NIGHT’S BLACK AGENTS A Vampire Spy Thriller Game by Kenneth Hite Based on the GUMSHOE System by Robin D. Laws REDACTED EDITION Includes material from: Ashen Stars, Esoterrorists, Esoterror Fact Book, and Mutant City Blues by Robin Laws, Trail of Cthulhu and Bookhounds of London by Kenneth Hite, and The Zalozhniy Quartet by Gareth Hanrahan Cover Art: George Cotronis Interior Layout: Simon Rogers Cover Layout: Beth Lewis Alpha Playtesters: Shari Felty, Trey Felty, Zachary Johnson, Joshua Knorr, Craig Neumeier Beta Playtesters: Chad Bowser, Andi Newton, Shane Jackson, Ami Jackson, Chris Norman, Dan Johnson, Ken Trench, Jordan Trench, Sarah Trench, Craig Trench, Emma Sharp, Ashleigh Christie, William Lee, Joe, Charles, Ben, Ian Kirby, Peter Coutts, Robert Brumbelow, "Doctor Morbius", Stephanie Tyll, Brian Paul, Danielle Rosvally, Gavin Fishman, Sean Colleran, Daniel Bayn, Jeremy Keller, Mark Dipasquale, Colleen Riley, Ville Halonen, Mika-Petri Lauronen, Risto Penttinen, Outi Sippo, Mauricio Pinheiro, Mauro Lúcio Campos Amado, "Bruno Soares, Davi and Leonardo Bopp Dieterich, Eduardo Caetano, Livia Von Sucro, Júlio Cesar, Kairam Hamdan, Stuart N. Bonham, Robin Bonham, Mike Cubbins, Alun Roberts, Rich Canino, Honey Holverson, Diane Lee, Mitchell Chauncy, Clay Jackson, Damon Dorsey, Mark Kiel, Shawn Blisset, Jim Becker, Clifford A. Anderson, Derek Swoyer, Matthew J. Miller, Meri Aust, Mike Thompson, Allan P. Samuelson, Umeå Role-Playing Association, Francis Li, Carolina McGrenery, Tom McGrenery, Edward Alexander, Tim Pounds-Cornish, Mike Drew, Patrick Lewinson, Gunnar Ekmark, Anders Thelin, Javier Dorta, Néstor Ramos, Miriam Alonso, Cripzy Romero, Jorge Andrés Martínez, Pablo Valcárcel, Nast Marrero, Ana Estruch, Alejandro Reyes, Adal Alemán, Nathaniel Dozier, Sean Robinson, Ada Robinson, Eric Pizur, Craig Sisco, David Thrush, Loretta Thrush, Jerry Grayson, Renee Grayson, Matthew Tarplee, Jessica Booth, Jon Prosser, Dana Schiffer, Joshua Woodard, Luis M. Rebollar, David M. Cabal, Rubén Velasco, Jorge Etchegoyen, Miriam Ruiz, Brian Curley, Lori A. Curley, Brian Stewart, Paul Wiesner, Roberta Wiesner, Mike 'Beard' Hough ,Mike Riddle, Steve Burge, Kev Hickman, Eric Lytle, Wes Kobernick, James Leszuk, Christian Lindke, Jeb Boyt, Thomas M. Reid, Bob Roeh, Michael Fina, Samantha Fina, Allen Gibson, Michael Goodman, Christine Rambo, Matt Rambo. Good things of day begin to droop and drowse, While night’s black agents to their prey do rouse. – Macbeth, Act III, Scene ii ©2011 Pelgrane Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Night’s Black Agents is a trademark of Pelgrane Press Ltd. NIGHT’S BLACK AGENTS Contents CONTENTS ................................................ 2 First Blood ........................................... 43 Psychological Triage ............................ 84 INTRODUCTION ......................................... 4 RULES ...................................................... 44 Head Games ........................................ 84 Tells ....................................................... 4 Clues and Spends ................................ 44 Withdrawal ......................................... 85 From Structure to Story ......................... 4 Tip For Players: Containing Speculation Heat ................................................. 88 Chapters ................................................ 5 ............................................................ 44 Hot Spots............................................. 89 Modes ................................................... 5 Spit Straight ............................ 44 Unofficial Heat .................................... 89 Gathering Clues ............................... 45 Extended Chases .............................. 91 Burn ........................................... 5 Simple Searches .................................. 45 The Stress of Pursuit ........................... 92 Dust .......................................... 6 Spends and Benefits ........................ 46 Recovery and Improvement ................ 92 Mirror .......................................... 6 An Empty Pool Only Makes You Regaining Pool Points ...................... 92 Mostly Badass ..................................... 47 Opposition Pools ................................. 93 Stakes .......................................... 6 Example Benefits ................................. 48 What Do Pool Points Represent? ........ 93 DVD Commentary ..................... 6 Who Finds It? ...................................... 49 Improving Your Character ................ 94 CHARACTERS ............................................. 7 Tests .................................................... 49 TOOLS ..................................................... 95 Choose a Background ............................ 7 Die Rolls .............................................. 49 Acquisition ....................................... 95 Background List ..................................... 7 Simple Tests ..................................... 49 No Go the Bagman .............................. 96 Choose Your Investigative Abilities........ 7 Difficulty Numbers and Story Pacing ... 50 Spytech ............................................... 97 Investigative Ability Ratings: How Good Option: You Never Fail ........................ 50 Communications .............................. 97 is Great? ................................................ 8 Continuing Challenges ......................... 51 Explosive Devices ............................. 98 So Which Investigative Abilities Should I Booby Traps ........................................ 98 Buy?....................................................... 8 Contests .............................................. 51 Infiltration ........................................ 99 Investigative Ability List ......................... 9 Player-Facing Contests ..................... 52 Full Contests .................................... 53 Surveillance ..................................... 99 Trading Points .................................... 9 Darkness .............................................. 53 Bugs and Bug Detection .................... 100 Choose Your General Abilities ............ 9 Vehicles ............................................. 101 General Ability Ratings: How Good Is Thriller Chases ................................. 54 Awesome? ........................................... 10 Thrills Are Everybody’s Business ...... 55 Special Weapons ............................... 103 So Which General Abilities Should I Buy? Collision is Drama, Not Physics ............ 59 Shooting ........................................ 103 ............................................................ 10 Combat ................................................ 61 Very Special Weapons ................... 105 Love Your MOS ....................... 10 Mooks ................................................. 61 Pray and Slay ........................ 107 General Ability List .............................. 11 Tasers and Stun guns........................... 63 Special Tactics ................................... 108 Get Personal .................................... 11 That Said, Tasers Are Pretty Cool Tactical Fact-Finding ...................... 108 Backgrounds: The Old Life ................... 11 ............................................................ 63 Tag-Team Tactical Benefits ............ 111 Tradecraft ...................................... 112 Sample Backgrounds ........................ 11 Non-Lethal Damage............................. 63 The Yojimbo Option .......................... 116 Making Your Own Background ............ 14 GRAPPLING.......................................... 64 Getting Captured .............................. 116 Abilities ................................................ 15 Guns Kill .................................... 64 Investigative Abilities ....................... 16 Advice to Players ............................... 117 No, Really, Guns Kill ................ 64 Why No Lying Ability?.......................... 17 The Bucharest Rules ...................... 117 Death and Consequences ............ 65 VAMPIRES ............................................. 120 Getting Interrogated ........................... 22 Choose and Perish ............................. 120 General Abilities ............................... 25 Player-Facing Combat ......................... 65 Higher Cherry Branches ....................... 26 Free-For-All Combat ........................ 66 Parameters ........................................ 120 Athletics Adds Life .................. 26 Standard Combat Considerations .... 66 Campaign Modes and Vampire Types 121 Too Many Modifiers? .......................... 66 A Little Help From Your Friends Sanguinary Considerations ............ 121 One Gun, Two Combatants ................. 67 Building a Vampire ............................ 124 ............................................................ 32 Opposing Forces .............................. 69 Basic Abilities ................................. 124 Personality and Dossier ....................... 35 Thriller Combat Rules ...................... 71 Vampire Agents ................................. 127 A Drive By Any Other Name.... 35 Hitter’s Friend ........................ 73 Vampiric Powers ............................ 127 Sources of Stability .... 35 Natural 20 On A Six-Sider ....... 74 Some of Your Blood .......................... 128 Drives ........................................ 37 Killer App For the Killer Elite ... 76