Savage Worlds: Creating the Novice Spy

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Started 11 months ago by pineappleleader
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pineappleleader

Agent
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 35

Using the Savage Worlds rules to create a Novice Spy, what Skills, Edges, and Hindrances are the minimum he must have?

What I'm trying to create is your TV spy, from such shows as Secret Agent (aka Danger Man), The Man from UNCLE, I Spy, The Ipcress File movie, and (a little newer) La Fem Nikita the series. Get Smart is a bit too silly. The main characters in these shows were all experienced agents. I want to create a beginning agent.

(Please list the product, if it is not the SWEX book, that your selection came out of).

I could not think of any Edges or Hindrances that were must haves. A beginning spy doesn't really need any of them. Many are useful but none are required.

My minimum skill choices were as follows:

Driving d4+
Fighting d4+
Lockpicking d4+
Notice d4+
Shooting d4+
Stealth d4+

Any must have Skills I missed?

Posted 11 months ago #
admin

Control
Joined: Jun '09
Posts: 44

I don't think any of the Edges or Hindrances are must haves (although there are quite a few that would, IMHO, stop you being a spy ;)). Skill wise I think you've got the important ones, although I'd raise Fighting and Shooting minimums to d6+ (maybe even Notice and Stealth to d6+ as well).

Dave McAlister
Modus Operandi Administrator
Other websites I run: UK Role Players, Dead Men Tell No Tales, mcalister.org.uk

Posted 11 months ago #
Quixol

Junior Agent
Joined: Jun '09
Posts: 6

If we are ignoring edges and just concentrating on skills, than there are two missing.
1. Investigation - This is a highly useful skill and while not given alot of attention in the shows mentioned, depending on your adventure you will find this a much needed skill, unless you solely rely on Notice for these sorts of hints.

2. Repair: Lockpicking is all well and good, but it will either need to be redefined to also address security systems and electronic locks, or you put that load onto repair.

Driving is certainly in the nice to have, as is Boating and Piloting, but not always required.
Others to consider include:
* Streetwise
* Persuassion
* Intimidation

Posted 11 months ago #
pineappleleader

Agent
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 35

Good points.

I was not ignoring Edges and Hindrances. I just could not think of any that a spy "must have". Many Edges would be useful and many Hindrances could cause a spy a great deal of trouble.

I assumed that the players would choose the usual number of Edges and Hindrances for their characters. I just did not require any specific ones.

For the uses of Lockpicking see SWEX page 10. Repair (SWEX page 10), to my mind, would have to be used if you were going to modify a security system, not disable it. It would really depend on the system in question. Maybe a good bash with a hammer might do it.

Any skill could be useful, it depends on the mission. I was just trying to get the minimum skills that a beginning spy needs, "must haves".

If you are running a mission to steal an airplane, there had better be a pilot, or two, in the PC team. If your mission is to investigate a murder of a fellow spy, you had better have Investigation and Streetwise.

If you ignore Knowledge, there are 23 skills in Savage Worlds. A beginning spy can not have them all. There needs to be some core skills that every spy starts out with (just in the interests of playing the game). After that, a player can choose whatever skills he wants, but he must have the core skills.

Posted 11 months ago #
RabbidJack

Agent
Joined: Jun '09
Posts: 28

You might want to check out this. Agents of Oblivion from Reality Blurs. They have a free players beta version PDF you can check out. They do horror in it also that you can just ignore if it is not what you want in your campaign.

http://realityblurs.com/wordpress/?p=1237

Posted 11 months ago #
pineappleleader

Agent
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 35

RabbidJack:
You might want to check out this. Agents of Oblivion from Reality Blurs. They have a free players beta version PDF you can check out. They do horror in it also that you can just ignore if it is not what you want in your campaign.

http://realityblurs.com/wordpress/?p=1237
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I've seen this. I will probably buy a copy when it is available. The approach is totally different than Classic Top Secret.

The problem with spy characters is that they need to be able to do everything and beginning characters can't. I see now why Top Secret required the characters to pick a Bureau. With a four character team, one from each bureau, the team has most of the basic skills needed to accomplish the mission.

As missions vary so much, I guess that the only way to ensure that the PC's have the necessary skills is to list them in the Administrator's pre-mission instructions. I rather hate to do this as it can give too much away.

Another way might be to have blank skill slots on the character sheet and fill the necessary skill in as needed. You need to pilot a plane; you now have Piloting d4. Spend another slot and you can have Piloting d6. The characters would still need core skills on their sheets though.

The unskilled roll in Savage Worlds is d4-2. Poor odds for success. The pilot, above, would likely crash the plane on takeoff.

There has got to be a better way.

Posted 11 months ago #
pineappleleader

Agent
Joined: Sep '09
Posts: 35

admin:
I don't think any of the Edges or Hindrances are must haves (although there are quite a few that would, IMHO, stop you being a spy ;)). Skill wise I think you've got the important ones, although I'd raise Fighting and Shooting minimums to d6+ (maybe even Notice and Stealth to d6+ as well).
______________________________________________

This seems sensible. I have changed my conversion document to reflect these changes.

I am always open to suggestions.

Posted 11 months ago #

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