Have you ever run a TOP SECRET/S.I. mission in which each agent’s well rehearsed split-second actions occurred on schedule-but you wished something exciting would happen to liven things up? Now, Administrators, wait no longer: The following material will provide you with plenty of unplanned, unexpected complications to disrupt a smooth-sailing but boring espionage campaign!
The hand-to-hand fighting styles in the TOP SECRET/S.I. game allow for both realism and variety. Agents are able to learn Boxing, Oriental Martial Arts, or Wrestling talents. Each of these fighting styles has several special techniques for agents to use. The Combat Techniques Chart found on page 78 of the Player’s Guide lists 14 different techniques that will cover most situations in the game.
Given below are new advantages and disadvantages for Admins and players alike to add to their games. For those of you who have wanted to drop weaknesses or pick up extra advantages for your character note that after the advantages and disadvantages come rule suggestions and guidelines for doing just that.
While the combat rules in the TOP SECRET/S.I. game are more than adequate for most situations, some Administrators and players might like a little more realism in their encounters. Presented here for your consideration are a handful of “reality rules” you can incorporate into your campaign.
Body armour is a composite of various modern fibres which are capable of stopping the penetration of a bullet, and distributing the kinetic energy to prevent deadly injury. Each level of armour protects from more powerful rounds. As a rule of thumb the best protective vests will stop almost any hand gun, however to stop assault rifle rounds specialised ceramic plates are in order.
This scenario was originally written for the 1999 Royal Air Force Wargaming Association Role Playing Competition using the Top Secret/S.I. rules. It was updated in 2002 for use with the Spycraft rules and updated, and revised, in 2008 for use with the Savage Worlds rules.
“The U.S. Marine Corps says that hunting tanks is fun and easy. Remember that when 25′ of fire-spitting monster rolls toward you as the rounds from your Hollywood-style assault rifle bounce off it like breakfast puffs. If you’re a Special Op on a black operation, nobody’s gonna send Tac Air, an armored division, or a hero in a red cape to save the day. Officially, you don’t exist. Physically, you won’t either unless you outsmart your opponent.”
An easy guide to converting James Bond 007 characters to the Top Secret/S.I. system.
A PDF containing an archive of the Top Secret/S.I. mailing list from 1999-2000.
A PDF containing an archive of the Top Secret/S.I. mailing list from 2000-2001.
What does an Administrator do when the players have sent their characters on every published TOP SECRET/S.I. adventure available? He must think up all-new adventures, of course. But what does an Administrator do when the agents have completed every mission he can think of?
Equipment, and rules, created for a home campaign that could be of use to others.
A variety of disadvantages and skills for, optional, use in Top Secret/S.I. games.
Following a spate of incidents in the San Francisco area that appeared to be Web backed, Orion sent a team in to try and assess the level at which Web was operating. The subsequent report suggested that Web influence in San Francisco was high and recommended that a Regional Office be set up in the city. That was in November 1997. In January 1998, a second team was sent to San Francisco with the aim of setting up a regional office and a system of safe houses.
Top Secret/S.I. was an espionage RPG which had a contemporary setting but incorporated its own good guys (Orion) and bad guys (Web). The boxed set contained all the usual rulebooks and dice as well as a couple of extras that certainly caught my eye. Firstly there were the fold-up card figures and secondly the floor plans, designed in such a way as to look like blue prints. In addition there was a “real” Orion agent business card!
In addition to praise and criticism for the TOP SECRET/S.I. game, your letters have included questions and corrections. This seems like as good a place as any to answer your questions.
TSR last published an official accessory for Top Secret/S.I. in 1990. The wonderful equipment guide, Guns Gadgets and Getaway Gear, was originally published in 1987. While guns are just as lethal today as they were in 1987, cars do not age quite as well. Many of the automobiles that were manufactured in 1987 are no longer made today. Even those models that have been in continuous production hardly resemble their predecessors with manufacturers making improvements with every model year. In this article, I’ll attempt to lay out simple guidelines that will allow anyone to derive Top Secret/S.I. game play statistics for any automobile based upon its real life attributes.
The chance to design the TOP SECRET/S.I. game was a marvelous opportunity, but a mixed blessing. Revise a game that has been around almost as long as the hobby itself, with a significant – if not large – following of devoted gamers, and the potential for trouble becomes real.
The TOP SECRET/S.I. game offers a world of choices to the novice agent. Does he need a handgun? There are pages of pistols to choose from. Does she want a new set of wheels? Everything from an Aston Martin to a Yugo can be had, although options like air conditioning, tinted glass, and machine guns are extra. Fighting styles? Well, you have boxing, wrestling, and Oriental martial arts.
A character generator for Top Secret/S.I. using Microsoft Excel (note, this file is the new XSLX format) by Stephen Broadwell.
Herein is a detailed description of each combat technique, including standard results for success, failure, and Lucky and Bad Breaks. The Admin is encouraged to replace such results in unusual combat situations. For example, a ninja character doing a Leap into combat atop a sky-scraper might fling herself over the edge of the roof if she rolls a Bad Break of 99, or may knock her opponent over the edge if she was merely trying to capture him!
Modus Operandi is more than a fan site. Modus Operandi is the unofficial source for espionage roleplaying games on the internet since 1999. It acts as a central intelligence hub providing you as a player or GM with adventures/scenarios, rules, character sheets, reviews, and fan fiction. Modus Operandi was founded in May 1999 by Dave McAlister. In January 2007 Dave passed the baton over to Gobion Rowlands before resuming control in May 2009.
Top Secret/S.I. Character Generator
A character generator for Top Secret/S.I. using Microsoft Excel (note, this file is the new XSLX format) by Stephen Broadwell.
