night’'s black agents Bang-and-Burner 14 “Bang and burn” jobs involve sabotage, usually through demolitions or arson. This skill set translates with unnerving ease to EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) and arson investigation. Bang- and-burners set and disarm everything from booby traps to car bombs to ship- scuttling charges. Specific Examples: IRA or ETA bomb- builder, Albanian mafia arsonist, Polish Army combat engineer, Special Branch bomb disposal expert. investigative abilities: Architecture 2, Chemistry 2, Criminology 1, Intimidation 1 general abilities: Conceal 4, Explosive Devices 8, Infiltration 2, Mechanics 4 Black Bagger A “black bag job” is FBI slang for a breaking-and-entry intrusion, usually intended to copy (or steal) documents or plant bugs or wiretaps. British spies often call break-in artists “box men,” a term originating in Victorian criminal slang. By any name, it’s burglary. Specific Examples: Cat burglar in Naples, Bulgarian NIS officer investigative abilities: on the Riviera, Bundespolizei handling “renditions” for the CIA. Bureaucracy 1, Forgery 4, museum security specialist, investigative abilities: Bureaucracy Photography 1 DGSE or covert entry 2, Cop Talk 1, Criminology Alternates: Cryptography specialist, NSA contractor. 2, Urban Survival 1 general abilities: Cover 6, investigative abilities: Data Alternates: Chemistry, Data Digital Intrusion 4, Disguise 2, Recovery 1, Electronic 2, Recovery, Electronic Surveillance, Infiltration 4, Mechanics 2 Photography 2, Streetwise 1 Notice, Streetwise Alternates: Architecture, Notice general abilities: Conceal 6, Cuckoo general abilities: Conceal 2, Digital Disguise 2, Driving 4, Explosive The cuckoo lays its eggs in another bird’s Intrusion 2, Filch 6, Infiltration 8 Devices 2, Infiltration 2, Stability 2 nest, convincing the stranger to raise its Alternates: Preparedness Alternates: Digital Intrusion chicks. Agents with this Background specialize in social infiltration; they Cleaner Cobbler may be “face men,” long-con grifters, or The cleaner removes evidence of covert In British spy lingo, the cobbler makes former moles or sleepers planted in an activity from the scene. Sometimes “shoes” — false passports, visas, enemy agency or society by their patron. that evidence is just fingerprints or identity documents, and so forth. In This Background blends very well with surveillance tapes; sometimes, it’s an increasingly digital age, it’s good to Asset Handler. bloodstains or corpses.This Background, see solid hand-craftsmanship rewarded. Specific Examples: CIA deep cover agent especially, combines well with others; These abilities also point toward of influence, SVR “swallow” trained it’s a good, useful skill set for any covert counterfeiting, or any sort of image to lure Western men into “honey operative. A cleaner’s abilities also or document manipulation, as well as traps,” BND-sponsored journalist, come in handy when removing a living toward stopping such behaviors. Iranian VEVAK agent monitoring person from the scene, either willingly Specific Examples: MI6 or SVR dissident expats, scoundrel preying or involuntarily in “hostile extractions.” documentation expert, Nigerian on lonely hearts in the Greek specific examples: FSB in the facilitator for human traffickers, islands, MI6 “talent spotter” looking Interior Ministry, Special Branch Interpol document-security for foreign targets vulnerable security operative, Camorra- officer, Italian Guardia di to blackmail or recruitment. connected trucking supervisor Finanza customs inspector. 15

: : : : : :

Driving 4, Driving 4,

backgrounds : : : : n

abilities abilities abilities abilities

abilities abilities abilities abilities

Architecture 1, Bullshit Detector 2, Bullshit Detector 2, 1, Architecture Intimidation 1 2, Talk Cop 3, Trouble Sense Hand-to-Hand 5, Surveillance 5 Shooting 5, Electronic Surveillance 1, Surveillance 1, Electronic Traffic 1, Tradecraft Notice 1, Urban Survival 2 1, Analysis Shooting 6, Hand-to-Hand 8, Surveillance 4 Flirting 1, Bullshit Detector 1, Reassurance 1, Occult Studies 1, 2 Vampirology 10 Weapons Hand-to-Hand 8, High Society 2, Flirting 2, 1 Tradecraft Intimidation 1, Hand-to-Hand 4, Gambling 3, Shooting 5 Infiltration 2, The listed Backgrounds are are Backgrounds listed The characters characters Off-Duty Cop on the Coast investigative general Brainwashed Black Program Brainwashed Black Program Badass investigative general Vampire Slayer Hot investigative general Kill With License to MI6 Agent investigative general Making Your Own Your Own Making Background are provided The Backgrounds not to be inspirational, intended to you inspire they If comprehensive. more Background, own your make have Since Backgrounds to you! power ahead go effect, no in-game mechanical like you Background up any and make the approves as long as the Director comprises Background Each concept. and abilities, 6 points in Investigative abilities. 18 points in General an track narrowly they occupational: in a team of operatives, role agent’s You “deniable assets.” of or on a crew build Backgrounds could just as easily literary intended to recall or cinematic the although fiction, thriller of models Athletics should take here ones given ratings of 8+ in addition:

Bureaucracy Bureaucracy

: : Medic 10, Shrink 8 Medic 10, Disguise 2, Disguise 2,

: : Scotland Yard forensic forensic Yard Scotland abilities abilities :

Human Terrain, Languages, Languages, Terrain, Human Stability Health, Driving, Criminology, Criminology, Shooting Driving, Athletics, abilities abilities

examples

Frontières hematologist, Russian Russian hematologist, Frontières specialist. biological warfare Army Chemistry 1, Bullshit Detector 2*, Pathology 1, Forensic Diagnosis 2**, Pharmacy 1 1, Interrogation Alternates: Reassurance Alternates: 8+ in Shrink. from 8+ in Medic. from 1, Cop Talk 1, Interrogation Interrogation 1, Talk Cop 1, Notice 2 1, Law 1, Alternates: Streetwise Intimidation, 2, Infiltration 6, Hand-to-Hand Surveillance 6 2, Trouble Sense Alternates: or MI6 “shrinker” CIA pathologist, GSG 9 trauma medic, “inquisitor”, US Navy EMT, or Naples WHO or Médecins Sans corpsman, mobile, high-value target. high-value mobile, briefcase, you name it. Many mules are are mules Many name it. you briefcase, part line of smugglers, of a long family in the clan-riven Balkans and especially others part are ; of a wide of criminals organized along network Still others work lines. ethnic vaguely specific border for specific agencies at good enough cover have a few crossings; borders multiple to get them across This Background times. multiple to create Watcher with combines well a long-term “lamplighter,” or “tourist” a surveillance artist assigned to a highly general 1 point * includes the free 1 point **includes the free Mule specializes in taking things A mule one side of a border to another: from antiquities, agents, fellow girls, drugs, silver mysterious a stolen cars, defectors, out just what killed all those Triad thugs. Triad killed all those out just what specific investigative general Medic although healing, the about not just It’s also about the It’s about that. mostly it’s truth or the talking serum administering, or the collapsing, agents out of (or into) before spotting viral-biological threats or the figuring hit the headlines, they investigative

: : Digital Intrusion 10, Digital Intrusion 10,

Cover 3, Disguise 8, 8, Disguise 3, Cover : : “resolve” it. Many Many it. “resolve” MI5 or FSB field MI5 or FSB field Ukrainian industrial- abilities abilities

really Network Accounting, Bureaucracy, Accounting, Bureaucracy, Human Terrain, Streetwise Terrain, Human abilities abilities

agent, French National Police National Police French agent, special anti-Mafia Italian inspector, Triad fixer. officer, magistrate’s Forgery, Human Terrain, Reassurance Terrain, Human Forgery, Mechanics 4 Infiltration 2, Disguise 2, Alternates: computer security specialist. Data Recovery 2, 1*, Cryptography Traffic Surveillance 2, Electronic Urban Survival 1 1, Analysis Alternates: contractor, GCHQ GCHQ espionage contractor, Swiss codes-and-signals “wrangler,” bank financial security specialist, IDF cyberwarfare American freelance programmer, Flattery or Flirting 2, High High Flattery Flirting or 2, 2 Reassurance Society 2, Alternates: 2 Trouble Sense Gambling 3, Filch 2, involves calling in a Predator drone drone calling in a Predator involves to really, than rather reactive are investigators counter- counter-terror, proactive: counter-organized crime. intelligence, Specific Examples: Investigator meat-and- This is the straightforward, given a problem, sortpotatoes of agent: Sometimes that he tries it. to solve or backup; calling in the law involves calling in a wet sometimes it involves sometimes it it; “resolve” to worker general 8+ in Digital Intrusion. from *free investigative or the Wire Rat. Wire or the Specific Examples: hacking least as muchdepends at on social engineering on — working does on — as it human weaknesses cybernetic and l337 coding skillz. savvy This Background combines particularly the Black Bagger, Analyst, with the well Hacker his man does The 21st-century box fiberoptic and enteringbreaking over A networks. and wireless cable clandestine-ops hacker alters as data suborning systems as steals it, well Real-world than crashing them. rather general investigative night’'s black agents

Tasers and Stun guns Both tasers and stun guns use high- voltage, low-amperage electrical currents to disrupt a target’s electro- motor system, functionally paralyzing them for several seconds. A taser is a pistol-grip or flashlight-

62 grip weapon that fires two metal darts on 7-yard wires, using compressed air. Firing a taser is a Shooting test; it can only be used at Close range (at Point-Blank range, the darts haven’t separated enough for the charge to propagate). It is a single-shot weapon that takes two rounds to reload. A stun gun isn’t a gun at all, but a simple battery grip with two exposed electrical contacts. Touching the target and squeezing the handgrip releases the charge. Using a stun gun is a Weapons attack; it can only be used at Point-Blank range. (A cattle prod or stun rod can be used at Close range, like other longer weapons.) It carries hundreds of “jolts” in its battery. Both tasers and stun guns deliver a moderate shock (see Electricity, p. 79) to anyone they hit. If they hit a flammable surface — a target soaked in gasoline or alcohol, for example — they may start a fire. Whatever other effects they may have, tasers also short-circuit combat scenes, and turn fights into one- punch beats. In other words, tasers are boring. Tasers aren’t invincible: three or four guys can always swarm someone with a taser, especially once they’ve (ahem) shot their bolt. But there’s one thing you can be sure of. No matter what else turns out to be true about vampires in your particular That Said, Tasers Are Pretty Cool game, they’re immune to tasers. Tasers What stun guns are good for, though, is utility in the climactic confrontation of an don’t work on vampires, or dhampirs, keeping a low profile. A single gunshot can operation, they’re invaluable investigative or ghouls, or Renfields, or anything rapidly escalate a situation in a crowded tools during those minor excursions that with so much as a drop of vampire urban center, particularly in places with strict precede it. Plus, they’re handy for all sort of blood in them. True fact. Try it and see. firearms control laws. While they’re of limited cinematic hot-wiring scenarios.

First Aid points — unless you are your own Medic, in a position to devote all of his attention in which case you gain only 1 Health point to directly tending to your wounds. If you are wounded, a character with the for every Medic point you spent. The Even with 0 points left in his Medic Medic ability can improve your condition Medic can only refill your pool to where pool, a character with Medic can restore by spending Medic points. For every you were before the incident in which 1 Health point per scene to another Medic point spent, you regain 2 Health you received this latest injury. He must be character or himself. 63 combat n rules rules ghoul feeding habits, so you must remain must remain so you habits, feeding ghoul so of –3 is 3, The absolute value conscious. Consciousness your of Difficulty the is this 2 Health points spend another You roll. on toward pushing yourself have, don’t you left the car. you outside where the sunlight You can rebuild these lost Stability these lost Stability can rebuild You Some players want grappling as a as a want grappling Some players Armor can still reduce damage to 0, 0, to damage still reduce can Armor Bringing a knife or gun into a fight choice: haunted, or hardened? haunted, choice: and Interpersonal points with if so, 94); experience points (see p. effort dedicating consciously you’re pursuits other into gone have could that Congratulations. human. to remaining There is no such thing as a non-lethal non-lethal a as thing such no is There Shooting attack. Director the if 76) p. (see Shield 76) (see p. Attack Reckless it. allows the lowering grapples, model also can and grappler the both of Threshold Hit the grappled. way to make one roll and end a fight. The way to do that? Only pick fights Quickly or with mooks. with civilians, ending a fight with grapple a doesn’t opponent trained against tough, a MMA matches last why that’s happen: Monsters like six seconds. than more the lamia (p. 149) and the camazotz (p. powers 151) get special grapple-style against tough humans because they’re superhuman monsters. Your ability. Interpersonal point of any any blow that hits does at least 1 point that hits does blow any for true that’s Of course, damage. of especially it’s and well, as foes tough Renfields. true for of course. successful. if roll Consciousness to non- Similar conditions can apply bladed Weapons attacks. is a declaration of willingness to kill.

, the ,

, unlike most unlike , operative word word operative your guilt tears at tears at guilt your game, every time time every game,

Minimum Damage Minimum Damage Damage

mode Night’s Night’s Agents Black burn Death and Consequences and Consequences Death Ghouls are chasing you through a through chasing you Ghouls are Night’s Night’s Black Agents In a In Players who just want a little more more who just want a little Players burned-out church in Norway, after a after burned-out in church Norway, your not go did that attempt surveillance dropping with a harpoon, They hit you way. really would You pool Health –3. to your rather not gather first-hand intel on not in a good way. The way. not in a good harden don’t if you But “sociopath.” is acts, your to yourself see their faces at night. you you; 1 lose you being, human a kill you rating 1 or Stability of point rating lower a target’s Health pool below Health pool below a target’s lower another yet force merely but -11, GRAPPLING wanted to know playtesters Several In GUMSHOE, rules. about grappling the same as any is functionally grappling other type of Hand-to-Hand combat: 0 to down is Health enemy’s an when roll), Consciousness a failed they’ve (or they’re out of the fight, whether they or arm- out, kicked punched out, were “hit precisely Health isn’t out. locked of how a dramatic measure it’s points,” left. you have fight much riffingflavor, krav on maga other or style martial arts, lock-and-strike should use lots of Smashes (see p. or Called Shots to the throat 76), Mook or even 72), joints (see p. and the killers, Killing people hardens OPTIONAL RULE: OPTIONAL In assumed the PCs are GUMSHOE games, In combatants. deadly to be trained, can hit you most GUMSHOE games, blow, glancing a damage: no still do and In perhaps. rule: this optional invoke can Director Non-Lethal that announce always may Players using their Hand- their agents are to-Hand attacks to do non-lethal body arm-locks, choke-holds, damage: never attacks Such like. the and blows,

you you before An agent can can An agent mode game aims mode game aims

mode, firearms are dust Night’s Night’s Agents Black dust No, Really, Guns Kill Guns No, Really, Guns Kill

Vampires and other once-human once-human other and Vampires Treat all Hurt results to humans all Hurt to humans results Treat exposed if you are fairly exposed certainif you fairly are that you an opponent during your can remove to ability the forget never and Oh, turn. 75) if you see a friend Jump In (see p. in need. fire on a single target (which smart foes Don’t out almost anyone. can take will), are If there give them that opportunity. necessity, a is cover play, in guns multiple as is sending your yourself leave Only allies position. enemy to flankan Even outside extremely dangerous in the Night’s Black Agents. world of a single gunshot, through barreling keep but that second one will almost certainly or three Two Hurt him to drop or worse. their concentrating gunmen, mediocre damage from gunshots unless the gunshots unless the damage from do. rules that they explicitly Director results. Where bruising or even or even bruising Where results. off,” “shaken be might damage hacking Health your gunshot that drops any additional an does below or 0 to pool +6 points of damage. such extra any suffer monsters don’t drama and thriller convention. While While drama and thriller convention. with firefights chancy of full is life real a lucky results, lethality. reliable and more higher for from firearms as Wounded Seriously The standard standard The rules make shootouts and firefights survivable somewhat in the name of When it does this, you must make a a make must you this, does it When make this reduction. make strain yourself to remain conscious, conscious, strain yourself remain to Health pool by your reducing voluntarily each point For choice. an of your amount die result. add 1 to your it, reduce you roll of the Consciousness The Difficulty pool Health is based on your Exhaustion, Injury, and Death and Injury, Exhaustion, pool Health your abilities, most Unlike 0. below can drop the with Roll a die Roll. Consciousness current Health pool of your absolute value deliberately may You Difficulty. as your citiesnight’'s black agents

So much for the opposition; on to the Urban settings are integral parts of the a look-in at the surrounding coasts of setting. You can set your Night’s Black spy thriller tradition: hunts through the Mediterranean. Spy thrillers began Agents adventures anywhere: a black- famous landmarks, chases into crowded in European settings, in the drawing program prison in Lithuania, a desolate marketplaces, firefights in factories and rooms of E. Philips Oppenheim and megalithic site in Brittany, the whisper- office buildings alike. Cities are just the anonymous offices of Eric Ambler. silent frozen woods of Lapland, a tramp plain thrilling locations, and your game Vampire stories, likewise: Dracula steamer in the Adriatic. But many — will be richer for including them. famously features a thrilling chase from perhaps even most — of your operations Similarly, you can establish your London to Transylvania complete with a will at least start in a city. Cities provide vampire conspiracy in the sweltering boss fight at the end. Even now, anonymity for vampires and spies alike; new cities of East , the war- plays a starring role in the new James they are feeding grounds and hunting ravaged frontiers of , or the Bond and Jason Bourne film franchises; grounds. Cities are where power placid suburbs of North America. But in the real world, it combines spies, concentrates, power that vampires you have to start somewhere — as organized crime, and cool gear quite manipulate and spies investigate. do we. So we started in Europe, with like nowhere else. deep background

Your Europe can be as realistic as you make the scrim is up to you. The next Bulgaria care to make it. The agents come from two sections serve as jumping-off points During the Cold War, the First 164 a world of shadow loyalties, where spies for European espionage and illegality, Directorate of the Committee for State deal with criminals to trap terrorists, not as hard-and-fast definitions. They Security (KDS) actively cooperated with and the other way around. Intelligence are intended to get you up to speed, to the KGB, murdering dissidents abroad agencies “on the same side” — even in give you some names to drop and some and famously abetting the attempted the same country — routinely block, or targets to shoot. assassination of Pope John Paul II. Its even blow, each other’s operations, for successor, the National Intelligence reasons of national policy or institutional Service (NIS) performs extraordinary pique, to say nothing of outright Backstage Europe renditions and provides other assistance or corruption. You can add fictional Although this section lists the main to CIA anti-terrorist campaigns. agencies like the IMF or SD-6, revive intelligence actors in Europe, it is far extinct ones like SMERSH, or simply from exhaustive. Some countries (those China allude to some sort of connection to with primarily domestic intelligence “the Ministry.” You can do the same and security concerns) are not listed, China’s Ministry for State Security with criminal rings, terrorist groups, or and even some agencies in the listed (MSS), colloquially known as the even whole countries if you like. Most countries are missing, mostly due to Guóanbù, performs both intelligence and thrillers try to keep at least a façade space limitations. Hit Wikipedia or security functions for the Communist of realism, but how thick you want to elsewhere on the Net to dig deeper for regime. In Europe, its activities focus any given country or agency. on and monitoring 165 is Aman. (officially called (officially is the Israeli SIGINT Vezarat-e Ettela’at va va Ettela’at Vezarat-e is the Iranian Revolutionary is the Iranian Revolutionary punches considerably above above punches considerably Unit 8200 Italy’s intelligence agencies have been been intelligence agencies have Italy’s twice in the last 40 years, reshuffled neo-fascist an attempted following aiding terrorist groups. externalagency, intelligence Israel’s Mossad, in the espionage world. its weight include kidnappings, Its operations of PLO and assassinations of extraordinary renditions leaders, of and sabotage criminals, Nazi war WMD components intended for enemies good It maintains generally of Israel. as well with the BND and MI6, relations or case officers, Its , as the CIA. non- of sayanim, on hundreds can draw who Mossad local friendlies Jews) (usually support Israel. Israeli domestic the Shabak or the ISA), handles counter- intelligence arm, “Duvdevan” terrorism with the help of the special forces units of Matkal and Sayeret the IDF. brigadeand cyberwarfare under the Israeli directorate, Italy also known as VAJA, MISIRI, and MOIS MISIRI, VAJA, as also known It assassinates depending on the source. assists home and abroad, dissidents at -allied terrorist groups (especially WMD precursors, traffics in ), and monitors expatriate Iranian as carrying out more as well populations, The intelligence functions. conventional Qods Force it operates special forces unit; Guard’s allied militaries, outside Iran advising and carrying operations, out deniable of London’s Metropolitan Police is now is now Police Metropolitan of London’s Terrorism the Counter called officially Its mission remains or SO15. Command thwart terrorismthe same: London in with MI5 and work police and coordinate services.other intelligence Iran police and intelligence secret Iran’s organization, (VEVAK) Keshvar Amniyat-e

GSG or The elite and its SIGINT, and its SIGINT, Bundespolizei Special Branch the fictional home of deep background : backstage Europe : Bulgaria to Italy to : Bulgaria Europe : backstage background deep MI6, responsible for border, embassy, embassy, for border, responsible n (Government Communications Communications (Government Britain or Federal Office for the Protection the Protection Office for or Federal

handles domestic intelligence, handles domestic intelligence, is a police agency of the BPOL, arm and cryptanalytic cybersecurity, GCHQ BritishHeadquarters). In general, on heavily more espionage agencies rely in some areas with networks HUMINT, of the Middle East going back a century in 1883 to combat Founded or more. Irish the terrorism, Great for The British is, intelligence apparatus and delineated clearly the most part, The Security Service, quite competent. MI5, and other threats counter-espionage, Intelligence The Secret to the Realm. Service, conducts Bond and George Smiley, James Less external intelligence operations. all-source Britain’s are well-known military and security intelligence group (BfV), to limits its remit of the Constitution, counter-espionage and monitoring and leaving groups, extremist infiltrating counter-mafia international crime, criminal national record-keeping, work, to the operations and anti-smuggling Bundeskriminalmt (BKA). counter-terrorist special forces unit 9 ( and transportation not a security), military unit. primacy in external not only intelligence and on HUMINT (focused operations in with Mossad) but close cooperation organized in and combating SIGINT, The WMD proliferation. crime and in derBundesamt für Sicherheit Informationstechnik (BSI), Technology Information Office for Federal government not only covers Security, the information but information security, security the German of banking industry. the internal security agency, Germany’s Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz the Federal Intelligence Service, began Service, Intelligence the Federal and SD, Abwehr, groupas a splinter of the CIA to recruited by SS operatives takes The BND bloc. on the Soviet spy cities cities

) (MID) handles Military

(the former has primary the French Division Action Division Direction Nationale Direction Nationale Direction Centrale du Police Nationale Police Direction Générale de laDirection Générale Direction du Renseignement With a legacyWith of totalitarian security the Nazi Gestapo to the forces from Germany rigorously Stasi, Communist delimits its intelligence agencies. Germany’s Despite this resolution, Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), du Renseignement et des Enquêtes Douanières (DNRED) cybercrime, smuggling, jurisdiction over and counterfeit money. Germany Bosnia, Libya, and various African states). African states). and various Libya, Bosnia, France’s the lead on takes generally Sûreté) although organized crime investigations, the intelligence arms often horn in on and the national international cases, customs police The Militaire (DRM), of military intelligence, directorate intelligence on operational concentrates it operates for the French military; French forces do (currently wherever while the Renseignement Intérieur (DCRI) serves as the primary domestic security Both engage in technical directorate. and industrial espionage against the as as well and other nominal allies, U.S. intelligence missions. conventional more apparatus rivals America’s for intentional America’s rivals apparatus speaking, Broadly tangles. bureaucratic the Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE) intelligence (its clandestine, foreign paramilitary armis Intelligence Department cyberintelligence famed hosts China’s and cryptanalysts, teams of hackers, programmers. spyware France security and intelligence France’s Typical MSS practice is to flood the zoneis to flood practice MSS Typical thousands of or even with hundreds assets gathering a short-term, low-level to be and HUMINT of OSINT “mosaic” of Bureau Seventh The in Beijing. analyzed formally) or (more the Bu Er, Chinese students and residents abroad. abroad. and residents students Chinese