When it comes to the game of international espionage, your most powerful advantage isn’t a gun, a car, or even a cybernetic implant. It’s your agency.
Your agency has a director but, as one of its top agents, you can request and influence the growth of your organization. You can see the full list of agency options in the Spy Agency rules.
BLACK ICE
Founded by Ian McClellan, Black Ice is a loose collection of operations experts from a variety of backgrounds and fields. Agents are typically personal connections that Ian has worked with over the years.
Agent Salary. This is the amount of money received weekly by the player characters, or their contract pay multiplier if paid by the mission. This amount scales up with the size (total points) of the organization.
3. It’s A Living. Agents are paid at the Typical Resources level (2D / 6 RP per week). The agency may not pay well, but it’s stable. If agents are instead paid on a per-mission basis, contracts pay at 100%.
Agency Size: 50 Points
A. Agency Credentials. Just what is the reputation and authority of the agency? The credentials determine just how much respect the characters’ agents can command.
2. Unknown. No one has even heard of the agency. They get no cooperation and receive no attention.
Agency Cost: 5 Points
B. Administrative Control. This determines just how much freedom the agents have. The locations where this administrative control applies are determined by C. Offices and Distribution.
3. Free Hand. Characters are free to break most laws in the pursuit of official agency goals. Still liable for damages (can be sued) and will be held accountable for any accidental deaths.
Agency Cost: 10 points
C. Offices and Distribution. Just how widespread the offices, personnel, connections, and influence of the organization are. Other aspects of the agency, such as A. Agency Credentials and B. Administrative Control, are often affected by where the agency has a presence. This presence is strongest in the agency’s home country, and gradually diminishes with allies, neutral nations, and finally enemy powers. The agency’s presence in a particular location may be public knowledge, or completely secret.
3. Scattered. The agency has a home base or command center. It also has connections, and at least a small office (or a friendly contact with a small office) in the capital city of most major countries.
Agency Cost: 10 points
D. Communications. This is a measure of how good the communications network and devices are in the agency.
1. None. Characters must provide their own communication methods and pay for everything out of their own pockets.
Agency Cost: None
E. Internal Security. This is the level of internal infiltration that the agency is vulnerable to. Note that this is the only thing that prevents spies from already having been placed in the organization. It varies according to the agency’s security measures. Enemy agents, moles, “turned” employees, and other unreliables can only be prevented with high levels of internal security.
1. None. No security. Anyone can walk in or out, and employees are not screened or given security background checks. 25% chance of each and every employee being an infiltrator.
Agency Cost: None
F. External Infiltration. A measure of how well the player characters’ agency has infiltrated and corrupted enemy organizations. There are even attempts at infiltrating friendly or allied agencies (just in case). An important side benefit of external infiltration is that captured characters may be provided with “accidental” opportunities to escape by friendly infiltrators.
2. Rare Minor Traitor. The agency occasionally manages to pay off some low ranking people in other organizations. These are usually janitors, clerks or technicians who rarely have any idea of what is really happening where they work. At best, they can give clues. 5% chance in each office of each enemy agency.
Agency Cost: 5 points
G. Military Power. The amount of military force that the agency can command directly. Note that directly means just that; the agency can order around the unit without needing permission or authorization from any other source.
1. None. The agency’s main security force is composed of its agents. No additional support is available.
Agency Cost: None
H. Budget. The money available, not for regular operating costs, but for any kind of special projects. In other words, how much money is available to “front” an operation. For example, if the agents are ready to trap some drug dealers, this would determine just how much cash the agency could afford to risk.
2. Nickels and Dimes. Up to $15,000 or even $30,000 is available for any one operation. But it better be a success!
Agency Cost: 5 points
I. Outfits. The standard clothing issued by the agency to its members. Replacement of any agency issued outfits is automatic.
1. None. The characters are responsible for their own clothing. No replacements of any kind are available.
Agency Cost: None
J. Equipment. This describes all the equipment and supplies provided free of charge by the agency.
2. Cheap Gear. Each character has up to $1,500 worth of equipment available for each mission. Characters do not need to worry about replacement costs for expendable or single-use items, but replacement costs for other equipment are subtracted from the amount available for the next mission.
Agency Cost: 5 points
K. Weapons. This includes all the weapons issued from the agency’s armory. Any agency-issued weapons come with an unlimited supply of ammunition. Any expended ammo or damaged weapons are replaced automatically.
2. Ammunition. The agency provides common weapons, with a total maximum value of $2,500. Standard ammunition is provided free.
Agency Cost: 5 points
L. Vehicles. Transportation provided by the agency to the characters. Also includes information on the agency’s fleet of vehicles.
2. Public Transportation. The agency has no vehicles of its own and sends all agents out via commercial transit facilities. In other words, the characters can take buses, regularly scheduled airlines, trains and ships. It’s also possible for the characters to hire taxicabs and rent vehicles, but they have to use their own money and will be reimbursed only if the proper receipts and paperwork are done. A rented vehicle destroyed by an agent will be paid for by the agency, but may result in a reduction in pay, being prohibited the use of rented vehicles again or a desk job (reserved for reckless repeat offenders).
Agency Cost: 5 points