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Author Topic: Spy games?  (Read 4778 times)

DocJones

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #15 on: June 07, 2022, 05:10:28 PM »
What about ESPionage involving psychic powers? How many games supported that?
The two I listed above both have psychic power rules.

Tubesock Army
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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #16 on: June 07, 2022, 05:47:21 PM »
Classified is an excellent retroclone of the OG James Bond 007, which is an amazing, if dated, game. Double Zero is a game "inspired" by JB007, but that does deviate from it in ways I can't remember. I didn't care for Double Zero, YMMV. Classified would be my suggestion, for the updated equipment lists. It's a very faithful clone, with only the most minor of changes. But JB007 isn't really too expensive used. I've picked up sealed box sets for $35.

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #17 on: June 07, 2022, 07:25:59 PM »
a James bond one that was crippled by the studio keeping it's thumb on the game writers constantly. 


Not sure where you're getting this from, but this is inconsistent with any version of events I've ever heard, including my own discussions with the author.

Batjon

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #18 on: June 07, 2022, 07:28:25 PM »
There is a clone of the old 007 game called "Classified" that you can get as POD or PDF.  I believe it is on DTRPG.  Don't have the original to compare it too, but it appears to have filed off a lot of the serial numbers and updated the gadgets a little to fit better when it was done.

If you can get used copies of the original James Bond 007, it is much better than the retroclone. It has great support for doing classic James Bond action, with tons of direct material. I used it in the 2000s to run a spy game set in the 1980s. The retroclone only has a few token updates to modern adventures, and a lot of material that wasn't cut still seem dated.

There's also the D20 games Spycraft that had a lot of support in the 2000s. I never played it, and it obviously depends on how one feels about the D20 system as a core, but it's the most recent successful spy game, I think - in the sense of having over a dozen supplements come out for it. It had a lot of D20 extensions that were used in other games like FantasyCraft.

https://www.crafty-games.com/product-category/rpgs/spycraft-2-0/


Here are some links to check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr3JRBl-5wQ&ab_channel=AdamKoebel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcj-xx16nnA&ab_channel=ReallyDicey

Lurkndog

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #19 on: June 08, 2022, 09:01:49 AM »
Classified is an excellent retroclone of the OG James Bond 007, which is an amazing, if dated, game. Double Zero is a game "inspired" by JB007, but that does deviate from it in ways I can't remember. I didn't care for Double Zero, YMMV. Classified would be my suggestion, for the updated equipment lists. It's a very faithful clone, with only the most minor of changes. But JB007 isn't really too expensive used. I've picked up sealed box sets for $35.

When Avalon Hill went out of business in the early 2000s, I picked up a box set of JB007. Note that the boxed set did not include the Q manual, which I consider essential. At the time, it wasn't too hard to pick up separately, but it may be long OOP now.

JB007 was a game that was ahead of its time in terms of mechanics, but is over-complicated in places, IMHO. It also had a TON of premade adventures, equipment and setting info. A top-notch product all around. 

Classified sounds very interesting.

I'm also a fan of Spycraft, though I have never actually played a spy game with it. I played the Stargate SG-1 incarnation of it, though, and am currently playing in a long-running FantasyCraft campaign. It's proved to be flexible and fun in play, though a little metagamey for my tastes.

Lurkndog

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #20 on: June 08, 2022, 09:18:22 AM »
Most spy games are essentially tactical in scope. Bond and his team receive their assignment, go into the field, have a fight on a train and a high speed chase in Dubai, invade an enemy stronghold, beat up the bad guys, steal the McGuffin, and come back victorious to heal up and go on to the next adventure.

Are there any games that are more strategic in scope? Your team starts out running covert ops in one location, but over the course of the game you build and operate a spy network, while attempting to dismantle enemy spy networks.

Basically, you start out as Bond, and finish up as M.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2022, 09:20:41 AM by Lurkndog »

Omega

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #21 on: June 12, 2022, 07:16:14 AM »
What about ESPionage involving psychic powers? How many games supported that?

Psionic spies pop up in fiction now and then. Few spy RPGs support it.

FREE Lancers, the sort of Cyberpunk superhero campaign for Top Secret SI had this. One of the example characters had the ability to be very persuasive. But was also very susceptible to large crowds and adapting to fit.

TSR's MSH superhero RPG was easily adaptable to this though. SHIELD even had its own esper division.

Keep the powers on the low end and its viable.

Omega

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #22 on: June 14, 2022, 06:35:35 PM »
Was cleaning out some of Kats old books and came across one relevant to the question above. Highways in Hiding by George O. Smith. Cover blurb proports it to be some sort of Espers & Espionage theme. But the back cover makes it sounds more like an Esperpunk setting where some manner of psi is common place.

Thornhammer

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #23 on: June 14, 2022, 11:52:53 PM »
Classified is an excellent retroclone of the OG James Bond 007, which is an amazing, if dated, game.

That’s worth a look. I loved the original 007 game.

Sex Dwarf

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #24 on: June 15, 2022, 02:54:06 PM »
Greetings!

I've used White Lies (based on Swords and Wizardry, so simple OD&D-style mechanics) with some success. Don't think I've seen it mentioned up-thread. It has a bunch of free pdfs, including a psychic character class.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/164226/White-Lies

Slaphammer

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #25 on: June 25, 2022, 02:21:23 PM »
It's not traditional modern-day spies, but the new game Carbon Grey looks like it has an emphasis on espionage.  Setting is an alternate WWI with upgraded tech and I think magic as well.  It uses the WEG D6 system.

I

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #26 on: June 26, 2022, 11:15:01 PM »
Another vote here for that 007 system.  If you wanted a spy game without that James Bond-style flavor I think it might not be adequate, but for what it was intended to do, it succeeded spectacularly.  Not only excellent, but probably ahead of its time.  I've never met anybody who played it and didn't like it.

Batjon

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #27 on: June 27, 2022, 12:21:01 PM »
Greetings!

I've used White Lies (based on Swords and Wizardry, so simple OD&D-style mechanics) with some success. Don't think I've seen it mentioned up-thread. It has a bunch of free pdfs, including a psychic character class.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/164226/White-Lies

This is by DWD Studios, the same people behind the excellent Covert-Ops game I suggested upstream.  I still prefer Covert-Ops, though.

BoxCrayonTales

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #28 on: June 27, 2022, 02:40:52 PM »
What about ESPionage involving psychic powers? How many games supported that?

Psionic spies pop up in fiction now and then. Few spy RPGs support it.

FREE Lancers, the sort of Cyberpunk superhero campaign for Top Secret SI had this. One of the example characters had the ability to be very persuasive. But was also very susceptible to large crowds and adapting to fit.

TSR's MSH superhero RPG was easily adaptable to this though. SHIELD even had its own esper division.

Keep the powers on the low end and its viable.
Ok. I found a self-contained indie game with the premise of psychic spies in case anyone is interested: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/292273/

It doesn't have rules for vampire mushrooms from another universe, unfortunately.

HappyDaze

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Re: Spy games?
« Reply #29 on: June 27, 2022, 03:07:35 PM »
It's not traditional modern-day spies, but the new game Carbon Grey looks like it has an emphasis on espionage.  Setting is an alternate WWI with upgraded tech and I think magic as well.  It uses the WEG D6 system.
It has about the same emphasis on espionage as Star Wars. You can do it, but it's just garnish on a high-action adventure.