It all began when the scattered former members of an Agency team received mysterious messages on their personal PDAs, tagged with an old code from an Agency that had been defunct for two years. "You are desperately needed in Tokyo. Need to sort out a problem. Your new identity could be at risk" was the message, followed by a seemingly random string of numbers.
Steel Wolf, undercover as the Red Ghost, was meeting with a mobster he had been dealing with when he got the message. He completed the deal quickly, after being badgered into delivering free security on his next job, and made arrangements to fly out of Moscow and into Tokyo. He also placed a newspaper ad in code in a French newspaper (the last place he'd heard of Dom Perignon surfacing, several months ago) along the lines of "Lead singer called, wants to get the band back together, call me."
Dom Perignon got the message as he was climbing out the window of the married heiress he had recently bedded. He returned home to find his old college friend pissing against the wall of his Monaco home, and soon learned that his friend was so high and drunk and generally bewildered that he didn't realize where he was. The friend did, coincidentally, have some news for Dom; he had heard rumors that Dom's old friend had died in a firefight protecting the prime minister of Israel from an assassination attempt.
After the friend crashed on Dom's couch, Dom's personal assistant Ms. Chesterfield came down to check in. She had some bank papers to sign in the morning, but Dom went ahead and signed them right then and told her to arrange the earliest possible flight to Tokyo, dealing with problems from his "former life."
Booster's reaction, when he received it in his East L.A. home, was perhaps the most simple of the group. "It's About Time." He arranged to pilot a jet to Tokyo for a private concern.
Ms. Chesterfield found the personal ad in the French paper and Dom got in contact with Steel Wolf. The two reminisced a little, shared the information they had and arranged to meet in the Tokyo airport. They did this, and shared a drink while Ms. Chesterfield procured a rental BMW for them. Another message on the former agents' PDAs came in that said "Ching Lau's. Ginza District. 10:45 PM."
Booster, after trying to locate the Neon Tigers and then stealing a motorcycle in an attempt to rile them up and draw them to him, went to the restaurant several hours early. His inability to speak Japanese prompted some problems, but he did get a table, and plenty of free soup when his boorish manner and inability to speak the language lead to him yelling at an American at the bar that Booster thought had been staring at him.
The man at the bar was Father Binary, the hacker who had sent the messages to the team in the first place. He quickly left, wanting to contact the whole team on his own terms rather than in such a public place. Booster, meanwhile, learned that yelling in English got him free food, so when the other two agents arrived at about 9:30, he was surrounded by several bowls of sharkfin soup.
The agents reminisced, talking their way into a private room that was being cleaned. They discussed the possibility that it was a trap, as well as their feelings on the matter of Mr. Gray's demise, something none of them really believed.
At 10:45, Father Binary re-entered the restaurant and went to the private room the agents had procured. He asked them to come with him to the private room he had arranged (since he knew that it was bug-free and otherwise safe), and sat down with them to talk. Father Binary explained that he had been working freelance for the Japanese government, trying to prevent attacks from the hacker gang known as the Neon Tigers, and he'd come across some bits of code that indicated the agents' identities and that a hit had been ordered on them. He made contact so that he could warn them, but wanted to do it in person to avoid security risks of online or phone conversation.
At this point, the waiters entered the room to provide appetizers and a large covered metal dish that took two waiters to lift. All of the waiters exited except for one, who removed the metal covering. To his horror, the cover was attached to a cord that pulled the pin from a grenade, which sat in the mouth of Akune Uchida, the former head of the Neon Tigers and former ally of the agents. The grenade exploded, but the agents dove for cover and protected themselves with metal dishes, chairs and bits of the table so that the damage was minimal. They quickly sprung into defensive positions, and were not surprised when a half-dozen of the former geishas and waiters rushed into the room, dropping into martial arts stances and wearing katanas on their hips.
A quick battle ensued, with the agents gunning down most of the assassins without much trouble, although Steel Wolf took a particularly nasty katana wound that was bleeding, and Father Binary had the most good luck, providing the kill shots on five of the six assassins. Early in the fight, Dom contacted Ms. Chesterfield to tell her to bring the car around the back. Booster emerged from the room to find that there were five more waiters holding MP5s, and they opened fire as Booster rushed down the hall to the emergency exit he had spotted earlier. Booster fired on the gun-wielding assassins, but they had a good position at the door, waiting for the agents to emerge. Dom grabbed a metal caster from one of the destroyed chairs and, rushing out the door, mimed pulling a pin and threw it at the assassins, causing them to dive for cover. This distraction allowed the rest of the team to rush past Booster and down the exit hallway.
The agents leaped into the car, and Ms. Chesterfield began patching up Steel Wolf's wound as Booster took over driving. About a dozen headlights from pursuit motorcycles loomed in the rearview mirror, and they were getting closer...
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Notes on Friday's session
I wasn't planning on printing out character sheets, since I linked to the PDF of the character sheets on the site. Is that cool, or is anyone lacking a functional printer?
Charles may stop by just to check out the new rulebook and say hi. I figure we might spend the first hour or so of the session finishing up details on characters, so it'll probably be a relatively short session.
Charles may stop by just to check out the new rulebook and say hi. I figure we might spend the first hour or so of the session finishing up details on characters, so it'll probably be a relatively short session.
Meet Mary Anne Chesterfield
I know what you're saying... "Who?" Dom Perignon's new personal assistant, that's who!
Name: Mary Anne Chesterfield
Origin: Reliable Suit
Class: Advocate
Career Level: 2
Vitality: 19
Age: 25 Height: 5'8" Weight: 109 lbs.
Statistics: STR 8, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 16, WIS 12, CHA 15, BAB +1, Fort +2 (+3), Ref +0 (+0), Will +3 (+4), Def +1 (11), Init +2 (+2)
Skills: Bluff +4, Bureaucracy +5, Cultures +5 (North America, South America, Western Europe, Northern Africa, Southern Asia), Drive +1 (Standard Ground Vehicles), Impress +4, Intimidate +1, Manipulate +2, Medicine +1, Networking +5 (Acquaintance), Notice +4, Profession +3 (Personal Assistant, Stock Trader, Gambler), Resolve +4, Sense Motive +4, Science +1 (Economy)
Class Abilities: Persistent, Absolute Certainty, Behind the Scenes I (city)
Origin Abilities: 1/session, may make a Bribe check at minimum value without paying bribe cost, +1 insight bonus with Bureaucracy and Profession checks
Wealth: Lifestyle 3, Possessions 2, Spending Cash 1
Feats: Gorgeous, Photographic Memory
Proficiencies: Unarmed (Forte), Blunt, Handgun
Common Items: Cell phone, attache case, PDA, Altoids, 8 reserve picks
Name: Mary Anne Chesterfield
Origin: Reliable Suit
Class: Advocate
Career Level: 2
Vitality: 19
Age: 25 Height: 5'8" Weight: 109 lbs.
Statistics: STR 8, DEX 11, CON 12, INT 16, WIS 12, CHA 15, BAB +1, Fort +2 (+3), Ref +0 (+0), Will +3 (+4), Def +1 (11), Init +2 (+2)
Skills: Bluff +4, Bureaucracy +5, Cultures +5 (North America, South America, Western Europe, Northern Africa, Southern Asia), Drive +1 (Standard Ground Vehicles), Impress +4, Intimidate +1, Manipulate +2, Medicine +1, Networking +5 (Acquaintance), Notice +4, Profession +3 (Personal Assistant, Stock Trader, Gambler), Resolve +4, Sense Motive +4, Science +1 (Economy)
Class Abilities: Persistent, Absolute Certainty, Behind the Scenes I (city)
Origin Abilities: 1/session, may make a Bribe check at minimum value without paying bribe cost, +1 insight bonus with Bureaucracy and Profession checks
Wealth: Lifestyle 3, Possessions 2, Spending Cash 1
First Aid Kit I, Stun Gun (Melee), Commercial Bug Sweeper, Laptop Computer (PR 2)
Feats: Gorgeous, Photographic Memory
Proficiencies: Unarmed (Forte), Blunt, Handgun
Common Items: Cell phone, attache case, PDA, Altoids, 8 reserve picks
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Introducing: Father Binary
Randy asked me to post what I have of my character so far. I still haven't picked gear, and I'm sure I need some tweaking, since I'm not the rules guru others are. Anyway, here's what I got...
Codename: Father Binary (Name: David Timms)
Origin: Disciplined Clergyman
Class: Hacker
Career Level: 5
Vitality: 37 Reputation:
Statistics: STR 8, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 16, WIS 14, CHA 13
Fort +4 (+5), Ref +3 (+5), Will +2 (+4), Def +4 (14), Init +3
Skills: Analysis +3, Bureaucracy +4, Computers +8, Cultures +8 (focus and fortes later), Drive +3 (same deal), Electronics +8, Falsify +4, Mechanics +4, Notice +5, Profession (Clergy) +5, Resolve +5, Science (f/f later) +5, Security +5, Sleight of Hand +3, Sneak +6, Streetwise +5, Survival +2
Class Abilities: Custom Hardware (or was it software?), 'L337, Trap Door 1/mission, Master Key I, Master Cracker 1/mission.
Feats: Iron Will, Favored Gear, Techie
Proficiencies: Blunt Weapons, Handguns, Rifles.
This is all I have so far. Will finish Friday.
Codename: Father Binary (Name: David Timms)Origin: Disciplined Clergyman
Class: Hacker
Career Level: 5
Vitality: 37 Reputation:
Statistics: STR 8, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 16, WIS 14, CHA 13
Fort +4 (+5), Ref +3 (+5), Will +2 (+4), Def +4 (14), Init +3
Skills: Analysis +3, Bureaucracy +4, Computers +8, Cultures +8 (focus and fortes later), Drive +3 (same deal), Electronics +8, Falsify +4, Mechanics +4, Notice +5, Profession (Clergy) +5, Resolve +5, Science (f/f later) +5, Security +5, Sleight of Hand +3, Sneak +6, Streetwise +5, Survival +2
Class Abilities: Custom Hardware (or was it software?), 'L337, Trap Door 1/mission, Master Key I, Master Cracker 1/mission.
Feats: Iron Will, Favored Gear, Techie
Proficiencies: Blunt Weapons, Handguns, Rifles.
This is all I have so far. Will finish Friday.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Information I Need From Players
(Preferably before we start the game on Friday):
1. Dave - I'll need you to complete your personal gear picks. You've got one Caliber II and one Caliber III pick coming to you. I also need Sergei's last name, age, height and weight just for completeness sake. I would also suggest you take a look at the Common Items list on pages 213-14 and pick out your 16 commonly carried items. You don't have to pick all 16, you can leave some in reserve to try and "happen to have" in the field, but I'd suggest picking out a decent number of things you usually have on you.
2. Ben - I need Booster's real name and age, height, weight. I also think you need to figure out your vehicle (the one you get from Possessions), since I suspect it will come into play. You might also consider your common items, although since you don't have the book this might have to take place before we start play on Friday. You also need to finish up Booster's picks... you have a Caliber II and 3 Caliber I coming to you. Again, might have to wait until Friday because you'll need a rulebook for it.
3. Chris - You've got one more Gear pick to make, a Caliber III, 13 common items and some decisions to make on Dom's lifestyle and vehicles. Oh, and I need to know what you want to do about your personal lieutenant, because I should have that character made by Friday. My suggestion would be to make him/her an Advocate (for the contacts), Explorer (if you want a guide for various locales), Scientist (if you want an egghead) or Soldier (if you want a mildly competent bodyguard). Truthfully, I'd suggest Advocate more than anything else, but let me know what you want so I can build the character.
4. Nate - We need that "whole character" thing.
That is all. Anyone who wants to is welcome to come by the house on Thursday night (after the STAPLE meeting at Flightpath, so maybe somewhere around 8 or 9?) to finish up gear and other details so that we're ready to roll on Friday. Dave, we can probably finish your guy up during the week on off hours at work. I'll bring the character and my Spycraft rulebook in with me.
1. Dave - I'll need you to complete your personal gear picks. You've got one Caliber II and one Caliber III pick coming to you. I also need Sergei's last name, age, height and weight just for completeness sake. I would also suggest you take a look at the Common Items list on pages 213-14 and pick out your 16 commonly carried items. You don't have to pick all 16, you can leave some in reserve to try and "happen to have" in the field, but I'd suggest picking out a decent number of things you usually have on you.
2. Ben - I need Booster's real name and age, height, weight. I also think you need to figure out your vehicle (the one you get from Possessions), since I suspect it will come into play. You might also consider your common items, although since you don't have the book this might have to take place before we start play on Friday. You also need to finish up Booster's picks... you have a Caliber II and 3 Caliber I coming to you. Again, might have to wait until Friday because you'll need a rulebook for it.
3. Chris - You've got one more Gear pick to make, a Caliber III, 13 common items and some decisions to make on Dom's lifestyle and vehicles. Oh, and I need to know what you want to do about your personal lieutenant, because I should have that character made by Friday. My suggestion would be to make him/her an Advocate (for the contacts), Explorer (if you want a guide for various locales), Scientist (if you want an egghead) or Soldier (if you want a mildly competent bodyguard). Truthfully, I'd suggest Advocate more than anything else, but let me know what you want so I can build the character.
4. Nate - We need that "whole character" thing.
That is all. Anyone who wants to is welcome to come by the house on Thursday night (after the STAPLE meeting at Flightpath, so maybe somewhere around 8 or 9?) to finish up gear and other details so that we're ready to roll on Friday. Dave, we can probably finish your guy up during the week on off hours at work. I'll bring the character and my Spycraft rulebook in with me.
The Crimson Dynasty (A Past Villain Profile)
Anyone remember these guys, the first opponents you ran into?
The Crimson Dynasty, once the feared “Dragon of the East,” had become a dinosaur that doesn't know it is extinct. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Crimson Dynasty ran much of Asia through their control of drug and weapons trafficking, as well as a healthy trade in slavery. Their leadership, a changing council of advisors, was directed by a family lineage that had established the Dynasty in the early 1950s, the Daigoro family. However, encounters with Agency, Shadow and Oversight Watch forces throughout the years eroded the power base of the Crimson Dynasty and the number of living Daigoro members. In 2002, there was only one Daigoro left, a childless rich boy named Kano. He went into hiding on his third birthday to avoid being tracked down by enemies, and rose to power in the Dynasty in 1999 when his cousin Shiro died.
Unfortunately for the Dynasty, Kano had no interest in running a dying criminal empire. He put all of his resources, all of his considerable planning skills, into one last game with The Agency. Using misdirection and intelligence gathered through channels from a freelancer named Michael Vaughn, he determined a way to get Agency codes and get inside the Agency computers. Using a proxy, he hired Tiger Claw and his hackers, the Neon Tigers, to create a program that would drain Agency resources, telling Tiger Claw to make the arrangements to get the Agency codes. Tiger Claw hired a Japanese wheelman/enforcer named The Shark, former Agency operative Vaughn and a Crimson Dynasty agent named Yuri to enact a three-pronged plan of infiltration into the Agency. Though the plan didn't work out due to the unexpected skills of the mission team, quick thinking by Vaughn got the codes to Tiger Claw anyway, and he began his work of stealing the Agency's entire budget.
A young team of Agency assets tracked the Agency's money down and recovered it, also causing a firefight that ended the life of the Young Dragon and left the Crimson Dynasty shattered.
The Crimson Dynasty, once the feared “Dragon of the East,” had become a dinosaur that doesn't know it is extinct. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Crimson Dynasty ran much of Asia through their control of drug and weapons trafficking, as well as a healthy trade in slavery. Their leadership, a changing council of advisors, was directed by a family lineage that had established the Dynasty in the early 1950s, the Daigoro family. However, encounters with Agency, Shadow and Oversight Watch forces throughout the years eroded the power base of the Crimson Dynasty and the number of living Daigoro members. In 2002, there was only one Daigoro left, a childless rich boy named Kano. He went into hiding on his third birthday to avoid being tracked down by enemies, and rose to power in the Dynasty in 1999 when his cousin Shiro died.
Unfortunately for the Dynasty, Kano had no interest in running a dying criminal empire. He put all of his resources, all of his considerable planning skills, into one last game with The Agency. Using misdirection and intelligence gathered through channels from a freelancer named Michael Vaughn, he determined a way to get Agency codes and get inside the Agency computers. Using a proxy, he hired Tiger Claw and his hackers, the Neon Tigers, to create a program that would drain Agency resources, telling Tiger Claw to make the arrangements to get the Agency codes. Tiger Claw hired a Japanese wheelman/enforcer named The Shark, former Agency operative Vaughn and a Crimson Dynasty agent named Yuri to enact a three-pronged plan of infiltration into the Agency. Though the plan didn't work out due to the unexpected skills of the mission team, quick thinking by Vaughn got the codes to Tiger Claw anyway, and he began his work of stealing the Agency's entire budget.
A young team of Agency assets tracked the Agency's money down and recovered it, also causing a firefight that ended the life of the Young Dragon and left the Crimson Dynasty shattered.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Meet Steel Wolf 2.0
Codename: Steel Wolf (Name: Sergei ??)
Origin: Veteran Operative
Class: Pointman
Career Level: 5
Vitality: 41 Reputation: 25
Age: ?? Height: ?? Weight: ?? lbs.
Statistics: STR 10, DEX 14, CON 8, INT 14, WIS 16, CHA 13, BAB +3, Fort +3 (+2), Ref +3 (+5), Will +3 (+6), Def +2 (12), Init +3 (+5)
Skills: Analysis +8, Cultures +8 (Eastern Asia, Eastern Europe (Forte), Northern America, Western Asia, Western Europe), Drive +0 (Standard Ground Vehicles), Investigation +8, Networking +6, Notice +8, Profession +8 (Spy, Law Enforcement), Resolve +8, Science +6 (Chemistry, Pharmacology), Security +4, Tactics +8
Class Abilities: Generous, Versatility, Assistance (1/2), Lead 2/session, Orders I
Wealth: Lifestyle 3, Possessions 4, Spending Cash 2
Glock 31 (.357 Sig) w/Custom Grip, Laser Sight & (3) 17-shot clips
Lockpick I Kit, Forensics I Kit, Chemistry I Kit
1 Caliber II pick
1 Caliber III pick
Feats: Poison Basics, Ambush Basics, Private Eye
Proficiencies: Unarmed, Explosives, Handgun (Forte), Rifle, Submachine Gun
Interests: Chess, Ballet, Dostoyevsky
Mission Gear: 2R, 2S, 1W
Bonus (CHA) Gear: 1 of any: (G,T,V,R)
Common Items: 16 (+5 Mission Picks)
Meet Booster 2.0
Codename: Booster (Name: ??)Origin: Gifted Hot Rodder
Class: Wheelman
Career Level: 5
Vitality: 51 Reputation: 25
Age: ?? Height: ?? Weight: ?? lbs.
Statistics: STR 10, DEX 20, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 9, CHA 9, BAB +5 Fort +1 (+2), Ref +4 (+9), Will +1 (+0), Def +3 (13), Init +3 (+8)
Skills: Acrobatics +8, Athletics +8, Cultures (Northern America) +0, Drive +8 (Standard Ground Vehicles (forte), Personal Ground Vehicles, Rotary Wing Aircraft, Service Aircraft, Standard Watercraft), Mechanics +8, Profession (Stunt Driver) +0, Scientist (Fabrication) +0, Security +8, Sleight of Hand +8, Streetwise +8, Tactics +8
Class Abilities: Driven, Custom Ride, Manual Adjustment (Mechanics), Crash Course x2, Vehicle Familiarity I
Wealth: Lifestyle 2, Possessions 3, Spending Cash 1
AMP DSR-1 bolt action rifle (.300 magnum) w/ advanced combat sight & 50 rounds
1 Caliber II pick
3 Caliber I picks
Feats: Daredevil, Defensive Driving, Driving Instincts, Lane Dancer, Offensive Driving, Speed Demon
Proficiencies: Unarmed, Handgun, Rifle (Forte), Submachine Gun, Vehicle Weapons (Forte)
Interests: Street Racing, Racing World, Fine Food
Mission Gear: 2V, 1W
Bonus (CHA) Gear: None
Common Items: 9 (+3 Mission Picks)
Friday, August 19, 2005
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Meet Dom Perignon 2.0
Codename: Dom Perignon (Name: Ian Chadwick-Smythe V)Origin: Privileged Playboy
Class: Faceman
Career Level: 5
Vitality: 37 Reputation: 25
Age: 35 Height: 5'11 Weight: 172 lbs.
Statistics: STR 8, DEX 13, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 13, CHA 16, BAB +3, Fort +3 (+4), Ref +1 (+2), Will +3 (+4), Def +3 (13), Init +5 (+6)
Skills: Blend +4, Bluff +8, Bureaucracy +4, Cultures +8 (Northern America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Asia, Western Asia, Eastern Asia), Drive (Standard Watercraft), Falsify +7, Impress +3, Manipulate +4, Networking +4 (2 Acquaintances), Notice +4, Profession (Lawyer), Science (Economy), Search +2, Sense Motive +8, Streetwise +1
Class Abilities: Doublespeak, 1,000 Faces, Cold Read 1/session, Quick Change 2/session, Follow My Lead, Backup I
Wealth: Lifestyle 7, Possessions 3, Spending Cash 4
Walther PPK (.32 ACP) w/custom grip & (8) 7-shot clips
Tuxedo Liner (DR 2/3, -1 Def)
Gadget: Hypnotic Lenses (+1 Skill Boost to Impress)
Charles Daly Field II Hunter 12-gauge shotgun w/40 slugs
Disguise Kit III
5-bedroom house (25 person capacity)
Racing Yacht w/luxury fittings
Twin-Engine Prop Plane w/advanced stability & luxury fittings
Feats: Personal Lieutenant, Flawless Identity, Polyglot, Silver Tongue
Proficiencies: Unarmed, Handgun (Forte), Shotgun (Forte), Hurled
Interests: Gambling, Yachting, Equestrian
Mission Gear: 1T, 1R
Bonus (CHA) Gear: 3 of any: (G,T,V,R)
Common Items: 13 (+5 Mission Picks)
Monday, August 15, 2005
The Blog is Up!
Everyone from the group has gotten onboard (including Jim, who never got my emails to join the Circle of Friends blog... hooray!). I've set everyone to have mod privileges, which means you can edit and delete posts... not that I expect we'll need to, but now it's not my blog, it's owned equally by everyone involved.
I've responded to Nate's rules question via the comments system, so make sure and keep an eye on comments when you look here. There's also an RSS feed for anybody who is using RSS.
Jim, Nate and Ben... let me know if you're in or out for character building session on Friday, when you get a chance.
I've responded to Nate's rules question via the comments system, so make sure and keep an eye on comments when you look here. There's also an RSS feed for anybody who is using RSS.
Jim, Nate and Ben... let me know if you're in or out for character building session on Friday, when you get a chance.
Skill Focus/Forte?
So, I started going through the Spycraft book last night, working on my hacker character. I can't find a good description of this skill focus/forte business, though. What the hell is that?
Sunday, August 14, 2005
House Rules (Spycraft 2.0)
(All house rules subject to change if they don't balance as expected)
1. Request Checks (p. 214) - Players do not need to spend action dice to make a request check in the field, as long as they have a Reserve gear pick ready. In addition, the DC of a Request check is 10 + (5 x the item's Caliber), giving a range of 15-30 (instead of 10-40). All other rules regarding Request Checks remain the same, including the delivery time and the need to have communications to make one. Any special ability or feat that gives the character a request check without spending an action die instead becomes an automatic success on the Request check roll.
2. Grenades (p. 261-262, p. 284 chart) - Grenades are considerably more dangerous than the standard rules indicate. Instead of the damage listed, the following is the damage for grenades in my Spycraft campaign: Fragmentation Grenade 15+2d10 explosive (17-35 instead of 4-40), Thermite Grenade 10+2d10 fire (12-30 instead of 3-30), White Phosphorous Grenade 6+2d6 fire (8-18 instead of 3-18). All other hurled weapons remain the same. In addition, the DC to hit a square instead of a target is 15 (detailed on p. 328 and nowhere else), the rules on blast attacks are on p. 343-344 and rules on explosive damage, including the Reflex roll to avoid or lessen it, are on p. 336.
3. Autofire (p. 354) - Autofire grants a +1 bonus to attack per volley fired, rather than a -1 per volley. The maximum number of shots that can be put into the target is equal to the attacker's Base Attack Bonus, or the number of volleys fired, whichever is lower.
4. Strafe (p. 360-361) - Each target opponent gains a cumulative +1 bonus to Defense, instead of the cumulative +2 to Defense listed in the text. In addition, the Defense bonus caps at 20 - (Attacker's Base Attack Bonus). This also changes the Autofire Supremacy feat (p. 180), which changes to "each target opponent gets a flat +2 bonus to Defense instead of one that increases with each shot."
1. Request Checks (p. 214) - Players do not need to spend action dice to make a request check in the field, as long as they have a Reserve gear pick ready. In addition, the DC of a Request check is 10 + (5 x the item's Caliber), giving a range of 15-30 (instead of 10-40). All other rules regarding Request Checks remain the same, including the delivery time and the need to have communications to make one. Any special ability or feat that gives the character a request check without spending an action die instead becomes an automatic success on the Request check roll.
2. Grenades (p. 261-262, p. 284 chart) - Grenades are considerably more dangerous than the standard rules indicate. Instead of the damage listed, the following is the damage for grenades in my Spycraft campaign: Fragmentation Grenade 15+2d10 explosive (17-35 instead of 4-40), Thermite Grenade 10+2d10 fire (12-30 instead of 3-30), White Phosphorous Grenade 6+2d6 fire (8-18 instead of 3-18). All other hurled weapons remain the same. In addition, the DC to hit a square instead of a target is 15 (detailed on p. 328 and nowhere else), the rules on blast attacks are on p. 343-344 and rules on explosive damage, including the Reflex roll to avoid or lessen it, are on p. 336.
3. Autofire (p. 354) - Autofire grants a +1 bonus to attack per volley fired, rather than a -1 per volley. The maximum number of shots that can be put into the target is equal to the attacker's Base Attack Bonus, or the number of volleys fired, whichever is lower.
4. Strafe (p. 360-361) - Each target opponent gains a cumulative +1 bonus to Defense, instead of the cumulative +2 to Defense listed in the text. In addition, the Defense bonus caps at 20 - (Attacker's Base Attack Bonus). This also changes the Autofire Supremacy feat (p. 180), which changes to "each target opponent gets a flat +2 bonus to Defense instead of one that increases with each shot."
The Past (Player Information):
The Agency (October, 1945 - March, 2003) - For almost sixty years, The Agency was a covert force for good in the world, run by a council of twelve and overseen by the mysterious and ruthless Oversight Watch. The Agency hoped to create a stable and peaceful world that owed no loyalty to anyone other than 6.3 billion people who occupy the planet Earth. They failed when a concentrated attack from governments that saw their existence as a threat dismantled the group.
Though many of the agents were captured or killed on the day the coordinated raid known as Operation: Mythbuster took place, some agents escaped and disappeared into the world. One such team was made up of four elite agents: Booster, a wheelman from the streets of East L.A., Mr. Gray, an Israeli commando turned covert soldier, Dom Perrignon, a member of American upper crust society turned slick spy operator and Steel Wolf, a former KGB agent who had been the tactical specialist and de facto leader of the team.
In their time, this team had taken down several major scores for The Agency. They had tracked and eliminated the last gasp of the criminal organization The Crimson Dynasty when they attempted to siphon off Agency funds to create a new organization, an operation that The Crimson Dynasty called Operation: Chimera. They prevented a terrorist attack on Los Angeles by an Al-Qaeda agent named Moustaffa Nerief. They began training a double agent to go inside The Shadow, the main opponent of The Agency, but instead found themselves facing off with that agent's killer and tracking down a Shadow plan to gain nuclear weapons. They found and dismantled the nuclear weapons in a mountain stronghold. It was in the aftermath of this raid that they were informed of the destruction of The Agency and told to disappear into the world.
After the Agency was dismantled by the CIA, the group tried to stick together, but they were being run down by law enforcement and spies around the world. They received a tip from Marta Allison, a female CIA agent who had helped them take down Nerief, and she told them that they needed to split up, as they'd be harder to track that way. After earning their trust by saving their lives from an Al-Qaeda hit team, she helped set them up with new identities.
Two years have passed.
Booster has been driving in the street race circuit in L.A. He's become something of a local legend, and nobody can touch him. Nobody knows that he keeps a shot-up, burned-out BMW that was once his best piece of equipment in a hidden garage, slowly attempting to restore it back to its top running condition.
Mr. Gray has become a professional bodyguard, doing work mostly in Europe. He has guarded rock stars, actors and political assets alike, and has yet to lose a client. Although there have been several fatalities on his watch amongst those who attempted to do his targets harm. Rumor has it that sometimes Mr. Gray is hired more as a glorified assassin than an actual bodyguard, to take out someone who is threatening or trying to hurt his primary.
Steel Wolf went to work at the Moscow police, and soon found himself undercover within the Russian mob as a legendary security expert named The Red Ghost. He's had to do some ugly things to maintain his cover, but the information he's providing the beleaguered Russian authorities is worth its weight in gold.
Dom Perrignon tried to go home and resume his place in the New England social scene, but after several attempts on his life, relented and became a playboy and gambler making his living in Monaco. He's been bedding a lot of rich, lonely women and taking the money of a lot of powerful players, and despite living under an alias, has managed to get himself into a fair amount of trouble.
Though many of the agents were captured or killed on the day the coordinated raid known as Operation: Mythbuster took place, some agents escaped and disappeared into the world. One such team was made up of four elite agents: Booster, a wheelman from the streets of East L.A., Mr. Gray, an Israeli commando turned covert soldier, Dom Perrignon, a member of American upper crust society turned slick spy operator and Steel Wolf, a former KGB agent who had been the tactical specialist and de facto leader of the team.
In their time, this team had taken down several major scores for The Agency. They had tracked and eliminated the last gasp of the criminal organization The Crimson Dynasty when they attempted to siphon off Agency funds to create a new organization, an operation that The Crimson Dynasty called Operation: Chimera. They prevented a terrorist attack on Los Angeles by an Al-Qaeda agent named Moustaffa Nerief. They began training a double agent to go inside The Shadow, the main opponent of The Agency, but instead found themselves facing off with that agent's killer and tracking down a Shadow plan to gain nuclear weapons. They found and dismantled the nuclear weapons in a mountain stronghold. It was in the aftermath of this raid that they were informed of the destruction of The Agency and told to disappear into the world.
After the Agency was dismantled by the CIA, the group tried to stick together, but they were being run down by law enforcement and spies around the world. They received a tip from Marta Allison, a female CIA agent who had helped them take down Nerief, and she told them that they needed to split up, as they'd be harder to track that way. After earning their trust by saving their lives from an Al-Qaeda hit team, she helped set them up with new identities.
Two years have passed.
Booster has been driving in the street race circuit in L.A. He's become something of a local legend, and nobody can touch him. Nobody knows that he keeps a shot-up, burned-out BMW that was once his best piece of equipment in a hidden garage, slowly attempting to restore it back to its top running condition.
Mr. Gray has become a professional bodyguard, doing work mostly in Europe. He has guarded rock stars, actors and political assets alike, and has yet to lose a client. Although there have been several fatalities on his watch amongst those who attempted to do his targets harm. Rumor has it that sometimes Mr. Gray is hired more as a glorified assassin than an actual bodyguard, to take out someone who is threatening or trying to hurt his primary.
Steel Wolf went to work at the Moscow police, and soon found himself undercover within the Russian mob as a legendary security expert named The Red Ghost. He's had to do some ugly things to maintain his cover, but the information he's providing the beleaguered Russian authorities is worth its weight in gold.
Dom Perrignon tried to go home and resume his place in the New England social scene, but after several attempts on his life, relented and became a playboy and gambler making his living in Monaco. He's been bedding a lot of rich, lonely women and taking the money of a lot of powerful players, and despite living under an alias, has managed to get himself into a fair amount of trouble.
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