Spying¶
A spy may be a PC or another creature whose job is to perform a covert operation against a target, such as surveillance or assassination.
Used by: Information Gathering; player-declared operations against a named target; DM judgment.
Uses: Dungeon Encounters when a failed operation results in an encounter with the target's forces.
Goes back to: the calling procedure, or the player's declared plans for the next attempt.
Records to update: the agent's sheet or notes; the target's disposition toward the party if the agent is exposed.
Setup¶
At the start of any spying, three things must be named:
- Target. A creature or a location.
- Agent. The creature who carries out the action.
- Action. An operation and the approach used.
Approaches¶
There are four approaches, which describe how the agent is positioned to carry out an operation:
- Deep cover. A sustained false identity inside a target location. Requires placement and a weekly check to maintain. Enables any operation.
- Shallow cover. A brief pretext for a single operation, such as a courier, a delivery, or a supplicant.
- Casing / Shadowing. External observation only, with no interaction. Casing applies to a fixed place such as a compound, house, or temple; shadowing applies to following a creature.
- Covert entry. Physical infiltration, such as for burglary.
The DM determines whether an approach is possible. For example, it may not be possible for a human to use cover against a hive of illithids, or for covert entry to be used against a ship that is underway.
Operations¶
The following operations may be possible:
- Surveillance. Learn what people are doing, saying, planning, or hiding.
- Acquisition. Take an object out, or plant one in. Includes theft, delivery, and evidence planting.
- Sabotage. Disable, damage, or compromise a facility or asset.
- Assassination. Eliminate a specific creature.
- Extraction. Remove a person from danger or captivity.
The DM determines whether an operation is possible. For example, it may not be possible to sabotage without special magic, or to surveil a creature that speaks only telepathically.
Actions & Skill pools¶
The action chosen by the agent is a combination of approach and operation. Each combination has four possible skills or tool proficiencies that may be used to determine success, called a skill pool.
| Surveillance | Acquisition | Sabotage | Assassination | Extraction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep cover | Deception, Insight, Perception, Persuasion | Deception, Investigation, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand | Deception, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Thieves' Tools | Deception, Insight, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand | Deception, Insight, Perception, Persuasion |
| Shallow cover | Deception, Disguise Kit, Investigation, Perception | Deception, Investigation, Sleight of Hand, Stealth | Deception, Investigation, Stealth, Thieves' Tools | Deception, Disguise Kit, Insight, Stealth | Deception, Disguise Kit, Persuasion, Stealth |
| Casing / Shadowing | Insight, Investigation, Perception, Stealth | — | — | — | — |
| Covert entry | — | Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Thieves' Tools | Acrobatics, Investigation, Stealth, Thieves' Tools | Acrobatics, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth | Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth, Thieves' Tools |
Operation skill¶
Before rolling to determine success, the skill or tool proficiency to use for the check is determined by rolling 1d12. Before the roll, the player assigns each skill in the pool to one of four slots on the die: 1-6, 7-9, 10-11, and 12. The slot that comes up on the d12 indicates which skill to use for the check. This skill is called the operation skill.
Success roll¶
The agent rolls a check of the operation skill against a DC equal to 12 plus the target's proficiency bonus. If the target is a creature, the roll may instead be made against an appropriate passive score, such as passive Wisdom (Perception).
- Success. The operation succeeds. The agent has done what he set out to do this attempt.
- Failure by 1-7. The attempt fails and the agent may be seen or draw suspicion. If the same action is attempted within a week, it is at disadvantage.
- Failure by 8+. The agent is captured. He may be killed, held, ransomed, or interrogated.
Deep cover¶
Deep cover requires a placement roll and a weekly check to maintain cover.
To begin placement, the agent spends a week and 200 gp to establish the identity. The skill pool for placement is Deception, Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, Persuasion. Determine the operation skill and success for placement as normal.
If placement is successful, then the agent is embedded. Each week thereafter, the DM makes a secret check to determine whether deep cover is maintained, following the same steps as for placement, except the roll is made with advantage.
Once placed, the agent may attempt one operation per week. The operation's success is determined as normal.
An Assassin's Infiltration Expertise feature causes any placement or maintenance check where Forgery Kit is the operation skill to succeed automatically. The Impostor feature causes any placement or maintenance check where Disguise Kit is the operation skill to succeed automatically. In addition, when the Impostor's identity is that of a specific real person, and a check for any other skill fails, any suspicion falls on the real person rather than on the agent.
Assassination¶
If an assassination operation succeeds and the target's level is less than or equal to half the agent's level, the target is eliminated. Otherwise, the target is surprised under conditions of the agent's choosing (e.g. close range, in an enclosed area, unarmed). Roll initiative and resolve. An agent with proficiency in the Poisoner's Kit adds 2 to his effective level. If the creature has no level, use CR instead.