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Training Packages for Fantasy EspionageCopyright Eran Ben-Sa'ar (WickedBar) 2000
This Iterm was first published on The Guild Companion Valdor wanted to act as soon as he saw the two men, his training caused him to wait and watch. They were obviously following the All-Father and Kir-Dar, just as he was, but why? Were they rivals from the faction of War, or perhaps he had stumbled on an operation of a different spy net? He watched the two men stalk until he was certain, they were War factionists. Not only were they carrying the traditional curved knives (though doing a good job concealing them) one was obviously too clumsy to be any type of a spy. Valdor decided to wait
for their move; it had to come just as the All-Father and Kir-Dar tuned into
the next ally. If they were going to attack Kir-Dar he would take them down
instantly, but if they went after the All-Father first… Well Buntor the Merchant
will arrive just in time to save Kir-Dar from the two assassins who killed
the sacred All-Father. That would get him close to Kir-Dar, and with the
All-Father of the Ancestral Faction dead, he could manipulate him into
assuming his place and becoming a strong opposition to Blackmoon’s party. The
Blue Eyed Man would be happy at such rapid progress. I’ve long been a fan of
combining fantasy and espionage campaigns; I like the political setting and
the fact that you can run a high level of fantasy with major world effects
without it having to involve ancient wizards, huge dragons, evil demons and a
few minor gods. Also fantasy espionage is, to me, much more fascinating and
dangerous that modern day covert operations. The spy is usually alone in his assignment,
with very little contact from home and with hardly any help available to him. The Rolemaster Fantasy Role
Play Rules (or the Rolemaster Standard Rules) offers one Training Package
called “Spy” to create characters and NPC who belong or used to belong to an
espionage agency or are working directly for one person. That might be enough
for most campaigns, but for those who wish to develope bigger and better
planned networks, and wish to add further depth to this aspect of political
fantasy, I offer the following training packages I developed for my own use. Spy – Agent (Fantasy) (L)The
Agent is a spy with a mission. He is sent out to perform some task that will
aid the cause of his operators and since those tasks are many and varied he
must be well prepared to deal with many situations. If a country head need to
be influenced or even replaced, if money has to be stolen from someone, if
market prices must be made to rise, the Agent is the man for the job. Since
the Agent is always on the job, he must endlessly continue improve his skills
and never be distracted from his tasks, this is a Lifestyle TP. Time
to Acquire: 90 months Starting
Money: normal + d10 (open ended) Special: Close
personal friend with influence 40 Contacts
within friendly government 40 Items
of value (worth 10d10 sp) 30 High
ranking favor 20 Weapon
(+10 non-magic)
0 Category
or Skill: #
of ranks Awareness
– Perception skill category 0 Alertness 2 Sense
Ambush 2 Awareness
– Searching skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Awareness
– Senses skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Combat
Maneuvers skill category 0 choice
of one skill 1 Influence
skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Outdoor
– Environmental skill category 1 choice
of one skill 1 Special
Attacks skill category 1 choice
of one skill 1 Subterfuge
– Attack skill category 0 choice
of up to two skills 2 Subterfuge
– Mechanics skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Subterfuge
– Stealth skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Urban
skill category 1 choice
of one skill 1 Weapon
skill category (choice) 1 choice
of one skill 1 Stat
Gains: choice of Reasoning or Intuition Spy – Freelancer (L)The
Freelancer is a spy without a permanent employer, he picked up his skills by
himself sometime during his life and since then he has been for hire. The
Freelancer must be a combination of both the Agent and the Information
Gatherer, as he never knows for what job will he be hired next. Also since he
is usually picked for missions which were judged to dangerous to risk a more
loyal spy he is also prepared to defend himself should the need arise. Time
to Acquire: 54 months Starting
Money: normal + d10 (open ended) Special: Close
personal friend with influence 40 Cloak
(+10 non-magic) 40 Items
of value (worth 10d10 sp) 30 Lock
Picks (+10 non-magic) 20 Weapon
(+10 non-magic)
0 Category
or Skill: #
of ranks Awareness
– Perception skill category 0 choice
of up to two skills 2 Awareness
– Searching skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Awareness
– Senses skill category 1 choice
of one skill 1 Body
Development skill category 0 Body
Development 1 Communications
skill category 1 choice
of one skill 1 Influence
skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Special
Attacks skill category 0 choice
of up to two skills 2 Subterfuge
– Attack skill category 1 choice
of one skill 1 Subterfuge
– Mechanics skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Subterfuge
– Stealth skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Urban
skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Weapon
skill category (choice) 1 choice
of one skill 1 Stat
Gains: Intuition Spy – Information Gatherer (V)This
spy’s work is to gather information and report it back to his superiors. To
that end he is well learned at the arts of stealth and infiltration. This is
the general Spy offered in Character Law (or the RMSR). Time
to Acquire: 44 months Starting
Money: normal + d10 (open ended) Special: Cloak
(+10 non-magic) 40 Contacts
within friendly government 40 Lock
picks (+10 non-magic) 30 Important
papers (worth 10d10 sp) 20 Weapon
(+5 non-magic)
0 Category
or Skill: #
of ranks Subterfuge
– Stealth skill category 4 choice
of up to four skills 4 Subterfuge
– Mechanics skill category 1 choice
of one skill 1 Awareness
– Searching skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Awareness
– Perception skill category 0 Alertness 1 Communications
skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Influence
skill category 2 choice
of up to two skills 2 Stat
Gains: None Spy Master (V)Very
few state heads or nobles manage their own spy network, its very hard work
and too taxing for someone with such responsibilities. Therefore they have
their own Spy Master to manage their net of spies, send their man to do the
little dirty jobs that must be done behind the scenes and gather the
information needed for a successful ruler. It is important to note that the
Spy Master need not be a spy himself, though it’s usually the case. If he is,
sometimes the Spy Master might take an extremely important mission on
himself, and then let his enemies beware. Time
to Acquire: 54 months Starting
Money: normal Special: Royal
or Noble Favor 30 Knowledge
of Royal or Noble dark secret 20 Assassin
contacts 20 Spies
contacts 40 Knowledge
of dark secret about own lord 20 Rival
(equal or higher level)
0 Category
or Skill: #
of ranks Awareness
– Perception skill category 0 Alertness 2 Sense
Ambush 2 Awareness
– Searching skill category 4 choice
of up to four skills 2 Awareness
– Senses skill category 1 choice
of one skill 1 Combat
Maneuvers skill category 0 choice
of one skill 1 Influence
skill category 3 Interrogation 1 choice
of up to two skills 2 Outdoor
– Environmental skill category 1 Subterfuge
– Attack skill category 0 choice
of one skill 1 Subterfuge
– Stealth skill category 2 choice
of up to four skills 2 Urban
skill category 3 choice
of up to three skills 3 Stat
Gains: Reasoning Costs Table
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|
Profession |
Spy - Agent (Fantasy) |
Spy – Freelancer |
Spy – Information
Gatherer |
Spy Master |
|
|
Rolemaster Fantasy Role Playing
Professions |
|||
Fighter |
39 |
41 |
28 |
34 |
|
Thief |
31 |
32 |
22 |
26 |
|
Rouge |
32 |
33 |
23 |
28 |
|
Magician |
46 |
48 |
33 |
40 |
|
Cleric |
46 |
48 |
33 |
40 |
|
Mentalist |
46 |
48 |
33 |
40 |
|
Ranger |
35 |
36 |
25 |
30 |
|
Dabbler |
34 |
35 |
24 |
29 |
|
Bard |
35 |
36 |
25 |
30 |
|
|
Character Law Professions |
|||
|
Warrior Monk |
39 |
41 |
28 |
34 |
|
Layman |
38 |
39 |
27 |
32 |
|
Illusionist |
42 |
44 |
30 |
36 |
|
Animist |
42 |
44 |
30 |
36 |
|
Lay Healer |
49 |
51 |
35 |
42 |
|
Healer |
49 |
51 |
35 |
42 |
|
Mystic |
38 |
39 |
27 |
32 |
|
Sorcerer |
48 |
49 |
34 |
41 |
|
Paladin |
45 |
46 |
32 |
38 |
|
Monk |
39 |
41 |
28 |
34 |
|
Magent |
25 |
26 |
18 |
22 |
|
|
School of Hard Knocks (Skill
Companion) Professions |
|||
|
Barbarian |
36 |
38 |
26 |
31 |
|
Outrider |
31 |
32 |
22 |
26 |
|
Sage |
35 |
36 |
25 |
30 |
|
Swashbuckler |
36 |
38 |
26 |
31 |
|
|
Arcane Companion Professions
(RMSS) |
|||
|
Arcanist |
50 |
52 |
36 |
43 |
|
Wizard |
50 |
52 |
36 |
43 |
|
Chaotic |
41 |
42 |
29 |
35 |
|
Magehunter |
39 |
41 |
28 |
34 |
|
|
Treasure Companion (RMSS) |
|||
|
Channeling Alchemist |
53 |
55 |
38 |
46 |
|
Essence Alchemist |
52 |
54 |
37 |
44 |
|
Mentalism Alchemist |
52 |
54 |
37 |
44 |
|
|
Martial Arts Companion (RMSS) |
|||
|
Taoist Monk |
41 |
42 |
29 |
35 |
|
Zen Monk |
41 |
42 |
29 |
35 |
|
|
Essence Companion (RMSS) |
|||
|
Runemage |
48 |
49 |
34 |
41 |
|
Mana Molder |
49 |
51 |
35 |
42 |
|
Warrior Mage |
41 |
42 |
29 |
35 |
|
|
Channeling Companion (RMSS) |
|||
|
Priest |
52 |
54 |
37 |
44 |
|
Summoner |
60 |
62 |
43 |
52 |
|
Warlock |
56 |
58 |
40 |
48 |
|
Mythic |
36 |
38 |
26 |
31 |
|
|
Mentalism Companion (RMSS) |
|||
|
Seer |
50 |
52 |
36 |
43 |
|
Astrologer |
53 |
55 |
38 |
46 |
|
Enchanter |
42 |
44 |
30 |
36 |
|
Armsmaster |
48 |
49 |
34 |
41 |
When creating a character
using these training packages make sure you prepared a setting fitting for him,
an Agent with no work is just another thief or rouge (with a more interesting
background though). These training packages come into play much better in a
setting that includes some level of espionage, it can be a common thing or a
very rare one (say one specific nation or lord), but it will certainly spice
up you campaigns.
Also keep in mind, playing
a spy means role playing a character who, most of the time, is role playing
himself…
Valdor exited the office of the Blue Eyed Man with a smile, another job done, and another job waiting. This time its going to be the Ligan Empire, that means he can’t be Bantor the merchant, he’ll have to come up with a richer character, maybe a wine importer, or a dealer of exotic spices. His smile faded, the fun might not be worth it, this time he might not make it alive.
