Gauging Interest: Spies Like Us

Be sure to read and follow the guidelines for our forums.

Apr 26, 2016 12:20 pm
I've been thinking about running a series of short games in which the PCs are spies who have infiltrated a foreign power. Each game would be a new mission that they have been assigned, which could be anything from developing moles to assassination (in extreme cases only). By their nature these games would be very combat-lite, and in fact too big of a fight could get an agent extracted.

I would probably set-up a pool of characters who could join the games, so it might be like Mission: Impossible where one character receives the mission and can then choose their team from the pool of players.

Now the problems I am having are;
-what system should I use (I only really know D&D5E and it leans very heavily towards combat, so not sure it is ideal)?
-where should I set it (I would prefer a pre-made setting because, quite frankly, it would be less work for me)?

Finally, would anyone be interested in playing this?
Apr 26, 2016 1:11 pm
Spycraft was a good system, with as much focus on the non-combat parts of spying as the combat. Some classes are barely capable in combat.
Apr 26, 2016 1:15 pm
Thanks, I'll look into it!
Apr 26, 2016 1:20 pm
Coming from a D&D background I had been thinking in terms of a sword and sorcery setting, with people using spells to disguise themselves or become invisible. But now that I look at Spycraft and see that it includes things like hacking, it occurs to me that I could set it in a modern setting and use real world maps and locations! I really like that idea!
Apr 26, 2016 1:26 pm
Fate/Fate Accelerated is always a solid for "I want to do this" kind of games. GURPs too for general stuff but involving magic?
Apr 26, 2016 1:48 pm
*Cough Savage Worlds Cough* *Cough Agents of Oblivion Cough*

All kidding aside SW core book is $10 I think, or less now for the deluxe version. Agents of Oblivion has a Mission Generator and as a setting has a few dials to switch and crank, you want Magic (Yes/No - How Much), Supernatural, Cthulu Horror, Men in Black, Jason Bourne, 007, a little of everything?

Although it never took off I had a game running in the system, I generated missions and just used real work locations and what not.

That said I'm interested in playing regardless of system. Also if you go with Savage Worlds it's very different that D&D/Pathfinder I think.
Apr 26, 2016 1:50 pm
Another one to look at! Fantastic!
Apr 26, 2016 3:53 pm
fluglichkeiten says:
Another one to look at! Fantastic!
Oh also spy/hitech/magical/supernatural one shot equipment
Apr 27, 2016 3:21 pm
I'm leaning towards the Spycraft 2.0 system. I have looked (very briefly) over the rules of both that and Savage Worlds and Spycraft just speaks to me more. I may need a bit more experience to understand SW.

I'm thinking of something like The Americans meets Mission: Impossible meets Hitman. Something where a team comes together to complete missions, but their highest priority would normally be to keep their cover intact (so not so much Mission: Impossible in that respect). When targets need to be eliminated it should be done discreetly, preferably making it look like an accident.

I'm going to think a bit more about the setting and will come back to this thread when I have some more.
Apr 27, 2016 3:27 pm
In that case check out Trigger's site:

http://www.theagencystar.com/
Apr 27, 2016 3:36 pm
Remnant says:
In that case check out Trigger's site:

http://www.theagencystar.com/
I've already downloaded some stuff from there, but haven't looked further, I'll do some browsing.
Apr 27, 2016 4:26 pm
Due to his work GMing and uploading to his site he was hired on to work on Agents of Oblivion at Reality Blur a few years ago.
Apr 27, 2016 5:32 pm
Nice! Dreams do come true!
May 24, 2016 6:05 pm
I have been playing in a couple of Star Wars games and all of my ideas for this have suddenly coalesced, I'm getting really excited about it. I know exactly how I want it to run.

The premise is... (Queue the music)
May 24, 2016 6:09 pm
well, I just posted in another thread that I know when to say no...



but fuck it, I'm such a whore for star wars games... please.. let me in?
May 24, 2016 6:15 pm
I haven't read through the rebel rulebook much yet, but already I know I'd like to play the female human who is a master at social infiltration, like the grifter in leverage. posing as an imperial cadet, seduction, social engineering.. I'm all over that
May 24, 2016 6:38 pm
Sounds perfect. The initial team of five or six will have been hand-picked by rebel high command and given the best training. Which means a bit more XP and a rank in Deception, perhaps. There's also a rebel training specialisation in the book that I'll need to look at, but that may be just too much.

I'll start a new thread in the next day or two which will be the main hub for organising things between missions. I imagine eventually having a pool of players, each with one or more characters, who can participate in the various missions. Missions will either be given by high command or generated by the cell.
load next

You do not have permission to post in this thread.