranks) “Abort!”

New Skill Uses

Improved Cooperation: At 4th level, when the spymaster successfully assists as part of a cooperation check (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 39), he may forego granting the lead character a +2 cooperation bonus to instead increase the lead character’s threat range by 1. At 6th level, when the spymaster successfully assists as part of a cooperation check, he may forego granting the lead character a bonus of any sort to instead allow the lead character to activate a threat rolled as part of the cooperation check without spending any action dice. At 8th level, when the spymaster chooses to increase the lead character’s threat range, the lead character’s threat range is increased by an additional 1 (for a total increase of 2). In all cases, the spymaster must declare how he is using this ability immediately after his cooperation check is successful and before the lead character makes his roll. Total Control: At 8th level, the spymaster gains the Total Control feat. All prerequisites for this feat — including skill ranks and other feats — are waived. “Abort!”: The veteran spymaster develops a keen sense for when an operation will fall apart, and can take steps to avoid the worst consequences. At 10th level, when the spymaster or one of his teammates within verbal or visual contact suffers an error, he may spend 1 action die to ‘take the action back,’ allowing the teammate to take any other action requiring at least the same amount of time. The teammate may reattempt the action only after the time required to take the failed action expires. Use of this ability must be declared before the GC or an opposing player spends action dice to activate the error as a critical failure.

The nervous tension of the Cold War, the cool elegance of internationally renowned casinos, the political realities driving the intelligence communities of the time, and the efforts of both spies and journalists to get to the truth all call for new ways to use familiar skills. All of the following skill uses are especially appropriate for the 1960s, though their utility extends to modern games as well.

Computers (Int; Trained Only) The Computers skill is radically different in the 1960s. State-of-the-art technology fills rooms instead of desktops, and a workable graphic user interface — let alone a full-color photo-realistic display — is still decades away. Unlike most “New Skill Uses” entries, this completely replaces all modern Computers skill descriptions, including the original one found in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook. With the Computers skill, you understand the basic physical and electronic engineering that makes a computer work. You may do the mathematical operations that are required for any significant computer use and may “read” raw data (e.g. you can mentally convert binary or hexadecimal numbers into decimal numbers). Special Note: In the 1960s, the Computers skill may not be used untrained. Check (Varies): You can write a new computer program to perform intricate mathematical calculations or analysis. This is a complex skill check with an interval of 4 hours and a DC dependent on the complexity of the program you are trying to write, as shown on Table 6.6: 1960s Programming DCs (see the opposite page). Multiple programmers may simultaneously work on different portions of the same program. One among them — designated the lead programmer — adds his total Computers check result to the running complex skill

Example: Feather rolls a 1 while making a 1-minute Demolitions check, scoring an error. Fearing a possible catastrophe, the spymaster spends 1 action die to take the action back. Feather chooses instead to check her tools for 1 minute, then make the Demolitions check again at the first moment allowed by the “abort!” ability.

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new agent options check result at the end of each interval, while each other programmer adds only H his total Computers check result at the end of each interval. This rule supersedes the standard cooperation rules found in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, for this skill check only. Likewise, if a programmer (or programming team) leaves a program uncompleted, another agent or team can pick up the work where it was left off, continuing the complex skill check at its running skill check result when aborted. For the first 10 intervals during which any new agent or team takes over such a program, their Computers check results are reduced to H (rounded down), as the new programmers figure out what’s already been done and how to proceed. Finally, it’s possible to perform a “quick and dirty” programming job, shaving time off a program’s testing and debugging to get something operational quickly. The lead programmer may voluntarily lower the complex skill check’s DC by 10% increments, to a maximum reduction of 50%. This can lead to highly unreliable software, however — for every 10% DC reduction, the error range of all skill checks made using the finished program are increased by 1.

New Bundles The following standard gear packages are available in the 1960s. Their contents are fixed and nontransferable. Each of these bundles costs 25 BP.

Attache’ Bundle Large leather briefcases (to store bundle) 2 sets of trendy (formal) clothes Passport Courier pouch 4 basic audio bugs 5 dead drop spikes Standard armored attaché case gadget with 1 GP for additional options Pocket phrasebook and map (any one region)

Gambler Bundle Large suitcase (to store bundle) 1 set of designer clothes Personalized tuxedo liner with tailoring option 3 nights in a four-star hotel 5 meals in a gourmet restaurant Unopened deck of cards Monogrammed cigarette case

Check (4 Hours): You may search computer records for a specific piece of data. This check operates like the Gather Information skill (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 53), but may only be used to find electronically-stored data. Special Note: In the 1960s, you may not use the Gather Information skill for this task. Special: If you possess 5 or more ranks in Electronics, you gain a +2 synergy bonus with skill checks made when repairing a computer. If you possess 5 or more ranks in Cryptography, you gain a +2 synergy bonus with skill checks made to interpret raw data or write an encryption or decryption program. If you possess 5 or more ranks in Gather Information, you gain a +2 synergy bonus with skill checks made when searching records for electronic data.

Military Advisor Bundle Camouflaged rucksack (to store bundle) 2 sets of camouflaged fatigues 1 set average (tourist) clothes Cover identity (power rating +3) Military backpack radio with encryption Manual (Survival) Manual (Cultures) Regional maps (any one area) Well-worn notebook with addresses and phone numbers of military contacts

Table 6.6: 1960s Programming DCs Program Type/Complexity Encryption (cipher) program

DC 80 × cipher’s power rating

Ballistic calculator program… … to calculate bullet trajectory … to calculate artillery trajectory … to calculate ICBM flight path … to calculate orbital flight path … to calculate lunar flight path … to calculate interplanetary flight path

20 50 200 300 1,000 2,000

Business management program… … word processor … accounting ledger

100 150

Concentration (Wis) By focusing your mind, you can memorize pieces of information and shake off damage that may impair your mental function. You can also focus yourself to push aside the effects of injuries or chemicals for a short time. Check (Varies): You may attempt to memorize something. The DC is set by the length and complexity of the information you wish to memorize, as shown on Table 6.7: Memorization Times and DCs (see the previous column). With a success, you memorize the desired information and may automatically recall any part of it as a free action for the duration of the current serial. Thereafter, the information must be memorized again.

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the 1960s Retry: Yes, though each attempt requires you to spend the required time before rolling again. You gain a cumulative +1 bonus with each subsequent attempt to memorize a particular item. Threat: You memorize the information in I the standard time (rounded down). Critical Success: You memorize the information in H the standard time (rounded down), or you permanently memorize the information, never needing to make another check to memorize it again (your choice, made when you activate the threat as a critical success). Error: You mix up the facts. Your next attempt to memorize the same information requires 50% more time than usual (rounded up). Critical Failure: You completely fail to memorize the information and may not attempt to memorize the same information again during the current serial. Additionally, if the GC or an opposing player spends a second action die when activating the error as a critical failure, you suffer 1 point of temporary Intelligence damage in the attempt. This damage heals at a rate of 1 point per day. Special: If you possess 5 or more ranks in a Craft, Hobby, Knowledge, or Profession skill that pertains to information you’re trying to memorize, you gain a +2 synergy bonus with Concentration checks made to memorize that information. For every 2 ranks you possess in Concentration, your multi-tasking penalty is reduced by 1, to a minimum penalty of –5 (see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 43, for more information about multi-tasking).

Check (1 Hour): You may develop exposed film. Make a Craft (Photography) check (DC equal to the film’s Spot check cap minus 10). With a success, the film is developed without error. With a failure, the film’s Spot check cap is permanently reduced to your check result. Special: When taking photographs, shooting film, or shooting video, you may use Craft (Photography) in place of Surveillance. If you possess 5 or more ranks in Surveillance, you gain a +2 synergy bonus with these skill checks. If you possess 5 or more ranks in Craft (Photography), you gain a +2 synergy bonus with all Surveillance checks made to analyze photographs, film, or video. If you possess 10 or more ranks in Craft (Photography), you may make untrained Surveillance skill checks to analyze them. If you possess 5 or more ranks in Mechanics, you gain a +2 synergy bonus with Craft (Photography) checks made to modify, repair, or add accessories to cameras.

Craft (Recording) (Int; Trained Only) You’re well-versed with audio recording technology and techniques, and may use standard audio equipment — from studio sound boards to concert hall speaker systems — to scan sound recordings and live feeds for items of interest. Check: As per the standard Craft skill check (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 47), you may use this skill to earn money as an audio technician or sound editor. When used in this fashion, this skill generates an income each week equal to your skill check result × $5.

Table 6.7: Memorization Times and DCs Complexity/Length of Information Simple (one sentence) Average (one paragraph) Difficult (one page) Complex (one chapter) Extremely Complex (one book)

Time Full action 1 minute 1 hour 12 hours 2 days

DC 5 15 25 35 45

Check (1 Day): As per the Craft (Gunsmithing) skill (see the Modern Arms Guide, pages 6 and 20), you may add masterwork modifications to audio recording and playback equipment

Craft (Photography) (Int; Trained Only)

Special: When making or analyzing audio recordings, you may use Craft (Recording) in place of Surveillance. If you possess 5 or more ranks in Surveillance, you gain a +2 synergy bonus with these skill checks. If you possess 8 or more ranks in Craft (Recording), you gain a +2 synergy bonus with Listen skill checks. If you possess 5 or more ranks in Electronics, you gain a +2 synergy bonus with Craft (Recording) checks made to modify, repair, or add accessories to audio recording and playback equipment.

You’re familiar with the techniques and the equipment involved in still photography and the principles of cinematography, allowing you to develop film, retouch and alter photos, shoot film footage, and analyze images for intelligence data. Check: As per the standard Craft skill check (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 47), you may use this skill to earn money as a photographer or cameraman. When used in this fashion, this skill generates an income each week equal to your skill check result × $5. Check (1 Day): As per the Craft (Gunsmithing) skill (see the Modern Arms Guide, pages 6 and 20), you may add masterwork modifications to cameras.

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new agent options Critical Success: If competing with a Hobby skill focus, you win the opposed check unless your opponent scores a critical success with a greater result. If attempting to recall information about a Hobby skill focus, you remember the precise information that you require, as well as any peripheral information that might help (per the GC’s discretion). If calling upon a Hobby skill focus during a social situation, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus with all seduction and disposition checks involving the target for the duration of the current session. Finally, if using a Hobby skill focus to make money, you earn $100 × your Hobby skill check result. Critical Failure: If competing with a Hobby skill focus, you automatically lose the competition, and also suffer a –2 circumstance penalty with all uses of the same Hobby skill focus for the duration of the current session. If attempting to recall information about a Hobby skill focus, you remember the wrong facts, assuming them to be correct. If calling upon a Hobby skill focus during a social situation, you put off your target and may not attempt to seduce or alter their disposition for the remainder of the current session. Finally, if using a Hobby skill focus to make money, you fail dramatically and may not attempt to use the same Hobby skill focus to make money for the remainder of the current serial.

Hobby (Wis) The Hobby skill represents talents developed during downtime between missions, but these talents are more than simply recreational. Hobbyists can employ their skills competitively, in social interactions with others who share their interests, or even market their skills for money. Many agents employ their hobbies regularly in the field, gambling at high-stakes casinos, engaging in battles of wits with masterminds, and choosing just the right wines at social gatherings. Special Note: Given the open-ended nature of this skill, all uses of the Hobby skill require GC permission. Check (Varies): You may use your hobby knowledge in competition with others. Make a Hobby check, opposed by your opponent’s Hobby skill. Depending on the nature of the competition, victory may be as simple as winning an opposed check (e.g. making a correct guess or scoring a single point in a scored competition), or as intricate as competing with a complex skill check (e.g. imitating broader knowledge than you possess over the course of an evening or defeating multiple people in a large and protracted social competition). Examples of hobbies that may be used in this way include — but are far from limited to — Hobby (Chess), Hobby (Fishing), and Hobby (Gourmand).

Hobby (Gambling) (Wis; Trained Only)

Check (Full Action): You may use your ranks in Hobby in place of Knowledge when attempting to recall specific details about your hobby, with all the usual restrictions (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 55). Examples of knowledge-based hobbies include Hobby (Classic Literature), Hobby (Automobiles), Hobby (Cinema), or Hobby (Trivia).

You’re familiar with all forms of wagers, from pure chance to sporting events, rigged or not. Check (Varies): This skill may be used to gamble (see page 176). Special: If you possess 5 or more ranks in Hobby (Gambling), you gain a synergy bonus with all skill checks made to play house games equal to your Wisdom modifier (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 241, and page 176 of this book). If you possess 10 or more ranks in Hobby (Gambling), you gain a +2 synergy bonus with all Cryptography skill checks made to break mathematical codes.

Check (5 Minutes): You may employ your hobby to impress or seduce others with similar interests, using your hobby as common ground with a new acquaintance. Make a Hobby check (DC 20 minus the number of ranks the target possesses in the same Hobby focus). With success, you gain a +2 competence bonus with all disposition and seduction checks involving the target for the duration of the current session. Examples of social hobbies include Hobby (Conversation), Hobby (Fashion), Hobby (Humor), and Hobby (Wines and Spirits).

Knowledge (Politics) (Int; Trained Only) You know the ins and outs of political procedure, the backgrounds and proclivities of current political figures, and other day-to-day details of the political arena.

Special: The breadth of the Hobby skill leads to a wide variety of possible synergy bonuses, most adjudicated by the GC on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, if you possess 5 or more ranks in a Knowledge skill related to a Hobby skill focus, you gain a +2 synergy bonus with all Hobby skill checks involving that focus.

Check: As per the standard Knowledge skill check (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 57), you may determine whether you possess certain information about a given political topic. Your DC is based upon the question asked, as shown on Table 6.8: Knowledge (Politics) Checks (see page 160).

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the 1960s Special: If you possess 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Politics), you gain a +2 synergy bonus with Innuendo checks made to influence public opinion, as well as to procure intervention favor checks and to disposition checks made to influence politicians. If you possess the Political Favors feat and 10 or more ranks in Knowledge (Politics), you gain 1 additional use of the feat per serial.

Anticipate (Half Action) You may attempt to second-guess your opponent’s next move. You must have direct line of sight to your target in order to make this check. Make a Sense Motive check (DC 10 + your target’s base attack bonus). With a success, you gain a dodge bonus to your Defense against attacks made by the target equal to your Wisdom modifier until the start of your initiative count during the following round. With a critical success, you gain a dodge bonus to your Defense against attacks made by the target equal to twice your Wisdom modifier until the start of your initiative count during the following round. With a critical failure, you underestimate your opponent and immediately become flat-footed against attacks made by the target. This bonus does not stack with itself (i.e. you may not benefit from two successful anticipate checks at the same time).

Table 6.8: Knowledge (Politics) Checks Question Type Simple (names of heads of state and forms of government) Basic (party and campaign platforms, legislative procedures, and voting laws) Involved (long-term political trends, national treaties and alliances) Complex (detailed voting history of individual politicians, precise behind-the-scenes information concerning obscure votes)

DC 10* 15* 20 25

Reload (Varies) * These types of questions are free actions to remember and needn’t be rolled for again after success.

Reloading a video camera or a digital still camera requires 1 half action. Reloading a standard still camera requires 1 full action to remove the exposed film and a second full action to load a new roll of film. The Quick Reload feat reduces these times to 1 free action and 1 half action respectively.

Profession (Journalism) (Wis; Trained Only) In the intelligence community, it’s an accepted fact that reporters often know of important world events before spies. With this skill focus, you’re trained in the Fourth Estate’s methods of gathering information and the major methods of news dissemination (press, print, radio, and television). Special Note: In modern campaigns, this skill focus also involves information disseminated through the Internet.

Roll Tape (Full Action) As a full action, an agent with a readied video camera may record the events of an entire round, or the actions of one specific subject. This requires a successful Surveillance skill check (DC 10 when focusing on 1 subject, 15 when focusing on an entire occurrence). This skill check is subject to penalties based on the agent’s motion, as shown on Table 6.9: Roll Tape/Shoot Film Penalties (see below). The agent’s check result serves as a Spot check cap for the video shot. Finally, the agent may — as a free action — move up to 2 × his speed as while rolling tape.

Check: As per the standard Profession skill check (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 61), you may use this skill to earn money as a freelance journalist. When used in this fashion, this skill generates an income each week equal to your skill check result × $7. Special: If you possess 5 or more ranks in Profession (Journalism), you gain a +2 synergy bonus with all information search favor checks.

Table 6.9: Roll Tape/Shoot Film Penalties Motion/Situation Agent moves… …his bonus 5-ft. step only …up to 1/2 his speed in feet …up to his speed in feet …up to 2 × his speed in feet …more than 2 × his speed in feet

New Combat Actions Surveillance is usually a mind-numbingly boring affair characterized by long waits punctuated by occasional moments of activity. Individuals under surveillance may, however, occasionally take note of the attention, and understandably take offense. Additionally, agents may have no choice but to record in the thick of the action in order to gather necessary evidence. All of these possibilities are covered with the following new combat actions.

Agent is in… …a moving water vehicle …a moving aircraft …a moving ground vehicle …a moving personal vehicle

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Check Result Penalty –2 –5 –10 –15 –20 –2 –6 –8 –12

new agent options The penalty is calculated according to the distance moved throughout a single event, no matter how long the agent records.

Benefit: When you take an anticipate action in combat (see page 161), your dodge bonus to Defense equals your Wisdom modifier times × 1.5 (rounded up). Further, you may take an anticipate action as a free action once per session, plus an additional time per session for every 4 agent levels you possess (though never more than once per round). Normal: The anticipate action requires 1 half action to complete. With a successful anticipate action, you gain a dodge bonus to your Defense against attacks made by the target equal to your Wisdom modifier until the start of your initiative count during the following round.

Shoot Film (Full Action) An agent with a readied still camera may, as a full action, take up to a number of photographs equal to his 1 + Dexterity modifier (if positive). This requires a successful Surveillance skill check (DC 10), subject to penalties dependent on the motion of both the agent and his subject, as shown on Table 6.9: Roll Tape/Shoot Film Penalties (see the opposite page). The agent’s check result serves as a Spot check cap for the photographs taken. Finally, the agent may — as a free action — move up to 2 × his speed as while shooting film.

Scuttle You’re highly mobile, even while prone. Prerequisites: Strength 13+, Dexterity 13+. Benefit: You may use the low crawl movement action as a half action to move at H your standard movement rate while prone (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 11 for more about this combat action). Further, your penalty to make melee attacks while prone is reduced to –1. Normal: When using the low crawl movement action, you may only take your bonus 5-ft. step. While prone, you suffer a –4 circumstance penalty with melee attacks.

Swap Accessories (Full Action) Removing an accessory from a camera requires 1 full action. Attaching an accessory to a camera requires 2 full actions. If the accessory is a lens, the Spot check cap of all photographs and video taken through it is reduced by 10 until the agent uses a second full action to fine-tune the focus. For more about camera accessories, see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 54.

New Ranged Combat Feats

New Basic Combat Feats

The following feats are considered part of the ranged combat feat tree (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 75–78).

The following feats are considered part of the basic combat feat tree (see Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pages 68–71).

Gunslinger’s Eye As a professional shooter, you know another one when you see him. Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +3 or higher, Sense Motive skill 4+ ranks, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun), Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle). Benefit: Three times per session, as a free action, you may ask the GC for your assessment of an agent you’ve just met. This assessment includes the character’s base attack bonus, the number of ranged combat feats he possesses, his Dexterity modifier, and his initiative bonus. The target agent may spend 1 action die to prevent you from making an assessment of his abilities. Further, you gain a +2 bonus with all checks made to detect firearms concealed on a character’s person.

Fired Up You’re at your best when the adrenaline is pumping! Prerequisites: Concentration skill 4+ ranks. Benefit: When engaged in combat, you may — during your initiative count — accept a circumstance penalty to your Defense of up to –5, which lasts until the start of your initiative count during the following round. In exchange, you gain an equal circumstance bonus (+1 to +5) with any one Strength- or Dexterity-based skill check you make during this round. You must declare your use of this bonus before you make the skill check. This bonus may not exceed your ability modifier with the skill in question (minimum +1). You may make no attacks during a round in which you activate this feat.

Revolver Basics The trusty revolver has become one of your weapons of choice. Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1 or higher. Benefits: You’re considered to be proficient with all revolvers, even if you don’t possess the Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) feat. Further, you gain the benefits of the Quick Load and Marksman feats when using a revolver.

Foresight You often know what your opponents plan to do during combat — even before they do it. Prerequisites: Sense Motive skill 10+ ranks, Sidestep.

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Hasty Withdrawal

You can snap off a couple of rounds with a revolver as easily as with an automatic. Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6 or higher, Revolver Basics. Benefits: You gain the benefits of the Quick Draw feat when using a revolver. Further, when you use two hands to hold a revolver, you may make burst attacks with it. Each burst uses only 2 shots.

You always know how to make a quick getaway! Prerequisites: Chosen skill 6+ ranks. Benefit: Choose one skill used to make maneuver checks during a chase (Balance, Boating, Driver, Handle Animal, Pilot, etc.). When using the chosen skill to make a maneuver check during a chase as the prey, you gain all the benefits of the daredevil class ability. Further, when starting any chase as the prey, your initial lead is increased by 1 length. Special: You may take this feat more than once, each time applying its benefits to a different skill and increasing you initial lead when starting any chase as the prey by an additional 1.

New Chase Feats The following feats are considered part of the chase feat tree (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 81–84).

Professional Driver — Closed Course

Brace It On the Wheel

You make the impossible look like positively… commercial. Prerequisites: Daredevil class ability, Perform skill 4+ ranks, Profession (Racer) skill 8+ ranks. Benefit: You gain a +2 circumstance bonus with all seduction attempts, disposition checks, and Diplomacy skill checks made against anyone who’s seen you succeed with at least 3 vehicular maneuver checks with DCs of 20 or higher and who possesses at least 1 rank with the same vehicle skill or in a Hobby or Profession related to that vehicle type. When someone witnesses you suffer a critical failure while operating a vehicle, you lose the benefits of this feat until you re-establish your competence in that character’s eyes with 3 or more successful maneuver checks, as described above.

You can use your vehicle as a stable firing platform. Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +10 or higher, “…A Gun in the Other”. Benefit: You may brace when shooting from a vehicle you’re driving. Further, you may fire a Medium-sized or larger non-tactical weapon with one hand while driving, and suffer no penalty for not using two hands when such a weapon is braced. Normal: A moving vehicle is insufficiently stable to allow you to brace.

Death Ride As long as you’re behind the wheel, you can cling to life almost indefinitely. Prerequisites: Con 15+, daredevil class ability. Benefit: While you’re controlling a vehicle, you gain a number of points of damage reduction against all ranged attacks equal to your Constitution bonus. Further, if your wound points are reduced to 0 or lower while you’re controlling a vehicle, you remain alive and conscious until you’re reduced to a negative number of wound points equal to your Constitution score (at which point you die), or until the vehicle stops moving or is destroyed (at which point you immediately suffer the normal effects of your current wound point total).

New Covert Feats The following feats are considered part of the covert feat tree (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pages 84–86).

Astronaut Wings You’ve received extensive training with extra-atmospheric flight and function in micro-gravity environments without impairment. Prerequisites: Strength 13+, Dexterity 13+, Constitution 13+, Balance skill 4+ ranks. Benefits: You’re immune to all circumstance penalties to Strength, Dexterity, Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Move Silently, and Tumble checks. Further, you suffer no armor check penalty from NBC suits and space suits.

Drive Casual You’re adept at looking inconspicuous in traffic. Prerequisites: Surveillance skill 4+ ranks. Benefit: When you’re the predator during a tailing sequence (see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 83), you gain a +5 bonus with all tailing checks, and the prey’s DC to notice you is increased by 5. Further, you always gain a +2 bonus with maneuver checks made to perform box in, lure, and tail maneuvers during a chase.

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new agent options Additionally, if you possess 4 or more ranks in Pilot, you may ignore the effects of the Exotic (EXO) quality for all air and space vehicles, and receive the benefits of the “Hold Together Baby!” feat when operating an air or space vehicle, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites for that feat.

Prerequisites: Craft (Photography) skill 5+ ranks or Surveillance skill 5+ ranks. Benefit: You may use the roll tape action as a half action (see page 161 for more about this combat action), moving up to your speed in feet as a free action at the same time. Further, you gain the Quick Draw and Quick Reload feats when using a camera. Normal: The roll tape action requires 1 full action to use.

Deleted It’s hard to find any bureaucratic evidence of your existence. Benefit: The error ranges of all Bureaucracy, Computers, and Gather Information skill checks made to locate records concerning you are increased by 2. Special: If the reputation rules are used in your game (see the African Alliance Chamber Book, page 67), your total positive recognition gain at the end of every mission is reduced to H standard (rounded down).

Camera Mastery You’re an accomplished photographer and can take quality photos under even the most extreme conditions. Prerequisites: Camera Basics, Craft (Photography) skill 10+ ranks or Surveillance skill 10+ ranks. Benefit: The range increment of any camera you use is doubled and its Spot cap is increased by 5. Further, the number of photographs you may take with the shoot film action is equal to your Wisdom modifier +3, or your Dexterity modifier +1 (whichever is greater). Normal: The number of photographs you may take with a shoot film action is equal to 1 + your Dexterity modifier (if positive).

Invisible Man You’re a walking shadow, undetectable by all but the most careful of observers. Prerequisites: Agent level 6+, Stealthy, Traceless. Benefit: The error ranges of all skill checks made by opponents to detect your presence — including Listen, Spot, Search, Surveillance, and Survival checks — are increased by an amount equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). Further, you may take 10 with all Hide, Move Silently, and Search checks made to conceal your presence or passing, even if stress and distraction would normally interfere.

Off the Books You have a secret source of equipment unconnected to the Agency that you may exploit for gear. Prerequisites: Agent level 12+, backup class ability, Private Identity. Benefit: Once per mission, you may spend and roll any number of action dice, adding your Charisma modifier to each (in addition to any other action die modifiers that you normally receive). The total action dice result becomes the number of BPs’ worth of standard-issue gear you may requisition. This gear arrives after 1 hour per 5 BPs spent, and all unspent BPs are lost. This gear is in no way connected to the Agency, and disappears at the end of the current mission as if it were requisitioned normally from your mission budget. Using this ability counts as 1 use of your backup class ability.

Zeroed Your permanent address is a cemetery plot. This tends to throw off background checks. Prerequisites: Deleted. Benefit: When you gain this feat, your death is recorded in all official databases except the Agency’s. Any Bureaucracy, Computers, or Gather Information skill check made to locate records concerning you reveals only public information and the “fact” that you are dead, unless a threat is scored. Further, the error ranges of checks made to identify you using the Search skill are increased by 2.

Well-Funded You can sometimes convince the Agency quartermaster or the boys in R&D to allocate some extra hardware or spare cash for you. Prerequisites: Bureaucracy skill 2+ ranks, Diplomacy skill 2+ ranks. Benefit: During the Gearing Up phase of a mission, you may re-roll any 1s you roll when determining mission budget and field expenses. Further, you may any number of spend action dice to add to these rolls. Any action dice spent for this purpose are d4s, regardless of your standard action die type. Normal: You may not spend action dice to affect your rolls to determine mission budget or field expenses.

New Gear Feats The following feats are considered part of the gear feat tree (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pages 86–87).

Camera Basics You can shoot usable footage under far from optimum conditions — and still manage a few other basic tasks at the same time.

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the 1960s The Bear

New Advanced Skill Feats

You’re as tough as the great beast that symbolizes your homeland. Prerequisites: Great Fortitude, Hammer and Sickle. Benefit: You gain an additional +15% XP reward during any serial in which you defeat or outwit 1 or more characters possessing the American allegiance. This replaces the benefit from the Hammer and Sickle feat. Further, you gain DR 1/—, which stacks with damage reduction gained from all other sources, including class abilities and armor.

The following feats are considered part of the advanced skill feat tree (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pages 89–91).

Cross Training You’ve dabbled in a number of different fields over the years. Prerequisites: Agent level 9+, Intelligence 15+, Training. Benefit: You may make checks with skills designated as “trained only,” even if you possess no ranks with the skill. Further, the first full rank with any skill costs you only 1 skill point, even if it’s a cross-class skill for you. Each cross-class skill rank purchased after the first still costs you 2 skill points (1 per half rank), as standard. This feat does not allow you to gain or use ranks with any skill requiring feats as a prerequisite or any skill labeled “class exclusive” unless you may gain or use ranks with that skill according to another rule. Normal: You may not use a “trained only” skill without possessing at least 1 rank in it.

Bloodstain Resistant You’re never mussed by unsightly bloodstains. Prerequisites: Hobby (Fashion) skill 4+ ranks. Benefit: While wearing trendy clothes, you gain a +1 competence bonus to Defense. While wearing designer clothes, this bonus rises to +2. You gain neither of these bonuses if you benefit in any way from any armor.

The Dice Are Hot You may not always be lucky in love, but the Queen of Hearts is usually on your side. Prerequisites: Fortunate. Benefit: You gain a circumstance bonus with all gambling-related skill checks equal to the number of action dice you possess when you make the check. This includes Hobby (Gambling) skill checks and all skill checks made to play or influence games of chance.

Well-Rounded You’re a font of knowledge about the unlikeliest of subjects. Prerequisites: Intelligence 13+, any three Knowledge skills 2+ ranks each. Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus with all education checks. Further, as a free action, you may spend 1 action die to make any Knowledge skill check, even if you possess no ranks in that Knowledge skill focus. Normal: You may only make a Knowledge check if you possess at 1 or more ranks in the appropriate Knowledge skill focus.

The Eagle You’re a symbol of the success of the Great Democratic Experiment. Prerequisites: Iron Will, Stars and Stripes. Benefit: Your morale bonus granted by the Stars and Stripes feat is increased to by an additional +1 (for a total bonus of +2). Further, your personal budget’s BP increases by a number equal to your agent level.

New Style Feats Flag Waver

The following feats are considered part of the style feat tree (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 91–94).

You’re driven to support the cause and defeat the enemies of your nation. Prerequisites: Agent level 6+, The Eagle or The Bear. Benefit: Any time you spend 1 or more action dice to increase the result of an attack roll or skill check targeting or opposing a character with an opposing allegiance (see page 137), you may roll 1 additional action die and keep the action die result you prefer. If you possess an ability that allows you to spend 1 action die and roll 2 (such as the soldier’s accurate ability), you may roll a third action die and keep any 2 action die results you prefer.

American Patriot You’re a proud servant of the American people. Prerequisites: The Eagle. Benefit: Once per round, you gain a +2 bonus with any action die result. Further, the dispositions of all characters possessing the American allegiance are improved by 1 grade once you make them aware of your true loyalty.

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new agent options Hammer and Sickle

Polyglot

You fight the enemies of the Motherland with talent and zeal. Prerequisites: Soviet allegiance. Benefit: You gain an additional +5% XP reward during any serial in which you defeat or outwit 1 or more characters possessing the American allegiance. Further, your maximum wounds are increased by 1.

You change accents like most people change shirts. Prerequisites: Innuendo skill 12+ ranks, Languages skill 6+ ranks, must speak at least 10 languages (whether fluent or a native speaker). Benefit: Speaking in multiple languages — even within the same sentence — is completely natural for you. When doing so, you gain a circumstance bonus with all spoken Innuendo checks equal to the number of languages you use in the conversation. The DCs of all skill checks made to interpret your message, however, are increased by 2 × the number of languages you use that the listener does not speak. Further, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus with all Cryptography skill checks made to break codes based on multiple languages or language permutations. Additionally, the power rating of any such code that you create is increased by your Intelligence modifier, minimum 1 (see the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 120, for more about creating and breaking codes). Finally, you gain a circumstance bonus with Languages checks made to learn new languages equal to H the number of languages you already know (rounded down).

High Society Contacts You have allies among the rich and famous who can help out when you’re in trouble. Prerequisites: Profession (any one) skill 6+ ranks, Persuasive. Benefit: You gain a +4 circumstance bonus with all assistance favor checks and street-level assistance checks involving government sources (for more information about taking to the streets, see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, page 71).

Long-Lost Friends You’ve always been good at keeping in touch with old friends, and making new ones. Prerequisites: Charisma 17+, backup class ability. Benefit: You pay 1 fewer skill point to acquire any long-term contact, to a minimum of 1 skill point spent per contact (see page 186 for more about long-term contacts).

Soviet Comrade You’re a staunch supporter of the Soviet People. Prerequisites: The Bear, Hard Drinking. Benefit: You’re immune to all morale penalties. Further, the dispositions of all characters possessing the Soviet allegiance are improved by 1 grade once you make them aware of your true loyalty.

Military Contacts You have an extensive network of military personnel associates across the world. Prerequisites: Profession (Military) skill 8+ ranks, at least 1 terrain “training” feat. Benefits: You gain a +4 circumstance bonus with all facility access favor checks and street-level assistance checks involving military sources (see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, page 71). Further, you’re always considered to be a soldier when making black market deals, regardless of the class(es) in which you actually possess levels (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 25, for more information about the black market).

Stars and Stripes You (and your friends) would never let Old Glory down! Prerequisites: American allegiance. Benefit: You may spend 1 full round action encouraging your allies and teammates to greater efforts. Afterwards, each ally or teammate possessing the American allegiance with line of sight to you gains a +1 morale bonus with attack rolls, damage rolls, and Will saves for a number of rounds equal to your agent level.

The Pen is Mightier Your written words have as much impact as your personal presence. Prerequisites: Intelligence 13+, Wisdom 11+. Benefit: You may make a disposition check by sending a target NPC a written communication of at least one page (300 words), applying both your Intelligence and Wisdom modifiers to the disposition check result. Unless you are a native speaker of the language in which the communication is drafted, you suffer a –8 circumstance penalty with this disposition check.

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Protective Gear

Survival Radio: The first attempt at a conveniently portable radio, this item is issued to military aircrews during the Cold War. The size of a 21st-century tactical radio, its range is limited and it may transmit only on frequencies reserved for SAR (Search and Rescue) operations. Finally, the survival radio’s battery life is severely limited and unreliable, allowing for only 2d6 hours of use (rolled secretly by the GC).

Statistics for the following items are located on Table 6.10: 1960s Protective Gear (see the opposite page).

Surveillance Gear

New Standard-Issue Gear The following standard-issue gear items augment an agent’s requisitioning options during the 1960s.

Statistics for the following items are located on Table 6.12: 1960s Surveillance Gear (see the opposite page).

Ballistic Nylon Vest: As seen on the TV show S.W.A.T., this is state-of-the-art for police “bullet resistant” vests in the 1960s. It’s heavy and awkward, but can slow down or even stop the occasional weak or glancing shot. Fragmentation Vest: State-of-the-art military body armor in the 1960s is a nylon vest with three ballistic filler panels and a set of plastic stiffeners, intended to slow down low-velocity fragments from grenades and mortar rounds. This armor provides only minimal protection against bullets.

Night-Vision Viewer: Light amplification technology took its first halting steps in the final days of WWII, and by the 1960s such devices are small enough to be manportable, though not yet suitable for mounting as gunsights. An advanced version of the night-vision viewer is also available, which acts as binoculars in addition to its primary function. Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorder: This 1960s state-of-theart audio recording and playback gear is roughly the size of a modern briefcase. Setting up a new reel in the recorder requires the agent to thread the tape manually, a process that takes 1 full action. Remote Chemical Sensor: This early attempt to make a “mechanical dog” is intended for military use and focuses on detecting chemical compounds common to specific ethnic groups’ unique cuisine. The U.S. Army calls upon this item to help locate troop concentrations and ambushes by detecting their body odor and urine. A remote chemical sensor possesses an effective Survival skill bonus of +6 when detecting humans by scent, and may be tuned — broadly — to focus on a specific family of chemical compounds, such as those given off by humans with a common and unique diet.

Communication Gear Statistics for the following items are located on Table 6.11: 1960s Communication Gear (see the opposite page). In the 1960s, private telecommunication is reserved for the government and the wealthiest industrialists. Broadcast encryption equipment is far from portable, and the agent who wants to hold a secure conversation had better make prior arrangements to use a specific code- or phrasebook. CB Radio: The CB (Citizen’s Band) radio is the first mobile radio transceiver in widespread civilian use. Its primary market is truckers who need to stay in contact with their parent companies and communicate with one another regarding highway conditions, but many radio enthusiasts also purchase CB radios — or build-your-own radio kits — to experience this mode of communication. CB radios are available in several sizes, with correspondingly stronger signals. Voice Encryption Device: The first practical telephone encryption came into use in the mid-1960s. A firstgeneration voice encryption device — such as the American KY-3 model — is roughly the size of a pair of twodrawer filing cabinets. When requisitioned, it comes with 1 stream cipher (power rating +6). Reprogramming the device with a new cipher requires 2 hours per point of the cipher’s power rating and a successful Cryptography skill check (DC 20). A voice encryption device may only encrypt and decrypt telephone conversations. When the connection is first established, the devices on either end of the connection require 1d4 turns to synchronize before conversation is possible. However, a side effect of the encryption is the elimination of virtually all static, resulting in remarkably clear signals.

New Weapons The following weapons are available to agents operating in the 1960s, and unless otherwise specified, each firearm described here is also available in the modern era. This section also introduces two new firearm categories, the backup revolver and the semi-automatic rifle, and provides their general game traits.

Backup Pistols Nambu Type 14 (Japan): One of several standard officer’s sidearms in use by Japanese forces from 1925 through the end of World War II, the Type 14 loosely resembles the German Luger P08 of similar vintage. In the 1960s, thousands of these weapons are still in circulation, in the hands of Japanese veterans and their

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new agent options descendants, civilian collectors, and trophy-taking American GIs. The Type 14 uses an 8mm cartridge that’s rare outside Japan, and is noted for being prone to jamming regardless of the amount of care lavished upon it. Caliber: 8mm Nambu Ammunition Capacity: 8 Length: 9.1 in. Weight: 31.7 oz.

Caliber: 9mm P Ammunition Capacity: 18 Length: 8 in. Weight: 19 oz. SIG P-210 (Switzerland): Designed for issue to Swiss soldiers during WWII but not formally adopted until after the end of the war, the P-210 is widely regarded as one of the most accurate service pistols available in the 1960s. Design input from the Swedish Sport Shooters Association led to the P-210’s construction at levels of performance typically seen only in target pistols. In addition to seeing wide military and civilian use in Switzerland, this weapon is in service in several other countries, including Denmark, Germany, and Cuba. Caliber: 9mm P Ammunition Capacity: 8 Length: 8.5 in. Weight: 32 oz.

Service Pistols Beretta Model 1951R (Italy): The rare select-fire variant of the Beretta Model 1951 features an additional front grip to help control recoil, but its performance is handicapped by its small magazine size (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 59, for more about the Beretta Model 1951). Caliber: 9mm P Ammunition Capacity: 10 Length: 8 in. Weight: 45.8 oz.

Stechkin APS (USSR): Considerably larger than most other Soviet-made pistols, the Stechkin APS entered service in 1951 as a sidearm for combat vehicle crews and second-line troops. The Stechkin APS is a select-fire weapon, capable of fully automatic fire. It’s issued with a wooden holster, which may be attached to the weapon to use as a stock to help overcome its otherwise vicious recoil. Special Note: With its stock attached, the APS is considered a Medium-sized weapon possessing a concealment DC of 13 and a recoil value of 10. When fired in strafe mode without the stock, the weapon possesses a –2 accuracy penalty in addition to any recoil penalties typically applied. Caliber: 9mm Makarov Ammunition Capacity: 20 Length: 8.9 in. Weight: 43 oz.

H&K VP70 (West Germany): One of the first — if not the first — polymer-frame pistols produced, the VP70 is designed in 1968 and enters mass production at the end of the decade. As a service sidearm, only its exceptional magazine capacity is remarkable, but the fire mode selector is enabled when the operator attaches the weapon’s optional shoulder stock, allowing the VP70 to fire threeround bursts. The stock is hollow and may be used as a rather clumsy holster for the pistol when needed. Both of these latter features are modeled on those of the Stechkin APS (see the next column). Special Note: With its stock attached, the VP70 is considered a Medium-sized weapon possessing a concealment DC of 13 and a recoil value of 10. When fired in burst mode, this weapon possesses a –1 accuracy penalty in addition to any recoil penalties typically applied.

Table 6.10: 1960s Protective Gear Item Ballistic nylon vest Fragmentation vest

BP 20 24

DB +1 0

DR 2 4

Weaknesses C, E, M C, F, M

MDB +4 +3

ACP –1 –2

Speed same same

Weight 6 lb. 9 lb.

Table 6.11: Communication Gear Item CB radio, kit CB radio, home CB radio, vehicular CB radio, base station Voice encryption device Survival radio

BPs 2 5 8 20 30 5

Weight 4 lb. 8 lb. 5 lb. 40 lb. 80 lb. 2 lb.

Item Night-vision viewer Reel-to-reel tape recorder Remote chemical sensor

BPs 15 4 12

Weight 8 lb. 4 lb. 7 lb.

Listen Check Cap 12 15 18 22 30 10

Range Inc. 2 mile 1 mile 1 mile 5 miles — 1/ 2 mile 1/

Actual Cost $40 $65 $80 $400 $50,000 $1,200

Table 6.12: Surveillance Gear Skill Check Cap 15 18 15

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Range Inc. 50 ft. — 10 ft.

Actual Cost $3,000 $200 $8,000

Actual Cost $70 $35

the 1960s 10’s design was eventually adapted for the smaller AR-15, however, which went on to become the M16. The AR-10 is popular with shooters who like the M16 platform but prefer the punch of the 7.62×51mm NATO round. Caliber: 7.62×51mm NATO Ammunition Capacity: 20 Length: 40 in. Weight: 152 oz.

Backup Revolvers The backup revolver sub-category describes small revolvers designed for undercover and backup use. Accessories may be attached to a backup revolver’s grip mount only. Backup revolvers possess the following common characteristics — Hrd 9, dmg threshold 2/3/4/6, Break DC 20, concealment DC 18. Colt Cobra (USA): The “Detective Special”-derived Cobra’s most prominent moment arrives when Jack Ruby uses one to kill Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963. Of more immediate interest to agents, several thousand Cobras were also produced with by the U.S. Air Force, which wanted the lightest possible survival sidearm for pilots. These rare Cobras are made entirely of aluminum alloy, making them exceptionally light — and invisible to airport magnetometers. Special Note: The USAF-model Colt Cobra is extremely rare, with fewer than 3,000 in circulation worldwide. However, its construction grants it the composite (CP) quality, which is normally unavailable in the 1960s (see page 123). By the 21st century, most of the all-aluminum Cobras have been melted down, with only a few hundred surviving. Caliber: .38 Special Ammunition Capacity: 6 Length: 5 in. Weight: 22 oz. (15 oz. for USAF model)

Enfield EM-2 (UK): Apocryphally known as the best rifle never issued to British soldiers, the EM-2 came out of a post-WWII assault rifle development program. Its revolutionary “bullpup” design combined with an experimental .280 (7×43mm) round and an integral non-magnifying optical sight and was officially adopted in 1951 — then immediately passed over in favor of standardization on the American 7.62¥51mm NATO round instead. The EM-2 could not be adapted to the more powerful round and never entered full-scale production, abandoned in favor of the FN FAL. Special Note: The EM-2’s optical sight operates like a red dot sight, granting a +2 gear bonus with attacks made within 50 ft. This weapon and its ammunition are exceptionally rare — in the 21st century, EM-2s are virtually nonexistent, surviving only in private collections and museums, and .280 EM-2 ammunition is not known to be in production anywhere. Caliber: .280 EM-2 Ammunition Capacity: 20 Length: 35 in. Weight: 120 oz.

Colt Detective Special (USA): The Colt Detective Special is one of the most ubiquitous undercover police weapons of the 1960s. Caliber: .38 Special Ammunition Capacity: 5 Length: 5 in. Weight: 38 oz.

Kalashnikov AKM (USSR): The AKM appears to a user very much the same as the AK-47, the primary differences evident in its construction — the AKM is lighter and easier to produce than its parent design, using stamped steel and laminated wood rather than machined steel and solid wood. Caliber: 7.62×39mm Soviet Ammunition Capacity: 30 Length: 34.3 in. Weight: 136 oz.

Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnum (USA): This revolver is the FBI’s standard-issue sidearm during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Caliber: .357 Magnum Ammunition Capacity: 6 Length: 7 in. Weight: 31.3 oz.

Springfield Armory M14 (USA): The M14 is the standard American longarm from 1957 through the introduction of the M16 in the late 1960s. Its original production run yielded almost 1.4 million M14s, and the weapon is still in licensed production overseas to this day. Though the design is capable of automatic fire, most M14s assigned to individual riflemen possess a selector lock that renders them capable of single shots only. The M14A1 variant (originally designated the M14E2), issued to each U.S. infantry squad’s automatic rifleman, was capable of fully automatic fire and was equipped with a pistol grip (as opposed to the basic M14’s conventional rifle stock). Special Note: Removing this weapon’s selector lock requires 15 minutes and a successful Craft (Gunsmithing) skill check (DC 15).

Smith & Wesson Model 38 “Bodyguard” (USA): Designed for discreet carry, the Model 38 is a lightweight revolver featuring a shrouded hammer to avoid snagging the weapon on clothing during a draw from concealment. Caliber: .38 Special Ammunition Capacity: 5 Length: 6.25 in. Weight: 14.5 oz.

Assault Rifles Armalite AR-10 (USA): Designed as a proposed replacement for the M14 during the 1950s (see the next column), the AR-10 was too unconventional for the U.S. Army at the time. It abandoned traditional wood and steel construction in favor of plastic and alloys, and looked like something from a science fiction pulp magazine. The AR-

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new agent options Table 6.13: 1960 S Firearms Budget

Range

Qualities

Points

Recoil

Accuracy

Damage

Error

Threat

Increment Ammo

& Mods

Weight

Cost

—

2d4

1–2

—

2 lb.

$50

Beretta 1951R

—

1d10+1

1–2

FL, ST

2.9 lb.

Restricted

H&K VP70

—

1d10+1

BF*, MP

1.8 lb.

Restricted

SIG P-210

—

1d10+1

2 lb.

$105

Stechkin APS

—

2d4

1–2

MP, ST

2.7 lb.

Restricted

Weapon Name

Actual

Backup Pistols Nambu Type 14

Service Pistols

Backup Revolvers Colt Cobra

–1

1d8+1

—

0.7 lb.

$65

USAF model

–1

1d8+1

CP*

0.5 lb.

$325

Colt Detective Special

–1

1d8+1

—

1.2 lb.

$60

S&W Model 19

–1

3d4+1

19–20

—

$150

S&W Model 38

–1

1d8+1

0.9 lb.

$75

Assault Rifles Armalite AR-10

—

4d4+2

1–3

19–20

150

no burst

9.5 lb.

Restricted

Enfield EM-2

—

2d10

1–2

19–20

240

BP, DP,

7.5 lb.

Restricted

Kalashnikov AKM

—

3d6

19–20

150

DP, RG

7.5 lb.

Restricted

Springfield M14

—

4d4+2

1–2

19–20

150

DP,

8.7 lb.

Restricted

M14A2

—

4d4+2

1–2

19–20

150

DP, IN bipod

9.2 lb.

Restricted

Armalite AR-15

—

4d4

1–2

125

—

8.2 lb.

$245

Ruger 10/22

—

1d4+2

6 lb.

$70

Simonov SKS

—

3d6

19–20

200

DP, RG

8.5 lb.

$200

–2

1d10+1

1–2

20/30/40

CS, DP, DS

7 lb.

Restricted

9mm P

–1

1d10+1

1–2

CS, DS, no burst

7.9 lb.

Restricted

7.62¥25mm

–1

1d8+2

1–2

CS, DS, no burst

7.9 lb.

Restricted

–3

1d10+1

1–2

6.2 lb.

Restricted

IN optical sight

single shot only

Semi-Automatic Rifles

Submachineguns Beretta Model 12 MAT MAT-49

Walther MPK

* See weapon description for additional information.

Caliber: 7.62×51mm NATO Ammunition Capacity: 20 Length: 44.14 in. Weight: 139 oz.

Armalite AR-15 (USA): This civilian rifle is visually identical to the M16, its successor after the Army’s 1957 competition for an M14 replacement. It also sees law enforcement use as a sniper rifle — though the effectiveness of 5.56mm for one-shot kills is highly debated, the AR-15’s accuracy consistently puts rounds on target. The AR-15 can accept virtually all accessories and magazines produced for the M16. Special Note: Military AR-15s are capable of fully automatic fire, are classified as assault rifles, and are identical to the M16A1 for Spycraft game purposes. Caliber: 5.56×45mm NATO Ammunition Capacity: 30 Length: 39.37 in. Weight: 131 oz.

Semi-Automatic Rifles The semi-automatic rifle sub-category describes both military and civilian rifles with semi-automatic actions. Semi-automatic rifles may only be fired in single-shot mode unless otherwise specified. Accessories may be attached to a semi-automatic rifle’s barrel, grip, and rail mount only. Semi-automatic rifles possess the following common characteristics — Hrd 9, dmg threshold 4/8/12/15, Break DC 25, concealment DC 10.

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the 1960s New Gadgets

Ruger 10/22 (USA): An “instant classic” in the sport shooting community following its 1964 introduction, the 10/22 is the rifle with which many American boys learn to shoot in this decade, and is also popular among adults for hunting small game. It features a unique internal rotating magazine. Caliber: .22 LR Ammunition Capacity: 10 Length: 36 in. Weight: 98 oz.

The research and development teams of the 1960s may have had fewer tools at their disposal when creating gadgets to support their field agents, but they worked with the same fevered intensity as our modern gadgeteers. Players should remember that while the portable computer is still decades away for the public, the 1960s is the age of the SR71 ‘Blackbird’ and numerous other engineering feats that have yet to be surpassed. Armed only with visionary genius, slide-rules, and a need to keep their agents alive, the Agency’s R&D technicians bring many new devices to the table, as shown in the following sections.

Simonov SKS (USSR): Created in the final days of WWII, the SKS is licensed to many Soviet-friendly nations up to and during the 1960s, including China and most Eastern European countries. It’s widely regarded to be as reliable as its distant cousin, the AK-47. Caliber: 7.62×39mm Soviet Ammunition Capacity: 10 Length: 40 in. Weight: 136 oz.

New Attache’ Case Gadgets Collapsible Scooter: This heavy metal finish case unfolds into a working lightweight scooter. Gadget Point Cost: 2 GP Weight: 20 lb. Spot DC: 15 (obvious, experts only) Mechanics: This base attaché case unit may house no additional options. Expanding or collapsing this attaché case requires 1 full action. When expanded, it possesses the same statistics as a scooter/moped motorcycle (see the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 97).

Submachineguns Beretta Model 12 (Italy): This blowback-operated submachinegun entered production in 1959. It’s generally considered both reliable and aesthetically pleasing (for a firearm), and is in use by the Italian military and Carabineri (national police) throughout the 1960s, during which time it also sees strong Third World export sales. Caliber: 9mm P Ammunition Capacity: 20/30 (+1 BP)/40 (+2 BP) Length: 16.5 in. Weight: 113 oz.

Seismic Detection Unit: This heavy duty attaché case contains a seismometer that can be used to track moving vehicles, individuals, or objects, comparing the vibration patterns with those of the surrounding terrain. Gadget Point Cost: +2 Weight: +5 lbs Spot DC: –5 Mechanics: This attaché gadget takes up 1 option slot. Setting this device up requires 5 full rounds. An agent using the device gains a +5 circumstance bonus with Surveillance and Spot checks made to locate any moving person, object, or vehicle weighing 500 lbs. or more within G mile radius of his current position. Further, the agent may use this device to calibrate the device to track the seismic trail of 1 specific vehicle. This requires a successful Knowledge (Geology) or Knowledge (Physical Sciences) check (DC 15), after which the agent gains a +8 gear bonus with Surveillance and Spot checks made to track the designated target. In all cases, the seismic detection unit must be stationary when in use to provide any benefit.

MAT MAT-49 (France/Vietnam): Originally produced in post-WWII France, the MAT-49 is common throughout the former French colonies in Africa and Indo-China in the 1960s. During the Vietnam conflict, North Vietnamese forces make extensive use of MAT-49s rechambered to fire the 7.62×25mm ammunition used in 1930s-vintage Soviet Tokarev pistols. Caliber: 9mm P, 7.62×25mm Soviet Ammunition Capacity: 32 (9mm P)/35 (7.62×25mm Soviet) Length: 15.9 in. Weight: 127 oz. Walther MPK (West Germany): This submachinegun was produced for the West German military, but was never adopted by that force. It saw limited use with U.S. Navy SEAL teams in Vietnam, and was purchased by the Mexican military and police in large quantities. Caliber: 9mm P Ammunition Capacity: 32 Length: 14.7 in. Weight: 99 oz.

New Clothing Gadgets Special Note: All standard clothing gadgets may be requisitioned as any basic clothing type costing 5 BP or less. When an agent wishes to requisition a standard clothing gadget as a basic clothing type costing 6 BP or more, he must pay the clothing type’s cost minus 5, in addition to the gadget’s GP cost.

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new agent options Instant Costume Change: Using a ripcord or tearaway patches, this outfit quickly shifts appearance in mere seconds, making it ideal for a quick escape or a dramatic outfit change in front of an adoring public. Gadget Point Cost: +1 GP Weight: Per base clothing Spot DC: +0 (obvious) Mechanics: This clothing gadget takes up 1 option slot. As a free action, the clothing switches from any one basic clothing type (poor, average, fatigues, trendy, or designer) to any other basic clothing type, or the same basic clothing type with a different look. If the new clothing type typically costs more than 5 BP, the agent must pay the difference between the clothing into which this gadget option is installed and the new clothing type. If an agent wearing this device when being pursued can slip out of sight during the duration of his initiative count, he gains a +4 gear bonus with Hide and Cultures checks made to elude his pursuers. If an agent wearing this device possesses the quick change class ability, he may use this device to gain 1 additional use of the class ability per session.

Gadget Point Cost: 1 per 5 bills Weight: — Spot DC: 25 Mechanics: This base currency gadget may house no additional options. This gadget is available in any paper currency denomination. Each bill is delivered sealed in plastic. For 6 hours after each bill is removed, it coats anything it contacts with a dye visible only with the special gadget classes included in this package. The level of ambient light has no effect on the agent’s ability to see these trace marks. Any surface coated by the bill remains ‘wet’ for up to 4 hours, during which it may coat other surfaces (thus, an agent could slip a bill to a target, who may then open a secret door, leaving behind handprints at the location).

Hat Gadgets Standard Hat: Disguised as a normal hat in any of several styles, this housing is easily overlooked as a hiding place for high-tech devices. Gadget Point Cost: 1 Weight: 1 lb. Spot DC: 20 (experts only) Mechanics: This base hat unit operates as a standard headset radio (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 128), and may house up to 2 additional options.

Reinforced Collar: For the truly paranoid assassination target… Gadget Point Cost: +1 GP Weight: Per base clothing Spot DC: +0 Mechanics: This clothing gadget takes up 1 option slot. This option may only be installed into clothing with a collar. When wearing gadget clothing with this option, the agent gains a +1 gear bonus to Defense against grappling attacks and a +2 gear bonus with all skill checks made to oppose a grapple (the latter bonus increases to +4 if the attacker uses a garrote).

Spinning Blade: This aerodynamic weapon is concealed within the lining of the hat’s rim. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: +1 lb. Spot DC: +0 (obvious) Mechanics: This hat gadget takes up 1 option slot. This hat operates like a chakram with the lethal tuning, expert craftsmanship, and composite body masterwork modifications (see the Modern Arms Guide, pages 17 and 42).

New Covert Gadgets Lockpick Pen: When pulled apart, this pen reveals a set of finely crafted lockpicks. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: — Spot DC: 25 Mechanics: This base pen gadget may house no additional options. This gadget operates like a lockpicking kit, except that it not only cancels the penalty for not possessing a kit, it also grants a +2 gear bonus with all Open Locks checks made with it.

Shield Fedora: A lightweight liquid metal is interlaced within this hat’s fabric. When exposed to a low-level electric charge, this metal hardens into a small shield with a handle. Gadget Point Cost: +1 Weight: +2 lbs. Spot DC: +0 (super-science, obvious) Mechanics: This hat gadget takes up 2 option slots. When activated, this hat grants a +1 gear bonus to Defense. The hat possesses a hardness of 8 with 25 wounds and a Break DC of 18 when active. Once active, the hat may not be returned to its starting state.

New Currency Gadgets Blacklight Bills: Each of these legitimate bills has been laced with a compound that rubs off on anyone handling the bill, and onto any surface into which the bill comes in contact. When an area is viewed with a special set of shades (provided with this gadget), the bill — and any surface touched by it or anyone who’s touched it — is obvious.

Explosive Hat: For those who wish to tip their hats for the evening in style… and with a bang! Gadget Point Cost: +1 Weight: As per hat Spot DC: 20 (expert only, obvious)

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the 1960s Mechanics: This hat gadget takes up 1 option slot. This hat operates like a fragmentation grenade with a damage of 2d12 and a blast increment of 5 ft. If installed into the same hat as the spinning blade option (see page 171), its range increment becomes equal to that of a chakram and it may be imbedded into any surface it’s capable of penetrating (according to the rules for striking an object — see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 168).

Dead Man’s Hand: Any number of cards in this deck can be laced with contact poison to be activated at a critical time during the game. Gadget Point Cost: 1 per 3 poisoned cards Weight: — Spot DC: 15 Mechanics: This base playing card gadget may house no additional options. When the upper right corner of any card in this deck is rubbed three times in rapid succession, it secretes either a contact or paralytic poison (chosen by the agent when the gadget deck is requisitioned). In order to activate one of these cards while under observation, the agent must succeed with a Sleight of Hand check opposed by the viewers’ Spot skills.

New Playing Card Gadgets Dealer’s Choice: These cards allow a dealer to control the cards dealt to himself and to each player. Gadget Point Cost: 2 Weight: — Spot DC: 30 Mechanics: This base playing card gadget may house no additional options. When the agent uses these cards in conjunction with a pair of glasses also provided in this gadget package, he gains a +5 gear bonus with all skill checks made to gamble using them (see page 176). The agent must be mindful of observant and experienced gamblers, however — the error ranges of all skill checks made to notice that the agent is cheating are increased by 2.

New Ring Gadgets Standard Garrote Ring: This gadget is perfect for those occasions when you need to smuggle a weapon into a highly secure compound, consisting of a high-tension wire coiled beneath a false face of the agent’s choice. Gadget Point Cost: 1 Weight: — Spot DC: 25 Mechanics: This base ring gadget may house up to 1 additional option. When its hidden switch is activated, the agent may spend 1 half action drawing the time-setting wheel out from the housing to reveal an 18-in. wire. Once drawn, this weapon operates like a garrote.

Bicycle Doom: These cards instantly transform into throwing stars. Gadget Point Cost: 3 Weight: — Spot DC: 25 Mechanics: This base playing card gadget may house no additional options. By placing the Ace of Spades on the top of the deck and tapping once, each of these 54 cards — 52 standard cards plus 2 jokers — becomes a standard shuriken (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 54). After this transformation, the cards appear like shuriken (their edges having fallen away to reveal lethal sharpened edges), and may no longer be used to game.

New Shoe Gadgets Auto-Balance Shoes: Using sophisticated electro-muscle stimulators strapped to the agent’s leg and attached to sole-mounted sensors that monitor the nature of the agent’s current footing, these shoes allow an agent to retain his balance even on the most unstable surfaces. Gadget Point Cost: +2 Weight: +1 lb Spot DC: –10 (super-science) Mechanics: This shoe gadget takes up 1 option slot. Its wearer gains a +3 gear bonus with all Balance checks. Further, he may attempt to retain his balance on any nonvertical surface, even one typically disallowed by the standard movement or climbing rules.

Call the Bluff Deck: The cards picks up fingerprints as well as biorhythms. Gadget Point Cost: 3 Weight: — Spot DC: 25 Mechanics: This base playing card gadget may house no additional options. The cards in this deck record the fingerprints of anyone holding them, for later comparison to Agency and INTERPOL records. Further, they measure temperature and heart rate, granting anyone who knows how to read the subtle “mood ring”-style shifts on their backs a +4 gear modifier when resisting Bluff checks made by anyone holding them.

“It’s Gotta Be The Shoes!”: Powerful miniaturized springs and energy-absorbent plastics give these shoes that extra lift! Gadget Point Cost: +1 GP Weight: — Spot DC: +0 Mechanics: This shoe gadget takes up 1 option slot. Its wearer gains a +4 gear bonus with all Jump checks. When the wearer makes a running jump, all standard height restrictions are tripled.

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new agent options

Standard Welcome Mat: Know who’s knocking at the door without leaving the safety of your well-hidden laboratory! Gadget Point Cost: 1 GP per 5-ft. square coverage Weight: — Spot DC: 25 (experts only) Mechanics: This base welcome mat gadget may house up to 3 additional options. When anyone or anything weighing more than 20 lbs. steps on or is placed upon this mat, a silent alarm is triggered inside the house. If the agent requisitions surveillance gear separately and mounts it near this gadget, the items may be linked, activating the surveillance gear when the alarm is triggered.

New Weapon Gadgets Crossbow Bracer: This device straps a crossbow to the agent’s arm in such a way that it’s hidden from view. The crossbow is activated when the agent flexes his forearm or elbow in a fashion agreed upon when the gadget is requisitioned. Gadget Point Cost: 2 GP Weight: 2 lb. Spot DC: 25 (obvious). Mechanics: This gadget operates like a standard crossbow with an ammunition capacity of 2.

New Weapon Enhancements Explosive Option: This mat may detonate by pressure relay trigger, sending bits of rubber and metal shrapnel flying up at the agent’s guests. Gadget Point Cost: +2 GP per 5-ft. square coverage Weight: — Spot DC: +0 Mechanics: This welcome mat gadget takes up 1 option slot. When active, anyone or anything weighing more than 20 lbs. triggers the mat when stepping or placed upon it. If the mat is linked to another gadget option in this book that provides the agent within the house a chance to recognize his visitor, this gadget may alternately be triggered with a half action. When triggered, this mat operates like 2 sticks of dynamite per 5-ft. square coverage.

Mercy Edge: The melee weapon provides the agent with the option of taking some opponents prisoner instead of killing them. Gadget Point Cost: +1 GP Weight: — Spot DC: 20 (experts only) Mechanics: The weapon is redesigned to include both killing and blunted surfaces. It may be used to inflict either subdual or normal damage at no penalty. The agent must declare the type of damage he intends to inflict before he makes each attack roll.

Welcome Mat Gadgets The ubiquitous welcome mat provides a handy place for agents to wipe their shoes… and to prepare little surprises for unwelcome visitors…

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the 1960s Shoe Scanner: Superspies and their enemies often have distinctive footgear. This gadget scans the footwear of any visitor for internal shoe gadgets and also compares visitors’ footprints to a database compiled by the agent for possible identification purposes. Gadget Point Cost: +2 Weight: — Spot DC: 35 (super-science) Mechanics: This welcome mat gadget takes up 1 option slot and identifies any gadgets housed within the shoes of those standing upon it for 1 round or more, sending this information to a video monitor mounted inside the agent’s house. Further, the agent or his R&D division may program the mat’s database to recognize up to 20 unique or near-unique footprints — based on footgear and footgear wear, weight distribution, and motion — sending this information along with any gadget data. Programming an identification pattern requires an ink or plaster cast of the target’s common footprint.

shoes, injecting 1 dose of a poison requisitioned separately by the agent. If the visitor’s shoes are armored, the mat automatically hits, inflicting 1d6 damage for the purpose of bypassing the visitor’s damage reduction only (the visitor suffers no damage from this attack, even if it bypasses his armor), injecting the poison if it pierces the visitor’s shoe armor.

New Vehicular Gadgets Rail Wheels: These fold-out wheels allow a car or truck to travel on railway tracks as a train. Gadget Point cost: 1 Option Slots: 1 Spot DC: 15 (obvious) Mechanics: This gadget may be requisitioned for any Large or Huge car or truck (vehicles of other sizes can’t accommodate the limits of the rails). Activating or deactivating this gadget requires 2 half actions, after which the vehicle may travel along railroad tracks at its full speed (though with a handling penalty of –4). This gadget may only be activated when the vehicle is resting parallel along the railroad tracks to be traveled.

Sticky Option: Make sure no one plays “ding-dongdash” again! Gadget Point Cost: +1 GP per 5-ft. square coverage Weight: — Spot DC: +0 Mechanics: This welcome mat gadget takes up 1 option slot. When active, anyone or anything weighing more than 20 lbs. becomes adhered to the mat when stepping or placed upon it. If the mat is linked to another gadget option in this book that provides the agent within the house a chance to recognize his visitor, this gadget may alternately be activated with 1 half action. This gadget’s adhesive lasts for 2d6 rounds, during which a successful Strength or Escape Artist check (DC 25) is required to break the person or object free. While adhered, a character suffers a –4 gear penalty with Reflex saves and to Defense.

‘Urban Camouflage’: Most superspies prefer to drive, fly, dive, or burrow the latest and shiniest of their R&D division’s creations, but on occasion it’s best to keep a low profile, most commonly when moving casually through urban areas. This upgrade hides all the power of the agent’s favorite vehicle in a humble, neglected shell. Gadget Point Cost: 2 GP Spot DC: 25 (experts only) Mechanics: This upgrade grants the camouflage (CMF) vehicle quality within urban environments to any vehicle (see the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 78, for details about this vehicular gadget). Further, when this vehicle is used to launch a chase, the agent may adjust the initial lead by up to 4 in either direction (up or down, to a minimum of 1 or maximum of 30), representing how others underestimate the vehicle. This initial lead bonus applies only during the first chase with any one opponent (he won’t be fooled by the same vehicle a second time).

Poison Option: Several clumps of needles can telescope up out of this mat, piercing the shoes of a visitor and injecting poison into his system. Gadget Point Cost: +1 GP per 5-ft. square coverage + poison Weight: — Spot DC: +0 Mechanics: This welcome mat gadget takes up 1 option slot. When active, anyone or anything weighing more than 20 lbs. triggers the mat when stepping or placed upon it. If the mat is linked to another gadget option in this book that provides the agent within the house a chance to recognize his visitor, this gadget may alternately be triggered with a half action. When triggered, the gadget automatically pierces any unarmored

Wake Baffler (Water Vehicles Only): Placed around a boat motor’s propeller, this gadget substantially reduces the vehicle’s wake, making the boat nearly invisible to audio and sonar detection. Gadget Point Cost: 1 Spot DC: 5 Mechanics: Anyone attempting to locate the vehicle using sonar or the Listen skill suffers a –5 gear penalty with their skill check.

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“Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you.” - Premier Nikita Khrushchev

new rules

the 1960s

Introduction

In all cases, when a third party manages or participates in a game (such as in the case of a dealer), he is referred to within these rules as the game runner. Special Note: These rules are intended to offer cinematic role-playing opportunities in a rough simulation of gambling rather than roll-playing opportunities. Given the intricacies of true gambling situations, it would be difficult to accurately depict all the probabilities here. Instead, we present miniature systems that give PCs the chance to subtly affect the outcome of their gambling experiences while taunting, sweet-talking, or otherwise interacting with their opponents. With this in mind, the GC is recommended to use these rules in concert with disposition, interpersonal skill, and other mechanics. In all cases, intermediate gambling outcomes (such as card hands) are included only as game elements — only the finished outcomes should be considered literal depictions of the outcomes at the gambling table.

Espionage in the 1960s has a distinctly different feel than it does in the early 21st century. The tools are simpler, the battle lines are clearer, and the pace of life is a bit more relaxed. Some have called the 1960s “the golden age of spying,” when civilized espionage was in vogue. This chapter provides new rules to help Game Controls set the tone of their 1960s campaign, including tools for facing stress that could break even the toughest agent, indulging in the finer points of the gambling high life, becoming the handler for one or more long-term contacts, and the finer points of seduction, one of a superspy’s greatest weapons — especially in an era when he can’t rely on computers and cell phones. Further, this chapter includes new threat agendas and NPC classes to help quickly launch serials, fleshing out the ranks of criminal empires, rival espionage organizations, and even the notquite-typical man on the street. Special Note: While specifically tailored for the 1960s, the mechanics in this chapter can largely be ported into Spycraft games set in the modern day or another time period with relatively little effort.

Example: When playing poker, an agent’s gambling result indicates that he possesses three of a kind. He cheats to improve his hand to a straight. Only the straight result stands — the agent’s previous hand is assumed to have been something which he could logically upgrade to a straight.

Game Descriptions

Gambling Revisited

After the general summary of each gambling game are several mechanics, as follows. Round: This entry shows the amount of time required to play a single game of this type. Playing the Game: This entry describes the game’s objective and winning conditions. System: This entry details how to play a round of this game.

One of the hallmark locations of classic espionage cinema is the casino, within which high-class socialites rub elbows with debonair superspies and fortunes hinge on the fateful turn of a card or roll of the dice. These rules greatly expand upon the basic mechanics presented in the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, and if used, take precedence over them.

176

new rules Payouts: This entry states the agent’s return on his investment should he win one round. All payouts are presented in the format “X:1”, where “X” is the number by which the agent’s bet is multiplied to calculate his winnings.

If the agent scores a critical success with an opposed check made to bluff, then each opponent in turn falls victim to the agent’s optimum Bluff result unless the opponent scores a critical success with an equal or higher result as part of the opposed skill check. If the agent scores a critical failure with this opposed check, each of his opponents knows that he’s bluffing and gains a +2 morale bonus with all skill checks made during the rest of the current gambling round.

Example: Donovan bets $50 during a round of a game with a 2:1 payout. If he wins the round, he gains $100. More Than Luck: Agents are luckier than most regular people, and there are many ways they can hedge their bets. This entry states which of these techniques the agent may use to manipulate the game. See below for specifics concerning each of these techniques. Variants: This entry explains any variant rules that may modify the game as presented.

Cheating Cheating is dangerous, but can dramatically swing the odds in the agent’s favor. The agent makes a Sleight of Hand check opposed by the Sense Motive or Spot skills of each opponent and each game runner (each opponent and game runner opposes the agent with the skill of his choice). The GC may also allow onlookers not involved in the game to make the same opposed skill check against the agent as well. If the agent’s Sleight of Hand check is successful against all opposed skill checks, the agent may change the result of 1 die rolled in secret as part of his most recent gambling check to any result possible on the die. The agent may not cheat to change the result of any die once he makes the next gambling check, nor to change the result of any die rolled in the open (unless he scores a critical success).

Rolling the Dice Certain special types of die rolls are required to simulate the probabilities of popular gambling games, as follows. d37: Roll 1d4–1 to represent the tens digit, and 1d10 to represent the ones digit. A result of 00 is read as ‘0’ and results of 37, 38, and 39 are re-rolled. Open Rolls: Open rolls must be made in sight of all other players participating in a game. These rolls frequently represent cards being dealt face up. Open rolls may not normally be altered or re-rolled using actions found in the More Than Luck section (see below). Secret Rolls: Secret rolls should be rolled out of sight from all opponents (though the Game Control may rule that he should see all dice regardless). These rolls typically represent cards being dealt face down.

Example: While playing poker, Donovan rolls 5d6, scoring four 6s and a 1, enough for a full house. Suspecting that his opponent can beat this hand, he makes a Sleight of Hand check. The poker table’s runner, each other player, and each onlooker opposes his result with either a Sense Motive or Spot check (their choice). If Donovan’s opposed Sleight of Hand check succeeds, he may change the 1 he rolled to a 6, managing a royal flush!

More Than Luck Many games of chance are also tests of will and guile, and the following methods may be used to apply an agent’s skills to improve his chance of winning. The following options may only be used when they appear in the More Than Luck entry of a game’s description (see above). Each may be used only once per game, unless specified otherwise.

Critical Success: The agent may change the results of any number of dice rolled as part of his most recent gambling check to any result possible on each of those dice, or he may change the result of any one die rolled in the open as part of his most recent gambling check to any result possible on that die. Critical Failure: Each character opposing the agent’s Sleight of Hand check knows that he’s cheating unless the character scores a critical failure with a lower result.

Bluffing The agent attempts to intimidate his opponents into believing that he has a better (or worse) hand than the rest of them. The agent decides upon an optimum Bluff result that applies to all other players in the gambling round (e.g. all other players backing out of the round or all players raising the bet). He then makes a Bluff check opposed by the Sense Motive skills of each opponent in turn. Anyone who loses this opposed check to the player suffers a –2 morale penalty with all gambling-related skill checks made during the rest of the current gambling round.

English When the agent plays a game in which he throws dice or hits a ball, he may attempt to put a spin on them to improve his chances. The agent must declare that he’s using English before he rolls the dice to determine the gambling round’s result. After making his standard gambling check, the agent makes a Sleight of Hand check (DC 20), whether his gambling check was successful or not. If the Sleight of Hand check is successful, the agent may re-

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the 1960s roll any number of dice rolled as part of the gambling check, accepting the second result even if it’s worse than the first. If the Sleight of Hand check fails, the agent must re-roll one die of his choice, even if re-rolling that die may cause him to lose the gambling round.

Example: Over the course of an evening, Donovan suffers three critical failures when attempting to nudge die rolls. All opponents who have not remained away from games against him for 1 hour or longer gain a +6 circumstance bonus with skill checks made to oppose Donovan’s attempts to cheat or to spot him cheating.

Example: When making a billiards shot, Donovan decides to put English on his first shot. His Hobby (Gambling) check results in a failure, but his Sleight of Hand check scores a result of 22. This allows him to re-roll his Hobby (Gambling) check, at which point he scores a success.

Read Hand The agent can always attempt to gain an advantage by sneaking a look at an opponent’s hand. During each gambling round, the agent may choose up to a number of opponents equal to H his Wisdom modifier (rounded down, minimum 1). For each opponent targeted, the GC makes a Sense Motive check for the agent which is opposed by the target’s Bluff skill. With success, the GC tells the agent the result of any dice the target has rolled in secret. Critical Success: The GC tells the agent the numbers on each of the target’s dice. Critical Failure: The GC gives the agent a false hand total.

Example 2: Feeling lucky, Donovan decides to put English on his second billiards shot as well. His Hobby (Gambling) check is successful, so he didn’t need to put English on the ball. Since he did, he must make a Sleight of Hand check, scoring a result of 18. The Sleight of Hand check fails, so Donovan must re-roll his Hobby (Gambling) check. This second check result is a failure, and the English causes him to miss his shot. Critical Success: The agent may re-roll any number of dice rolled as part of the gambling check a second time, after applying the result of a standard success as described above. He must accept the third result, even if it’s worse than the first. Critical Failure: The agent’s opponent may re-roll any number of dice rolled as part of the gambling check, as described above. (Even under these circumstances, it’s possible the agent will win the gambling round — dice fall in unexpected ways and balls sometimes seem to defy physics).

Competitive Games Competitive gambling pits the players against one another in a battle of skill, psychology, and luck. Three competitive games are detailed here — billiards, chemin de fer, and poker.

Billiards In the most common form of billiards, “8 Ball,” 14 of the 15 balls on the table are split between 2 players (usually according to the first ball pocketed during each round). The 15th ‘8-ball’ is always saved for last, and offers an ‘instant lose’ condition for anyone pocketing it before he’s pocketed all his other balls. Round: 20 minutes. Playing the Game: The first player to clear his 7 balls and sink the 8-ball wins. System: At the beginning of each billiards round, both players agree upon a wager amount and randomly determine who ‘breaks’ (goes first). The breaking player makes a Hobby (Gambling) check (DC 15). With a success, he sinks 1 ball + 1 additional ball per 10 by which he beats the DC (i.e. 2 balls with a result of 25, 3 balls with a result of 35, etc.), and makes another Hobby (Gambling) check with the same conditions. He continues to make Hobby (Gambling) checks until he sinks 7 balls, at which time he must call and make his final shot (see the next page). If at any time the active player fails a Hobby (Gambling) check, his opponent begins the same process, relinquishing control of the table to the first player if he fails any of his Hobby (Gambling) checks, and so on.

Nudge Savvy gamblers have a knack for shifting the odds slightly in their favor, without resorting to outright cheating. Nudging in a card game is often a matter of counting cards, a practice frowned upon by casinos. After the agent is entitled to roll one or more dice (e.g. in a card game, after the initial draw or during the deal phase), he may make a Hobby (Gambling) check (DC 20). With success, he may increase or decrease the result of one of those dice by 1 (e.g. he may change a 4 into a 3 or a 5). Critical Success: The agent may increase or decrease the result of one of those dice by up to 2 (e.g. he may change a 4 into a 2, 3, 5, or a 6). Critical Failure: Each of the agent’s opponents and the game runner (if one is present) suspects the agent of cheating, but can prove nothing for now. Each gains a circumstance bonus with skill checks made to oppose the agent’s attempts to cheat or spot the agent cheating equal to 2 × the number of critical failures the agent has suffered while attempting to nudge die rolls. This modifier is lost once the agent’s opponents have not played the agent for at least 1 hour.

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new rules Threat: The active player sets up a nice ball pattern for himself, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus on his next Hobby (Gambling) check made during the same round, plus an additional +2 per 10 by which he beats the DC (i.e. +4 with a result of 25, +6 with a result of 35, etc.). Critical Success: The active player pockets 2 balls instead of 1 per 10 by which he beats the DC (i.e. 3 balls with a result of 25, 5 balls with a result of 35, etc.). Error: The active player pockets one of his opponent’s balls and control of the table automatically switches to the active player’s opponent. Critical Failure: The active player pockets the final ball, losing the game.

In another billiards variant, three or more players divide the balls evenly (or failing that division, by giving one or more players a handicap), dropping the called shot at the end if necessary to evenly divide the balls. Play proceeds between the players as described. In this variant, the payoff becomes 3:1 for three players, 4:1 for four players, and so on.

Chemin De Fer This competitive variant of baccarat is widely popular in European casinos. Unlike its counterpart, chemin de fer pits players against one another, with any of them in the role of banker. Players bid for control of the bank at the beginning of the game, with the high bidder becoming the banker (“Banco”) and covering all bank bets with his own money. All other players become ‘punters’ (“Punto”), betting against the dealer in a race to score 9. In honor of its roots, Chemin de Fer tends to be played entirely in French. Round: 5 minutes. Playing the Game: Chemin de fer is similar to blackjack in that all players are trying to score a set number (in this case, 9). When playing chemin de fer, suits and face cards are ignored and aces are valued at 1. Also, if any player’s score rises to 10 or higher, the tens digit is dropped (e.g. a score of 12 becomes a 2, a score of 15 becomes 5, etc.). The player with the score closest to 9 at the end of the game wins. System: The game begins with players bidding for the right to play the bank. The highest bidder wins, his bid becoming the bank, and all other players become punters. Play continues with each punter placing bets against the bank, beginning with the player to the banker’s left, until all punters have bet or the amount in the bank is covered. A punter may call “Banco,” meaning that he will cover the entire bank, and play one-on-one against the banker.

Example: Donovan breaks. He makes a Hobby (Gambling) check and score a result of 23, beating the DC of 15 by enough to pocket 1 ball. He then makes another Hobby (Gambling) check, scoring a result of 13. His second shot goes wide and his turn ends. Play goes to his opponent, who makes a Hobby (Gambling) check, scoring a result of 36. This is enough to pocket 3 balls! Fortunately for Donovan, his opponent only scores a result of 9 with his second shot, and Donovan regains control of the table… Once a player clears all 7 of his balls from the table, he must call his final shot in order to win (i.e. name a pocket into which he’ll sink the 8 ball). The player makes another Hobby (Gambling) check, this time with a DC equal to 10 + his opponent’s total Hobby (Gambling) skill bonus. Further, the player’s error range with this check is increased by his opponent’s standard threat range with Hobby (Gambling) checks (to a maximum error range increase of 10). If the player’s check is successful, he wins. With failure, he misses his shot and control of the table passes on to his opponent. With an error, he sinks the 8 ball in the wrong pocket and loses the game. Example: Having pocketed all 7 of his balls, Donovan calls a pocket. His opponent possesses a Hobby (Gambling) skill bonus of +9 with a threat range of 19–20. Donovan’s DC becomes 19 and his error range is increased by 2.

Example: Donovan sits down to a game of chemin de fer with three other players. He wins the bid to become the bank at $1,000. His $1,000 becomes the banker and the other players become punters. At the beginning of the first round, the punter to Donovan’s left bets $600 and the second bets $400. The bet is now equal to the bank, so bidding stops and play begins.

Payouts: The winner of a billiards game receives a 2:1 payout. More Than Luck: Bluff, English, nudge. Variants: In 9-Ball, only 9 balls are used and both players race to pocket balls 1–8 from lowest number to highest, then sink the 9 ball to win. The mechanics for this version of billiards are unchanged, except that neither player may attempt to sink the 9 ball until all the other 8 balls are pocketed. Also, if any player’s first Hobby (Gambling) check after taking control of the table results in a critical success, he bounces the cue ball off the lowest-numbered ball on the table to pocket the 9 ball, immediately winning the round.

After the bids equal or exceed the bank, the banker deals two hands — one to himself and one for all the punters — each consisting of 2 cards. The banker and the punter with the most money invested each roll 1d12 for each card, one in the open and one in secret. The die roll results determine the cards dealt, as follows. Result 1–9 10–12

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Score Per result 0

Card Dealt Numbered card, as rolled (1 = ace) Face card or 10

the 1960s Current Result 16 or less 17–18 19–20 20–21 22–23 24–25 26–27 28–29 30

If the total score of a player’s hand is exactly 8 or 9 (after the scores of both dice are added together), the player scores a “natural” (an automatic win similar to a 21 in Blackjack — see page 180). A natural 9 beats a natural 8. If the total score of a player’s hand is higher than 9, the tens digit is dropped (e.g. a score of 12 becomes a 2, a score of 15 becomes 5, etc.). The banker or the punters may roll an additional 1d12 in the open if they wish. The game then ends, with the score closest to 9 winning. In all cases — including naturals — ties result in no winner. Play continues into a new round with new bets. The banker remains the banker unless the bank is emptied or he chooses to withdraw at the end of a round, at which time the privilege of becoming the banker passes to the player on his right. Payouts: When the punters win, each punter receives a payout equal to the amount he bet that round, paid out of the bank. When the banker wins, he collects the punters’ money, adding it to the bank (his funds). When chemin de fer is played at a casino, the house usually collects 5% of the banker’s winnings at the end of each round (casinos rarely collect any part of the punters’ winnings). More Than Luck: The banker may attempt the bluff, cheat, and nudge actions, while the punters may only attempt the bluff and nudge actions. Variants: It is commonly accepted practice for onlookers to bet on the banker, the punters, or a tie, with all such bets paying out at 2:1 except in the case of ties, which yield either 8:1 or 9:1, depending on the house standard.

Hand Nothing One Pair Two Pair Three of a Kind Straight Flush Full House Four of a Kind Straight Flush

Phase 3 — Bet: Once all players have a chance to see their hands, they bet. The player to the dealer’s left bets first, setting the minimum bet for the phase. Beginning with the next player to the dealer’s left, each remaining player may in turn raise (increase the bet for this phase), call (pay in the current bet to stay in the game), or fold (pull out of the game for the remainder of the current gambling round). Betting continues until all players still in the game have paid in the current bet. There are three betting variations — limit (no single bet may exceed a specified limit — for example, 10 chips), pot-limit (the maximum bet for the phase may not exceed the number of chips in the pot at the time of the bet), and no-limit (the players may bet to the extent of their resources). The type of bets allowed is announced before betting begins. Phase 4 — Draw: Each player draws (choosing and re-rolling any number of dice in his current hand). Phase 5 — Bet: All players remaining in the game bet a second time as described in Phase 3. Phase 6 — Call: Once the Phase 5 betting ends, the game is over. If all but one player folded, that player takes the pot; otherwise, the remaining players reveal their results to determine a winner. If two or more players exactly tie (having rolled the same result), they evenly split the pot. Payouts: The player with the highest result wins all the chips in the pot. When played at a formal casino, the house usually collects 5% of the winnings at the end of each round. More Than Luck: Bluff, cheat, nudge, read hand. Variants: There are several major poker variants, each adhering to the standard poker rules with the following exceptions. 7-Card: Each player receives seven cards and keeps the five he likes best to form his final hand. In this variant, each player rolls 6d6 instead of 5d6, keeping the 5 dice he likes best during Phase 6. Stud: Each player is dealt seven cards over the course of the round, the first one or two of which are dealt face up. These face-up cards may not be discarded. In this variant, each player rolls either 1d6 (if playing one-card stud) or 2d6 (if playing two-card stud) out in the open during Phase 2. These dice may not be re-rolled or changed in any way.

Poker Poker is a winner-takes-all card game in which players bet that their hands will beat all contenders. Experts consider it a game of psychology and calculation rather than chance, factors taken into consideration by the More Than Luck section seen on page 177. Round: 5 minutes. Playing the Game: The object of poker is to possess the highest valued hand at the end of each round. The game proceeds through a number of steps that allow players to attempt to out-bluff, out-bid, and out-play their opponents until the round is called and ends. System: Before each game, the players mutually decide upon the basic bet value — this becomes the basic ‘chip’ for the game (i.e. when the basic bet value is $5, each chip is worth $5). The game then proceeds in 6 phases, as follows. Phase 1 — Ante: The game begins with an ante, in which each player puts one chip into the pot. Phase 2 — Deal: All players roll 5d6 in secret. Their total result determines their hand, as follows.

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new rules Texas: Each player is dealt two cards, with five additional cards dealt face-up on the table over the course of the gambling round, the last one after all bets are finalized. In this variant, each player rolls 3d6 instead of 5d6 during Phase 2. Each player rolls an additional 1d6 during Phase 4 and a final 1d6 during Phase 6.

In all cases — including naturals — ties result in no winner. Play continues into a new round with new bets. Payouts: If the player places a bet on himself and he wins, or if he places a bet on the dealer and the dealer wins, he receives a 2:1 payout. If the player bets on a tie and the dealer and player tie, he receives a 9:1 payout. More Than Luck: Baccarat is tightly controlled by the casinos where it’s played. Players may only call upon the nudge action.

House Games Instead of pitting the players against one another, the following games pit the players against the house (which is run by the GC). House games are typically dictated by luck rather than skill. Four competitive games are detailed here — baccarat, blackjack, craps, and roulette.

Blackjack In this widely played card game, players compete against the house in a race to score as close to 21 as possible without going over (a.k.a. ‘going bust’). Round: 1 minute. Playing the Game: Each player is dealt two cards. Face cards are counted as 10 and aces are counted as 1 or 11, as desired. Each player may choose to stand (keep his score) or hit (take another card) until he stands or busts. The player with the score closest to 21 without going bust at the end of the game wins. System: The game begins with each player placing a bet up to the house limit. The dealer then gives each player a hand consisting of 2 cards. Each player rolls 2d12 in the open, while the dealer rolls 1d12 in the open and 1d12 in secret. The die roll results determine the cards dealt, as follows.

Baccarat The true origins of this table game are lost to time, but are thought to rest with the 19th Century French game vingt-et-un (“twenty-one”), the forefather of modern blackjack. In what is widely considered one of the simplest card games in existence, players race to score as close to 9 as possible with two-card hands and regimented third-card rules. Round: 5 minutes. Playing the Game: Baccarat is similar to blackjack in that all players are trying to score a set number (in this case, 9). When playing baccarat, suits and face cards are ignored and aces are valued at 1. Also, if any player’s score rises to 10 or higher, the left digit is dropped (e.g. a score of 12 becomes a 2, a score of 15 becomes 5, etc.). The player with the score closest to 9 at the end of the game wins. Unlike chemin de fer, players may not choose whether they receive a third card — instead, they follow strict rules for doing so. System: The game begins with players placing bets either on their own hand, the dealer’s hand, or a tie. The dealer then gives each player a hand consisting of 2 cards. Each player rolls 2d12 in the open. The die roll results determine the cards dealt, as follows. Result 1–9 10–12

Score Per result 0

Result Score 1 1 or 11* 2–9 Per result 10–12 10 * Player’s choice.

Card Dealt Ace Numbered card, as rolled Face card or 10

If the total score of a player’s hand is exactly 21 (after the scores of both dice are added together), the player scores a “blackjack” (an automatic win). After the players see their initial dice rolls, each may choose to hit (roll an additional 1d12 in the open, adding the result to his current score) or stand (keeping his current total). The dealer has no choice in the matter — so long as his score remains 16 or less, he must continue to hit. When all players have either stayed or gone bust (exceeded 21), the game ends. If a player with a total of 21 or less beats the dealer’s score, he wins; otherwise, the house wins. In all cases — including naturals — ties result in no winner. Play continues into a new round with new bets. Payouts: The winning player receives a 2:1 payout, unless he scores a blackjack, in which case he receives a payout of 2H:1 instead. More Than Luck: Nudge.

Card Dealt Numbered card, as rolled (1 = ace) Face card or 10

If the total score of a player’s hand is exactly 8 or 9 (after the scores of both dice are added together), the player scores a “natural” (an automatic win similar to scoring a 21 in Blackjack — see page 180). A natural 9 beats a natural 8. If the total score of a player’s hand is higher than 9, the left digit is dropped (e.g. a score of 12 becomes a 2, a score of 15 becomes 5, etc.). If any player’s total score is less than 6, he must roll a third 1d12 and add the result to his total score (again, dropping the left digit if his resulting score is higher than 9). The game then ends, with the score closest to 9 winning.

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the 1960s Red/Black: The player bets that the result will either be red (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, 34, or 36) or black (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, or 35). 1st 12/2nd 12/3rd 12: The player bets that the result will either fall within 1–12, 13–24, or 25–36. Low/High: The player bets that the result will either fall within 1–18 or 19–36. 1st Column/2nd Column/3rd Column: The player bets that the result will fall within the 1st column (1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, or 34), the 2nd column (2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, or 35), or the 3rd column (3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, or 36). 4-Way Split: The player bets that the result will be one of four numbers determined by choosing 2 consecutive numbers from the second column (see above), then either increasing or decreasing both numbers by 1.

Craps In this iconic casino game, players place bets on the roll of two dice, with the house paying out based on the odds of each die roll. Actual casino craps is quite complicated, and played on a large felt layout to track the myriad of bets that players can make. These rules streamline the actual game for roleplaying purposes. Round: 5 rounds. Playing the Game: The object of craps is to either guess the result of a roll of 2d6, or an attribute of the winning result (such as ‘doubles’, ‘even’, or ‘odd’). Each player who correctly guesses the results wins. System: The game begins with each player placing any number of bets, each up to the house limit, each on one of the following results — odd, even, doubles, or a specific number between 2 and 12 (except 7). The GC then rolls 2d6 to determine the round’s result. Payouts: Winners receive a payout for each correct bet they place, as follows. Bet Odd or even Doubles 6 or 8 5 or 9 4 or 10 3 or 11 2 or 12

Example: Donovan chooses 5 and 8 from the second column. He may either choose to bet on 6 and 9 (by increasing both numbers by 1) or 4 and 7 (by decreasing both numbers by 1).

Payout 2:1 6:1 7:1 9:1 12:1 18:1 36:1

2-Way Split: The player bets that the result will be either one of two sequential numbers (e.g. 20 and 21) or one number and a second number 3 greater than the chosen number (e.g. 21 and 24, or 13 and 16). Single Number: The player bets that the result will be a specific number (0–36).

Example: Donovan places a $500 bet on odd, a $500 bet on 5, and a $1,000 bet on 8. The GC rolls the dice: it’s a 5. Donovan receives a total payout of $5,500 (9 × $500 for his bet on 5, plus 2 × $500 for his bet on odd).

The GC then rolls 1d37 to determine the round’s result (see page 176). A result of ‘00’ indicates a loss for all bets other than ‘0’. Payouts: Winners receive a payout for each correct bet they place, as follows.

More Than Luck: All players engaged in a casino craps game take turns rolling the dice. Any player currently throwing the dice may use the cheat or English actions on their turn.

Bet Odd, Even, Red, Black, Low, High 1st 12, 2nd 12, 3rd 12, 1st Column, 2nd Column, 3rd Column 4-Way Split 2-Way Split Single Number

Roulette In this archetypical casino game, players place bets on which of 37 numbered slots a ball will land, with the house paying out based on the odds of each of may different results. Round: 2 minutes. Playing the Game: The object of roulette is to either guess the slot into which the ball will land, or an attribute of the winning slot (such as ‘red’, ‘black’, ‘1st 12’, ‘2nd 18’, ‘3rd column’, or ‘4-way split’). Each player who correctly guesses the results wins. System: The game begins with each player placing any number of bets, each up to the house limit, each on one of the following results. Odd/Even: The player bets that the result will either be odd or even.

Payout 2:1 3:1 9:1 18:1 36:1

Example: Donovan places a $500 bet on odd, a $500 bet on 9, and a $1,000 bet on the 1st column. The GC rolls the dice and scores a 19. Donovan receives a total payout of $2,500 (2 × $500 for his bet on odd, plus 3 × $500 for his bet on 1st column). More Than Luck: In a casino, the only thing a player can do is attempt to play the odds, making a Hobby (Gambling) check (DC 20). With success, the player may force the GC to re-roll either of the dice thrown to determine the winning result. If the player has the opportunity to spin the wheel, he may use English as well.

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new rules Variants: American casinos add a second green square to the field, numbered ‘00’, which a player may bet upon normally or as part of a 2-way split with ‘0’. In this case, a result of 00 on the d37 is ‘00’, and a result of 37 is not re-rolled, but instead becomes ‘0’.

Seduction Quality (Optional) Not all seductions are created equal. Some agent relationships are strictly temporary, lasting only until a desired task is complete, while others are so well performed that the target remains under the agent’s spell well after they’re gone. This optional rule allows you to determine the overall quality and longevity of a seduction, based on the lowest amount by which the agent beats any of the three skill check DCs (see this page through page 185).

Seduction Revisited Seduction is a staple of the spy genre, and a powerful tool for agents in the field. Unlike persuasion, which is used to convince a target to take a particular action, seduction is used to turn a neutral or unfriendly target into an asset helpful to the agent during the course of his mission. Whether it’s James Bond’s inimitable powers with the ladies or the exercise of money and power pulling agents from one side to the other, seduction is in many ways what spying is all about. There are two varieties of seduction — sexual, in which an agent attempts to lure his target back to the bedroom in the hopes of winning his or her heart (if only for a short time), and non-sexual, in which the agent makes an offer appealing to the target’s ambitions, passions, or desires. Though the circumstances are different for each, the result is the same — the target becomes more willing to assist the agent. In Spycraft, seduction is conducted as a series of three skill checks: an Innuendo check to plant the seeds of seduction, a Sense Motive check to read the target’s willingness to accept the offer, and a Bluff check to make the target an irresistible offer. The DCs of each of these checks, and minimum intervals between checks, are determined by the target’s current disposition, as described on Table 7.1: Seduction Check DCs and Time Intervals (see below). A particular set of modifiers is associated with each of the three seduction skill checks, based upon the circumstances of the meeting, the target’s state of mind, and what the agent can offer the target. Also, the ramifications for failure at each stage differ as the seduction approaches completion (generally increasing in severity).

∑ Lowest amount by which the agent beats any of the three skill checks is 0–5: The agent’s relationship with the target is fragile. The target sees the arrangement as a one-night stand or temporary agreement, and only grudgingly accepts the agent’s offer. When the agent attempts to solicit further assistance from the seduced target, the error range of his Bluff check is increased by 2 (e.g. an error range of 1 becomes 1–3). ∑ Lowest amount by which the agent beats any of the three skill checks is 6–10: The agent’s relationship with the target is average. The target understands the agent is in the relationship for a reason. Further attempts to solicit aid from the target are unaffected. ∑ Lowest amount by which the agent beats any of the three skill checks is 11–20: The agent’s relationship with the target is excellent. The target swallows the agent’s bait hook, line, and sinker. The DCs of all Charisma-based skill checks made to influence the target are reduced by 5. ∑ Lowest amount by which the agent beats any of the three skill checks is 21 or higher: The agent’s relationship with the target is flawless. The target develops a deep-seated infatuation with the agent bordering on worship — the agent can do almost no wrong. Further attempts to solicit aid from the target automatically succeed unless the agent rolls an error with his Bluff check. Also, the GC must spend 1 additional action die to activate any of the agent’s critical failures with seduction checks against this asset.

Table 7.1: Seduction Check DCs and Time Intervals

Innuendo

Target Disposition Check DC Time Required Neutral 15 20 minutes Unfriendly 20 4 hours Hostile 25 1 day Adversary 30 3 days Hateful* 35 1 week Obsessive* Impossible Impossible * These dispositions were introduced in the European Commonwealth Chamber Book for the Shadowforce Archer world setting.

During the first stage of a seduction, the agent subtly hints at his offer in order to gauge the target’s interest. He makes an Innuendo check, the DC of which is equal to the DC determined by the target’s disposition, according to Table 7.1: Seduction Check DCs and Time Intervals (see the previous column), plus the target’s Intelligence modifier and any modifiers that apply on Table 7.2: Seduction — Innuendo DC Modifiers (see page 184). If this check is successful, the agent may move on to the second step (Sense Motive — see page 184). With a critical success, the agent receives a +2 competence bonus with all further skill checks made as part of the same seduction attempt.

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Failure at this point is not as critical as during later steps, though it still carries a price — if the agent’s Innuendo check fails, the seduction attempt is ruined and the DC of any future attempts to seduce the same target is increased by 2. With a critical failure, the attempt is ruined and the target’s disposition toward the agent is immediately worsened by 1 grade.

plus the target’s Charisma modifier and any modifiers that apply on Table 7.3: Seduction — Sense Motive DC Modifiers (see the next page). If this check is successful, the agent may move on to the third step (Bluff — see the next page). With a critical success, the target’s disposition toward the agent is immediately improved by 1 grade. If this check fails, the seduction attempt is ruined and the target’s disposition toward the agent is immediately worsened by 1 grade. With a critical failure, the target is insulted and his or her disposition towards the agent immediately shifts to adversary (if already adversary, it shifts to hateful).

Table 7.2: Seduction – Innuendo DC Modifiers Condition Target possesses a loyalty rating Target knows that they’re being seduced Agent under the influence of alcohol or drugs Agent possesses 5 or more ranks with the Diplomacy skill Meeting is conducted in private Target is under the influence of alcohol or drugs Target is hypnotized

DC Modifier + Loyalty rating +2 +2

Table 7.3: Seduction – Sense Motive DC Modifiers –2

Condition DC Modifier Target is currently using + Cover identity’s a cover identity power rating Target possesses 5 or more +2 ranks with the Bluff skill Agent possesses the –2 Cold Read class ability Agent possesses 5 or more –2 ranks with the Knowledge (Psychology) skill Agent has access to a – profile rating biographical profile of the target* * See the Faceman/Snoop Class Guide, page 75.

–2 –2 –5

Sense Motive During the second stage of a seduction, the agent attempts to read his target’s reaction to his efforts and choose his next best step. The agent makes a Sense Motive check, the DC of which is equal to the DC determined by the target’s disposition, according to Table 7.1: Seduction Check DCs and Time Intervals (see page 183),

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new rules during the seduction attempt’s third step). An asset actively tries to assist the agent within reason, so long has he or she believes the agent is sincere. Crafty agents may call upon their assets for favors or assistance, such as small loans, transportation, or information. An asset may only provide assistance or use of resources that he or she personally owns. To use an asset, the agent must succeed with a Bluff check, the DC of which is determined by Table 7.5: Asset Assistance DCs (see below). If this check succeeds, the asset provides the agent with what he requests at a minimum of trouble. If this check fails, the asset realizes that he’s being manipulated and refuses to assist the agent further. After a failed Bluff check to gain assistance, the asset is no longer considered to be seduced and his or her disposition toward the agent immediately shifts to 1 grade lower than it was before the seduction attempt. With a critical failure, the asset feels betrayed and his or her disposition toward the agent immediately shifts to adversary. Further, the agent may never again attempt to seduce that asset.

Bluff During the final stage of a seduction attempt, the agent makes the target an offer, selling the expected outcome to be as desirable as possible. The agent makes a Bluff check, the DC of which is equal to the DC determined by the target’s disposition, according to Table 7.1: Seduction Check DCs and Time Intervals (see page 183), plus the target’s Wisdom modifier and any modifiers that apply on Table 7.4: Seduction — Bluff DC Modifiers (see below). If this check is successful, the seduction is a success — the target’s disposition toward the agent immediately shifts to helpful and the agent enjoys all the benefits of seduction as long as it’s maintained (see below). With a critical success, the target’s disposition toward the agent immediately shifts to ally, with the same condition. If this check fails, the seduction attempt is ruined, the target’s disposition toward the agent is immediately worsened by 1 grade, and the agent may not attempt to seduce the target again during the current session. With a critical failure, the target feels betrayed by the agent — his or her disposition toward the agent immediately shifts to adversary and the agent may never again attempt to seduce this target.

Table 7.5: Asset Assistance DCs Assistance Type Monetary loan Object loan Vehicle loan Asset isn’t inconvenienced (e.g. agent asks asset to hold an item for safekeeping, or for use of the asset’s phone) Asset’s inconvenience is minor (e.g. agent asks for a place to stay for the night, or for a ride across town) Asset’s inconvenience is moderate (e.g. agent asks for a place to stay for a week, or for the use of an ID card) Asset’s inconvenience is major (e.g. agent asks for a place to stay for a month, or for the use of a credit card) Asset’s inconvenience is serious (e.g. agent asks for a place to stay indefinitely, or for the asset to lie to the police) Asset’s inconvenience is extreme (e.g. agent asks to use the asset’s life savings, or for assistance in a crime) Asset’s Wisdom modifier (when agent’s request calls for moderate or greater inconvenience

Table 7.4: Seduction – Bluff DC Modifiers Condition Target possesses a loyalty rating Agent makes an inappropriate offer (e.g. goes against the target’s personal, social, or religious beliefs) Target possesses 5 or more ranks with the Sense Motive skill Agent makes a standard offer (e.g. an offer with no connection to the target’s life or situation, an offer of money, a favor, or a general threat) Agent possesses 5 or more ranks with the Intimidate skill Agent makes a desirable offer (e.g. an offer that appeals to the target’s general ambitions or desires, an offer of fame, personal glory, or great wealth) Agent makes a highly desirable offer (e.g. an offer that satisfies the target’s specific needs or lifelong goals, offers the target revenge for the death of a loved one, or true love, or a dream job)

DC Modifier + Loyalty rating +5

+2 +0

–2 –5

–10

The Benefits of Seduction Once a target is seduced, he or she is known as an asset. An asset is considered to have a disposition of helpful toward the agent who seduced him or her (this disposition becomes ally if the agent scored a critical success

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Bluff DC/DC Modifier 1 per $20 1 per BP value of item 2 per GP value of vehicle 5

+/– (Asset’s Wisdom modifier)

the 1960s Benefits of Contacts

Long-Term Contacts

The benefits provided by a contact depend on the depth of the relationship, as follows.

Over the course of his career, any good agent builds up a network of personal contacts independent of his Agency connections. Even if he operates solely through cut-outs and intermediaries, each mission puts him in communication with individuals who may become valuable assets during later assignments. It’s up to the agent, however, to put forth the effort to maintain these connections after the initial encounters. In game terms, any NPC whose disposition toward the agent is friendly or better at the end of a serial, and who contributes to the success of the serial in some meaningful way, becomes a potential long-term contact. Specific examples include:

Level 1 Contacts

• A specialist whose services are acquired through a favor check.

A level 1 contact is someone with whom the agent maintains regular communication, but whose ability or willingness to help the agent is limited to consultation and research in his field of expertise. A level 1 contact never provides material assistance, only information. Once per serial, an agent may get in touch with a level 1 contact and request information that could be gained using any Craft, Hobby, Knowledge, Profession, or Sport skill in which the contact has at least 1 rank. The GC makes a skill or education check for the contact to determine whether the contact has the answers that the agent needs. Using a contact in this manner has no cost.

• An expert whom the agent contacts through his own research.

Level 2 Contacts A level 2 contact is willing to go beyond simple information, and is capable of exercising some of his own influence on behalf of his friend, the agent. He won’t place himself in any personal danger on the agent’s behalf. When an agent acquires a level 2 contact, he must define the contact’s primary area of influence in terms of an existing favor check type (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 217, and supporting supplements). Once per serial, the agent may get in touch with a level 2 contact and request a favor check of the appropriate type through that contact. This favor check takes place outside Agency channels. If the contact does not have an established agent level, assume that it is equal to H that of the agent (rounded down). This favor check does not have an action die cost, but the agent cannot modify its outcome in any way — including spending action dice to raise the check result. A level 2 contact may also be used as a level 1 contact, but this counts as the agent’s use of that contact for the serial, rendering him unavailable for activation for the duration of the serial.

• A foil whom the agent successfully seduces (or who seduces the agent). Individuals met through the use of a class ability (such as the faceman’s backup ability) can never become potential contacts — they already have a long-term relationship with the agent established through other means. Likewise, an NPC who’s directly tied to one of the agent’s backgrounds cannot become a potential contact until that background is resolved.

Acquiring a Contact To acquire an NPC as a long-term contact, the agent must spend one or more skill points to establish the relationship. This must occur the first time the agent gains a level after the end of the serial in which he initially meets the contact. The number of skill points that must be invested depends on the contact’s capabilities and the depth of the connection the agent wishes to establish, as shown on Table 7.6: Long Term Contact Costs (see below). For deeper relationships, the NPC’s disposition toward the agent must meet a certain minimum level at the end of the serial during which the agent first encounters him (or her).

Level 3 Contacts A level 3 contact is a close comrade who stands by the agent even at great personal risk. With a little luck, a level 3 contact can even be persuaded to take the field at the agent’s side. During a serial, the agent may spend 1 action die to attempt to activate a level 3 contact. He then makes a Diplomacy skill check (DC 10 + the contact’s agent level). With success, his contact is willing to provide personal assistance for the duration of the session. The contact joins the agent’s team at the earliest possible opportunity and renders whatever assistance he can. He remains

Table 7.6: Long Term Contact Costs Contact Details Contact is a… …specialist or other “one-trick pony” …expert or other capable but lesser NPC …foil or other special NPC Desired relationship involves… …information-sharing (Level 1) …exchange of favors (Level 2) …field assistance (Level 3)

Cost

Minimum Disposition

1 2 3

— — —

+0 +1 +2

Friendly Helpful Ally

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new rules under the GC’s control, but all involved parties should keep in mind the relationship between the contact and the agent when portraying interactions. When an agent declares his intent to activate a level 3 contact, but before he makes the Diplomacy skill check, the GC may spend 2 action dice to declare that the contact is unavailable for this serial. An agent may maintain a maximum number of level 3 contacts at any time equal to his Charisma modifier (if positive) +1, and may never activate more than one over the course of any single serial. A level 3 contact may also be used as a level 1 or level 2 contact if he has not yet been activated, but this counts as the agent’s use of that contact for the serial, rendering him unavailable for activation for the duration of the serial.

age players to flesh out their agents’ contacts. At minimum, they should provide names, brief descriptions, and a few interesting facts about each contact so they’re more than a guest appearance and a simple, “uh, he helps me.” The GC should always remember that a contact relationship is a two-way street. In other words, each agent is also a contact for each one of his contacts, and may receive requests for assistance from them as well. An agent who consistently refuses these requests or otherwise treats his contacts like objects rather than people runs the risk of losing those contacts unless he goes out of his way to make amends. These requests for assistance can provide interesting complications during an operation, however, or can even form the basis for an entire serial. Being summoned to assist a contact is equivalent to a background with the same cost becoming a subplot for the session, and the GC should consider offering additional XP equivalent for that background when the serial is through.

Losing Contacts The use of long-term contacts can put them at risk. If an agent loses a contact through enemy action or other events (most likely through direct risks in the case of a level 3 contact), the agent receives all of the skill points invested in the contact as a bonus the next time he gains a level.

Stress Over the course of an agent’s career — particularly when he’s assigned to long-term operations — he’s subjected to a wide variety of psychological stresses, including nerve-wracking combats, fatigue, the deaths of close friends, and constant high-risk actions in which the fate of the world hangs in the balance. All agents are provided with some training to cope with these situations effectively, but continued exposure can crack even the most hard-boiled. After an agent team completes a highly stressful encounter (a bloody combat, defusing a nuclear weapon, etc.), the GC may spend one or more action dice per agent to force each affected agent who participated to make a stress test. This test is a measure of how well the agent copes with the stress of the situation, and may have a variety of effects. To make a stress test, the agent makes a skill check appropriate to the type of stress — typically a Will save — with a DC as noted on Table 7.7: Stress Effects (see page 188). With failure, the agent suffers the initial damage described for the type of stress to which he’s been exposed. Further, the agent must succeed with a second check after the listed recovery interval transpires (typically 1 hour later) or suffer the secondary damage described for the type of stress to which he’s been exposed. Agents who receive a bonus against fear effects or morale saves also gain the bonus with all checks made against stress effects, and agents immune to fear and psychological effects or conditions are unaffected by stress effects as well.

Overextending Contacts In times of extreme need, an agent may fall back on his friendship with a level 1 or level 2 contact. This is never an action to be taken lightly, as it strains the relationship with the contact. If an agent has already received his one free favor check per serial from a level 2 contact, he may request a second one. This costs 1 action die and immediately reduces the contact’s level to 1. An agent may also attempt to force a level 1 contact to function as a level 2 contact. This costs 1 action die and requires a successful Diplomacy or Intimidation skill check (DC 20). With success, the contact provides 1 free favor check as per the rules for a level 2 contact, but is immediately removed from play — he’s been asked to go farther than he’s comfortable with, and never assists the agent again in any fashion. A level 3 contact can’t be overextended, but activating him carries its own set of risks — namely, the fact that he’s headed into harm’s way by directly assisting the agent. Overextending a contact voids the refund of invested skill points that an agent normally receives for losing that contact (see above).

Roleplaying Contacts Contacts should be more than just sets of numbers — they’re the people with whom the agent has not only professional but personal relations. The GC should encour-

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the 1960s Negative Level: While suffering one or more negative levels from stress, the agent loses all benefits of the last level he’s earned (including base attack bonus, vitality, saves, class abilities, skill points, etc). This negative level effect lasts until the agent recovers from the condition. Shell-Shocked: Every time a shell-shocked agent faces combat, he must roll 1d20, adding his base attack bonus to the roll. If the total result is less than 10, the agent suffers a –2 morale penalty to all attack rolls, saving throws, and initiative checks made during the combat, and must take only non-attack actions intended to remove himself from the combat as quickly as possible. The agent can attack only in self-defense when he’s directly attacked (per the GC’s discretion). Sleepless: The agent is run down from lack of sleep, and unable to focus his attention. While sleepless from stress, the agent suffers all the effects of being distracted and may no longer attempt any tasks that require more than 1 hour to accomplish. Additionally, his initiative scores at the beginning of combat are reduced to H standard (rounded down).

Stress Effects The following are conditions an agent may suffer from stress-related effects. Distracted: The agent is unfocused and anxious, reducing his ability to perform everyday tasks. While distracted from stress, the agent suffers all the effects of being irritable (see below), may no longer take 10 with any skill checks, and suffers a –2 morale penalty to Reflex saves. Exhausted: While exhausted from stress, the agent suffers all the effects of being sleepless (see the next column), may no longer take 20 with skill checks, and suffers a –2 morale penalty to all Fortitude saves. Fatigued: While fatigued from stress, the agent is unable to run or charge, and suffers a –2 morale penalty to his Strength and Dexterity scores. Further, each time the agent becomes fatigued, he must make a successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 10) or become stunned for 2d6 rounds. Flashbacks: The agent is psychologically scarred by stress, and suffers infrequent traumatic flashbacks. When suffering flashbacks from stress, at the beginning of each session the agent rolls 1d20, adding his Wisdom modifier to the result. If the result is 5 or more, he’s considered to be fine and suffers no adverse effects. If the result is less than 5, however, the agent must roll 1d6 to determine the condition he struggles with for the duration of the session: 1–3 = fatigued, 4–5 = sleepless, 6 = exhausted. The agent recovers from this condition as usual (see the next column). Irritable: While irritable from stress, the agent suffers a –2 morale penalty to all Charisma-based skill checks.

Recovering from Stress Effects Unlike poison and physical damage, which heals naturally, psychological conditions often persist until an agent receives therapy to aid his recovery. To make a recovery check, the agent must succeed with a saving throw against the save DC listed on Table 7.7: Stress (see below). With success, the agent recovers the most recent damage inflicted by his stress condition.

Table 7.7: Stress Effects Initial Secondary Recovery Save Damage Damage Interval Will save Irritable Distracted 4 hours (DC 12) 49–72 hours without sleep 1 Will save Distracted Sleepless 12 hours (DC 15) 73+ hours without sleep 2 Will save Sleepless Exhausted 1 day (DC 18) Combat fatigue (2+ weeks) 4 Special Fatigued Shell Shocked 2 days (see below) * Death of teammate/close ally 4 Will save Distracted Shell Shocked 1 day (DC 12) Death of family member/loved one 3 Will save Exhausted 1d6 Cha 1 week (DC 15) Imprisonment (3+ months) 2 Will save 1d6 Cha 1d6 Cha 2 weeks (DC 12) Isolation (solitary confinement) 3 Will save 2d6 Cha Negative level 1 month (DC 18) Torture 2 Fort or Will save Negative level Flashbacks 2 months (DC 18)** * The agent rolls 1d20, adding his base attack bonus to the result. He is considered to succeed with a result of 15 or higher. ** The GC chooses the save type.

Stress Condition 24–48 hours without sleep

GC Action Die Cost (per agent) 1

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new rules Example: If the agent most recently fell victim to a stress condition’s secondary damage, he recovers from the secondary damage and is now affected only by the stress condition’s primary damage. Alternately, if the agent most recently fell victim to a stress condition’s primary damage, he recovers from the primary damage and is now unaffected by the stress condition.

Assassination: This organization seeks to murder an individual or small group of specific individuals. While incapable of achieving this goal “off camera,” an organization with this agenda takes the time to prepare a final, vicious blow while the agents are otherwise engaged, leaving them to attempt to thwart a more advanced assassination plan later. Genocide: This organization is intent on utterly wiping out a specific group. While the agents are on hand for the final act, the organization spends its off-camera time preparing the hammer yet to fall, increasing the size and strength of its military forces and their support networks, and tailoring their efforts to the weaknesses in the target group. Meddler: This organization hangs around the fringes of another group, trying to be helpful but generally just getting in the way. As it develops, the organization becomes more and more aware of the inner workings of its target, eventually infiltrating it and turning its own resources against it. Peace: This organization is devoted to promoting harmony, though not always for strictly humanitarian reasons. Such organizations generally frown upon violent acts, and develop other forms of leverage to bring adversaries to the bargaining table, as represented in this threat agenda’s statistics package. Political Machination: This organization is looking to create a major shift in the political landscape. While threats and violence are admirable tools, open warfare does not generally suit these manipulators’ needs.

If the agent still suffers adverse effects from the stress condition, he may make a second recovery check after an amount of time equal to the recovery interval. Success with this check offers the same benefit as the first recovery check. If the agent possesses 5 or more ranks with Concentration or Knowledge (Psychology), he gains a +2 synergy bonus with all rolls made to recover from a stress condition.

New Threat Agendas Once set into motion, a mastermind’s schemes can usually be halted only by the direct intervention of the Agency and its operatives. If the agents cannot make the time to thwart these nefarious designs, they tend to grow, becoming even more challenging once the team returns to the case. Threat agendas provide the GC with tools to simulate this growth while the agents are otherwise occupied. This section presents eight new threat agendas suitable to both the 1960s and modern settings. For more about using threat agendas, see the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, page 104.

Table 7.8: Assassination Agenda Level 1 2 3 4 5

Wealth +0 +0 +0 +0 +0

Tech +1 +2 +3 +3 +3

Loyalty +2 +2 +2 +3 +4

Level 1 2 3 4 5

Wealth +0 +1 +2 +3 +3

Tech +1 +2 +3 +3 +4

Loyalty +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Level 1 2 3 4 5

Wealth +0 +1 +1 +2 +2

Tech +1 +2 +2 +3 +3

Loyalty +0 +0 +1 +1 +2

Influence +0 +1 +2 +3 +4

Special +1 agent level for all henchmen +2 secrecy at all action sites +1 to all special characters’ attack roll threat ranges +2 GC action dice at the start of each session +1 agent level for all henchmen (+2 total)

Table 7.9: Genocide Agenda Influence +0 +0 +0 +0 +1

Special +1 level for all minions +1 scope, Fleet Support +2 agent levels for mastermind +1 scope, Hardened Killers +2 to all squad sizes

Table 7.10: Meddler Agenda Influence +1 +1 +2 +2 +3

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Special +1 to all special characters’ skill check threat ranges +5 to DCs of all target organization favor checks +1 agent level for all henchmen +2 secrecy, +2 security at mastermind’s HQ +1 scope, Moles

the 1960s Table 7.11: Peace Agenda Level 1 2 3 4 5

Wealth +0 +0 +1 +2 +2

Tech +0 +0 +0 +0 +0

Loyalty +1 +2 +2 +2 +3

Level 1 2 3 4 5

Wealth +0 +1 +1 +1 +2

Tech +0 +0 +0 +0 +0

Loyalty +0 +0 +1 +1 +1

Level 1 2 3 4 5

Wealth +0 +1 +1 +2 +3

Tech +1 +2 +2 +2 +2

Loyalty +0 +0 +0 +0 +1

Level 1 2 3 4 5

Wealth –1 –1 +0 +1 +3

Tech +1 +1 +2 +2 +2

Loyalty +0 +1 +1 +1 +1

Level 1 2 3 4 5

Wealth +0 +1 +2 +3 +3

Tech +2 +3 +3 +3 +3

Influence +1 +2 +2 +3 +4

Special +2 agent levels for mastermind +1 to all special characters’ skill check threat ranges +1 scope, Manipulators +2 personnel at all action sites +5 to DCs of all target organization favor checks

Table 7.12: Political Machination Agenda Influence +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

Special +1 scope, Manipulators +1 personnel, +1 security at all action sites +1 to all special characters’ skill check threat ranges +1 scope, Manipulators +2 agent levels for mastermind

Table 7.13: Power Agenda Influence +1 +1 +2 +3 +3

Special +1 scope, +1 new threat resource +1 scope, Worse than Death +1 scope, +1 new threat resource +2 to all squad sizes +1 scope, +1 new threat resource

Table 7.14: Takeover Agenda Influence +2 +3 +3 +3 +3

Special +2 security at all action sites +2 security at all action sites (+4 total) +5 to DCs of all target organization favor checks +1 scope, Media Blackout +1 scope, +1 new threat resource

Table 7.15: Transformation Agenda Loyalty –1 –1 –1 –1 +2

Influence +1 +1 +1 +2 +2

Power: This organization wants it all — wealth, influence, technological advantage… This lack of focus slows the organization’s advance, but every step along the path yields immediate, tangible results. Organizations seeking power can grow in wildly unpredictable ways, but quickly learn to keep the rank and file in line and reinforce their numbers. Takeover: This organization has targeted one specific group for covert takeover. Initially, funds must be diverted to arrange the seizure of the rival group’s possessions and cut off its support networks, but as the plan progresses, funds begin to roll in from the operation and the target group’s resources are slowly integrated into the organization. Transformation: This organization seeks to recreate itself, changing its image and methods to better suit a

Special +1 scope, Fall Guy +1 agent level for all henchmen +2 personnel, +2 security at mastermind’s HQ +1 scope, +1 new threat resource +2 agent levels for mastermind

new mastermind’s goals. During the reorganization, the organization’s rank and file are uncertain about their future, but once the plan is complete, they become enthusiastic supporters of the new direction.

NPC Classes The following abbreviated classes are intended primarily for NPC specialists and GC threats. They offer the GC a way to populate his world with types of characters that are different from the agents. Because NPC classes are inherently weaker than agent classes, NPCs with such classes should be considered one level lower for the purposes of determining the challenge rating (CR) of a threat featuring them.

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new rules This MP cost does not include any extra MP spent to boost the minion type’s ability scores or the cost to add extra feats to the type’s standard minion package, if any (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook page 245). When a foil, henchman, or mastermind is created with any number of NPC classes, his MP cost is determined exclusively by the mastermind system (i.e. 2× the NPC’s agent level for foils and henchmen and 5× the NPC’s agent level for masterminds). The details of the character’s classes have no bearing on its MP cost.

Villains vs. Standard and Special NPCs Spycraft distinguishes between villains (NPCs the agents are expected to combat or otherwise oppose) and the game’s general population (the standard and special NPCs commonly treated as scenery). In all cases, rules are provided for creating the former, which are carefully balanced against the agent team using the mastermind system (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook page 242 and the Spycraft Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, page 94). The creation of standard and special NPCs is left mostly up to the GC, so that he might include the NPC types and power levels he desires.

Note — Ability Scores: Standard NPCs and minion types never gain ability score increases as their agent levels rise. Special NPCs, foils, henchmen, and masterminds do gain ability score increases as their agent levels rise. Class Skills: NPC class skills are designated either full skills or half skills, as follows.

A Couple Restrictions Agents (i.e. player characters) may never use NPC classes. Minions may only be created using NPC classes and the standard minion type from the Spycraft Espionage Handbook (see page 245). Special NPCs, foils, henchmen, and masterminds may be created using agent classes or NPC classes, as the GC desires.

•∑ Full Skills: An NPC of this class possesses a number of ranks in each of these skills equal to his class level. ∑• Half Skills: An NPC of this class possesses a number of ranks in each of these skills equal to H his class level (rounded up). These base ranks may be further modified by class abilities and feats. When a minion type is created with one or more NPC classes, its full and half skill ranks are added to any skill ranks gained from the standard minion type. When a special NPC, foil, henchman, or leader is created with one or more NPC classes, his full and half skill ranks are added to any skill ranks gained from agent classes.

NPC Class Descriptions Each NPC class has a summary followed by several pieces of rule information. MP Cost: When a minion type is created using one or more NPC classes, add the following statistics together to determine its MP cost: •∑ Highest vitality die cost of any of the minion type’s classes (NPC or otherwise).

Example: A minion type is created with 4 levels of the conscript NPC class and 3 levels of the standard minion type. Each minion created as part of the minion type gains 4 ranks with Hide, Knowledge (Local Area), and Survival, 2 ranks with Diplomacy, First Aid, Handle Animal, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot from the conscript class, and 24 skill points from the standard minion type (which may be spent normally). All skills listed here as well as all class skills listed for the soldier class are considered class skills for this minion type. This example assumes an Intelligence modifier of +0.

• The MP cost per level for each level of each NPC class the minion type possesses. • The number of standard minion levels the minion squad possesses. The standard minion type produces a vitality die cost of 5, 10, or 15 MP while most NPC classes produce an MP cost of between 5 and 20. Only the most expensive of any one of these — a minion’s customized standard minion type or any single NPC class — is applied to the minion’s total MP cost.

In all cases, a character’s ability modifiers — whether positive or negative — are applied to his skill bonuses. In all cases, if the NPC possesses a positive Intelligence modifier, he gains a number of additional skill points beyond those granted by all other classes and types equal to his Intelligence modifier × his agent level. All full and half skills granted by an NPC class are considered class skills for this purpose. Characters designed with NPC classes suffer no penalty for possessing a negative Intelligence modifier.

Example 1: A minion type is created with 4 levels of the conscript NPC class and 3 levels of the contract killer NPC class. The minion type’s base MP cost is 32 (15, the highest vitality die cost + 4 × 2 MP per level for the conscript + 3 × 3 MP per level for the contract killer). Example 2: A minion type is created with 4 levels of the conscript NPC class and 3 levels of the standard minion type with a d8 vitality die. The minion type’s base MP cost is 26 (15, the highest vitality die cost + 4 × 2 MP per level for the conscript + 3 for the standard minion type levels).

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the 1960s Feats: A minion type may gain bonus feats as it gains levels in an NPC class. When a bonus feat is specific (i.e. named in the NPC class ability), then the character need not meet its prerequisites, such as minimum agent level, ability scores, or other feats. When a bonus feat is left open to be chosen by the GC, then the character must meet the prerequisites. Additional feats may be added to the minion type (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook page 245), for which the character must meet all prerequisites. A minion type never gains feats as its agent level rises.

Challenge Ratings: The challenge rating of any minion type created with one or more NPC classes is unchanged (it remains equal to the minion type’s total agent levels minus 1 — see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 244). The challenge rating of any special NPC, foil, henchman, or mastermind created with one or more NPC classes is lowered by 1 (i.e. it drops to one lower than its total agent levels). NPC Advancement: NPCs generally only gain experience and advance in level at the GC’s discretion. This may reflect a trusted ally gaining skill and experience as a season progresses (or even from season to season).

Example: A minion type created with 2 levels of the CIA field officer NPC class gains the feat granted by its department and the Field Operative feat, for which no minions created with it are required to meet the prerequisites. The GC decides to add 2 additional feats at a cost of +6 MP.

Academic It’s not unusual for agents to encounter (or seek out) characters from studious walks of life. Researchers, historians, college students, and scientists can all become swept up in the action, providing agents with vital knowledge to defeat a specialized foe. MP Cost: 2 per level + 5 (vitality die).

Note — Feats: A special NPC, foil, henchman, or mastermind only gains bonus feats as he or she gains levels in an NPC or agent class, and may never purchase additional feats using the mastermind system. Unlike minion types, special NPCs, foils, henchmen, and masterminds do gain feats as their agent level rises. Vitality: Each NPC class grants a total number of vitality points based on the NPC’s level (see each class table). This value is pre-calculated by multiplying the average result gained from the NPC class’s vitality die by the character’s level in the class. This vitality is added to the vitality gained from other classes (e.g. from a minion’s standard type, a henchman’s levels with an agent class, etc.). In all cases, a character’s Constitution modifier — whether positive or negative — is applied normally to the vitality he gains from each level. Saving Throws: In all cases, a character’s appropriate ability score modifier (i.e. Constitution for Fortitude saves, Dexterity for Reflex saves, and Wisdom for Will saves) — whether positive or negative — is applied normally to the total save bonuses he gains from all class levels. Class Abilities: Like normal agent classes, NPC classes have a variety of special abilities that define them. Due to the much lower level of training (and challenge) in most NPCs’ daily lives, they gain these abilities more slowly than an agent of comparable level. Also, NPC class abilities are currently the only class abilities from which a minion may benefit. Allegiance: NPCs may normally possess any allegiance (see page 137), though some classes specify the NPC’s starting allegiance (such as the KGB agent). An NPC cannot possess levels in two NPC classes with different starting allegiances. NPC Gear, Gadgets, and Vehicles: Minions gain budget and resources points only from the organization to which they belong, per the mastermind system. Special NPCs, foils, henchmen, and masterminds gain bonus budget and resource points from their agent classes, if any. Should the GC wish to generate an NPC quickly, he can simply give him any one bundle.

Full Skills The academic’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Concentration Knowledge (any two) Any two other skills

Key Ability Int Int Varies

Half Skills The academic’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bureaucracy Driver Knowledge (any one) Languages Profession Any one other skill

Key Ability Cha Dex Int Wis Wis Varies

Class Features All of the following are class features of the academic. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the academic gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Specialty: At 1st level, one of the academic’s Knowledge skills is increased by 3 ranks. Scholarly: At 2nd level, the academic gains the Scholarly feat. Advanced Skill Mastery: At 6th level, the academic gains the Advanced Skill Mastery feat linked to his Scholarly feat. Grand Skill Mastery: At 10th level, the academic gains the Grand Skill Mastery feat linked to his Scholarly feat.

192

new rules CIA Field Officer

Class Features

CIA field officers operate throughout the world as the Western intelligence community’s front line of defense against the Eastern Bloc and their Communist allies. CIA field officers tend to operate as skill handlers deep behind enemy lines, cultivating “agents” within the native population and priming them to turn against their masters. MP Cost: 3 per level + 10 (vitality die).

All of the following are class features of the CIA field officer. Allegiance: The CIA field officer begins play with the American allegiance. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the CIA field officer gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

Full Skills The CIA field officer’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Bluff Sense Motive

Key Ability Cha Wis

Department Training: At 1st level, the CIA field officer gains all the benefits of one department option from the CIA macro-department, including its bonus feat. Field Operative: At 2nd level, the CIA field officer gains the Field Operative feat. Uncanny Dodge: At 4th level, the CIA field officer gains the ability to instinctively react to danger. He always retains his Dexterity bonus to Defense, even when caught flatfooted (though the bonus is still lost if he’s immobilized). An NPC possessing the uncanny dodge ability from multiple classes may combine levels from all such classes in a limited fashion to determine this ability’s effectiveness. The NPC’s level in each class is rounded down to the nearest multiple of 4 before the levels are added together to determine the extent of the NPC’s uncanny dodge ability.

Half Skills The CIA field officer’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Balance Driver Hide Innuendo Move Silently Search Spot Surveillance

Key Ability Dex Dex Dex Wis Dex Int Wis Wis

Table 7.16: The Academic (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality 4 6 9 11 14 16 19 21 24 26

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Def Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Specialty Scholarly

Advanced Skill Mastery

Grand Skill Mastery

Table 7.17: The CIA Field Officer (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

193

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Department training Field Operative Uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to Def) Stars and Stripes Handler Flag Waver

the 1960s Stars and Stripes: At 6th level, the CIA field officer gains the Stars and Stripes feat (see page 165). Handler: At 8th level, the CIA field officer gains the Handler feat. Flag Waver: At 10th level, the CIA field officer gains the Flag Waver feat (see page 164).

Starting at 6th level, the community criminal gains a +4 circumstance bonus with all skill checks made during a chase. Starting at 10th level, all Defense bonuses the community criminal gains from cover are doubled.

Conscript Community Criminal

Recruited from the local population, conscripts act as guides and guards for agents in foreign lands. MP Cost: 2 per level + 10 (vitality die).

A fixture of virtually all urban areas, community criminals are as much members of their neighborhoods as they are predators upon them. Depending upon their actions, they may even be seen as valued protectors who keep more dangerous gangs out of the area. MP Cost: 2 per level + 10 (vitality die).

Full Skills The conscript’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Hide Knowledge (Local Area) Survival

Full Skills The community criminal’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Gather Information Knowledge (Local Area)

Key Ability Cha Int

Half Skills The conscript’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Diplomacy First Aid Handle Animal Listen Move Silently Spot

Half Skills The community criminal’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bluff Climb Hide Innuendo Intimidate Jump Spot Any one other skill

Key Ability Dex Int Wis

Key Ability Cha Str Dex Wis Str or Cha Str Wis Varies

Key Ability Cha Wis Cha Wis Dex Wis

Class Features All of the following are class features of the conscript. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the conscript gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Exotic, Archaic) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Hurled) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

Class Features All of the following are class features of the community criminal. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the community criminal gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee)

Native: At 1st level, the conscript declares one specific city or region as being native to him. While in this area, the conscript gains the benefits of one terrain feat from the covert feat tree appropriate to the area. For instance, a conscript declaring his native area to be Vietnam might benefit from Aquatic or Jungle Training, while a conscript declaring his native area to be Egypt might benefit from Desert or Urban Training. At 6th level, the conscript gains a +2 competence bonus with all Charisma-based skill checks and maneuver checks made in his native area. At 10th level, whenever the conscript benefits from cover during combat in his native area, the cover is treated as if it were one grade better (i.e. one-quarter cover is treated as one-half cover). Track: At 2nd level, the conscript gains the Track feat.

Home Turf: The community criminal may designate a single area of up to twice his class level in square blocks as his home turf. The following bonuses apply while the community criminal is ‘on his home turf.’ Starting at 1st level, the community criminal gains a circumstance bonus equal to his class level with all Climb, Gather Information, Hide, Move Silently, Search, Spot, and Listen checks. Starting at 2nd level, the community criminal’s speed increases by 10 ft. and the top speed of any vehicle he drives increases by 25% (rounded up).

194

new rules Contract Killer

Class Features

In the ’60s, Controls and handlers on both sides of the Cold War frequently employ freelance killers, relying on Mafia thugs, professional assassins, and lone gunmen to take the steps to which they don’t wish to be connected. These characters are one of the greatest dangers of the time, and a constant threat to superspies the world over. MP Cost: 3 per level + 15 (vitality die).

All of the following are class features of the contract killer. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the contract killer gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Hurled) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle) Weapon Group Proficiency (Tactical)

Full Skills The contract killer’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Hide Move Silently

Key Ability Dex Dex

Point Blank Shot: At 1st level, the contract killer gains the Point Blank Shot feat. Killer: At 2nd level, the contract killer may spend 2 action dice to convert a threat into a critical hit. (Under normal circumstances, minions are unable to convert threats into critical hits.) Sneak Attack: At 4th level, the contract killer inflicts an additional +1d6 damage when either flanking a target (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pg. 171) or attacking a target who is currently denied his Dexterity bonus to Defense (including flat-footed and immobilized opponents).

Half Skills The contract killer’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bluff Demolitions Disguise Knowledge (Target Character) Sleight of Hand Spot

Key Ability Cha Int Cha Int Dex Wis

Table 7.18: The Community Criminal (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Vitality 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Def Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Home turf (skills) Home turf (movement)

Home turf (chases)

Home turf (cover bonuses to Def)

Table 7.19: The Conscript (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

195

Def Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Native (terrain feat) Track

Native (skills/maneuvers)

Native (cover)

the 1960s Ranged attacks normally gain this bonus only if the target is within 1 range increment. Beyond that, it’s difficult to hit the target’s vitals. The contract killer may not take the autofire or strafe attack actions when using sneak attack. The contract killer may make a sneak attack with any weapon or unarmed attack, even one that typically deals subdual damage. However, he cannot use a weapon that typically inflicts normal damage to inflict subdual damage during a sneak attack, even by accepting the standard –4 penalty to do so (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 174). Finally, the contract killer may not sneak attack targets who are immune to critical hits, who have total concealment, or whose vitals are out of reach. At 8th level, this bonus damage increases by an additional +1d6 (to a total damage bonus of +2d6). Traceless: At 6th level, the contract killer gains the Traceless feat. Ruthless: At 10th level, the contract killer may perform the coup de grace attack action as a half action.

Half Skills The counter-intelligence agent’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Driver Intimidate Listen Move Silently Search Spot

Class Features All of the following are class features of the counterintelligence agent. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the counter-intelligence gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

Counter-Intelligence Agent

Track: At 1st level, the counter-intelligence agent gains the Track feat. Martial Arts: At 2nd level, the counter-intelligence agent gains the Martial Arts feat. Alertness: At 4th level, the counter-intelligence agent gains the Alertness feat. Flawless Search: Starting at 6th level, when making a Search or Spot check to find clues or other important information, the counter-intelligence may not completely fail unless he suffers an error (i.e. in his case, rolls a natural 1 or 2). Even when he suffers an error, the agents must spend 2 action dice to activate it as a critical failure. The counter-intelligence agent normally finds at least one clue or vague piece of information — if either exists to be found at all. Specialty: At 8th level, the counter-intelligence agent’s Sense Motive skill is increased by 3 ranks. Bonus Feat: At 10th level, the counter-intelligence agent gains 1 bonus basic combat or basic skill feat.

The counter-intelligence agent stands as the ultimate defense against enemy organizations, combing his native lands for evidence of foreign nationals breaking the third protocol and hunting down, revealing, and, if necessary, killing enemy agents. This is one of the most likely enemies an agent team may encounter during play. MP Cost: 3 per level + 15 (vitality die).

Full Skills The counter-intelligence agent’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Gather Information Surveillance

Key Ability Dex Str or Cha Wis Dex Int Wis

Key Ability Cha Wis

Table 7.20: The Contract Killer (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality 8 12 17 21 26 30 35 39 44 48

Base Att Bon +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

Fort Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

196

Def Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Special Point Blank Shot Killer Sneak attack +1d6 Traceless Sneak attack +2d6 Ruthless

new rules KGB Agent

Class Features

Opposite the CIA field officer in the grand chess board that is the world in the 1960s, the KGB agent handles recruitment and field operations in Eastern Bloc nations. He’s the ‘go-to’ field operative for the Soviet Union during this period. MP Cost: 4 per level + 10 (vitality die).

All of the following are class features of the KGB agent. Allegiance: The KGB agent begins play with the Soviet allegiance. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the KGB agent gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle)

Full Skills The KGB agent’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Intimidate Sense Motive

Key Ability Str or Cha Wis

Department Training: At 1st level, the KGB agent gains all the benefits of one department option from the KGB macro-department, including its bonus feat (see page 143). Boosted Constitution: At 2nd level, the KGB agent’s Constitution score rises by 2. Sneak Attack: At 4th level, the KGB agent inflicts an additional +1d6 damage when either flanking a target (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pg. 171) or attacking a target who is currently denied his Dexterity bonus to Defense (including flat-footed and immobilized opponents).

Half Skills The KGB agent’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bluff Driver Hide Innuendo Move Silently Search Spot Surveillance

Key Ability Cha Dex Dex Wis Dex Int Wis Wis

Table 7.21: The Counter-Intelligence Agent (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality 8 12 17 21 26 30 35 39 44 48

Base Att Bon +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Vitality 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Def Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Special Track Martial Arts Alertness Flawless search Specialty Bonus feat

Table 7.22: The KGB Agent (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

197

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Department training Boosted Constitution Sneak attack +1d6 Hammer and Sickle Sneak attack +2d6 Field Operative

the 1960s

Ranged attacks normally gain this bonus only if the target is within 1 range increment. Beyond that, it’s difficult to hit the target’s vitals. The KGB agent may not take the autofire or strafe attack actions when using sneak attack. The KGB agent may make a sneak attack with any weapon or unarmed attack, even one that typically deals subdual damage. However, he cannot use a weapon that typically inflicts normal damage to inflict subdual damage during a sneak attack, even by accepting the standard –4 penalty to do so (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 174). Finally, the KGB agent may not sneak attack targets who are immune to critical hits, who have total concealment, or whose vitals are out of reach. At 8th level, this bonus damage increases by an additional +1d6 (to a total damage bonus of +2d6). Hammer and Sickle: At 6th level, the KGB agent gains the Hammer and Sickle feat. Field Operative: At 10th level, the KGB agent gains the Field Operative feat.

Full Skills The lackey’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Bureaucracy Knowledge (Mastermind’s Organization) Any two other skills

Key Ability Cha Int Varies

Half Skills The lackey’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Cultures Driver Escape Artist Listen Search Spot

Key Ability Wis Dex Dex Wis Int Wis

Class Features All of the following are class features of the lackey. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the lackey gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee)

The Lackey A fixture in many masterminds’ lairs, the lackey is a loyal functionary who serves his superiors with unflinching devotion. MP Cost: 2 per level + 5 (vitality die).

“Yes, Sir!”: At 1st level, whenever the lackey receives an order from his superior (i.e. the special NPC whom he serves if he’s a minion, or the mastermind he serves if he’s a henchman, foil, or another special NPC), he receives a +1

198

new rules morale bonus to all skill checks and attack rolls made to carry out that order. Only a specific order grants the benefit (e.g. “Help me open the door!” rather than “Help me!”). The lackey’s superior may call upon this ability a number of times per session equal to the superior’s Charisma modifier. At 6th level, when the lackey’s superior issues an order to him, he completes the task in H the standard time (rounded up). This ability only applies to actions that require 1 minute or longer to complete. Right Hand Man: At 2nd level, when cooperating with his superior to make a skill check, the lackey provides a +4 cooperation bonus (rather than the standard +2 cooperation bonus). “By Your Command”: At 10th level, the lackey’s superior may spend 1 action die to activate a threat scored by the lackey as a critical success.

Search Spot Surveillance Tumble

Class Features All of the following are class features of the operative. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the operative gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle) Department Training: At 1st level, the operative gains all the benefits of one department, including its bonus feat. Stealthy: At 2nd level, the operative gains the Stealthy feat. Sneak Attack: At 4th level, the operative inflicts an additional +1d6 damage when either flanking a target (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, pg. 171) or attacking a target who is currently denied his Dexterity bonus to Defense (including flat-footed and immobilized opponents). Ranged attacks normally gain this bonus only if the target is within 1 range increment. Beyond that, it’s difficult to hit the target’s vitals. The operative may not take the autofire or strafe attack actions when using sneak attack. The operative may make a sneak attack with any weapon or unarmed attack, even one that typically deals subdual damage. However, he cannot use a weapon that typically inflicts normal damage to inflict subdual damage during a sneak attack, even by accepting the standard –4 penalty to do so (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, page 174). Finally, the operative may not sneak attack targets who are immune to critical hits, who have total concealment, or whose vitals are out of reach.

Operative Governments and corporations around the world field operatives to investigate and sabotage their enemies. While not on par with the Agency’s superspies, these skills individuals can still present a formidable obstacle — or a powerful ally — to mission teams. MP Cost: 4 per level + 10 (vitality die).

Full Skills The operative’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Demolitions Move Silently

Key Ability Int Dex

Half Skills The operative’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bluff Climb Driver Hide

Int Wis Wis Dex

Key Ability Cha Str Dex Dex

Table 7.23: The Lackey (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality 4 6 9 11 14 16 19 21 24 26

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Will Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

199

Def Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Init Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Special “Yes, sir!” (+1) Right hand man

“Yes, sir!” (1/2 time)

“By your command”

the 1960s At 8th level, this bonus damage increases by an additional +1d6 (to a total damage bonus of +2d6). Daredevil: At 6th level, the operative may use daredevil-only chase maneuvers and augment select other maneuvers during chases as per the wheelman’s daredevil class ability (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, Chapter 7). Bonus Feat: At 10th level, the operative gains one bonus feat from any feat tree.

Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee) Weapon Group Proficiency (Rifle) Police Training: At 1st level, the police official gains the Police Training feat. Point Blank Shot: At 2nd level, the police official gains the Point Blank Shot feat. Armor Use: Starting at 4th level, the police official’s total Defense bonus when wearing armor is increased by +1 and the total armor check penalty he suffers from wearing armor is reduced by 1. At 10th level, this Defense bonus increases by an additional +1 and this armor check penalty is further reduced by an additional 1. This ability may not reduce a police official’s armor check penalty below 0. Human Nature: Starting at 6th level, the police official has an intimate understanding of the human mind and the telltale signs of deception. Once per session, he may re-roll a failed Sense Motive check that targets or opposes a skill check made by another human character. The police official may not use this ability if he suffered an error with the first skill check attempt and must also abide by the results of the second roll, even if it’s worse than the first. Weapon Specialization: At 8th level, the police official chooses one weapon with which he’s already proficient (e.g. “dagger” or “shotgun”). He is considered to specialize in the use of the chosen weapon, inflicting an additional +2 damage with each successful hit using it. If the police official’s choice is a ranged weapon, this damage bonus applies only if the target is within 1 range increment.

Police Official Police officials include border guards, DEA agents, and simple city detectives. Every nation employs thousands of these individuals to uphold the law and ensure domestic tranquility. MP Cost: 3 per level + 10 (vitality die).

Full Skills The police official’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Sense Motive Surveillance

Key Ability Wis Wis

Half Skills The police official’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Bluff Bureaucracy Demolitions Driver Gather Information Listen Search Spot

Key Ability Cha Cha Int Dex Cha Wis Int Wis

Class Features

Professional

All of the following are class features of the police official. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the police official gains the following feats.

Ordinary craftsmen, blue collar workers, and idle hobby enthusiasts all have skills to offer an agent team. MP Cost: 2 per level + 5 (vitality die).

Table 7.24: The Operative (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Ref Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

200

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Department training Stealthy Sneak attack +1d6 Daredevil Sneak attack +2d6 Bonus feat

new rules Specialty: At 1st level, one of the professional’s full skills is increased by 3 ranks. A second (different) full skill is increased by 3 ranks at 4th level, and a third (different) full skill is increased by 3 ranks at 8th level. Ordinary Past: At 2nd level, the professional gains the Ordinary Past feat. Advanced Skill Mastery: At 6th level, the professional gains the Advanced Skill Mastery Feat linked to his Ordinary Past feat. Grand Skill Mastery: At 10th level, the professional gains the Grand Skill Mastery Feat linked to his Ordinary Past feat.

Full Skills The professional’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Craft (any one) Hobby (any one) Profession (any one) Any two other skills

Key Ability Int Wis Wis Varies

Half Skills The professional’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Concentration Diplomacy Driver Profession (any one) Spot Any one other skill

Key Ability Wis Cha Dex Wis Wis Varies

Wingman Military-trained pilots are perpetually in demand for their proficiency and attention to detail. Whether still serving on active duty or working in the commercial or private aviation fields, such individuals are highly valued by masterminds and the Agency alike. MP Cost: 3 per level + 10 (vitality die).

Class Features All of the following are class features of the professional. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the professional gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee)

Full Skills The wingman’s full skills and key abilities are: Full Skill Pilot Profession (Aviator or Military) Spot

Key Ability Dex Wis Wis

Table 7.25: The Police Official (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

Fort Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Vitality 4 6 9 11 14 16 19 21 24 26

Base Att Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Ref Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

Def Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Init Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Special Police Training Point Blank Shot Armor use +1 Human nature 1/session Weapon specialization Armor use +2

Table 7.26: The Professional (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Will Save +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +4 +5

201

Def Bon +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Special Specialty (1 skill) Ordinary Past Specialty (2 skills) Advanced Skill Mastery Specialty (3 skills) Grand Skill Mastery

the 1960s These GP may be pooled by minions within a squad, but each additional minion after the first adds 1 fewer GP to the pool, and a vehicle purchased in this fashion must have sufficient seats to accommodate all minions who contributed to its purchase. Gadget points assigned by a mastermind may be added to this total at no penalty. Well-Equipped: At 2nd level, the wingman receives an additional 10 BPs with which to purchase a pilot bundle (see the Soldier/Wheelman Class Guide, page 28) or a military aviator flight suit (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 142). Bonus Feat: At 6th level, the wingman gains one bonus chase feat. Daredevil: Beginning at 8th level, the wingman may use daredevil-only chase maneuvers and augment select other maneuvers during chases as per the wheelman’s daredevil class ability (see the Spycraft Espionage Handbook, Chapter 7).

Half Skills The wingman’s half skills and key abilities are: Half Skill Jump Knowledge (Aircraft) Mechanics Sport (Skydiving) Survival Tumble

Key Ability Str Int Int Dex Wis Dex

Class Features All of the following are class features of the wingman. Starting Feats: At 1st level, the wingman gains the following feats. Armor Group Proficiency (Light) Armor Group Proficiency (Medium) Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun) Weapon Group Proficiency (Tactical) Limited Custom Ride: At 1st level, the wingman gains 3 GP with which he may purchase an air vehicle or vehicular gadgets for an air vehicle. This bonus is increased by an additional +1 GP at 4th level and again at 10th level (for a total GP bonus of +4 at 4th level and +5 at 10th level).

Table 7.27: The Wingman (NPC Class) Lvl 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vitality 6 9 13 16 20 23 27 30 34 37

Base Att Bon +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10

Fort Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

Ref Save +2 +3 +3 +4 +4 +5 +5 +6 +6 +7

Will Save +0 +0 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3

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Def Bon +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +4 +4

Init Bon +1 +2 +3 +3 +4 +5 +6 +6 +7 +8

Special Limited custom ride (+3 GP) Well-equipped (+10) Limited custom ride (+4 GP) Bonus feat Daredevil Limited custom ride (+5 GP)

“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.” - President John F. Kennedy

threats

the 1960s The following six threats are presented as ways to immediately involve and challenge the agents in the 1960s. Though all of them have been expressly tailored to Cold War-era play, any can easily be modified for modern day use as well. Special Note: The following threats have been designed using the expanded Mastermind System rules found in the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide (see page 94 of that volume). Should the GC not possess that book, or wish to ignore the expanded rules, BP and GP granted by Wealth and Technology should be applied as is, while Influence, Scope, Agenda, threat resources, and action sites should all be ignored.

one of his more physically adept daughters to commit a little “gentlemanly sabotage.” Any of these actions would place the Agency on the defensive, as Trevor’s wellmeaning interventions have so many times in the past. The GC may decide that the Agency’s operatives are aware of Trevor Goodchilde’s noble intentions, or may develop him as a new (and seemingly malignant) threat on the world scene over the course of a 1960s campaign. The following threat material supports both approaches. Special Note: If played as a known and recurring threat that must be thwarted delicately, an interesting spin might involve former romantic entanglements between the Agency’s field spies and Trevor’s daughters, allowing any player to choose one (or more!) appropriate backgrounds linked to them before play begins.

The Goodchildes

MP Cost: 687 Wealth: 7 (62 BP for mastermind, 42 BP for each henchman and foil, 27 BP for each minion, 17 BP for each specialist; minions gain 1 piece of personal ordnance or 1 heavy, ground, or water vehicle up to 10 GP, or personal vehicles up to 4 GP) Technology: 5 (5 GP per serial) Loyalty: 4 (+4 to loyalty checks) Influence: 3 (favor check notice = 1–3, 3 influence effects per serial) Scope: 5 (international threat)* Agenda: Meddler (see page 189) * All serials involving the Goodchildes yield +5% XP (in addition to all other XP bonuses).

Starting Threat Code: Yellow (with frequent upgrades to Red or Black when one of the Goodchildes shows up on the Agency’s radar). This medium-season (7-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 3rd-level agents. One of the Agency’s most intriguing foes is a family of eight daughters and their father Trevor, who operate the multinational conglomerate Goodchilde Industries. Founded by Trevor’s late father, the corporation has legitimate ventures all over the world, but Goodchilde’s private operations are most of interest to the Agency. Trevor Goodchilde is an industrialist and a philanthropist, and he’s absolutely dedicated to making the world a better place. He privately promotes the sanctity of the environment, the development of seemingly beneficial futurist technologies, the rights of the common man, global disarmament, and the withdrawal of government from the affairs of the private citizen. Unfortunately, he’s rather meddlesome, and his endeavors frequently draw him into conflict with the Agency and its supporters, especially when his uninformed ideology clashes with the Agency’s efforts to safeguard the world. Trevor Goodchilde does not know of the existence of a supra-national organization conducting espionage to support widespread global peace. His position as a leading world businessman gives him the insight to notice the Agency’s operations, but his ignorance leads him to misinterpret them. Say, for instance, that Trevor seeks to undermine a nascent weapons program in a small thirdworld country that the Agency seeks to use as a staging ground for upcoming military action. When the country’s informed leadership resists the philanthropist’s diplomatic pleas to withdraw from the global arms race, he might take more aggressive action, arranging embargoes that strain the country’s foreign relations or weaken its defenses against its enemies (or those of the Agency), attempt to slander the country’s actions (thereby shedding light to the Agency’s operation), or even sending in

Serial Seven: Trevor and Anne Goodchilde This serial features the season’s mastermind and one henchman, and consequently awards +10% XP to agents who successfully complete it.

Trevor Goodchilde (Geneva, 58 years old) Goodchilde Industries was in dire straits when Trevor inherited it. During his first two years as CEO, he visited every corporate holding and — having a particular weakness for the ladies — dallied in every port. These indiscretions resulted in seven illegitimate daughters in seven different cities, though Trevor didn’t become aware of them until a business rival kidnapped them all and brainwashed their mothers in a plot to ruin him. After a scandal when the mothers marched into a press conference and shot themselves, Trevor adopted the girls and raised them as his own. Each went to the finest schools, training to take over a part of the family business. Today, Trevor Goodchilde diligently strives to overcome his tragic history. Personable and supportive, his only concern is making the world a better place for his darling girls to live in.

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threats Trevor Goodchilde, 7th-level pointman (mastermind — 35 MP): CR 7. SZ M; v/wp: 49/12; Init +5 (+2 Dex, +3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+2 Dex, +3 class); Atk: Makarov PM backup pistol +7 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ assistance (H time), cross-class ability (backup 1/session), generous, lead 3/session, tactics 1/session, versatility (Appraise, Boating, Cultures, Gather Information, Hobby, Languages, Search, Spot); SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +7; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16; Skills: Appraise +8, Bluff +10, Boating +7, Bureaucracy +10, Cultures +6, Diplomacy +12, Driver +7, Gather Information +7, Hobby (News Monitoring) +10, Hobby (Stock Trading) +9, Knowledge (Big Business) +11, Languages +6, Profession (Entrepreneur) +10, Sense Motive +9. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Expertise, Improved Disarm, Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee, Handgun, Rifle), Zen Focus. Gear: Weapon, designer clothes (×3), five-star hotel room (×2). Vehicles and Gadgets: Company car (limousine — SZ L, Occ 1/5, Hnd –5, Spd 400 ft., MPH 40/80, Def 4, WP 130, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: HOT), standard clothing (liner, disguised as business suit). Threat Resources/Action Sites: Filthy Stinking Rich (headquarters — pastoral Goodchilde mansion outside Geneva — hierarchy 5, secrecy 1*, personnel 5, security 5). * If the GC introduces the Goodchildes as a gradual threat over time during the 1960s, he may increase this rating, reallocating MP from other options to cover the cost.

Behind the scenes, the Devonshires owe a familial debt to the Goodchildes — Trevor’s great-grandfather intervened when their patriarch four generations back was incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit. Ironically, the clan now commits regular crimes for the family that freed it. The Devonshires, 5th-level heavies (minions, squads of 3 — 87 MP): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp: 52/18; Init +6 (+3 Dex, +3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+3 Dex, +2 class); Atk: fist/punch +8 (dmg 1d3+3 subdual, error 1), retractable baton +8 (dmg 1d6+3 subdual, error 1–2, threat 20); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA knuckle punch +8 (dmg 1d3+5), palm strike (std. attack + special); SQ None; SV Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 17, Dex 17, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 9, Cha 10; Skills: Driver +6, Gather Information +3, Intimidate +11/+8, Knowledge (Underworld) +4, Sense Motive +2, Spot +2. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Punching Basics, Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee, Handgun, Rifle). Gear: Weapon, 33 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Street prowler (high performance police car — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +4, Spd 700 ft., MPH 70/140, Def 13, WP 110, Hrd 7 (2 for windows), qualities and mods: bulletproof windows, enclosed engine block, hidden gun tray).

The Devonshires These Irish strong-arms don’t qualify as terrorists, though they share much in common with people who deserve that title. Trevor Goodchilde hired them as troubleshooters to handle situations he wasn’t prepared for himself (i.e. violent ones). He also keeps a few of these men — usually no more than 2–3 squads — on-hand at his Geneva estate, just in case one of his well-meaning schemes draws retribution. He used to assign them to safeguard his daughters as well, but has since learned that the Goodchilde women prefer to handle their own security. Trevor has given each of the girls a Beretta Model 1951 service pistol bearing the family crest and had them trained in their use — though he refuses to use guns himself, he will not allow his loved ones to suffer the same Achilles heel.

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the 1960s Financial Expertise: Anne is regularly called upon by clients and allies to increase their wealth. She may increase the XP reward for completing the current serial by up to 100 × the team’s average agent level in order to gain $50 per 1 XP added to the serial reward.

Anne Goodchilde (London, 27 years old) Anne is Trevor’s second-in-command and his nearomniscient right hand. She manages more of Goodchilde Industries’ daily operations every year, and is most likely to be encountered when the agents go up against his business interests. The eldest Goodchilde daughter in every respect save age (which is debatable between Anne, Barbara, Catherine, and Denise), Anne is all business, with no social life, and therefore the least likely of Trevor’s brood to become involved with Agency operatives.

Example: The team’s average agent level is 4. Anne may use her financial expertise ability to increase the XP reward for completing the current serial by up to 400. She increases it to 200, gaining an additional $10,000. Legal Wrangling: Anne may twist the legal system to her own ends, aiding or hindering legal actions for her allies. When she aids an ally, the ally receives a +5 cooperation bonus with all favor checks made to requisition legal or government intervention, as well as all uses of Bureaucracy to manipulate the legal system. When she seeks to protect an ally, the DCs of all legal and government intervention favor checks, and all Bureaucracy skill checks, made to manipulate the legal system against the ally are increased by 5. Anne may devote the effects of this ability toward only one ally at a time.

Anne Goodchilde, 4th-level financier/2nd-level lawyer (henchman — 12 MP): CR 6. SZ M; v/wp: 23/13; Init +7 (+2 Dex, +5 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+2 Dex, +4 class); Atk: 9mmP Beretta Model 1951 service pistol (bearing the Goodchilde family crest) +5 (1d10+1, recoil 12, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: FL — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ financial expertise, legal wrangling; SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +10; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 17, Wis 17, Cha 16; Skills: Appraise +9 (threat 19–20), Bluff + 9 (threat 19–20), Bureaucracy +9, Concentration +6†, Cultures +5, Diplomacy +7 (threat 19–20), Forgery +7 (threat 19–20), Gather Information +8 (threat 19–20), Innuendo +4, Intimidate +6/+4 (threat 19–20), Knowledge (Finance) +8, Knowledge (Law) +7, Languages +5, Profession (Accountant) +7, Profession (Lawyer) +5, Search +5, Sense Motive +4. Feats: Extra R&D Support (×3), Filthy Rich, Master Fence, Persuasive, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun). Gear: Weapon, 20 extra shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition, lethal poison I (3 uses), lethal poison II (2 uses). Vehicles and Gadgets: Company car (limousine — SZ L, Occ 1/5, Hnd –5, Spd 400 ft., MPH 40/80, Def 4, WP 130, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: HOT), standard attaché case, standard clothing (liner, disguised as business suit), contact poison business cards (nerve drug, 2), poison lipstick (contact poison, 3 uses). † This skill replaces the Computers skill granted by Anne’s classes.

The Devonshires Anne is far less forgiving than her father, and directs the Devonshires to leave no survivors. She often uses the clan for personal projects on the side. The Devonshires: See Trevor Goodchilde. When working for Anne, the Devonshires gain an additional 5 BP.

Serial Six: Barbara Goodchilde (Edinburgh, 27 years old) Born in Aberdeen, this scarlet-haired, hazel-eyed daredevil heads up Goodchilde Motors, which saw the first major expansion of Goodchilde Industries’ modern incarnation following World War II. An avid driver, Barbara is well known throughout the world’s racing circuits, where her rough-and-tumble demeanor has earned her a jagged reputation… and many enemies. Any agent familiar with European racing championships likely knows Barbara by reputation. Ground-loving wheelmen may know her by experience.

Threat Resources/Action Sites: Manipulators — maximum favor check DC 20 (headquarters — Goodchilde Industries global HQ offices — hierarchy 4, secrecy 1*, personnel 4, security 4). * If the GC introduces the Goodchildes as a gradual threat over time during the 1960s, he may increase this rating, reallocating MP from other options to cover the cost.

Barbara Goodchilde, 6th-level wheelman (henchman — 12 MP): CR 6. SZ M; v/wp 52/13; Init +8 (+3 Dex, +4 class, +1 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 17 (+3 Dex, +4 class); Atk: 9mmP Beretta Model 1951 service pistol (bearing the Goodchilde family crest) +9 (1d10+1, recoil 12, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: FL — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ custom ride, daredevil, elbow grease, familiarity +1 (with competition car), kick start, lucky; SV Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 16; Skills: Balance +12, Boating +10 (threat 19–20), Bluff +6, Bureaucracy +6, Craft (Machining) +10, Driver +12 (threat 19–20), Escape Artist

Anne Goodchilde possesses the following abilities from the European Commonwealth Chamber Book, tailored to her statistics.

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threats +10, Handle Animal +10, Knowledge (Big Business) +8, Mechanics +10, Pilot +3 (untrained, threat 19–20), Spot +7. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Lane Dancer, Outmaneuver, Speed Demon, Speed Racer, Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee, Handgun, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapon, 20 extra shots of 9mm P military ball ammunition, mechanics kit. Vehicles and Gadgets: Competition car (racing car — SZ L, Occ 1, Hnd +12, Spd 1,000 ft., MPH 110/240. Def 17, WP 77, Hrd 3, qualities and mods: FPH, increased handling, increased speed, lightened body, sport brakes, gadgets: improved handling, reinforced tires, wind resistance reduction)†. Threat Resources/Action Sites: Fleet Support (headquarters — Goodchilde Motors home factory, Aberdeen, England — hierarchy 3, secrecy 1*, personnel 3, security 2). * If the GC introduces the Goodchildes as a gradual threat over time during the 1960s, he may increase this rating, reallocating MP from other options to cover the cost. † This vehicle’s ordnance and gadgets are improved by the threat’s fleet support threat resource.

Serial Five: Catherine Goodchilde (Los Angeles, 27 years old) Catherine Goodchilde leads Goodchilde Health Products out of the company’s L.A. offices. An athletic sportswoman with baby-blue eyes and a lithe, muscular figure, Catherine indulges in many physical activities, her favorites being kung fu, rock climbing, and SCUBA diving. She is bright and fun-loving, except when called upon for silent infiltrations and kidnapping missions. Catherine Goodchilde, 5th-level operative (henchman — 10 MP): Department: D–1, The Power Brokerage. CR 5. SZ M; v/wp 35/16; Init +6 (+3 Dex, +3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+3 Dex, +3 class); Atk: fist/punch +6 (dmg 1d6+3 normal, error 1, threat 20), butterfly sword +6 (dmg 1d6+3, error 1–2, threat 19–20, qualities and mods: SG), 9mmP Beretta Model 1951 service pistol (bearing the Goodchilde family crest) +6 (1d10+1, recoil 12, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: FL — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA flying tackle +6 (1d6+3 + special), foot sweep +6 (special), sneak attack +1d6; SQ None; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3; Str 16, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +5, Climb +6, Demolitions +6, Driver +6, Hide +8 (threat 19–20), Move Silently +10 (threat 19–20), Search +4, Spot +3, Surveillance +3, Tumble +6. Feats: Martial Arts, Stealthy, Throwing Basics. Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition, 26 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Standard clothing (liner, disguised as gi training outfit) with chameleon suit option, standard belt (grappling hook). Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Goodchilde Health Products main office, Los Angeles, California, USA — hierarchy 2, secrecy 0*, personnel 2, security 3. * If the GC introduces the Goodchildes as a gradual threat over time during the 1960s, he may increase this rating, reallocating MP from other options to cover the cost.

Biker Gang This motorcycle gang poses as Barbara’s pit crew. More importantly, they smuggle cars across the English Channel. Barbara knows of their moonlighting activities and allows them to continue in exchange for their loyalty. After all, sometimes she needs to move some illicit property for the company, or perform a fast-strike ground assault for one of her sisters (something that started happening more frequently after her father started irritating global spy organizations). Biker Gang, 3rd-level urban bikers (minions, squads of 5 — 57 MP): CR 2. SZ M; v/wp: 29/18; Init +5 (+4 Dex, +1 class); Spd 25 ft.; Def 14 (+2 Dex, +2 armor); Atk: hook +4 (dmg 1d6+2, error 1–2, threat 20), Ithaca MAG-10 Roadblocker combat shotgun with slug ammunition +6 (dmg 3d8+1, recoil 25, error 1–3, threat 19–20, range 40 ft., qualities and mods: AP — 2 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ daredevil, DR 4/CES; SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +2; Str 15, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +7, Driver +7, Intimidate +4/+2, Knowledge (Racing) +3, Mechanics +3, Sport (“Street Jousting”) +5, Tumble +7. Feats: None. Gear: Weapons, quilted ballistic jacket, motorcycle helmet. Vehicles and Gadgets: Hogs (chopper motorcycles — SZ L, Occ 1/1, Hnd +6, Spd 400 ft., MPH 40/80, Def 15, WP 50, Hrd 2, qualities and mods: OPT (50%), self destruct mechanism (dmg 4d10, range increment 1 square), ordnance: 70mm rocket launcher (dmg 4d6 (+30), accuracy –2, error 1–2, threat 19–20, range 500 ft., blast 2 squares — 25 shots of high-explosive ammunition))†. † This vehicle’s ordnance and gadgets are improved by the threat’s fleet support threat resource. Also, this vehicle replaces the racing cycle gained from the limited custom ride class ability.

Kung Fu Warriors Catherine imported these men from her old stomping grounds in Bangkok and set them up with their own dojo in Chinatown. They provide secondary security for her offices and accompany her into the field during missions for Anne and her father. Kung Fu Warriors, 2nd-level martial arts mooks (minions, squads of 6 — 57 MP): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp: 12/16; Init +5 (+1 class, +4 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+1 class, +4 Dex); Atk: fist/punch +4 (dmg 1d6+3 normal, error 1, threat 20), nunchaku +4 (1d6+3, error 1–2, threat 19–20); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA +4 to attacks made against a target the minion is flanking, knuckle punch +4 (dmg 1d6+5, threat 20), palm strike (std. attack + special); SQ deflect arrows, flying back flip; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2;

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the 1960s Str 16, Dex 19, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +6, Climb +4, First Aid +4, Intimidate +4/+1, Jump +5, Knowledge (Martial Arts) +3, Tumble +6. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Dodging Basics, Martial Arts, Punching Basics, Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee, Hurled, Exotic — Martial Arts), Wolf Pack Basics. Gear: Weapon, 17 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Bouncers The men who guard Denise’s lucrative underground casinos (and the Goodchilde safe houses and black market channels) are highly trained gunmen and former organized criminals. Many are believed dead in one or more cities and/or countries, but none have records with INTERPOL or other agencies (Denise would never tolerate such flaws among her staff).

Serial Four: Denise Goodchilde (New York, 27 years old)

Bouncers, 4th-level minions (minions, squads of 2 — 39 MP): CR 3. SZ M; v/wp: 32/17; Init +4 (+3 class, +1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def 13 (+2 class, +1 Dex); Atk: Browning HighPower service pistol with removable suppressor +5 (dmg 1d10+1, recoil 11, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: DP — 13 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Concentration +3, Driver +3, Hide +4, Intimidate +6/+3, Knowledge (Underworld) +4, Listen +3, Spot +3, Surveillance +2, Tumble +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapon, 40 extra shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition, handcuffs, assault sling, 2 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Street prowler (high performance police car — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +4, Spd 700 ft., MPH 70/140, Def 13, WP 110, Hrd 7 (2 for windows), qualities and mods: bulletproof windows, enclosed engine block, hidden gun tray).

Denise is a mistress of manipulation and misdirection. She’s in charge of Goodchilde Exports not only to ensure the division is always one step ahead of its competitors, but also to ensure that all members of the family have somewhere to turn in times of need. Denise manages the Goodchildes’ extensive worldwide collection of safe houses and acts as their tap into the black market. She is rumored to have fallen out with her father and several of her sisters due to her uncontrolled gambling and drinking problems, but in reality these are ruses staged to divert suspicion from her true activities. Denise Goodchilde, 4th-level fixer/1st-level faceman (henchman — 10 MP): CR 5. SZ M; v/wp 25/11; Init +4 (+1 Dex, +3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+1 Dex, +4 class); Atk: 9mmP Beretta Model 1951 service pistol (bearing the Goodchilde family crest) +4 (1d10+1, recoil 12, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: FL — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ dexterous, evasion (no damage with successful Ref save), linguist +2, procure, uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to Def); SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 16; Skills: Appraise +8, Bluff +11, Boating +4, Bureaucracy +4, Diplomacy +10, Driver +5, Forgery +10, Hide +4, Innuendo +10, Knowledge (Big Business) +7, Knowledge (Underworld) +6, Move Silently +5, Profession (Entrepreneur) +8, Read Lips +8, Sense Motive +8, Sleight of Hand +8. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Private Identity, Safe House, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapon, 20 extra shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition, business attire, 30 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Convertible (luxury car — SZ L, Occ 1/4, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 110, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: HOT, gadgets: signal-absorbing paint (vs. radar signals only), endless prism earrings (1 pair), micro-grenade earrings (1 pair, concussion — dmg 2d4+2, error 1–5, range 15 ft., blast 1 square). Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Goodchilde Exports main office, New York City, New York, USA — hierarchy 2, secrecy 0*, personnel 2, security 3. * If the GC introduces the Goodchildes as a gradual threat over time during the 1960s, he may increase this rating, reallocating MP from other options to cover the cost.

Serial Three: Elaine Goodchilde (Rio, 26 years old) A stunning beauty with black hair, brown eyes, and a deep tropical tan, Elaine is the ice queen of the family. Consumed with bitterness after an unfortunate relationship with a man who left her near-penniless after embezzling nearly $100,000 from Goodchilde Industries, she now throws herself entirely into her work, only pausing to act out against hapless men who find themselves attracted to her. Elaine Goodchilde, 4th-level faceman (henchman — 8 MP): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp 25/10; Init +3 (+3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 12 (+2 class); 9mmP Beretta Model 1951 service pistol (bearing the Goodchilde family crest) +3 (1d10+1, recoil 12, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: FL — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ adaptable, backup 1/session, cold read 1/session, linguist +3, quick change 1/session; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +5; Str 10, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 15; Skills: Appraise +5, Bluff +5, Bureaucracy +5, Cultures +8, Diplomacy +6, Driver +4, Gather Information +8, Hobby (Breaking Hearts) +10, Innuendo +5, Intimidate +3/+5, Knowledge (Big Business) +8, Languages +7, Listen +3, Profession (Entrepreneur) +8, Sense Motive +9. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Charmer, Hard Core,

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threats Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapon, 20 extra shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition, trendy clothes (×4), trendy sunglasses. Vehicles and Gadgets: Roadster (classic sports car, current for 1960s — SZ L, Occ 1/2, Hnd +6, Spd 750 ft., MPH 75/150, Def 15, WP 80, Hrd 4, qualities and mods: HOT, gadgets: auto-tint), hypnosis lenses. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Goodchilde Estates main office, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — hierarchy 2, secrecy 0*, personnel 2, security 2. * If the GC introduces the Goodchildes as a gradual threat over time during the 1960s, he may increase this rating, reallocating MP from other options to cover the cost.

Francesca Goodchilde, 3rd-level icon (henchman — 6 MP): Department: Celebrity: CR 3. SZ M; v/wp 16/12; Init +4 (+1 Dex, +3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 14 (+1 Dex, +3 class); Atk: 9mmP Beretta Model 1951 service pistol (bearing the Goodchilde family crest) +2 (1d10+1, recoil 12, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: FL — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ +1 bonus with Charisma-based skills when dealing with the opposite sex, +1 department bonus with presence checks (increased to +5 by Famous feat); SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 22; Skills: Bluff +8, Cultures +3, Diplomacy +2 (untrained), Disguise +8, Hobby (Doubling) +3, Innuendo +4, Knowledge (Cosmetics) +3, Profession (Model) +4, Perform +10, Sense Motive +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Famous, Jet Setter, The Look, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee). Gear: Weapon, designer clothes (×3, always including at least one set of stunning evening wear), jewelry. Vehicles and Gadgets: Company car (limousine — SZ L, Occ 1/5, Hnd –5, Spd 400 ft., MPH 40/80, Def 4, WP 130, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: HOT). Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Goodchilde Fashion House main office, Paris, France — hierarchy 2, secrecy 0*, personnel 2, security 2. * If the GC introduces the Goodchildes as a gradual threat over time during the 1960s, he may increase this rating, reallocating MP from other options to cover the cost.

Hired Guns Elaine employs these leg-breakers to “acquire” plots of land that the owners don’t wish to sell — through legal coercion, intimidation, and, when necessary, brute force. Hired Guns, 3rd-level community criminals (minions, squads of 2 — 47 MP): CR 2. SZ M; v/wp: 19/14; Init +5 (+3 class, +2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def 14 (+2 Dex, +2 class); Atk: baseball bat +3 (dmg 1d10+3, error 1, threat 20, range 5 ft. — thrown dmg 1d10, qualities and mods: 2-h), S&W Model 10 service revolver +4 (dmg 1d8+1, recoil 10, threat 20, range 20 ft., qualities and mods: DP — 6 shots), satchel charge (dmg 3d6 + special, error 1–2, range 5 ft., blast 1 square — 1 shot); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ home turf (6 square blocks surrounding Goodchilde Estate HQ — +3 with Climb, Gather Information, Hide Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot checks, +10 ft. move on foot or +25% move in vehicle); SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +3; Str 12, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 12; Skills: Bluff +3, Climb +3, Demolitions +3, Gather Information +4, Hide +4, Innuendo +4, Intimidate +3/+3, Jump +3, Knowledge (Rio de Janeiro) +4, Spot +4. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee). Gear: Weapons, demolitions kit. Vehicles and Gadgets: Street prowler (high performance police car — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +4, Spd 700 ft., MPH 70/140, Def 13, WP 110, Hrd 7 (2 for windows), qualities and mods: bulletproof windows, enclosed engine block, hidden gun tray).

Francesca’s “People” Amongst the sycophantic throng that travels with Francesca everywhere she goes, drawing a crowd while keeping them at a distance, are a number of specially trained agents hired to keep her safe. These individuals remain hidden until needed, then strike with decisive lethal force. Francesca’s “People”, 2nd-level mercenaries (minions, squads of 2 — 44 MP): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp: 17/12; Init +3 (+1 class, +2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def 13 (+2 Dex, +1 class); Atk: Stiletto blade +3 (dmg 1d6+1, error 1–2, threat 20), Makarov PM backup pistol +4 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA +1 with attacks made within 1 range increment; SQ None; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 15; Skills: Demolitions +1, Diplomacy +3, Disguise +3, Driver +3, Listen +1, Sense Motive +1, Spot +1, Survival +1. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Point Blank Shot, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, trendy clothes (×2), disguise kit, 10 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Serial Two: Francesca Goodchilde (Paris, 26 years old) When Francesca manifested a knack for fashion in her early teens, she became a shoo-in to run the corporation’s cosmetics and clothing lines. Always the picture of beauty — even when the cameras are pointing elsewhere — Francesca is the apple of her father’s eye, and by virtue of her high-paid modeling career and affable globetrotting personality, the object of fantasies the world over.

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the 1960s Behind the Scenes: Gwendolyn excels at taking care of the little bureaucratic details that might trip others up. Whether it’s arranging a police escort for a motorcade, scheduling a make-up team before a press conference, getting VIP invitations out to the right people, or making sure the caterers are cleared with security before a highpower luncheon, she makes things run smoothly — and makes it all look easy. Three times per session, she may devote 1 hour to these details, then make 1 favor check with a DC of 5 or less without spending an action die. This check is automatically successful.

Serial One: Gwendolyn Goodchilde (Zurich, 26 years old) As head of Goodchilde Promotions, Gwendolyn is cool and collected, though she despises paparazzi and employs legions of bodyguards to keep them at bay. She is dedicated to her work, which is overwhelming since Trevor took it upon himself to save the world. This dedication keeps her at arms’ length from everyone, including the family she cherishes so. Gwendolyn Goodchilde, 3rd-level spin doctor (henchman — 6 MP): CR 3. SZ M; v/wp 19/12; Init +3 (+1 Dex, +2 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 14 (+1 Dex, +3 class); Atk: 9mmP Beretta Model 1951 service pistol (bearing the Goodchilde family crest) +2 (1d10+1, recoil 12, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: FL — 8 shots), smoke grenades (×2) +2 (dmg special, error 1—4, range 15 ft., blast special — 1 shot each); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ behind the scenes (DC 5 or less), doublespeak, public relations +2; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 16; Skills: Appraise +10, Bluff +10, Bureaucracy +10, Concentration +8, Diplomacy +11, Innuendo +8, Intimidate +5/+9, Languages +7, Listen +8, Profession (Entrepreneur) +8, Read Lips +5, Search +9, Sleight of Hand +4, Spot +7. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Mark, Political Favors, Undermine, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition, business attire, 25 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Company car (luxury — SZ L, Occ 1/4, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 110, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: HOT, gadgets: signal-absorbing paint (vs. radar signals only), document scanner, microfiche reader. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Goodchilde Promotions main office, Zürich, Switzerland — hierarchy 2, secrecy 0*, personnel 2, security 2. * If the GC introduces the Goodchildes as a gradual threat over time during the 1960s, he may increase this rating, reallocating MP from other options to cover the cost.

Bodyguards These burly men dwarf petite Gwendolyn, stalking her press junkets to keep her safe and towering near her to scare off persistent media. In private, however, they treat her like a queen. They prize her even-handedness and generous nature. Bodyguards, 1st-level minions (minions, squads of 2 — 32 MP): CR 1. SZ M; v/wp: 17/14; Init +3 (+1 class, +2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; Def 12 (+2 Dex); Atk: Walther P5 service pistol +3 (dmg 1d10+1, recoil 13, error 1, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: DS — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 10; Skills: Intimidate +6/+4, Listen +3, Sense Motive +3, Spot +5, Surveillance +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition, 12 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Foil: Helen Goodchilde (Stockholm, 22 years old, any serial) The baby of the family, Helen is most in touch with the cutting edge technologies of Goodchilde Engineering. Unfortunately, she’s also unstable, resenting her place in the Goodchilde litter and the slights she perceives her older sisters regularly perpetrating upon her. A fanatic skier, Helen owns a chateau in the Swiss Alps and travels widely during the winter — this is the period during which she’s most likely to be accidentally encountered by agents.

Gwendolyn Goodchilde possesses the following abilities from the European Commonwealth Chamber Book, tailored to her statistics. Doublespeak: Once per scene, Gwendolyn may spend 1 action die to shift one target’s disposition toward her and her allies by 1 grade for the duration of that scene. This ability may be used before or after she rolls to determine the target’s starting disposition. Public Relations: Gwendolyn receives a +2 bonus with all Charisma-based skill checks, favor checks, and rolls to influence the dispositions of media NPCs.

Helen Goodchilde, 4th-level technophile (foil — 9 MP): Loyalty 5. CR 4. SZ M; v/wp 19/14; Init +5 (+3 Dex, +2 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+3 Dex, +2 class); Atk: 9mmP Beretta Model 1951 service pistol (bearing the Goodchilde family crest) +5 (1d10+1, recoil 12, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: FL — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ eidetic catalog; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 15, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Appraise +3, Concentration +2, Craft

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threats (Machining) +6, Cryptography +3, Electronics +5, Hobby (Skiing) +4, Knowledge (Ski Resorts) +6, Mechanics +6, Surveillance +2. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun). Gear: Weapon, 40 extra shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition, 4 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Cross-country skis (2 pair, skis — SZ S, Occ 1, Hnd +0, Spd 30 ft., MPH 3/6, Def 15, WP 8, Hrd 0, qualities and mods: OPT (0%), TRK), standard laser watch with explosive option (dmg 4d6, error 1, blast 2 squares). Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Goodchilde Engineering main office, Stockholm, Sweden — hierarchy 1, secrecy 2*, personnel 2, security 2. * If the GC introduces the Goodchildes as a gradual threat over time during the 1960s, he may increase this rating, reallocating MP from other options to cover the cost.

Driver +2 (untrained, threat 19–20), Gather Information +2, Innuendo +2, Intimidate +3/+1, Knowledge (any one target, as determined by Helen’s loyalty and the GC) +1, Listen +2, Pilot +2 (untrained, threat 19–20), Search +1, Sense Motive +2, Spot +2, Surveillance +2. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Fortunate, Speed Demon, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee). Gear: Weapon, 40 extra shots of 9mm Makarov military ball ammunition. Vehicles and Gadgets: Cross-country skis (2 pair, skis — SZ S, Occ 1, Hnd +0, Spd 30 ft., MPH 3/6, Def 15, WP 8, Hrd 0, qualities and mods: OPT (0%), TRK), gadgets: smoke screen).* * This vehicle’s ordnance and gadgets are improved by the threat’s fleet support threat resource.

Plot Hook #1 A series of extremely skilled thefts are reported all around the globe. Invariably, the target of each theft is an item of unique value, either artistically or technologically. Each of the Agency’s field offices is under pressure to catch the thief.

Helen Goodchilde possesses the following abilities from the Pan-Asian Collective Chamber Book, tailored to her statistics.

Possible Truths Behind the Thefts

Eidetic Catalog: With a successful Appraise skill check (DC 12), Helen may identify the manufacturer and production facility of any mass-produced non-gadget electronic or complex mechanical item. If the item was built by an individual, Helen gains a +4 bonus with education checks made to identify the individual. Additionally, Helen may recognize the manufacturing techniques involved in any gadget with a successful Appraise check (DC 18 + the item’s GP cost). This does not automatically allow her to name the manufacturer (“The Agency”), but she may identify specific design schemes (“the guys who use those circuits”) and relative generations of related gadgets (“this power cell appears to be derived from that power cell”).

1. A talented thief, previously foiled by the Goodchildes, wants revenge. All the stolen objects belong to the Goodchildes, either directly or through one of their many front companies. The family takes it upon itself to bring the thief in. Alternately, the thief could be working for someone trying to lure Trevor into the open. Either way, the agents are bound to encounter the family throughout the investigation. 2. Trevor Goodchilde decides to pull out all the stops when acquiring his daughters’ Christmas presents. He stockpiles a special gift for each of his daughters, including a top-secret prototype car for Barbara, a one-of-a-kind designer gown for Anne, and even a small castle air-lifted in its entirety to Rio for Elaine. These acquisitions draw not only the Agency’s attention, but also that of friendly competitors and those who owned some of the objects gained through illicit or underhanded means.

Combat Skiers These men guard Helen’s chateau when she is away. The lucky ones are invited to go with her during each ski season.

3. Concerned with the possible military applications of several newly developed technologies, Trevor and his daughters try to eliminate the items, making them disappear one at a time. The art thefts are simply decoys, executed to throw investigators off the trail by casting doubt upon the thieves’ possible motives.

Combat Skiers, 2nd-level deep cover operatives (minions, squads of 3 — 38 MP): Department: Racer. CR 1. SZ M; v/wp: 13/15; Init +4 (+3 Dex, +1 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+3 Dex, +2 class); Atk: 9mm Makarov CZ Scorpion submachinegun +4 (dmg 2d4, accuracy –1, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: CS, SS — 24 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ begins each session with one d4 action die, +1 department bonus with all maneuver and crash checks, adjust critical by up to +1/–1; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +4; Str 15, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +4, Bluff +2, Boating +2 (untrained, threat 19–20), Diplomacy +1, Disguise +2,

Plot Hook #2 The Goodchilde family has suddenly fallen victim to a spate of infighting. With any other family, this would be resolved under one roof, but when the Goodchildes fight it affects the entire globe, echoing through the business

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the 1960s worlds and the high-profile circuits in which they run. The Agency becomes aware of the problem either through moles within Goodchilde Industries (if the Agency is aware of the organization) or as the echoes affect ongoing operations.

The New Spartan Order Starting Threat Code: Red. This short-season (3-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 15th-level agents.

Possible Causes and Effects of the Infighting

A possibly apocryphal entry in the Guinness Book of World Records states that since the beginning of recorded history, we have enjoyed only 14 days of world peace — such a condition being defined as a time when there are no wars between countries, nor civil wars within countries, anywhere on the planet. This statistic echoes one of the core tenets of many militaristic philosophies: namely, that war is the natural state of human affairs, and peace is an anomalous period of degeneracy between wars. The New Spartan Order is a tightly-organized conspiracy of military veterans who were, for one reason or another, unable to return to civilian life after combat service. They believe that the only way to build a strong world — a strong humanity — is to encourage global conflict, thus protecting nations from the complacency of peace. War is a Darwinian crucible which removes the weak, slow, cowardly, stupid, and unlucky. If global conflict is kept at a high level for an entire generation, the Order believes that utopian societies will begin to emerge in which warriors are prized over all other individuals. Humanity as a whole would be strengthened. Practicality and modern technology place some constraints on this campaign. The Order only desires conventional war — a nuclear exchange would be insufficiently selective and cause genetic damage that would defeat the group’s ultimate aim. Thus, the challenge facing the Order is to moderate the intensity of the conflicts in which it becomes involved, promoting enough violence to support its goal without sufficiently threatening the nuclear powers. The Order is presently field-testing its program and ideals in Vietnam, taking small steps in select combat zones before staging larger “conflict management” operations. MP Cost: 440 Wealth: 2 (68 BP for mastermind, 48 BP for each henchman and foil, 33 BP for each minion, 23 BP for each specialist; minions gain 1 ground vehicle up to 3 GP) Technology: 0 (0 GP per serial) Loyalty: 2 (+2 to loyalty checks) Influence: 4 (favor check notice = 1–4, 4 influence effects per serial) Scope: 1 (regional threat) Agenda: Genocide (see page 189)

1. It erupted when Trevor finally stepped back entirely from the family business, focusing his efforts on guiding the world political and military scenes — especially involving the superpowers and their arms race. In addition to having what amounts to a full-scale villain (or at least a competitor) on its hands, the Agency must contend with eight squabbling daughters vying for control of one of the most powerful corporations on Earth. For an added complication, Trevor’s actions may have been prompted by his discovery of the Agency, which he assumes is a villainous entity. In this case, his efforts directly oppose the Agency’s at every turn. 2. It first became evident as Denise lashed out at Francesca, arranging for mobs of protesters at her latest European modeling show to expose her (legitimate) connections with many Communist factions in Hollywood. Francesca responded by revealing Denise’s smuggling operations, in particular channels supporting known criminal organizations. Soon the rest of the girls joined in, targeting each other and their Goodchilde Industries holdings. Trevor has been unable to rein in his daughters or discover the reason for their aggressions. They’re fighting over Troy Falkirk, a former Agency operative who stole a pheromone manipulating device from R&D before he retired. Now his seductions have sparked a family conflict that threatens corporate instability and perhaps even violence, and the Agency not only wants him found and stopped, but reparations made for his meddling. 3. It was prompted when Helen Goodchilde, finally going off the deep end, struck a deal with another criminal organization (perhaps one of the others in this chapter), promising to hand over Goodchilde Industries after the rest of her family is dead. She asks her new allies to help her stage attacks on the other girls and their company holdings and frame the others. Soon, all the girls are pointing fingers at each other and even Trevor is besieged by assaults from his own daughters. The fighting turns deadly, and only Trevor is unwilling to respond with violence. Agents assigned to clean up the resulting mess may find themselves under attack by Goodchilde daughters assuming them to be hirelings of the others.

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threats Now in his late sixties, Leonidis is still an imposing figure of martial prowess. Though retired, he owns no civilian clothes, and his uniforms — both field and dress — still bear the rank of Sergeant-Major at which he mustered out. On each uniform, the American flag has been replaced with that of the New Spartan Order — a black crested helmet over crossed javelins, set against an alternately red-and-white backfield. When Leonidis speaks, he rumbles, his eyes gleaming with quiet fanaticism. He’s never unarmed — at minimum, he always carries a bone-handled M1911A1 and a trench knife.

Serial Three: Sergeant-Major (ret.) Alexander Leonidis, U.S. Army Private Alexander Leonidis was two months out of basic training when he arrived in France in June 1917. The son of Greek immigrants, Leonidis had lied about his age and enlisted just after his fifteenth birthday in order to supplement his family’s income. Whatever innocence he may have had remaining died in the trenches, as 19th-century infantry tactics met 20th-century industrialized warfare. Twenty-seven years later, First Sergeant Alexander Leonidis led an entire assault company onto Omaha Beach after its officers were killed by German artillery. The survivors emerged from the bloody Normandy sands as some of the most highly-decorated troops in the invasion’s first wave. But Leonidis’ glory days were cut short six months later, when his unit was cut off during a night battle over a French town whose name the sergeant never even learned. Captured by the SS, Leonidis spent the rest of the Second World War in a POW camp. Nearly three decades of military service had hardened him, but every man has his breaking point, and somewhere between the “interviews” and “experiments,” he succumbed to what later generations would call “Stockholm Syndrome” and began to identify with his captors. He never acknowledged the Nazi cause, but the concept of a “master race” resonated with Leonidis’ own experiences in the furnace of war. After his rescue near the end of the war, Leonidis requested reassignment as a drill sergeant. The Army was only too happy to hold up a decorated veteran of two global wars as an example to the new postwar generation of soldiers. Unfortunately, Leonidis’ extreme view of discipline and his blatant disgust for non-military personnel became increasingly harder to ignore. By December 1949, a series of drunken brawls in off-post bars led to disciplinary action. Rather than demote Leonidis, his superiors reassigned him to the 3rd Infantry Division — one month before the battle at the Chosin Reservoir on the border between North Korea and China. The 80-hour fighting retreat from the “frozen Chosin” crystallized a belief that Leonidis had gradually been forming since 1944. He quietly retired from the Army a year later and penned the 76-page New Spartan Manifesto, outlining an ideally militaristic and Darwinian society. His life’s ethic formulated, Leonidis distributed the Manifesto to a dozen of his closest WWII comrades, each of whom shared some of his beliefs on the relative value of warriors versus civilians. The New Spartan Order was officially founded on July 4, 1953. Since, Leonidis has rallied roughly a hundred retired soldiers to his banner. His allies among activeduty personnel across the globe number perhaps ten times that, giving him a substantial base of information and supply from which to draw.

Sergeant-Major Alexander Leonidis, 5th-level soldier/3rd-level pointman/10th-level tactician (mastermind — 90 MP): Department: Foreign Military Advisor. CR 18. SZ M; v/wp 163/16; Init +16 (+2 Dex, +13 class, +1 synergy); Spd 30 ft.; Def 21 (+2 Dex, +9 class); Atk: knife +19 (dmg 1d6+2, error 1, threat 20, range 5 ft. — thrown dmg 1d6+2), Colt M1911A1 service pistol +19 (dmg 1d12, recoil 20, threat 19–20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: RG, TD — 7 shots), Dragunov SVD sniper rifle +20 (dmg 2d10+1, recoil 13, accuracy +1, error 1–2, threat 18–20, range 200 ft., qualities and mods: IN 4× telescopic sight — 10 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ accurate, ambush tactics, armor use +1, assistance (H time), break away (assist prey, retreat), DR 1/—, lead 1/session, no escape, seize the moment, soldier’s soldier (2 grades), stratagem (self, team), tempo (share), versatility (Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Search, Spot, Survival, Tumble), wily; SV Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +11; Str 15, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 17 (21)*; Skills: Balance +9, Bureaucracy +11, Climb +7, Cultures +10, Demolitions +7, Diplomacy +17, First Aid +7, Intimidate +17, Jump +9, Knowledge (Military History) +24, Knowledge (Philosophy) +13, Listen +12, Profession (Military) +28, Search +13, Sense Motive +12, Spot +12, Survival +12, Swim +7, Tumble +9. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Bloodthirsty, Clockwork Tactics, Combat Instincts, Contempt, Expertise, Hard Core, Marksman, Perfect Stance, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Sidestep, Stone Cold, Surge of Speed, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 20 shots of 7.62×54mm Soviet boat tail ammunition, 20 extra shots of 7.62×54mm Soviet military ball ammunition, 40 shots of .45 ACP hollow point ammunition, 60 extra shots of .45 ACP military ball ammunition, uniform, trail bundle (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 7), 3 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Jeep (military jeep — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 90, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: ORD, ordnance: 14.5mm machinegun (dmg 3d10 (+20), error 1–2, threat 18–20, range 600 ft., qualities and mods: AN, AP — 400 shots of military ball ammunition) with 1 extra load of military ball ammunition (400 extra shots), this vehicle normally tows a mobile 40mm cannon (dmg 4d10 (+30),

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the 1960s prefers to surround himself only with proven NCOs — everyone in the First Legion possessed a rank no lower than staff sergeant or the local equivalent when recruited. Most First Legion personnel dress to blend in with local military or paramilitary forces. While on duty, they’re near-religious about military professionalism, adhering to an adopted mixture of their native military protocols. When off-duty, they carouse and brawl with equal enthusiasm. None of these men expects to die in bed. New Spartan Legionnaires, 10th-level mercenaries/4th-level bloodstained penitents (minions, squads of 8 — 95 MP): CR 13. SZ M; v/wp 105/14; Init +12 (+2 Dex, +6 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 21 (+2 Dex, +9 class); Atk: knife +16 (dmg 1d6+2, error 1, threat 20, range 5 ft. — thrown dmg 1d6), H&K G3 assault rifle +16 (dmg 4d4+2, error 1, threat 19–20, range 125 ft., qualities and mods: CS, DP, RG, IN adjustable bipod — 20 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA blind rage, DR 2/—; SQ None; SV Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +9; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 10; Skills: Demolitions +6, Diplomacy +5, Driver +9, Gather Information +2, Hide +4, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (Military History) +3, Listen +6, Move Silently +4, Profession (Military) +6, Sense Motive +6, Spot +8, Surveillance +3, Survival +6. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Improved Initiative, Marksman, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 40 extra shots of 7.62×51mm NATO hollow point ammunition, 60 extra shots of 7.62×51mm NATO military ball ammunition, trail bundle (see the Modern Arms Guide, page 7). Vehicles and Gadgets: Jeep (military jeep — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 90, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: ORD, ordnance: 7.62mm machinegun (dmg 2d10 (+20), error 1–2, threat 19–20, range 200 ft., qualities and mods: AN — 400 shots of military ball ammunition)).

error 1–2, threat 18–20, range 900 ft., blast 2 squares — 60 shots of high-explosive ammunition)). * Leonidis’ Charisma is 21 when using class abilities, such as tactics. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Mobile (Vietnam) — hierarchy 1, secrecy 0, personnel 0, security 0. Leonidis possesses the following basic combat feat ability from the Pan-Asian Collective Chamber Book, tailored to his statistics.

The New Spartan Legionnaires possess the following ability from the Pan-Asian Collective Chamber Book, tailored to their statistics.

Contempt: Five times per session, as a free action, Leonidis may make a single attack against an opponent whose total agent level is at least 4 lower than his. He applies his full base attack bonus to the attack (+15). If he rolls a threat, the GC need not spend an action die to activate it. This feat ability may never be used more than once in any single round.

Blind Rage: When using the standard attack action, a New Spartan Legionnaire may accept a penalty of up to –5 to his Def and add the same number (up to +5) to his base attack bonus as a competence bonus. This effect lasts until the Legionnaire’s initiative count during the following round.

New Spartan Legion

Serial Two: Rhee Jae-Sun

The First Legion of the New Spartan Order is Leonidis’ personal assembly of bodyguards, troubleshooters, and hard cases. They’re mostly American and mostly ex-Army, though a few personnel from other NATO nations and a handful of Marines are included as well. Leonidis

Alexander Leonidis’ right-hand man and sole moderating influence, Rhee Jae-Sun is a former Republic of Korea Army infantry sergeant. In early 1950, he was assigned to lead a detachment of scouts and interpreters liaising with the American 3rd Infantry Division. At Chosin Reservoir,

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threats Rhee envied his comrades serving alongside the Marines who comprised the bulk of the local American force — the Marines seemed to be much more competent and disciplined than his own troops. Rhee despaired of the winnowing whenever combat broke out, desperately wanting to make a difference before he died and not understanding how the rest of his unit didn’t share the sentiment. During the Chosin retreat, Rhee found himself fighting alongside Sergeant-Major Leonidis. The American officer’s unyielding leadership and determination combined with Rhee’s deadly eye for ambush terrain and led hundreds of Chinese troops into inescapable traps, and their rearguard actions prevented an outright massacre of the American forces. They conversed while recovering from their wounds in Inchon and by the time Leonidis departed the Korean Peninsula, he had a staunch ally in Sergeant Rhee. The following year, the Korean officer became the first member of Leonidis’ New Spartan Order. Calm and reserved, Rhee is Leonidis’ polar opposite. He never raises his voice above a conversational tone except to be heard over the noise of combat. His speech and tactical styles are much the same — he prefers to work defensively, allowing his opponents to overextend themselves before he lunges in to finish the engagement with a single decisive blow. Rhee possesses a wrestler’s physique and is deceptively fast in close combat.

Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of 9mmP military ball ammunition, 40 extra shots of 7.62×54mm Soviet military ball ammunition, trail bundle. Vehicles and Gadgets: Military jeep — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 90, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: ORD, ordnance: 14.5mm machinegun (dmg 3d10 (+20), error 1–2, threat 18–20, range 600 ft., qualities and mods: AN, AP — 400 shots of military ball ammunition) with 1 extra load of military ball ammunition (400 extra shots), this vehicle normally tows a mobile standard mine layer (dmg 4d10 (+60), error 1–2, threat 17–20, blast 1 square — 10 shots of anti-vehicle mines). Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Mobile (Vietnam) — hierarchy 0, secrecy 0, personnel 0, security 0.

Ice Men of Chosin Like Leonidis, Rhee surrounds himself with professionals. The New Spartan Order’s Second Legion is composed primarily of Korean War veterans — from both sides. Rhee’s quiet self-assurance brings these soldiers together to serve alongside Chinese and Americans without conflict beyond professional rivalry. The Second Legion’s men are fatalist to the last. Their war is only a decade past, and most of them feel that they’re living on borrowed time. This fosters a willingness to sacrifice themselves en masse to achieve their objectives, particularly among the Chinese veterans of human wave attacks. They inflict incredible damage before they go down.

Rhee Jae-Sun, 1st-level soldier/6th-level pointman/10th-level ranger (henchman — 34 MP): Department: Special Operations (Lanceros). CR 17. SZ M; v/wp 178/18; Init +11 (+2 Dex, +9 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 20 (+2 Dex, +8 class); Atk: knife +18 (dmg 1d6+3, error 1, threat 20, range 5 ft. — thrown dmg 1d6), Daewoo DP 51 service pistol +17 (dmg 1d10+1, recoil 13, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft. — 13 shots), Kalashnikov PKM machinegun +17 (dmg 2d10+1, recoil 18, error 1–3, threat 19–20, range 175 ft., qualities and mods: RG — 100 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA +5 department bonus to damage rolls made during a ready action, cross-class ability (sneak attack +1d6), overrun, sneak attack +3d6 (including cross-class ability); SQ +10 department bonus with skill checks made to detect ambushes, all-terrain expert, assistance (H time), bushmaster +4, generous, lead 2/session, silent rush, tactics 1/session, trailblazer, trail box +8, versatility (Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Survival, Swim); SV Fort +16, Ref +10, Will +15; Str 17, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 12; Skills: Balance +7, Climb +8, Demolitions +6, Driver +6, First Aid +7, Hide +14, Jump +8, Listen +13, Move Silently +14, Profession (Military) +14, Sport (Skydiving) +7, Spot +13, Surveillance +5, Survival +15, Swim +8, Use Rope +7. Feats: Aquatic Training, Arctic Training, Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Controlled Burst, Controlled Strafe, Daring Ambush, Forest Training, Hail of Bullets, Jungle Training, Mountain Training, No Quarter, Rapid Shot, Speed Trigger, Swamp Training, Track, Weapon Group

Ice Men of Chosin, 10th-level bloodstained penitents/2nd-level mercenaries (minions, squads of 10 — 80 MP): CR 11. SZ M; v/wp 69/12; Init +9 (+2 Dex, +7 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 21 (+2 Dex, +9 class); Atk: knife +14 (dmg 1d6+2, error 1, threat 20, range 5 ft. — thrown dmg 1d6+2), Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle +14 (dmg 3d6, error 1, threat 19–20, rage 150 ft., qualities and mods: DP, RG — 30 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA blind rage, last stand; SQ None; SV Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +8; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Demolitions +1, Diplomacy +1, Driver +8, First Aid +2, Gather Information +5, Hide +7, Intimidate +7, Listen +2, Move Silently +7, Profession (Military) +6, Sense Motive +2, Spot +7, Survival +7. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Coordinate Fire, Point Blank Shot, Lay Down Fire, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 60 extra shots of 7.62×39mm Soviet military ball ammunition, trail bundle*, 7 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Jeep (military jeep — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 90, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: ORD, ordnance: 7.62mm machinegun (dmg 2d10 (+20), error 1–2, threat 19–20, range 200 ft., qualities and mods: AN — 400 shots of military ball ammunition)).

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the 1960s * One minion per squad carries the following gear instead: Dragunov SVD sniper rifle +15 (dmg 2d10+1, recoil 13, accuracy +1, error 1–2, threat 18–20, range 200 ft., qualities and mods: IN 4× telescopic sight — 10 shots), 40 extra shots of 7.62×54mm Soviet military ball ammunition, ghillie suit, survival kit, 14 BP. A second minion per squad carries the following gear instead: Kalashnikov PKM machinegun +14, (dmg 2d10+1, recoil 18, error 1–3, threat 19–20, range 175 ft., qualities and mods: RG — 100 shots), 200 extra shots of 7.62×54mm Soviet military ball ammunition, survival kit, 23 BP.

By age 14, Phan had collected enough money and contacts to break away from his employers without fear of reprisal. With the assistance of a half-dozen other young men, he “acquired” a leaky smuggling vessel from an opposing syndicate, boarding the sampan under cover of a heavy storm and dispatching the snoring crew. After weathering the pro forma reprisals, Phan and his crew began working both sides of the law and both sides of the war, cheerfully alternating between trading, smuggling, and piracy. Phan came to the New Spartan Order’s attention when U.S. Navy personnel began patrolling Vietnamese rivers. Hearing stories of a band of juvenile pirates, a possible manifestation of its philosophy, the Order investigated and soon came upon a young man who’d never known anything but war, possessing a healthy contempt for anyone without the strength and cunning to survive in his rugged world. Today, Phan and his followers are the Order’s primary local contacts in South Vietnam. From an academic viewpoint, they’re vindication of the Order’s Darwinian beliefs. From a practical perspective, they’re a useful — and ultimately expendable — asset. Active-duty American military personnel affiliated with the Order have arranged for Phan and his crews to be accepted as local irregular assets, allowing them to occasionally receive American military aid. In return, Phan and his “Lost Boys” provide the Order with muscle, transportation, and intelligence on all sides of the conflict. Phan could not care less about the Order’s philosophy. He’s an eminently practical boy, and the Order has arranged for his crews to receive far better equipment than they ever managed to steal or scavenge from Vietnamese forces. Phan understands the Order’s goals perfectly well, he just doesn’t care about them — though he is intelligent enough to recognize the irony in the fact that he’s almost exactly what the New Spartan Order hopes to create.

The Ice Men of Chosin possess the following ability from the Pan-Asian Collective Chamber Book, tailored to their statistics. Blind Rage: When using the standard attack action, an Ice Man of Chosin may accept a penalty of up to –5 to his Def and add the same number (up to +5) to his base attack bonus as a competence bonus. This effect lasts until the Ice Man’s initiative count during the following round. Last Stand: As a free action, an Ice Man of Chosin may choose to “make a last stand” against insurmountable odds. When making a last stand, the Ice Man suffers only minimum damage from all attacks (i.e. assume all damage dice roll 1s). Even after the Ice Man drops to 0 wounds, he may act against his enemies — when between 0 and –9 wound points, he may take one half action per turn. If at the end of combat, the Ice Man still possesses 1 or more wound points, he immediately drops to –1 wound point. Once the Ice Man begins his last stand, he automatically fails all stabilization checks, but he cannot die until he delivers a last soliloquy.

Serial One: Phan Truoc Pierre The son of a Vietnamese fisherwoman and a French Foreign Legion infantryman, Phan Truoc Pierre grew up on the rivers and coasts of the Mekong Delta. His father’s rotation out of Vietnam and his mother’s subsequent death in random crossfire left him an orphan at age 8. He was taken in as a unit mascot and houseboy by an ARVN river patrol unit. Initially given room and board in exchange for doing the men’s laundry and cooking, Phan eventually learned how to repair and handle the unit’s weapons and heavy equipment. When the unit was wiped out in action against the NVA, Phan stripped their barracks of all remaining equipment and sold it on the black market. With this seed money, he bought his way into one of the local criminal organizations, starting as a courier and moving into enforcement within two years. None of his victims expected a 12-year old boy to be a serious threat, but .38 caliber pistols don’t have much recoil and cutting a man’s throat in his sleep is easy enough with a light foot and a straight razor…

Phan Truoc Pierre, 5th-level fixer/5th-level wheelman/6th-level mariner (henchman — 32 MP): Department: Organized Crime (Triad). CR 16. SZ M; v/wp 129/14; Init +17 (+3 Dex, +10 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 22 (+3 Dex, +9 class); Atk: fist/punch +12 (dmg 1d6 normal, error 1, threat 20), straight razor +12 (dmg 1d4, error 1–2, threat 19–20), S&W Model 10 service revolver +15 (dmg 1d8+1, recoil 10, threat 20, range 20 ft., qualities and mods: DP — 6 shots); Colt M16A1 assault rifle +15 (dmg 4d4, error 1–4, threat 20, range 125 ft., qualities and mods: no burst — 30 shots), fragmentation grenades (×2) +15 (dmg 2d10, error 1–4, range 15 ft., blast 1 square — 1 shot each); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA sneak attack +2d6; SQ +5 department bonus with skill checks made to cut street deals and when dealing with the black market, daredevil, dexterous, evasion (no damage with successful Ref save), familiarity +1 (with pirate sampan), full ahead

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threats +20%, gunnery, kick start 1/session, old hand, procure, sea legs (see Feats), slick moves 2/session, uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to Def), water wings, weather eye; SV Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +2; Str 11, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 12; Skills: Appraise +14 (threat 19–20), Bluff +9, Boating +24 (threat 19–20), Driver +6 (threat 19–20), Escape Artist +9, Forgery +11 (threat 19–20), Gather Information +4 (threat 19–20), Hide +11, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Underworld) +14, Mechanics +8, Move Silently +11, Open Lock +11, Pilot +6 (threat 19–20), Profession (Smuggler) +21, Sleight of Hand +7, Survival 4, Swim +6. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Sea Legs), Aquatic Training, Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Concealed Weapon, Grand Skill Mastery (Sea Legs), Immobilizing Strike, Improved Initiative, Martial Arts, Master Fence, Offensive Driving, Relentless Pursuit, Sea Legs, Speed Demon, Wave Runner, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, $50,000 in drugs and other black market merchandise. Vehicles and Gadgets: Pirate sampan (see below), 1 GP. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Mobile (Vietnam) — hierarchy 0, secrecy 0, personnel 0, security 0.

requiring a successful Search or Spot check (DC 20) to notice. Readying one of these weapons while it’s concealed requires 2 full actions.

Mekong Delta Lost Boys All between 10 and 18 years of age, Phan Truoc Pierre’s smuggler, pirate, and merchant crewmen have grown up in a country that’s an ideal proving ground for the New Spartan Order’s theories. These youngsters are living “proof” of those ideals, and though they lack the cohesion and professionalism of formally trained troops, they make up for it with amazing ferocity and cunning. The Lost Boys usually operate sampans and other river craft with large amounts of heavy weapons, but they’re adept at pretending to be innocent fishermen and traders when outmatched — or when they need to lure their prey closer… Mekong Delta Lost Boys, 10th-level raiders (minions, squads of 12 — 53 MP): CR 9. SZ M; v/wp 58/12; Init +10 (+2 Dex, +8 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+2 Dex, +4 class); Atk: knife +10 (dmg 1d6, error 1, threat 20, range 5 ft. — thrown dmg 1d6), Colt CAR-15 assault rifle +12 (dmg 4d4, error 1–2, threat 20, range 125 ft., qualities and mods: no burst, CS, DT — 20 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ daredevil, limited familiarity +1 (with pirate sampan — see the previous column); SV Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +7, Boating +12, Intimidate +5, Mechanics +5, Move Silently +7, Profession (Smuggler) +5, Spot +5. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Point Blank Shot, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, $1,000 in miscellaneous Asian and American currency, 33 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Pirate sampan (see the previous column), 9 GP (for pirate sampan only).

Pirate Sampan This shallow-draft river vessel that looks like a decrepit mess is in fact loaded to the gunwales with highcaliber weapons under tarps and false crates. The vehicle can sink just about anything it might encounter on the water, and can make the banks inhospitable to infantry and light armored vehicles as well. It doesn’t handle open seas well, and its light armor and low speed mean that its crew must get in the first shots and end fights quickly. Phan Truoc Pierre’s Pirate Sampan — river boat Size: Gargantuan Occ: 3/15 Hnd: –6 Spd: 80 ft. MPH: 8/16 Def: 2 WP: 90 Hrd: 4 Qualities: CMF, LVQ. Vehicular Gadgets: Hidden cargo compartment (may store up to 2 cubic yards in volume). Masterworks Modifications: None. Ordnance*: Bow-mounted 75mm cannon (dmg 5d10 (+40), error 1–3, threat 18–20, range 1,000 ft., blast 2 squares — 50 shots of high-explosive ammunition), sternmounted 14.5mm machinegun (dmg 3d10 (+20), error 1–2, threat 18–20, range 600 ft., qualities and mods: AN, AP — 400 shots of military ball ammunition), bow- and sternmounted 7.62mm machineguns (×2 — 1 per side) (dmg 2d10 (+20), error 1–2, threat 19–20, range 200 ft., qualities and mods: AN — 400 shots of military ball ammunition), deck-mounted 60mm mortar (dmg 2d10+2 (+25), accuracy –2, error 1–3, threat 19–20, range 500 ft., blast 2 squares — 25 shots of high-explosive ammunition). * All weapons may be concealed with 2 full actions,

The Mekong Delta Lost Boys possess the following ability from the Archer Foundation Chamber Book, tailored to their statistics. Limited Familiarity: The Mekong Delta Lost Boys gain a +1 bonus with Mechanics, Boating, and chase maneuver checks made using their pirate sampans, as well as with attacks made using weapons mounted on the same.

Plot Hook #1 While in Saigon on an unrelated assignment, the agents’ hotel rooms are broken into and several sensitive items are stolen (possibly including a gadget, if anyone requisitioned an appropriately portable one). The only witnesses report that a half-dozen young war orphans were loitering in the alley below the rooms shortly before the theft.

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the 1960s Possible Thieves:

The November Revolution

1. The thieves are indeed war orphans, trying to eke out a living on the unforgiving streets of a beleaguered, battle-bred city. However, they’ve heard of Phan Truoc Pierre and seek to get into his good graces — and thereby his criminal organization — by fencing some of the advanced equipment they’ve stolen from the agents. They have no idea what they’re getting into, but the investigation can serve as a lead by which to introduce the agents to the New Spartan Order.

Starting Threat Code: Red. This short-season (3-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 9th-level agents. These thrill-seeking Russians place their personal ideals above all else, even the Motherland. Though as hostile toward the United States as most of their cousins, they’re enamored with the comforts, freedoms, and financial power of the West and believe that the Soviet Union could wage the capitalist war as well as any. Driven by selfish desire as much as political aspiration, the November Revolution is fast catching on among Russia’s downtrodden youth, whose patriotism is strained in the face of fast cars, blue jeans, and black market records. Named in homage to the October Revolution that formed the Soviet Union, these radical young Russians seek to overthrow their Communist government and seize control, propelling Russia forward into what they believe will be the defining political scheme of the late 20th century. They are led by charismatic rebel Roman Augustin Boguvlast, who “lives the dream” with a round-the-clock regimen of hard living (and harder drinking), reckless driving, and extreme indulgence. He expects to die young, knowing in his heart that the November Revolution will continue long after he is gone. MP Cost: 404 Wealth: 2 (65 BP for mastermind, 45 BP for each henchman and foil, 30 BP for each minion, 20 BP for each specialist; minions gain 1 ground vehicle up to 3 GP) Technology: 4 (4 GP per serial) Loyalty: 6 (+6 to loyalty checks) Influence: 0 (favor check notice = impossible, 0 influence effects per serial) Scope: 1 (regional threat) Agenda: Political Machination (see page 189).

2. The thieves are from one of Phan Truoc Pierre’s boat crews. They don’t know the true nature of the agents or their equipment, but they’re pretty sure they can sell it to their Soviet contacts in Cambodia (or their American contacts in Saigon, if the agents are Soviet-friendly). 3. The thieves are youthful hangers-on of another criminal syndicate that’s at war with Phan Truoc Pierre. They’ve deliberately been as clumsy as possible in staging the break-in, and intend to plant the equipment on one of the pirate sampans in order to draw the agents’ wrath.

Plot Hook #2 Several patrols on both sides of the war have recently come under heavy fire from unknown enemies. Descriptions of the opponents match neither American, South Vietnamese, nor North Vietnamese troops, nor irregulars. The attackers seem to target officers first, then concentrate on the least experienced recruits in each unit.

Possible Reasons for the Attacks: 1. The attacks are being carried out by the New Spartan Order’s First Legion, whose objective is to identify individuals on both sides of the war who may be suitable for induction into the criminal organization. Survivors who distinguish themselves are noted, and later investigated and covertly approached.

Serial Three: Roman Augustin Boguvlast

2. The attacks are being carried out by a rogue platoon of the New Spartan Order’s Second Legion. Unbeknownst to their superiors, these men have accepted a series of assassination contracts on officers on both sides of the war. They’re covering up their surgical attacks by subsequently slaughtering the easiest targets — who happen to be the greenest recruits.

Special Note: This serial ‘raises the bar’ once as described on page 94 of the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, and consequently awards +5% XP to agents who successfully complete it. In his early 30s, Roman Boguvlast is a picturesque monument to his ambitions. The sprawling image of a slaughtered bear is tattooed across his well-muscled shoulders and back, its blood pooling into the shape of a jagged sickle. Attractive and personable, Roman makes his cause seem not only worthy but winable. He’s a much needed figurehead at the forefront of the November

3. Analysis of the attacks indicates that they’ve all occurred near — but not quite along — a known smuggling corridor on the Cambodian border. The Order is stockpiling its resources in the area, and the attacks are intended to draw attention away from the arms shipments that Phan Truoc Pierre’s personnel have been moving when the strikes occurred.

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threats Revolution, but ultimately he’s more than that — he is a warrior whose hatred for the West led him to obsessively cast about for ways to shrug off the yoke of the Cold War and elevate non-nuclear aggressions to a new level. Ironically, somewhere along the way, Roman’s search for weaknesses in the West led him to sample its lifestyle — and he liked it. Now, he’s fallen into all its decadent practices, seeking out fancy foods, rich and exotic spices, fine wines, and cutting-edge gadgets. Roman spends his free time driving the fastest sports cars, climbing the steepest cliffs, and skydiving from the most insane heights and locations. He no longer sees capitalism’s failings — he only sees what it can do for him. Roman has taken over a small manor house outside of Minsk. Outwardly, the house appears to have fallen into ruin, but the mastermind has completely renovated its interior, importing furniture from Marseille, Milan, and Bangkok, and music from San Francisco and London. Stereophonic sound equipment pipes a constant stream of rock and roll laced with custom hard-edge experimental sounds. Parties rage throughout the house every day, around the clock, though Roman and his minions ensure that none of it spills out into the open. Invitations go to Russia’s powerful elite (save for those who would blow the whistle), and those who are deemed susceptible to the siren call of capitalist aggression are brought into the fold. In essence, November Revolution is more a concept than a movement, migrating through Russia’s leadership like a virus, slowly taking hold and laying the groundwork for a massive upheaval behind the Iron Curtain. The agents may become involved in many ways. The Agency might get wind of the Revolution and its effects on one of its operatives in Russia and arrange for the team to infiltrate (or even stage their own invitation to) Roman’s party mansion. Alternately, the Revolution may make its move, leading the Agency to respond with potentially lethal force in order to preserve the status quo.

Concentration +7, Cultures +12, Diplomacy +19, Driver +16, Gather Information +7, Hide +6, Innuendo +13, Intimidate +7/+11, Read Lips +5, Search +6, Sense Motive +12, Spot +13. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Charmer, Improved Initiative, Instant Backup, Old Debts, Rich Friends, Silver Tongue, The Look, Training (Bureaucracy), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, tactical sling, 500 extra shots of 7.65mm P military ball ammunition*, snow fatigues, a seemingly endless supply of alcohol and drugs, 27 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Roman’s “pride and joy” (sports car — SZ L, Occ 1/1, Hnd +1, Spd 750 ft., MPH 75/150, Def 15, WP 80, Hrd 4 (6 for windows), qualities and mods: HOT, custom look (black with silver trim and flames along sides), ordnance: 7.62mm machinegun (dmg 2d10 (+20), error 1–2, threat 19–20, range 200 ft., qualities and mods: AN — 400 shots of military ball ammunition), gadgets: bulletproof windows, concealed weapon port (7.62mm machinegun)). * Roman likes to fire his gun seemingly at random during parties — a lot. Threat Resources/Action Sites: Worse Than Death — party tossers (headquarters — “The Pleasure Palace,” soundproofed mansion, Minsk, Russia — hierarchy 1, secrecy 5, personnel 2, security 4).

Roman Augustin Boguvlast, 5th-level faceman/7thlevel networker (henchman — 60 MP): Department: D-1 The Power Brokerage. CR 12. SZ M; v/wp 74/10; Init +15 (+1 Dex, +10 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 18 (+1 Dex, +7 class); Atk: Walther PPK pocket pistol with custom grip, finish, and the words “Enemy Mine” engraved in Russian on the barrel +9 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft., qualities and mods: DS, DT — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ “a friend in need”, adaptable, backup 3/session, cold read 1/session, “cover for me” (self, team), “it’s not what you know…” 1/session, linguist +3, quick change 2/session, social engineering; SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +8; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 18; Skills: Appraise +6, Bluff +19, Bureaucracy +15,

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the 1960s Much later, during a KGB sting operation to uncover a mole in their ranks aligned with the November Revolution, Ruchek spotted and successfully avoided a potentially deadly ambush, ferrying Roman and his lover Svetlana Zakharov to safety. Thereafter, Roman took Ruchek under his wing, not only training him to act the part of a mercenary but having military allies train him in the skills required for the role. Though not a world-class operative, Ruchek has gained a reputation as one, regularly attracting a steady number of up-and-coming soldiers of fortune willing to devote their efforts in exchange for the same chance Roman once gave him. When away from Roman’s pleasure palace in Minsk, Ruchek operates out of a large garage in Leningrad, where he trains his troops, weeding out those with the least potential before sending the rest to work for the November Revolution. He also operates a sideline business as a mercenary for hire, hiding his black-market bike in a secret room in the back. Ruchek’s favorite attack is to wade into a crowd of enemies, using one of his shotguns as a club (he possesses the Mounted Great Cleave class ability), then diving into the crowd and opening up with his shotguns at close range.

Party Tossers These mercenaries are drawn from the fast-growing pool of discarded contract killers, freelance operatives, and betrayed specialists throughout Europe and the Pacific island territories. They dress to blend in with their surroundings, wearing flashy Eurotrash outfits, tie-dye, or Nehru jackets accessorized with sequins, glitter, and expensive jewelry. They stumble through the party as “drunken regulars,” keeping an eye on all parts of the house at once and engaging in conversations even when they aren’t invited. Beneath this façade, they pack powerful silenced weapons capable of discreetly eliminating any visitors who threaten the November Revolution or its self-indulgent trappings. Party Tossers, 5th-level operatives/5th-level mercenaries (minions, squads of 4 — 105 MP): Department: Infantry. CR 9. SZ M; v/wp 92/19; Init +9 (+4 Dex, +5 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 20 (+4 Dex, +6 class); Atk: Makarov PM backup pistol with standard suppressor +12 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ +3 department bonus with to cover and concealment Def bonuses, DR 1/—; SV Fort +14, Ref +8, Will +10; Str 18, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 11, Wis 18, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +5, Climb +7, Demolitions +8, Diplomacy +5, Driver +10, Hide +9, Listen +9, Move Silently +11, Search +5, Sense Motive +7, Spot +12, Surveillance +7, Survival +7, Tumble +7. Feats: Alertness, Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Bullseye, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Speed Trigger, Stealthy, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapon, discreet holster, trendy clothes, 22 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Ruchek Rastrubai Egorov, 5th-level wheelman/6thlevel street knight (henchman — 22 MP): Department: D-2 Military Operations. CR 11. SZ M; v/wp 116/14; Init +7 (+2 Dex, +5 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 20 (+2 Dex, +8 class); Atk: Winchester 1300 pump-action shotgun with shot ammunition (×2) +9 (dmg 5d4, error 1–2, threat 20, range 30 ft., qualities and mods: IN detachable bayonet — 6 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA full-tilt (×2); SQ daredevil, deft swerve 1/session, familiarity +1 (with black market bike), get radical 1/session, kick start 1/session, lucky, poise, power swerve 6/session; SV Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +4; Str 16, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 6; Skills: Balance +22 (threat 18–20), Boating +13 (threat 19–20), Driver +18 (threat 19–20), Intimidate +14/+12, Jump +8 (threat 18–20), Mechanics +10, Pilot +6 (threat 19–20), Spot +11, Swim +11, Tumble +9 (threat 18–20). Feats: Acrobatic, Advanced Skill Mastery (Acrobatic), Ambidexterity, Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Drive By, Great Cleave (when riding a personal vehicle only), Lane Dancer, One Hand on the Wheel…, Offensive Driving, Ride Shotgun, Speed Demon, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapon, 10 extra shots of 12 gauge shot ammunition. Vehicles and Gadgets: Black market bike (street motorcycle — SZ M, Occ 1, Hnd +9, Spd 500 ft., MPH 50/100, Def 18 (23)*, WP 35, Hrd 1, qualities and mods: HOT, OPT (50%), increased handling, solid tires, gadgets: black headlights, hidden cargo compartment with ditch switch (Ruchek generally keeps his shotguns here when he can’t afford for them to be seen), nitrous oxide system).

Serial Two: Ruchek Rastrubai Egorov Ruchek Rastrubai Egorov has great love for all things mechanical, especially motorcycles. He’s also a poseur, delighting in the role of “tough guy” despite his humble non-combat background. Until Ruchek joined the November Revolution, he had no real outlet for either of these passions, trapped in a life dictated by his workingclass parents. Roman Boguvlast changed all that when he found himself without a driver while in Leningrad an hour before a critical meeting with several political allies (he’d killed his usual driver for insubordinance earlier that day). Scouting for a replacement, Roman came upon Ruchek, who was posing as a mercenary for hire, and only saw through the mechanic’s disguise after the locals warned him of the boy’s deceit. Roman, impressed with Ruchek’s dramatic flair and perhaps seeing a glint of greatness in his false mercenary technique, offered him a job as his regular driver.

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threats * This Def value is used when Ruchek drives this vehicle, per his poise class ability. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Garage/training ground, Leningrad, Russia — hierarchy 0, secrecy 0, personnel 0, security 0).

Mark is tall and lanky, with sandy blond hair and a rugged snow-swept complexion. He wears dark glasses and black suits at all times, tailored for the occasion (including when leading teams into the field). He has a subtle, ineffable grace that makes him appear slightly effeminate, and he often seems to float across a room as if his feet don’t quite touch the ground — especially after a successful heist. One of the most striking things about Mark Dmitryevich is his love of the classics. He steals classic paintings, he drives classic cars, and he reads classic books smuggled from the West through the black market. It’s no surprise, then, that Mark Dmitryevich has even chosen a classic hideout — he’s secured himself a bonafide underground lair. With entryways hidden within the walls of the State Russian Museum in Petrograd, the city where Mark was born, as well as within nearby buildings (for late night visits), the lair consists of a sectioned portion of the city’s sewer system. It’s decorated with fine art from nearly every other museum in the nation (Mark doesn’t bother stealing from the State Museum, which he already considers part of his holdings), and houses multiple traps only Mark’s men know how to safely bypass.

Soldiers of Fortune These “combat groupies” are drawn to Ruchek’s public persona as a contract killer. Some of them have real talent and eventually graduate into the ranks of Roman’s party tossers or another group working to make the November Revolution a reality; others are mustered out into an early grave in the Siberian wastes during a “training exercise.” Soldiers of Fortune, 9th-level minions (minions, squads of 3 — 24 MP): CR 8. SZ M; v/wp 67/12; Init +9 (+2 Dex, +7 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+2 Dex, +4 class); Atk: Makarov PM backup pistol +11 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 9, Cha 6; Skills: Balance +4, Craft (Gunsmithing) +6, Driver +4, First Aid +1, Mechanics +1, Profession (Mercenary) +0, Survival +1, Tumble +4, Use Rope +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Combat Instincts, Endurance, Sidestep, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapon, shoulder holster, snow fatigues, tactical radio, mechanics kit, survival kit. Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Mark Dmitryevich Mikhailov, 10th-level fixer (henchman — 20 MP): Department: Thrill Seeker. CR 10. SZ M; v/wp 67/14; Init +8 (+4 Dex, +4 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 22 (+4 Dex, +8 class); Atk: escape knife +7 (dmg 1d3–1, error 1, threat 30, qualities and mods: DT), switchblade +7 (dmg 1d4–1, error 1–3, threat 18–20), Seechkin APS service pistol +12 (dmg 2d4, recoil 10, error 1–2, threat 20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: MP, ST— 20 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA sneak attack +4d6; SQ +1 department bonus to the result of all action die rolls, defensive roll 1/session, dexterous, evasion (no damage with successful Ref save), procure, special ability (master thief, skill mastery — Balance, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock), uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to Def, can’t be flanked); SV Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +3; Str 8, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 12; Skills: Appraise +3, Balance +19 (threat 19–20), Climb +12, Forgery +4, Hide +17, Jump +14 (threat 19–20), Listen +5, Move Silently +17, Open Lock +17, Search +2, Sleight of Hand +17, Sport +2/+7 (untrained), Spot +2, Tumble +19 (threat 19–20). Feats: Acrobatic, Improved Equilibrium, Hidden Run, Spider Walk, Traceless. Gear: Weapons, black jumpsuit, climbing kit, lockpicking kit, 40 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Standard auto-balance shoes with “It’s got to be the shoes” option, 7 gp. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Hidden underground lair, St. Petersburg, Russia — hierarchy 0, secrecy 5, personnel 0, security 5).

Serial One: Mark Dmitryevich Mikhailov Special Note: This serial ‘raises the bar’ once as described on page 94 of the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, and consequently awards +5% XP to agents who successfully complete it. Mark Dmitryevich Mikhailov would be one of Russia’s most notorious thieves if anyone knew who he was. Conducting his nefarious larcenies under the street identity “Poltinka,” Mark has calculated every step of his exodus from Russia’s poor masses, turning to crime to fund the lavish lifestyle he so loves. Originally targeting members of the Politburo and wealthy visiting diplomats, Mark was caught by a general with Roman’s ear and forcibly inducted into the November Revolution. Today, Mark’s refined craft funds the Revolution, leading larger raids on the Russian elite than he could ever have managed on his own. With teams of Ruchek’s mercenaries and others drawn to the cause, Mark carefully plots every mission with triple redundancy, always leaving one minion squad to take the fall if something goes wrong.

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the 1960s 10, Con 8, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 22; Skills: Appraise +4, Bluff +20 (threat 17–20), Diplomacy +23 (threat 17–20), Disguise +12, Gather Information +8, Hide +5, Innuendo +14, Intimidate +20/+25 (threat 17–20), Move Silently +5, Read Lips +3, Sense Motive +16, Sleight of Hand +8. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Persuasive), Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Grand Skill Mastery (Persuasive), The Look, Mark, Persuasive, Silver Tongue, Superior Documentation, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapon, cover identity +2 (“Sheila George, Australian Consul”), cover identity +3 (“Shayla Safarakhan”), cover identity +3 (“Sister Cynthia Margaret Temple”), disguise kit, 3 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Aphrodisiac cigarettes (×3), fugue cigarettes ×2), lethe cigarettes (×2), nerve gas cigarettes (×1), pistol cigarettes (×3 — dmg 1d6+1, error 1–2, threat 20, range 10 ft. — 1 shot each). Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: “The Pleasure Palace,” soundproofed mansion, Minsk, Russia — hierarchy 0, secrecy 0, personnel 0, security 0).

Den of Thieves Mark Dmitryevich’s hangers-on are a wild bunch of would-be thieves. They share his love for finery, often wearing gaudy and ridiculous clothing and jewelry when they’re in the underground lair or visiting Roman’s pleasure palace. They drink and shout and holler, making love and taking feasts and talking about poetry into the wee hours of the morning whenever they’re not expected on a mission the next day (and sometimes when they are). Thieves, 9th-level minions (minions, squads of 2 — 43 MP): CR 8. SZ M; v/wp 49/13; Init +15 (+4 Dex, +7 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 18 (+4 class, +4 Dex); Atk: switchblade +10 (dmg 1d4+1, error 1–3, threat 18–20), throwing knife (×3) +13 (dmg 1d4+1, error 1–2, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 1 shot each); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +4; Str 13, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 11; Skills: Climb +9, Hide +12 (threat 19–20), Move Silently +12 (threat 19–20), Open Lock +9, Sleight of Hand +7. Feats: Improved Initiative, Jump Up, Stealthy. Gear: Weapons, black jumpsuit, climbing kit, lockpicking kit, 11 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Plot Hook #1 The KGB has tracked a money trail from a series of thefts across Russia to a group of revolutionaries who are accused of spreading dissent throughout the nation. The group’s scope is broad — they’re linked to criminal and subversive political actions in at least five major U.S. cities. The KGB is just starting to become seriously worried, and has decided to do something. When a Politburo member’s private collection is plundered, a team of Russian agents is called in to investigate. Alternately, an American team may be assigned to track and observe the Russian team sent on this mission. The thief, of course, is Mark Dmitryevich. The background behind the theft in question, and its connection to the November Revolution, has to do with his ultimate intentions.

Foil: Svetlana Pavlovna Zakharov (any serial) Devastatingly beautiful, wanton, and demure all at the same time, Svetlana Pavlovna Zakharov can bring any man to his knees in minutes. She can play a multitude of roles, from the call girl to the seductress to the innocent schoolgirl, and twists strangers around her finger as a warm-up amusement before approaching her true targets. It’s really no wonder that she’s attached herself to Roman Buglovast — she’s a man-eater, and few men under the age of 40 possess the skills with which to fend her off. Svetlana’s problem, however, is that she just might have fallen honestly in love with Roman Buglovast. She has no confidantes, no girlfriends with whom to discuss the bizarre new feelings she’s experiencing at his side, and she’s finding herself less and less able to resist the seductive lure of his life’s mission. What started out as an easy mark with a high potential payoff may soon become something far more personal — unless a dashing superspy can convince her otherwise…

Possible Dmitryevich Motivations: 1. Mark Dmitryevich stole the collection on orders from Roman Boguvlast, with little planning and against his better judgment. The master thief has brought the collection back to his private lair. In 24 hours, he will meet with a buyer who expressly requested the collection in exchange for a set of books desired by Boguvlast. The books contain coded messages between U.S. and Russian publishers loyal to a fallen criminal empire, the remnants of which Boguvlast hopes to subsume into the November Revolution. Depending on how difficult the GC wishes the serial to become for the agents, Dmitryevich may not know the truth about the books, forcing the agents to confront Boguvlast directly if they want answers.

Svetlana Pavlona Zakharov, 5th-level faceman/7thlevel casanova (foil — 17 MP): Loyalty: 5. Department: D-1 The Power Brokerage. CR 12. SZ M; v/wp 47/8; Init +8 (+8 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 19 (+9 class); Walther PPK pocket pistol +6 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft., qualities and mods: DS, DT — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ adaptable, animal magnetism, backup 3/session, “can I borrow this?” ($1,600), cold read 1/session, dupe, forked tongue +5, linguist +3, pyramid scheme, quick change 2/session, scoundrel, steal ID (become victim); SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +10; Str 12, Dex

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threats 2. As option #1, except that the buyer is actually a KGB plant hoping to trick Mark Dmitryevich into revealing his November Revolution allies. If the agents are KGB, they are unaware of their own agency’s plot and might easily find themselves trapped within the organization when the hammer falls and the sickle swings.

3. Spy Killer is compromised from within — the name is actually an Agency trigger-code roughly equivalent to “SOS”. The only problem is that the Agency doesn’t have anyone on the inside with the November Revolution. The agents must come up with a way to infiltrate the organization (perhaps by supplying a false body meeting the named spy’s description) and learn who sent the code, and why. Once inside, the agents find that the Revolution is actually much larger than they ever could have expected — and that it seemingly controls parts of the Agency, its Russian equivalent, and several other world espionage organs. The Revolution is using the intelligence cells to generate capital toward a plot to “buy” a nation of its own, then crush Russia under its heel.

3. Mark Dmitryevich performed the theft for himself. He believes that one item in the collection — an old Russian cavalry sword — once belonged to his greatgrandfather, the last member of his line to serve royalty and possess a decent standard of living. Mark hopes that he can use the sword as proof of his lineage and force his way back into Russia’s upper crust. He is wrong, however — the sword is merely an intriguing heirloom of another man’s family, and can do nothing for him. When Mark’s plan fails, he trades on his knowledge of the November Revolution, leading to assassination attempts and other violent retribution, with the agents caught in the middle.

Operation: TURNSTILE Starting Threat Code: Red. The short-season (3-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 5th-level agents.

Plot Hook #2 In an effort to promote their capitalist goals, the November Revolution fronts a new wagering sport — Spy Killer — in which a name is chosen at random from the long list of U.S. and Russian agents who have tracked (yet failed to find) the organization. The Revolution puts out a contract on the spy whose name is drawn, offering a lucrative “finder’s fee” to the first person who brings the spy’s head to Ruchek’s safe house. The agents might be tasked with protecting the named spy, extracting him from an operation in progress, or even getting themselves to safety (if one of them is named).

This season allows a group of agents, probably Soviet, to uncover a secret plot to corrupt the Soviet Union’s accumulated nuclear technology. Two Soviet spies planted deep inside the American nuclear community have been turned and are passing false information to their Soviet handlers in an attempt to set back the Soviet nuclear program. During this season, the agents follow a clue chain beginning in Russia and ending in a white-bread American suburbia, where the season’s mastermind — a lethal assassin posing as a housewife — works to undermine her former superiors. Richard and Karen Goldberg were once devoted Soviet assets. Recently, their loyalties shifted and they started working for the CIA, handling at least one pivotal operative back in their homeland against the Russian government (see Serial One). It’s undetermined here whether they simply had a change of heart, fell victim to some black op CIA mind control experiment, or were affected by some other means. Regardless, their KGB training is now supplemented by CIA covert operations and combat skills, making them a force to be reckoned with. MP Cost: 310 Wealth: 5 (65 BP for mastermind, 45 BP for each henchman and foil, 30 BP for each minion, 20 BP for each specialist; minions gain 1 piece of personal ordnance or 1 ground or water vehicle up to 7 GP, or personal vehicles up to 3 GP) Technology: 5 (5 GP per serial) Loyalty: 6 (+6 to loyalty checks) Influence: 1 (favor check notice = 1, 1 influence effects per serial) Scope: 3 (regional threat) Agenda: Takeover (see page 190).

Possible Ripples in the Contest: 1. Spy Killer is actually a clever ruse orchestrated by the Revolution to cover the named spy’s defection to their ranks. With the world at large believing the target dead, the Revolution can call upon him freely, without worry that his agency will come looking for him. 2. Spy Killer is a scam — or at least Roman assumes it is. The Revolution has staged everything and plans to simply clean up from the rigged competition. But when the target’s head crops up and the Revolution’s coffers are quickly emptied, a traitor is revealed within their ranks and the organization is left vulnerable to attack. The attack arrives mere days later, when one of the other organizations in this chapter makes a move to ‘collect’ the Revolution as is latest subsidiary branch. Investigating agents discover the false target and may trace its creation back to the Revolution, just in time to watch the fireworks (and potentially nab operatives from two threats in one fell swoop).

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the 1960s sonalities for her CIA handlers — and for herself (settling old grudges). During this season, she is passive and observant — until she becomes aware of the agents’ actions, at which point she takes every available step to eliminate them before they can jeopardize her plan. Karen Goldberg, 7th-level faceman/1st-level ninja (mastermind — 40 MP): Department: D-1 Power Brokerage. CR 8. SZ M; v/wp 54/10; Init +12 (+1 Dex, +7 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 16 (+1 Dex, +5 class); Atk: katana +6 (dmg 1d10, accuracy +1, error 1, threat 19–20, qualities and mods: 1-h or 2-h), Colt M1911A1 service pistol +6 (dmg 1d12, recoil 20, threat 19–20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: RG, TD — 7 shots), Colt M16A1 assault rifle +6 (dmg 4d4, error 1–4, threat 20, range 125 ft., qualities and mods: no burst — 30 shots), fragmentation grenade +6 (dmg 2d10, error 1–4, range 15 ft., blast 1 square — 1 shot); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA backstab; SQ adaptable, backup 1/session, cold read 1/session, fake it 1/session, linguist +3, quick change 3/session; SV Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +7; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 14; Skills: Bluff +13, Climb +4, Craft (Gunsmithing) +8, Cultures +3, Diplomacy +9, Disguise +5, Driver +2, Escape Artist +7, Forgery +7, Gather Information +4, Hide +14 (threat 18–20), Innuendo +4, Intimidate +3/+5 (untrained), Languages +7, Move Silently +15 (threat 18–20), Open Lock +4, Profession (Housewife) +6, Search +7, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +5, Spot +3. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Stealthy), Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Blind-Fight, Charmer, Improved Initiative, Stealthy, Weapon Group Proficiency (Exotic — Martial Arts, Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapons, 20 extra shots of .45 ACP military ball ammunition, 40 extra shots of 5.56×45mm NATO APFSDS ammunition, 11 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Family car (station wagon commuter car — SZ L, Occ 1/5, Hnd –3, Spd 500 ft., MPH 50/100, Def 6, WP 100, Hrd 6), dartgun cigarettes (×2 — dmg 1d3 + lethal poison I, error 1, threat 16–20, range 5 ft. — 1 shot each), poison lipstick (3 uses — as lethal poison I), other-directional glasses, standard shoe with gun option +6 (dmg 1d6+1, error 1–4, threat 20, range 10 ft. — 1 shot), radio tooth, suicide pill tooth. Threat Resources/Action Sites: Secure Communications — DCs of all skill checks made to decipher TURNSTILE messages are increased by 6 (headquarters — suburban home, Nebraska, United States — hierarchy 3, secrecy 3, personnel 4, security 2).

Serial Three: Karen Goldberg Karen Goldberg — or Darina Lukoianova, as she is known in her native country — is the mastermind behind Operation: TURNSTILE. On the exterior, she appears to be a pleasant American housewife, a demure, doting spouse. She goes out with American friends and remains active in charitable and patriotic organizations. She goes to synagogue. She knits. Few would suspect that Karen Goldberg is one of the most ruthless killers employed by the Russian government. Recruited and trained out of a Moscow orphanage, Karen has always possessed a certain “moral latitude” that frees her up to perform the worst acts of her trade. This and years of intense tutoring with the most respected SMERSH contract killers made her detached, no more connected to her country than to the nervous reactions caused by pain. It also left her a viable target for the CIA when they discovered two years ago that she was a plant. All that was required to shift her loyalties to the U.S. was enough money, and the promise that her marriage to Richard would stand after her full defection. Karen expects to spend the remainder of her scheduled insertion into America sending false information back to the Soviet Union, then return to the Motherland for a period, where she’ll dispatch KGB and Politburo per-

FBI Operatives These crack agents are unwitting pawns during this season, assigned to protect Mrs. Rosenberg without knowing the nature of her origins or current mission. They act on her instructions (given through her radio tooth and the secure radio link), except when those instructions contradict their basic orders. Playing the

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threats damsel in distress, Karen uses these men as a buffer against the agents’ attack, not caring how many of them she kills in the process. In fact, if her careless actions are discovered by any of the living FBI operatives, Karen makes sure those operatives stray into the line of fire.

Richard Goldberg, 5th-level soldier/1st-level grunt (henchman — 12 MP): Department: D-2 Military Operations. CR 6. SZ M; v/wp 65/14; Init +12 (+3 Dex, +5 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+3 Dex, +2 class); Atk: baseball bat +9 (dmg 1d10+2, error 1, threat 20, range 5 ft. — thrown dmg 1d10+2, qualities and mods: 2-h), Colt M1911A1 service pistol +9 (dmg 1d12, recoil 20, threat 19–20, range 50 ft., qualities and mods: RG, TD — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA alpha-strike; SQ accurate, armor use +1, DR 1/—, hot-blooded; SV Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +7, Climb +5, Concentration +2, Demolitions +2, Driver +4, First Aid +2, Intimidate +13/+11, Spot +1, Survival +4, Swim +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Bullseye, Endurance, Extreme Range, Far Shot, Improved Initiative, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapon, 50 extra shots of .45 ACP military ball ammunition (kept at house), 27 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Work vehicle (sedan commuter car — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 100, Hrd 6), standard armored attaché case with counter-surveillance option, 2 GP. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Honeyview Ridge Nuclear Facility, Nebraska, United States — hierarchy 0, secrecy 0, personnel 0, security 0).* * These action site statistics represent the fact that Richard has no established super-structure on site, making his true “headquarters” back at his suburban home, with Karen. The nuclear facility is the headquarters of the FBI counter-intelligence operatives, however, whose action site statistics are hierarchy 8, secrecy 5, personnel 3, security 3.

FBI Operatives, 5th-level police officials (minions, squads of 4 — 56 MP): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp 30/14; Init +5 (+2 Dex, +3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 14 (+2 Dex, +2 class); Atk: Colt M1911A1 service pistol +7 (dmg 1d12, recoil 20, threat 19–20, range 25 ft., qualities and mods: RG, TD — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ armor use +1; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +5; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +3, Bureaucracy +5 (threat 19–20), Demolitions +7 (threat 19–20), Drive +5, Gather Information +3, Listen +5, Search +5, Sense Motive +7, Spot +5, Surveillance +9 (threat 19–20). Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Police Training, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapon, tactical radio, 4 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Government car (sedan commuter car — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 100, Hrd 6).

Serial Two: Richard Goldberg Richard Goldberg is the perfect model of the middleclass American suburban male, straight out of Father Knows Best. He has a pleasant manner and an affable personality. Unfortunately, this is just a front to cover his fragile psyche, which was forever broken down in the fires of the Korean Conflict. Now lost in a country seemingly without a place for him, Richard is prone to violent outbursts only kept in check by his submissive demeanor when around his privately domineering wife Karen. An administrator of a U.S. nuclear facility, Richard is conscious of his weaknesses and carefully masks his true nature in public. He continues to betray his country because the living is good and he genuinely loves his wife, and directs all his anger at anyone who threatens his home life. Richard is unaware of Karen’s plans to return to the Soviet Union, and erupts with brutal force if he discovers that she intends to leave him, even for a short time. The agents most likely learn of the Goldbergs through Tasarov and his U.S. contacts (see Serial 3). Depending on their approach in the final serials, they may automatically target either Karen or Richard, perhaps even attempting to turn one against the other. The Goldbergs’ tenuous relationship — coupled with the FBI operatives planted at Richard’s workplace to ensure his loyalty and keep him safe — offer the potential for a subdued game of wits or blow-out slam-bang ending to the season. Adding Ingrid Plessinger and her feelings for Richard into the mix merely sweetens the pot.

Counter-Intelligence Operatives These U.S. agents are FBI plants ostensibly stationed at the nuclear facility where Richard works to protect Goldberg. In truth, their orders are to observe him as well, making sure that his loyalties remain at home. Even with all the false data that the Goldbergs are filtering back to their Soviet handlers, and all the information they return through Karen’s contacts at home, the CIA still isn’t confident they aren’t playing at some complex triple-cross. If the agents are spotted, this team automatically assumes the worst and tries to take everyone into custody. Counter-Intelligence Agents, 4th-level counter-intelligence agents (minions, squads of 4 — 42 MP): CR 3. SZ M; v/wp 21/10; Init +3 (+3 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 13 (+3 class); Atk: fist/punch +4 (dmg 1d6 normal, error 1, threat 20), Colt 1911A1 service pistol +4 (dmg 1d12, recoil 20, threat 19–20, range 50 ft., qualities and mods: RG, TD — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 14,

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the 1960s Wis 14, Cha 14; Skills: Driver +2, Gather Information +6, Intimidate +2/+4, Listen +6 (threat 19–20), Move Silently +2, Search +6 (threat 19–20), Spot +6 (threat 19–20), Surveillance +6. Feats: Alertness, Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Martial Arts, Track, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapon, tactical radio, 3 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Government car (sedan commuter car — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 100, Hrd 6).

* Peter’s Def is reduced to 12 and his speed is reduced to 25 ft. when he wears his flight vest, though he also gains DR 4/— for his trouble. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Tvashnika Air Field, Moscow, Russia — hierarchy 0, secrecy 0, personnel 0, security 0).

Cut-Outs The middle-man receiving the stolen MiG data from Tasarov is just the first in this long chain of intermediaries ferrying it back to the Goldbergs in the United States. During this scene, while the season is still rooted firmly in the Soviet Union, these cut-outs are not trained CIA operatives, but (mostly) Russian cops and academics loyal to the cause.

Serial One: Peter Tasarov Peter Tasarov is a young, hot-shot Russian test pilot who’s been recruited as the field half of Operation: TURNSTILE. Idealistic, patriotic to the core, and easily manipulated, Peter is perfect as the Goldbergs’ “man in Russia,” thieving Russian aeronautics secrets and sending them back to his U.S. masters. Under the alias Piotr Fyodrovich Tasarov — “no relation to the defecting national, Gregory” (his father) — Peter operates out of Moscow, where he heads a flight of pilots testing the latest Soviet jet models. Peter speaks Russian fluently, understands the Soviet mindset, and doesn’t believe that he has aroused suspicion. This all changes when Peter reports the testing of a new MiG design and the Goldbergs — acting on orders from the U.S. intelligence committees — request that he pass all the MiG information he can gather to an intermediary in nearby Kolomna. The short timetable provided by Peter’s U.S. superiors forces him to take a few extra chances, causing the agents to be assigned to investigate his curious behavior.

Cut-Outs, 3rd-level paper pushers/2nd-level police officials (minions, squads of 1 — 17 MP): CR 4. SZ M; v/wp 20/10; Init +2 (+2 class); Spd 20 ft.; Def 12 (+1 armor); Atk: Makarov PM backup pistol +3 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ DR 8/CE, petty authority; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +5; Str 8, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 9; Skills: Bluff +2, Bureaucracy +8 (threat 19–20), Concentration +3, Demolitions +4 (threat 19–20), Diplomacy +2, Driver +3, Gather Information +2, Intimidate +1/+1, Knowledge (Russia) +2, Languages +1, Listen +2, Profession (Police Officer) +3, Search +3, Sense Motive +3, Spot +2, Surveillance +5 (threat 19–20). Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Point Blank Shot, Police Training, Run, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: Weapon, steelweave vest, 20 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Police bike (off-road motorcycle — SZ M, Occ 1, Hnd +6, Spd 250 ft., MPH 25/50, Def 16, WP 30, Hrd 2, qualities and mods ORD, OPT (50%)).

Peter Tasarov, 1st-level wheelman/5th-level wingman (henchman — 12 MP): Department: D-2 Military Operations. CR 6. SZ M; v/wp 44/14; Init +9 (+4 Dex, +5 class); Spd 30 ft.*; Def 17* (+4 Dex, +3 class); Atk: Colt M1911A1 service pistol +10 (dmg 1d12, recoil 20, threat 19–20, range 50 ft., qualities and mods: RG, TD — 7 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ daredevil, DR 4/EMS*, lucky; SV Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +1; Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +2, Disguise +3, Jump +7, Knowledge (Aircraft) +7, Mechanics +4, Pilot +12, Profession (Aviator) +6, Sport (Skydiving) +9, Spot +5, Surveillance +1, Survival +3, Tumble +10. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Baby It, Machinegun Basics, Rocket Basics, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle, Tactical), Wind Rider. Gear: Weapon, 20 extra shots of .45 ACP military ball ammunition, military aviator flight vest, binoculars, night vision goggles, 1 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Jeep (military jeep — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 90, Hrd 7, qualities and mods: ORD), personal get-away vehicle (2-seater prop plane — SZ L, Occ 1/1, Hnd +6, Spd 900 ft., MPH 90/180, Def 15, WP 60, Hrd 4). 3 GP.

Foil: Ingrid Plessinger (Serials Two and Three) An East German defector and a nuclear physics expert, Ingrid Plessinger is the CIA operative who supplies Richard Goldberg the flawed data that Operation: TURNSTILE sends back to Russia. She is a trusted U.S. asset and none of her colleagues, nor the FBI, suspect that she’s started to doubt her actions. Slowly becoming disenfranchised with capitalism, Ingrid has begun to wonder if a Communist government might be able to solve many U.S. ills. Ingrid Plessinger, 6th-level academic (foil — 12 MP): Loyalty: 6. Department: D-3 Technical Espionage. CR 6. SZ M; v/wp 16/10; Init +4 (+4 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 15 (+5 class); Atk: fist/punch +1 (dmg 1d3-–2, error 1); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ None; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +5; Str 7, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 20, Wis 10, Cha 10;

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threats Skills: Bluff +5, Bureaucracy +3, Concentration +14 (threat 18–20), Driver +3, Electronics +10, Knowledge (Nuclear Physics) +17 (threat 18–20), Knowledge (Physics) +14 (threat 18–20), Knowledge (U.S. Intelligence) +11 (threat 18–20), Languages +8, Profession (Scientist) +3, Spot +3. Feats: Advanced Skill Mastery (Scholarly), Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Scholarly, Weapon Group Proficiency (Melee). Gear: Lab coat, chemistry kit, electronics kit, stacks of paperwork (at all times), 35 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Work vehicle (sedan commuter car — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hnd +1, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 10, WP 100, Hrd 6).

shadowing him during his meets, the agents can trace this group back to its source. When the United States’ source of aeronautics intelligence suddenly dries up, they send CIA agents to investigate. They also shut down Operation: TURNSTILE, stranding the Goldbergs in Nebraska. Fearing that she may not have another chance once her contacts wither, Karen convinces Richard to flee with her back to the Soviet Union, where they begin their spree killing of old personal enemies. Russian agents begin this version of Operation: TURNSTILE investigating Tasarov, but soon find themselves embroiled in a seemingly random string of deaths committed by assassins with intimate knowledge of their targets. American agents trail the Goldbergs to the U.S.S.R., where the Tasarov matter becomes an imperative once the third party steps into the picture. Ingrid Plessinger may accompany an American team if the CIA inaccurately estimate that Richard is infatuated with her.

Plot Hook #1 Following his theft of the Russian MiG plans, Tasarov and his assault team attack a second top-secret Soviet research facility, striking at night and killing every guard. While no plans are missing and nothing is damaged, the Russian government assumes that the team photographed sensitive material, and the agents are ordered to track Tasarov down and recover the film.

Possible Third-Party Involvement 1. Operation: TURNSTILE has been compromised by the Chinese, who believe their Russian “allies” are keeping secrets from them (which, of course, they are). Making Tasarov “a better deal,” the Chinese order the hit on the secondary target and collect the MiG data as well. This option likely leads to an international incident and potential ramifications unless the agents and their enemies are very careful.

Possible Leads to Tasarov’s Whereabouts and Operation: TURNSTILE: 1. Despite being under strict instructions to leave no written record of his activities, Tasarov has secretly kept a journal. In his inexperience and due to his inflated sense of self-worth (he thinks his memoirs will one day become a best-selling novel), the U.S. spy has compiled extensive notes concerning his nonTURNSTILE related activities. Astute agents could read these journals and pick out enough information to realize where his U.S.-based handlers are located, and that the handlers are somehow linked to Soviet interest in the U.S. nuclear program.

2. The third party is Barbara Goodchilde (see page 206), who — supporting one of her father’s many “philanthropic” pursuits — intends to sell the MiG plans on the open black market for a set rate, offering them to anyone who will pay. Trevor Goodchilde hopes that this act of military espionage will level the playing field a bit and help ease aggressions for a time. All meetings are staged with intermediaries, such as the Devonshires (see page 205).

2. Tasarov keeps pieces of memorabilia of around his apartment. Though well hidden, a ticket stub to see the St. Louis Cardinals (his favorite U.S. baseball team), an old radiation badge, and Tasarov’s U.S. Air Force dog tags, may point the agents in the right direction.

3. The third party is a minor Tzarist warlord, Dominic Veulachet, who was primarily interested in the work happening at the secondary site, military medical research exploring the use of rare genetic disorders as biological weapons. Veulachet is dying of such a disorder and despite significant pull with the Politburo could not procure samples of their data for his personal physicians. The theft was personal. The capture of the MiG data (which Veulachet destroys sight unseen) is merely a message to those in Soviet power.

3. While Tasarov doesn’t keep anything incriminating around his apartment, he possesses an extremely low threshold for pain. Any threats or intimidation involving torture or the possibility of torture will crack him like a rotten egg.

Plot Hook #2 When the agents track down Tasarov and his men, they find evidence that he’s been secretly communicating with a third party — in addition to his dalliances with the United States. By keeping Tasarov under surveillance and

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the 1960s and an indeterminate bone structure, allowing him to pass as a native of nearly any country, and his hands are delicate, like a surgeon’s. Favoring razors and other cutting implements, Artur is also trained to fight with swords and knives and is never without a blade somewhere on his person — even when he sleeps. Artur Stanislovich is a cold and ruthless killer, but his personality hides underneath a veneer of sophistication. Only when the blades come free do his victims see him for the monster that he truly is. Artur Stanislovich lives in a posh Manhattan penthouse that’s been converted to house his minions and those of his less refined partner, the Butcher (see the next page). Every room of the penthouse — including the wide balcony, where some routine training is conducted — is wired for crude sound and video, and every corridor is laced with lethal traps having challenge ratings equal to Artur’s own. When the agents finally track the Silencers back to Artur’s hideout, he withdraws into a hidden room central to the complex, from which he pelts them with Carmina Burana as the Butcher and his minions hunt them down. Only when half of his minions are down or fled does he exit the panic room and engage them himself (it takes him that long to get dressed for the occasion).

The Silencers Starting Threat Code: Yellow. This short-season (3-serial) threat is appropriate for a team of 16th-level agents. The Soviet government has never brooked traitors and enemies for long, and has developed organizations expressly for the purpose of eliminating them. One such group — known colloquially as SMERSH — is widely regarded as having performed the most brutally efficient murders in the history of espionage. Though officially disbanded in 1946, many suspect that the organization persists, in one form or another, to this day. Yet SMERSH is only charged with killing enemy spies. Recently, the Soviet government implemented the following team of assassins, the Silencers, and granted them a much broader charter — to eliminate all enemies of the Motherland with extreme prejudice. Comprised of former SMERSH assassins, rogue operatives from intelligence agencies around the world, and even contract killers once known to work for the highest bidder, the Silencers are fast becoming one of the most feared parties in the Cold War. MP Cost: 667 Wealth: 4 (76 BP for mastermind, 56 BP for each henchman and foil, 41 BP for each minion, 31 BP for each specialist; minions gain 1 ground vehicle up to 5 GP or personal vehicles up to 2 GP) Technology: 11 (11 GP per serial)* Loyalty: 10 (+10 to loyalty checks) Influence: 2 (favor check notice = 1–2, 2 influence effects per serial) Scope: 4 (national threat) Agenda: Assassination (see page 189)* * This threat begins with this agenda at level 1 (see Serial Three).

Artur Stanislovich Nazorov, 5th-level fixer/10thlevel contract killer/4th-level menace (mastermind — 95 MP): Department: Orphan. CR 19. SZ M; v/wp 106/10; Init +15* (+3 Dex, +12 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 24 (+3 Dex, +11 class); Atk: stiletto blades (×4) +21 (dmg 1d6+5, error 1–2, threat 20, qualities and mods: custom handle, perfect balance, gadgets: personalized fighting knife), sword cane +25 (dmg 1d6+12, error 1–2, threat 19–20, qualities and mods: custom handle, expert craftsmanship, lethal tuning, perfect balance, gadgets: personalized fighting cane); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA may perform coup de grace as a half action, sneak attack +4d6; SQ DCs of all attempts to seduce Artur are increased by +11, “before I kill you…” (taunt, master plan), continuity (Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Sense Motive, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spot), dexterous, evasion (no damage with successful Ref save), extensive dossiers, “just follow the plan!” (Assassination agenda), procure, uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to Def); SV Fort +12, Ref +13, Will +11; Str 18, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +16†, Bluff +6, Bureaucracy +6, Climb +6†, Concentration +8, Cultures +6, Demolitions +6, Disguise +5, Driver +5, Escape Artist +12†, Gather Information +8, Hide +15, Innuendo +5, Intimidate +10/+6, Knowledge (Espionage) +14, Knowledge (Target) +6, Languages +4, Listen +15†, Move Silently +22†, Open Lock +15, Sleight of Hand +8, Search +8, Sense Motive +8, Sleight of Hand +10, Spot +10. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Career Operative, Cleave,

Serial Three: The Butcher This serial features the season’s mastermind and one henchman, and also ‘raises the bar’ twice as described on page 94 of the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide. It consequently awards +20% XP to agents who successfully complete it.

Artur Stanislovich Nazorov Artur Stanislovich Nazorov is not known to the CIA by any code name. The master of the Silencers, and the most deadly of all its assassins, Artur nonetheless carries himself with the comportment of another social clime. An handsome early-’30s gentleman with a cultured demeanor, he stands 5 ft. 10 in. tall and always dresses in the most immaculate of fashions. He possesses fine bones

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threats Great Cleave, Improved Weapon Focus (Sword Cane), Master Duelist (Sword Cane), Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Traceless, Weapon Focus (Sword Cane), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical), Weapon Master (Sword Cane). Gear: Weapons. Vehicles and Gadgets: Helicopter (commercial helicopter — SZ L, Occ 1/3, Hand +6, Spd 600 ft., MPH 60/120, Def 15, WP 70, Hrd 5, qualities and mods: VTL), knife launcher (×2), 1 GP. † Artur may take 10 with these skills, even when conditions dictate otherwise. * Artur’s initiative bonus is +17 when he’s wielding any of the weapons in his stat block. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Penthouse, New York City, New York, USA — hierarchy 4, secrecy 4, personnel 2, security 3).

Balance +12, Bluff +3, Climb +7, Cultures +4 (untrained), Demolitions +11, Disguise +3, Gather Information +4, Hide +12, Intimidate +30/+21, Jump +7, Knowledge (Target) +5, Listen +5, Move Silently +10, Search +6, Sleight of Hand +5, Spot +5. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Five-Style Adept, Holding Basics, Holding Mastery, Kicking Basics, Kicking Mastery, Martial Arts, Master of the Fifth Style, Master of the Sixth Style, Mingling Basics, Point Blank Shot, Punching Basics, Punching Mastery, Throwing Basics, Throwing Mastery, Traceless, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 46 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: None, 11 GP. Threat Resources/Action Sites: Hardened killers — trained assassins and road crew (headquarters — assassin training camp, penthouse, New York City, New York, USA — hierarchy 4, secrecy 4, personnel 2, security 3).

The Butcher Trained Assassins

The Butcher, a.k.a. Yevgeniy Gennadyevich Belyakov, is Artur’s antithesis, a gargantuan 6H-ft. tall ape of a man. His chiseled bulk strikes fear in the hearts of the Silencers’ enemies (a task Artur frequently gives to the Butcher during the opening rounds of any evenly matched combat). Artur rescued the Butcher from a life of indentured servitude in the gladiatorial betting pits of Southeast Asia, and the underling has never forgotten that debt. He is absolutely loyal to the Silencers, and in particular to Artur himself, defending him to his dying breath.

Collected from militaries and criminal organizations all over the world, and based on newspaper articles about their exploits, these consummate professionals train at Artur’s penthouse in preparation for assignments from the Aquarium in Russia. All fear the Butcher and all respect Artur, making them quite loyal indeed.

The Butcher, 10th-level soldier/10th-level contract killer (henchman — 38 MP): Department: Special Operations (Spetsnaz). CR 19. SZ M; v/wp 131/12; Init +16 (+16 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 18 (+8 class); Atk: fist/punch +25 (dmg 1d12+8, error 1, threat 17–20), Makarov PM backup pistol +20 (dmg 2d4+2, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA may perform two unarmed attacks with each standard attack action (–5 with all attacks made during the same round), need not spend action dice to activate unarmed critical hits, may perform coup de grace as a half action, bone grind (special), drop kick +19 (dmg 2d12+16, error 1, threat 17–20), flying jump kick (std. attack + special), flying palm (std. attack + special), flying tackle (special), flying throw (special), foot sweep (special), joint lock (special), jump kick (std. attack + special), knuckle punch +25 (dmg 1d12+11, error 1, threat 17–20), nerve lock (special), onehanded choke (special), pain touch (std. attack + stun), palm strike (std. attack + special), roundhouse kick (std. attack vs. 2 adjacent targets), sneak attack +2d6, take down (special), weapon specialization (fist/punch, Makarov PM backup pistol); SQ accurate, armor use +2, DR 1/—, portable cover (G cover); SV Fort +15, Ref +8, Will +6; Str 22, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 7; Skills:

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the 1960s Trained Assassins, 10th-level minions/7th-level mercenaries (minions, squads of 4 — 131 MP): CR 16. SZ M; v/wp 154/19; Init +20 (+4 Dex, +12 class, +4 feat); Spd 30 ft.; Def 22 (+4 Dex, +8 class); Atk: Colt M16A1 assault rifle +21 (dmg 4d4, error 1–4, threat 20, range 125 ft., qualities and mods: no burst — 30 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA None; SQ DR 1/—; SV Fort +18, Ref +14, Will +8; Str 18, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 14; Skills: Balance +18, Climb +18, Demolitions +12, Diplomacy +6, Driver +10, Listen +14, Sense Motive +7, Search +15, Sense Motive +10, Spot +18, Survival +20. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Coordinated Fire, Improved Initiative, Lay Down Fire, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 60 extra shots of 5.56×45mm NATO military ball ammunition, 60 shots of 5.56×45mm NATO hollow point ammunition, 40 extra shots of 5.56×45mm NATO tracer ammunition, 15 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Delivery van (box truck — SZ H, Occ 1/6, Hand –6, Spd 500 ft., MPH 50/100, Def 2, WP 90, Hrd 8, qualities and mods: CGO).

The Baker, 9th-level pointman/10th-level contract killer (henchman — 36 MP): Department: D-6 Wetworks. CR 18. SZ M; v/wp 122/12; Init +25 (+5 department, +2 Dex, +12 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 20 (+2 Dex, +8 class); Atk: Makarov PM backup pistol +18 (dmg 2d4+2, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots), Russian Arsenal LPO-50 flamethrower +19 (dmg 2d6 + fire + special, error 1–3, threat 20, range 15 ft. — 9 shots), incendiary grenades (×3) +18 (dmg 3d6 + fire, range 20 ft., blast 1 square — 1 shot each); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA may perform coup de grace as a half action, sneak attack +4d6; SQ assistance (H time), cross-class ability (sneak attack +2d6), generous, lead 4/session, tactics 2/session (+2 bonus), versatility (Balance, Demolitions, Hide, Innuendo, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Use Rope); SV Fort +12, Ref +14, Will +9; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 11; Skills: Balance +14, Bluff +8, Demolitions +7, Disguise +6, Driver +6, First Aid +10, Hide +20, Innuendo +16, Intimidate +19/+16, Jump +10, Knowledge (Target) +7, Listen +16, Move Silently +20, Sleight of Hand +7, Spot +7, Use Rope +12. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Bullseye, Chi Strike, Flamer Basics, Flamer Mastery, Grenade Basics, Grenade Mastery, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Traceless, Weapon Focus (Russian Arsenal LPO-50 flamethrower), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 3 extra fuel canisters for flamethrower, knockout drug (3 uses), 1 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Paramedic’s van (ambulance — SZ L, Occ 1/4, Hand –3, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 6, WP 120, Hrd 6, ordnance: light flamethrower (dmg 4d6 + fire + special, error 1–3, threat 20, range 30 ft. — 50 shots)), flamethrower cigarette (dmg 2d6 + fire + special, error 1–3, threat 20, range 15 ft. — 1 shot). Threat Resources/Action Sites: Hunting grounds (headquarters — refinery/crematorium, New York City, New York, USA — hierarchy 2, secrecy 2, personnel 1, security 2).

Serial Two: The Baker Special Note: This serial ‘raises the bar’ once as described on page 94 of the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, and consequently awards +5% XP to agents who successfully complete it. Evgeniy Evgenyevich Abramstov, otherwise known as the Baker, is a small, frantic man with gray hair and cokebottle glasses. He’s usually unshaven and always unkempt, wearing a ratty black suit jacket, a stained white button-down polyester shirt, threadbare blue jeans, and worn deck shoes. The Baker is always twitching, as if there’s a fire going on that no one can see but him. He often talks to himself quickly, in a crazed, confused voice. From a man like this one might expect a cackle, and yet when he laughs the sound is deep and booming — it doesn’t seem to come from him, but from some other person hidden within. The Baker only laughs at fire, taking great joy in burning his victims alive. He often attacks as his targets sleep, perhaps releasing some a sleep poison into the air beforehand. He watches them closely as the fire wakes them, studies their cries of terror, gazes into the flames looking for subtle nuances of color and shape. “Every man burns his own way,” he says. “The way a man burns tells you his entire life story.” The Baker keeps his headquarters in an abandoned refinery, from which he trains inexperienced street thugs and organized criminals in the trade of assassination. He prefers the impetuous nature of these recruits over the Butcher’s professionals, relishing their unhinged enthusiasm like a well prepared flambé.

The 115th The Baker’s assassins pose as a fire crew — complete with their own fire truck — so they can easily maneuver through New York’s busy streets, even during rush hour. In truth, however, their thick overcoats and the truck’s many panel compartments conceal a special ‘fire cannon’ capable of incredible devastation. The 115th, 6th-level minions/10th-level shocktroopers (minions, squads of 4 — 94 MP): CR 15. SZ M; v/wp 103/11; Init +14 (+3 Dex, +11 class); Spd 30 ft.*; Def 19 (+3 Dex, +6 class); Atk: Colt M1911A1 service pistol +20 (dmg 1d12, recoil 20, threat 19–20, range 50 ft., qualities and mods: RG, TD — 7 shots), incendiary grenade +20 (dmg 3d6 + fire, range 20 ft., blast 1 square — 1 shot); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA weapon specialization (M1911A1 ser-

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threats vice pistol); SQ None; SV Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +12; Str 15, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 10; Skills: Balance +10, Demolitions +10, Intimidate +7/+5, Jump +9, Listen +4, Mechanics +8, Sport +7/+8, Spot +6, Survival +6, Tumble +6, Use Rope +7. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Coordinated Fire, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (M1911A1 service pistol), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Weapons, asbestos suit, 7 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Mobile armory (fire truck — SZ H, Occ 1/3, Hand –6, Spd 450 ft., MPH 45/90, Def 2, WP 120, Hrd 6, ordnance: heavy flamethrower (dmg 5d6 + fire, error 1–3, threat 20, range 40 ft. — 40 shots)). * The 115th’s speed is reduced to 20 ft. when wearing their asbestos suits.

The Candlestick Maker, 5th-level soldier/3rd-level contract killer/10th-level street fighter (henchman — 34 MP): Department: D-5 Black Ops. CR 18. SZ M; v/wp 170/19; Init +12 (+1 Dex, +11 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 22* (+1 Dex, +11 class); Atk: Fist/punch +22 (dmg 1d3+4 subdual, error 1), improvised weapon +23 (dmg varies +6 normal, error 1, threat 20, range varies, qualities and mods: varies), sledge hammer +22 (dmg 1d12+4, error 1–2, threat 20, qualities and mods: 2-h), lumber axe +22 (dmg 1d10+5, error 1–3, threat 19–20, range 10 ft. — thrown dmg 1d10+5, qualities and mods: 2-h), Makarov PM backup pistol +19 (dmg 2d4, error 1, threat 20, range 20 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA may perform coup de grace as a half action, bone grind (special), cheap shot, ferocious, hurricane (Swift Strike, Whirlwind Attack), joint lock (special), nerve lock (special), one-handed choke (special); SQ may convert first 8 points of normal damage from any attack into subdual damage, recovers 34 subdual damage per hour, accurate, armor use +1, DR 1/—, ploy (great sweep, still standing), warrior’s glory; SV Fort +16, Ref +10, Will +6; Str 18, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 8; Skills: Balance +14, Bluff +6, Concentration +5, Demolitions +3, Disguise +1, Gather Information +6, Hide +20, Innuendo +5, Intimidate +15/+10, Knowledge (Target) +3, Listen +6, Move Silently +14, Search +10, Sleight of Hand +3. Spot +8. Feats: Armor Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy), Chi Strike, Cleave, Cleaving Charge, Expertise, Great Cleave, Improved Weapon Focus (Improvised Weapon), Holding Basics, Holding Mastery, Improvised Weapon, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Sidestep, Weapon Focus (Improvised Weapon), Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee, Rifle, Tactical). Gear: Weapons, 35 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Cage truck (pick-up truck — SZ L, Occ 1/1, Hand –2, Spd 550 ft., MPH 55/110, Def 7, WP 100, Hrd 6, qualities and mods: CGO, backside consists of 5-ft. × 10-ft. wrestling cage possessing a hardness of 4, 20 wound points, and a Break DC of 20 and a lock requiring a successful Open Lock (DC 20) check to bypass), 14 GP. * The Candlestick Maker’s Def rises to 24 when he uses an improvised weapon. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Derek’s Gym, New York City, New York, USA — hierarchy 1, secrecy 0, personnel 3, security 0).

Serial One: The Candlestick Maker Special Note: This serial ‘raises the bar’ once as described on page 94 of the Fixer/Pointman Class Guide, and consequently awards +5% XP to agents who successfully complete it. Averiy Semyonovich Melnikov, known among U.S. agents as the Candlestick Maker, is tall, burly, and extremely Russian-looking. He possesses dark hair, thick and distinctly Muscovite features, and a layered, muscular physique. He tends to wear ill-fitting suits, as if he’s trying to portray the Hollywood image of the KGB hit man. The Candlestick Maker earned his codename due to his penchant for bludgeoning victims to death with large and heavy objects that he finds at the scene (the first of which was in fact a candlestick). He’s an expert wrestler, capable of locking even the burliest agents in permanent vice grips from which few ever break free. Though the Candlestick Maker speaks flawless English, he usually chooses not to, instead lacing his words with a heavy, almost comical, Russian accent. He almost never laughs at jokes, but he often cackles maniacally while slowly crushing the life out of a foe. As the Candlestick Maker prefers to kill his victims away from their homes, the agents must track him using investigative methods. Eventually, they may discover that the murderer lives in a loft above Derek’s Gym in one of the worst areas of Manhattan. The place is always full of up-and-coming boxers (and their wannabe counterparts), as well as the Russian mafia that all but runs it. Most of the gym’s regulars are extremely friendly with the Candlestick Maker (“our Avery”), and the henchman recruits and trains his minions there as well.

The Boxer-Bruisers Only the truest monsters of humanity could be drawn to the Candlestick Maker, and every one of these men fits the bill. Creatures unable to make it in the professional boxing circuit because they’d beat their opponents to death, these men can and regularly do sustain inhuman amounts of damage. If the agents encounter the boxerbruisers in their element (i.e. in Derek’s Gym), the minions try to draw the team apart, into the various training areas, where they can pummel the agents one on one.

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the 1960s The Boxer-Bruisers, 5th-level minions/10th-level heavies (minions, squads of 8 — 96 MP): CR 14. SZ M; v/wp 155/19; Init +14 (+4 Dex, +10 class); Spd 30 ft.; Def 20 (+4 Dex, +6 class); Atk: Fist/punch +18 (dmg 1d3+4 normal, error 1, threat 20), punch gloves +18 (dmg 1d3+4 normal, error 1, qualities and mods: SG); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA flying palm (std. attack + special), joint lock (special), knuckle punch +18 (dmg 1d6+6 normal, error 1, threat 20), one-handed choke (special), pain touch (std. attack + stun), palm strike (std. attack + special); SQ None; SV Fort +15, Ref +10, Will +3; Str 18, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 6, Wis 6, Cha 7; Skills: Balance +10, Driver +9, Gather Information +3, Intimidate +17/+11, Knowledge (Underworld) +3, Sense Motive +3, Sport (Boxing) +8/+7, Spot +3. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light, Medium), Holding Basics, Martial Arts, Punching Basics, Punching Mastery, Traceless, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Melee, Rifle). Gear: None, 53 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: None.

Rifle). Gear: Weapon, binoculars, disguise kit, custom bug ×7 (burst/tape radio core, mono-audio sensor; range line 25 ft., Search DC 20, Scan DC 10/30, range increment 20 ft., Listen check cap 20), 4 BP. Vehicles and Gadgets: Breakdown gun (Makarov PM), dummy line (Makarov PM), match grade pistol (Makarov PM), weapon accurization (Makarov PM), 5 GP. * Irina’s Def rises to 30 against attacks made by traps and security systems. Threat Resources: None. Headquarters: Drab apartment, New York City New York, USA — hierarchy 0, secrecy 0, personnel 0, security 0).

Plot Hook #1 The Candlestick Maker is sent to kill a family of Russian defectors now living on the eastern seaboard. The family’s father, Luthor Novak, is an ex-Russian chemist who pioneered several new forms of nerve gas. He defected several years ago, smuggling his family out of Russia in the dead of night. The following are options for involving a group of U.S. agents.

Foil: Irina Viktrovna Filatov (Any Serial) Irina Viktrovna is the newest Silencers recruit. She’s quietly charming, but it would be a stretch to call her beautiful. She was sent by the Silencers’ Russian masters to offer the unit a “mundane” female who could act as a lure or scout out targets and their allies before a hit, but she is finding herself sympathizing with some targets instead, and silently questioning the Silencers’ actions.

Possible Approaches: 1. The Candlestick Maker finds the family unguarded and makes quick work of them. The agents are called in after the fact to investigate the attack. Their efforts are initially harried by Irina Viktrovna, who is sent in to collect information about the U.S. response. She has already murdered the next door neighbor and taken her place.

Irina Viktrovna Filatov, 13th-level fixer/6th-level deep cover operative (foil — 26 MP): Loyalty: 7. Department: D-4 Urban Assault. CR 19. SZ M; v/wp 91/10; Init +11 (+4 Dex, +7 class); Spd 40 ft.; Def 29* (+4 Dex, +15 class); Atk: Makarov PM backup pistol with removable suppressor +19(dmg 2d4+2, error 1, threat 20, range 40 ft. — 8 shots); Face 1 square; Reach 1 square; SA +5 department bonus with attacks made as part of a ready action, sneak attack +6d6 (up to 3 range increments away); SQ defensive roll 1/session, department training, dexterous, evasion (no damage with successful Ref save, H damage with failed Ref save), procure, skeletons in the closet, special ability (fast movement, improvisation, stash it!), uncanny dodge (+1 with Ref saves vs. traps, can’t be flanked, Dex bonus to Def); SV Fort +10, Ref +14, Will +12; Str 10, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 10; Skills: Bluff +18, Concentration +12, Diplomacy +10, Disguise +20, Gather Information +20, Hide +12, Innuendo +12, Intimidate +9/+9, Knowledge (Target Group) +14, Listen +12, Search +12, Sense Motive +6, Spot +17, Surveillance +12. Feats: Armor Group Proficiency (Light), Extreme Range, Far Shot, Field Operative, Flawless Identity (“Helga Bedenfrau, Maid for Hire”), Hold Out, Increased Precision (×2), Iron Will, Speed Trigger, Stone Cold, Weapon Group Proficiency (Handgun, Hurled, Melee,

2. The family is still under FBI protection and the Candlestick Maker only manages to injure Luthor before agents move in. One of the FBI agents is injured in the resulting battle and the Candlestick Maker is forced to flee. Unfortunately, Luthor has a backup plan that sends his family out into the night, to a location only he knew. As he falls into a coma, the agents are called in to assist the investigation and help find the missing family, or the Candlestick Maker, before he finds them. 3. The Candlestick Maker’s information is flawed and he brutally slaughters the wrong family. The family flees into the night to a safe house prepared by Luthor (as described in option #2). One day later, Luthor shows up at the Agency’s doorstep promising the remainder of his research if he and his family can be safely transported out of the United States to a location he wo