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Any artwork that I have not created myself comes from public
domain sources with the two exceptions of the Random
Encounters logo and the Power of 12 Role Playing System
logo, designed by Effextech.
Visit www.randomencounters.net for information and updates
on Random Encounters’ products.
Deniable Asset© 2013 Eric D. Sack and Brent Spivey
ISBN: 978-0-9843467-2-1
All Rights Reserved
Deniable Asset is a trademark of Eric D. Sack and Brent
Spivey. Random Encounters is a trademark of Eric D. Sack.
All Rights Reserved
This document was created with PagePlus X6
www.serif.com/pageplus
Images were enhanced with Paint.net
www.getpaint.net
Product Number
P12-004
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Introduction............................6
The Making of an Agent.....8
Modus Operandi............................9
Choose your Agent’s Strengthsand Weaknesses...........................9
Description.......................................9
Espionage Points...........................9
Training.................................10
The Core Mechanic...................11
Conflict.............................................12
Inner-party Conflict....................15
Damage..........................................16
Perks and Flaws..........................16
Mission Structure.............20
Mission, Scenario, and Element............................................................21
Possibilities....................................22
Transition Scenes......................23
Composure Roll...........................23
Refresh Scenes..................24
Chase Scene........................26Declaring a Chase......................27
Conducting the Chase..............27
Ending the Chase Scene.........27
Obstacle................................28
Setting the Obstacle Difficulty............................................................29
Espionage Points...............30
Role-Playing with EspionagePoints...............................................31
Agent Advancement.........32
Gear..................................................33
Support Team..............................34
Repairing Gear and Healing the
Support Team..............................35
Agent Traits..................................35
Espionage Points........................35
Special FX Budget.............36
Administering the Game.38Who are the Antagonists?....39
Enemy Perks and Flaws..........40
Languages.....................................40
How to Conduct a Scenario..40
Side or Solo Missions...............42
Mission Checkpoints.................43
Do I have to use D12s?..........43
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Discretion Being the BetterPart of Valor...............................43
Death is Optional......................43
How Do I Set Up a BalancedConflict?.......................................44
How to Run Antagonists......44
What is a Significant NPC?.44
Encourage Role-Play...............44
Party Size.....................................44
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There are four Modus Operandi that drive how
your Agent acts. They determine what capacity
the Agent is currently functioning in.
1. Blunt Instrument – The direct ap-
proach
2. Infiltrator – Gets inside…
3. Investigator – Questions, searches, &
observes
4. Technician – Acts with technical ex-
pertise
· Assign a value of 6 to the Modus
Operandi of your choice. This is what
you are best at.
· Assign a value of 5 to one of the three
remaining Modus Operandi.
· Assign a value of 4 to one of the two
remaining Modus Operandi.
· Assign a value of 3 to the final Modus
Operandi.
Decide the following for your Agent:
· Height and weight
· Eye color
· Age
· Give yourself a first name
You start the game with six. Espionage Points
allow you to bend and even break the rules.
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These are the skills and knowledge one must
acquire to become an Agent:
· The Core Mechanic
·
Modus Operandi
· Espionage Points
· Scenarios and Elements
· Conflict
· Inner-Party Conflict
· Damage
· Healing
· Perks and Flaws
The Core Mechanic: roll a D12, and if the
number comes up 7 or higher, that’s a success.
In the Power of 12 Roleplaying System™ you
will most often roll several D12s at once. Each
one that comes up 7 or higher is a success.
More than one success often yields better
results. In Deniable Asset™ this roll is called aModus Operandi Roll.
Power of 12™Any D12 that rolls a value of 12 allows an
additional D12 to be rolled. That D12, in turn,
if it rolls a value of 12, allows another D12 to
be rolled, etc… This works like “exploding
dice” in other RPGs.
The Power of 12™ applies to all rolls.
The Modus Operandi RollEach of your Modus Operandi has a value.
That value is the number of D12s you roll
when choosing that Modus Operandi as the
method for your action. More details on Mo-
dus Operandi are to be found later.
Thought, judgment, and role-playing go into
this decision. The Modus Operandi youchoose for a Modus Operandi Roll must not be
arbitrary. This is a core concept of the game.
It is HOW your Agent executes the Mission
and each action he takes along the way.
Operating within the Modus Operandi
Any action taken by the character must be
role-played. An Agent may have many rea-
sons why he pursues a course of action. Mo-
dus Operandi reflect “how” this action ispursued and what method is taken to achieve
the desired result.
The Modus Operandi in Deniable Asset™ is
based on the nature of the action. That is to
say, instead of having a "rifle" skill or a "repair"
skill, any Agent may shoot a rifle or attempt a
repair. The Modus Operandi used is based on
the nature of the action. It is how the Agent is
performing it.Approaching Actions
Look at each individual action that is per-
formed and judge the correct Modus Operan-
di based on that action. For example: Firing a
gun with the intent to do harm is what a Blunt
Instrument would do. Claiming to be some-
one else in order to gain entry to a restricted
area is what an Infiltrator would do. Interro-
gating the enemy to find out who he reportsto is what an Investigator would do. Rigging
a car to explode when the key is turned is what
a Technician would do.
Equipment and actions stereotypically associ-
ated with one Modus Operandi may in fact be
used under any Modus Operandi if used cor-
rectly. A few examples:
● Using a gun: the target of the Agent’s as-
signment is just ahead but he has beentipped off and is trying to run out of the
office building. A Blunt Instrument might
level his weapon, fire at the center mass,
and keep firing until the target is down. He
could then retrieve the briefcase: simple
and direct. An Investigator might threaten
with the gun to convince the target to
surrender, hoping that interrogating the
target will reveal more information than in
the briefcase. A Technician might fire forthe target’s hand, hoping to force him to
drop the briefcase, or fire at the lock on the
door, trying to jam it to prevent escape. An
Infiltrator might fire at someone else (per-
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haps purposefully missing) who he will
claim to be a threat to the target and fur-
ther claim to be there to rescue him from
capture.
● Using a computer need not always fallunder Technician: it’s all on how you use it.
We are not talking about picking it up and
beating someone over the head with it.
Hacking a computer system might seem
very Technician. But a Blunt Instrument
would simply insert a virus and bring it
down – done. An Infiltrator might use a
computer to gather records and informa-
tion on the location so his team can better
infiltrate a facility. An Investigator mightuse a snooper program in hopes of gather-
ing the needed target information from a
location or facility, thus avoiding a personal
appearance in the first place. A Techni-
cian… well a Technician might insert a hos-
tile program to allow him to take over
cameras and computer run defenses. Now
he can actively manipulate the entire in-
stallation.
Actors and TargetsHe who performs the action is the “Actor” -
even the Administrator. The target of that
action, he against whom the action is per-
formed, is the “Target” - even other players.
If you have the choice then your goal is to
always be the Actor and never the Target.
Good luck with that.
ContestedAll Modus Operandi Rolls are contested. If
you are rolling dice to accomplish something,
then someone or something else will be roll-
ing dice to oppose you. There are a few
exceptions with the main exception being
Initiative. In Initiative, everyone is an Actor,
and no one is the Target.
Default Die RollThe typical Agent has four Modus Operandi.
If you cannot see how your Agent could use
one of his Modus Operandi to pursue a partic-
ular action, then either you should consider a
different course of action that can be support-
ed by one of your Modus Operandi, or roll a
single D12.Rolling a single D12 means your character is
performing an action that does not support
role-playing through one of his Modus Ope-
randi. This should almost never be the case.
Though combat will play an important role in
Deniable Asset™, it is but one expression of
conflict. As explained in the "Modus Operandi
Roll" section earlier, the core of the game is
HOW we accomplish something. Staying true
to that core, conflict is about HOW. HOW is
determined by your Modus Operandi – or
vice-versa. If your Agent needs to take some-
one out, it is important to know why, but
“HOW” it is done and the intended result are
key. Keeping that in mind there are two types
of conflict:
· Direct Conflict
· Inner Party Conflict
Before discussing the two types of conflict we
will talk about initiative.
InitiativeThe Initiative Roll determines the order in
which Actors perform their actions. Each Actor
must choose the Modus Operandi that prop-
erly supports their intent at the beginning of
this conflict. If none of their four Modus
Operandi can support their intent in the con-
flict, then they will use the default single D12.
Each Agent tallies up the successes from his
Initiative Roll; this becomes his initiative.
The allies and antagonists in the conflict each
roll their initiative to determine their place inthe action.
He with the highest initiative goes first, he with
the next highest goes second, and so on. Ties
between Agents are decided amicably among
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players (another role-playing opportunity).
Ties between players, allies and antagonists
always go to the player first, then the antago-
nist. Allies are always last in a tie.
Ties among antagonists, or ties among allies,are resolved at the Administrator’s discretion.
Use your best judgment, and do what makes
sense. Keep the game moving but do not miss
an opportunity to role-play between antago-
nists. Bumping into one another, a quick
argument, and even a vicious stare can be
used to establish one’s place in initiative.
IMPORTANT! Initiative is done once before all
actions in the conflict. In each turn of a con-flict the same initiative values are used. Initia-
tive is the one chance to gain an upper hand
in a conflict.
Teamwork
An Actor may, at his discretion, improve an-
other Actor’s initiative by sacrificing some or
all of his own. The Actor must describe what
he will do to help his companion. He then
moves one or more successes from his initia-tive to his companion's initiative.
An Actor having helped another character
through teamwork may not himself be assist-
ed through teamwork that same initiative. An
Actor who receives help through teamwork
may not during that same initiative help any-
one else through teamwork. However, an
Actor may be helped through teamwork by as
many other Actors as want to help him.
It is perfectly acceptable for the players to
discuss this before teamwork is declared so
that no one's efforts are wasted.
Teamwork occurs after all initiatives have been
rolled and before any actions are taken.
Teamwork may be used by the antagonists as
well. If planned, then the Administrator will
arrange any teamwork for the antagonists
before the players discuss their teamwork.
Players will not know the order or value of
Antagonists’ initiative until after deciding to
utilize and resolve their teamwork.
TurnsConflict in Deniable Asset™ is measured in
turns. The turn starts when the Agent or NPC
with the highest initiative acts. It ends when
the Agent or NPC with the lowest initiative acts.
Conflict Summary This is a bulleted list - quick and dirty.
All Actors choose their Modus Operandi for
determining initiative
● All Actors make their initiative Rolls
● Initiative teamwork for antagonists
(TOP SECRET)
Initiative teamwork among players
For each conflict the following steps are re-
peated each turn until only one side remains
in the Scenario (either through defeat or vol-
untarily leaving the Scenario):
· Start the turn
· Actions are resolved in initiative order:
q The Actor declares their intended ac-
tion and Target
q The Actor determines which Modus
Operandi supports that action
q The Target determines their intended
response
q The Target determines which Modus
Operandi supports his response
q The Target’s companions may inter-
vene
q The Actor makes his Modus Operandi
Roll
q The Target makes his Modus Operan-
di Roll
q The Target suffers damage if the Ac-
tor’s Modus Operandi Roll yields moresuccesses than the Target’s Modus
Operandi Roll. Damage is covered in
more detail in the Damage section.
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q The winner of the roll describes how
the action actually occurred (ties may
be cooperative).
q Move onto the Actor with the next
initiative
q When all Actors are done determine if
the conflict continues. If so, then pro-
ceed with the next turn (return to the
“Start the Turn” bullet).
Actors and Targets ReviewRemember that any-and-all participants in a
Scenario may be both Actors and Targets. The
above rules apply to Agents as well as Antag-onists.
For initiative, all participants are Actors. There
are no Targets for initiative.
Direct ConflictThe Maxim – all combat is conflict, but not all
conflict is combat. Where there is conflict,
there is always risk.
Direct Conflict is between two or more adver-
saries who wish to gain advantage over the
other (or do the other harm). A Direct Conflict
can be as simple as the characters exchanging
gunfire, or as complex as three sides arguing
over the best course of action before infiltrat-
ing a compound.
Choosing your Modus Operandi
The choice of Modus Operandi is the lynchpin
to role-play in Deniable Asset™. Your charac-
ter has four Modus Operandi to choose from
that epitomize his methods for action, for
taking risks, for... everything. These are not
constraints. Modus Operandi are not excuses.
They are not a limited supply of that which you
constantly wish you had more of. Modus
Operandi ARE the springboard for everything
your character does. Modus Operandi will
never prevent you from acting or achieving.They will empower you to act and they will
help you survive.
Now, why use any of your Modus Operandi
other than the greatest? Why use fewer than
six dice if you don’t have to? This is a role-
playing game. In time, if you spend your
character points to do so, you can increase
your other Modus Operandi to six. But that
will take time. You are expected to lean onyour strongest Modus Operandi. But there will
be times when your character would use a
weaker Modus Operandi because it makes
sense. This is a role-playing game.
In addition, there are strategic reasons to use
your weaker Modus Operandi. One example
would be to save the strongest Modus Ope-
randi for when you really need it! Even if your
strongest Modus Operandi would provide a
better defense, you may want to use a weakerModus Operandi to defend, even if your
chance of taking wounds is greater, to pre-
serve your strongest Modus Operandi for at-
tack at its full value.
Intervene
As an action, you may intervene - defend
another - who is the Target of an action.
Declare which Modus Operandi guides your
intervention and roll your dice when the Tar-
get defends. Any successes are added to your
comrade’s defense successes. You and your
comrade will take wounds for every success
the attacker has above the combined defense
total.
A few simple guidelines:
· Just like teamwork, more than one
character may intervene on a single
defense action.
· A character may only intervene once
in any given turn.
· Once that character has taken a nor-
mal action, he is unable to intervene
that turn.
· All decisions to intervene on a single
defense action must be made be-
fore dice are rolled.
Any damage is shared by the interventionist
and the Target. If the damage may not be
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evenly shared, the interventionist suffers the
extra wound.
Defending More Than Once in a Turn
A Target who is attacked multiple times in oneturn will defend with one less die for each
previous defense that turn. This penalty is
calculated after the defense Modus Operandi
is chosen and, of course, considers any
wounds already done to that Modus Operandi.
Conflicts and Scenarios
A Direct Conflict occurs within a single Scenar-
io. The Direct Conflict is resolved in that Sce-
nario or ends when one side or the otherleaves the Scenario. If there are more than two
“sides” then the Direct Conflict is resolved
when all but one side are defeated or have left
the Scenario.
It bears noting that a Direct Conflict is not the
same as general conflict, hostility, or animosity
between two adversaries that might span an
entire Mission or beyond. A Direct Conflict is
resolved in a Scenario.
Never Say Die
If the penalty for defending multiple times in a
turn would reduce a chosen defense Modus
Operandi to zero or less, the Target may al-
ways defend with a single D12.
There come a time when Agents do not
see eye-to-eye. There come a time when
two or more characters cannot resolve theirdifferences. This is Inner-party Conflict.
Inner-party Conflict is handled like a Direct
Conflict with a few differences. It may be
initiated separately or as part of a Direct Con-
flict or Chase Scene already in progress. Inner-
party Conflict may be initiated openly or by
stabbing someone in the back (literally or fig-
uratively).
When initiated openly and separate from anyother conflict, the Inner-Party Conflict pro-
ceeds normally with the Initiative of the
Agents involved. Any Agents not involved
may choose sides and roll initiative now or at
any time later.
Agents involved in an Inner-Party Conflict may
elect to retreat (thus allowing victory for the
other character), and all the rules for Leaving a
Scenario apply.
Agents who openly initiate Inner-Party Con-
flict during a Direct Conflict or Chase Scene
already in progress immediately earn the Not
a Team Player Flaw (See the section “Perks and
Flaws”). In the future, this will come into play
whenever cooperation is required between the
Agents. It will also affect teamwork (one extra
Success must be sacrificed than is given to an
ally).
Agents who initiate Inner-Party Conflict with-
out first announcing their intentions (stabbingthem in the back) thus denying their comrade
a chance to roll for initiative and automatically
attacking first, immediately earn the Back
Stabber Flaw. In the future, this will come into
play whenever the other Agents absolutely
must count on the Back Stabber to come
through for them.
It is possible to earn both Flaws by stabbing a
friend in the back during a Direct Conflict orChase Scene already in progress. Good rarely
comes from Inner-Party Conflict!
Whatever the conflict was about, once an
Agent retreats or is defeated, the victorious
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Agent takes possession of the item, gets his
way, or whatever. No more bickering about it
may ensue.
Inner-Party Conflict may take many forms just
as any Conflict: arguing, fisticuffs, gunfire, de-stroying each other’s property. Good role-
play will involve Agents who disagree or don’t
like one another. This is altogether different
than Inner-Party Conflict. Inner-Party Conflict
has escalated to the point where peaceful
resolution or just putting up with one another
won’t work anymore.
The world of Espionage is replete with exam-
ples of Agents who worked together for acommon cause despite their differences. In-
ner-party conflict should be very rare if it
happens at all.
Damage in Deniable Asset™ is based on the
character’s four Modus Operandi. When
wounds are taken, the player must apply dam-
age to the Modus Operandi that was used to
defend with. That Modus Operandi, untilhealed, is now one less. This means you have
one less die to throw for any roll based on that
Modus Operandi.
A Modus Operandi may be reduced due to
damage until it reaches the value of zero. A
Modus Operandi reduced to zero may not be
chosen to perform an action or to defend with.
If a Modus Operandi is reduced to zero and
damage is left over (more damage was caused
than the defending Modus Operandi had left
in it) then that extra damage is applied to the
Agent’s other Modus Operandi in whatever
manner he sees fit. Where this damage goes
must be explained by the player just as if that
Modus Operandi was used to defend.
What happens when all Modus Operandi have
been reduced to zero? See the section on
.
Defining MomentsAs your Agent maneuvers through Missions,
there will come defining moments. Born of
these moments are Perks and Flaws that will
help to define your character. Perks may fill
you with pride, remind you of great success, or
show who you aspire to be. Flaws may mark
you with shame, haunt you with failure, or
reveal who you truly are. Perks and Flaws mark
these defining moments and carry them for-
ward with you, never letting you forget. They
can both help and hinder you. To understand
them we must first understand defeat.
DefeatDefeat can be a condition of pure exhaustion,
of complete failure, anytime when the future
seems lost. In game terms, defeat occurs
when any Agent or NPC loses (suffers damage
to) his last remaining point in his last remain-
ing Modus Operandi.
Is the Agent Dead?
If you want, then you can see it that way
depending on the nature of the Direct Conflict
and how it was role-played. Defeat could be
the character lying in a pool of his own blood
with someone's knife lodged firmly in his
chest. Defeat could just as easily be the Agent
drowning in self-pity, his will to go on lost in a
mire of despair. Defeat could be mere capitu-
lation to a power so great that there seems noway to triumph against it.
Simply put, defeat takes the Agent out of the
Story. Hand the Agent’s character sheet to
the Administrator. Play that Agent no
longer. He is defeated.
Must I Accept This Defeat?
Must you leave the Story?
No.
You have a choice.
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FlawWhen your Agent faces defeat, you can
choose to not accept it. If you believe in your
cause strongly enough, if you feel that fate
demands you carry on, if you cannot stand thethought of your Agent’s comrades going on
without him, you can choose to rise up! This
must be described. You were left for dead but
a spark of life was still in you. You fell into a
sewer and awoke downstream. You rolled
down an embankment out of sight. You
bowed to the superior argument of your ad-
versary, but you did not break under the
weight of his insults and mockery.
If you so choose, then the consequence is a
Flaw. This is one word, two words, or a small
phrase that relates directly to the circumstanc-
es of the defeat you chose to defy. The Flaw
then becomes a disadvantage that may be
invoked by the player, or the Administrator,
when circumstances fit.
In game terms, a Flaw is a single D12 that may
be taken away from any Modus Operandi Roll
deemed appropriate by the Administrator or
the player.
Having chosen a Flaw rather than defeat, the
character cannot be harmed further, nor harm
(or help) anyone else during the Scenario. He
is free however to role-play during the rest of
the Scenario. Role-play without consequenc-
es? Do it…
If the defeat came at the hands of a significant
NPC, that NPC will gain the Nemesis Perk.
The Agent will start the next Scenario at half of
his current maximum points in each of his
Modus Operandi (rounding up). Your will to
live restores half your damage. You'll have to
heal the rest. The Flaw however will always be
there, riding your shoulder, whispering into
your ear, "Remember."
Can my Support Team members choose not
to accept defeat?
Yes. If one of your Support Team members
has fallen, you may decide for him to defy
defeat, and he gains a Flaw. Conversely, you
can take the flaw for him. Support Team
members are explained in detail in “Agent
Advancement.”
Perk When your character has landed the final blow
and has caused a significant NPC to face de-
feat, you have a choice. You can finish him or
spare him. You can spare him out of mercy,
contempt, a desire to see him suffer this life
longer, or in hopes that he might redeem
himself. Perhaps you hate him so much, there
is no power on Earth that can spare him from
a swift end!
If you choose to spare the significant NPC,
spare them from defeat, then the boon for the
Agent is a Perk. This is one word, two words,
or a small phrase that relates directly to the
circumstances surrounding your action to
spare this significant NPC from defeat. The
Perk then becomes an advantage that may be
invoked by the player or the Administrator
when circumstances fit. It may be invoked
immediately if appropriate.
In game terms, a Perk is a single D12 that may
be added to any Modus Operandi Roll
deemed appropriate by the Administrator or
the player, where the Perk applies.
The Agent also gains the “Nemesis” Perk.
Can my Support Team members spare a
significant NPC from Defeat?
Yes, or you can through them. It is your
choice. If one of your Support Team members
lands the final blow, you may order them to
spare the significant NPC. As the choice is
yours, the Perk may also be yours.
Can an NPC spare an Agentfrom defeat?Yes. The Administrator may make the same
choice for a significant NPC who has defeated
you. The NPC will gain a Perk relating to the
circumstances of this act. This NPC will benefit
from this Perk whenever they face the Agent
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they defeated. Not only has he bested you,
but he gets a perk for it! Now you really hate
him.
The NPC also gains the Nemesis Perk.
Your Agent can still refuse to go on, but the
NPC retains his well-earned Perks.
Perk before FlawIn the order of things, that which is good takes
precedence over that which is bad. The choice
to spare another, to gain a Perk, must come
first. He who lands the final blow to defeat
another, be it Agent or significant NPC, getsthis choice first. Then he who faces defeat may
now choose to defy that defeat.
Remember that only characters and significant
NPCs may gain Perks and Flaws. And they may
only gain the choice for a Perk by defeating a
worthy opponent. Agents and significant
NPCs may, when facing defeat, always choose
to gain a Flaw over defeat.
Can an NPC choose not toaccept defeat?Yes. The Administrator may make the same
choice for a significant NPC you have defeat-
ed. The Agent – you – will gain the Nemesis
Perk just as if you had spared him. Thought
you had gotten rid of him? There he is again,
dogging your steps! Only now you have a
Perk, a permanent reminder of how you best-
ed him. This might put him at a disadvantageon your next meeting. But he'll be holding a
grudge, don't you think?
More Than one Flaw or Perk More than one of an Agent’s Flaws (up to all
of them if deemed appropriate by the Admin-
istrator) may affect a single Modus Operandi
Roll, subtracting one D12 for each to a mini-
mum of one.
More than one of an Agent’s Perks (up to all of
them if deemed appropriate by the Adminis-
trator) may affect a single Modus Operandi
Roll, adding one D12 for each.
Both Flaws and Perks may affect the same
Modus Operandi Roll.
Important: apply all applicable Perks first, then
all applicable Flaws.
Are Agents ever helpless?Flaws (one or many) may not reduce a Modus
Operandi Roll to less than one D12.
Do not, however, confuse this with having lost
all of one’s Modus Operandi due to damage.
See the damage rule presented earlier for clar-
ification.
Nemesis Perk As explained above, the Nemesis Park is
gained by an Agent when he spares a signifi-
cant NPC from defeat, or by a significant NPC
when he spares an Agent from defeat. The
Nemesis Perk is personal and only applies to
the significant NPC or Agent who spared the
other from defeat.
You are their Nemesis. You both know you
beat them. They may be resentful. They mayseek revenge. They may be afraid to face you
again. Regardless, you were the better man.
Your next encounter will reflect that.
For he who has the Nemesis Perk, anytime he
faces the target to whom he is Nemesis, his
Modus Operandi Rolls will be greater one D12.
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These are the building blocks of the adven-
tures you will create with Deniable Asset™.
They are the structure within which the Power
of 12 Roleplaying System™ brings you the
action.
MissionMuch like a book, movie, or TV episode the
Mission is the main theme. It is the overarch-
ing goal or premise. It is what your Agent –
and any fellow Agents – are trying to accom-
plish. A Mission might be to secure nuclearweapons from a terrorist group, uncover the
long term plans of a rogue organization, or
eliminate a well guarded target for reasons
only known to the Agency.
A Mission can be as big or small as you like.
There are many Missions your Agent will ac-
complish through his career. Each one will
build upon the other.
A Mission in Deniable Asset™ may take onegame session to tell or several game sessions.
A Mission will be broken up into several Sce-
narios.
ScenarioA Scenario is all the action and adventure that
takes place in a short period of time or in a
single location. Each Scenario helps the
Agents accomplish the Mission. A Scenariomay lead directly into another Scenario or not.
A Scenario may be all the action and adven-
ture that takes place during a clandestine
meeting with a mysterious contact at an aban-
doned warehouse. It can be all the events that
occur during the day as you case a hotel you
suspect your target is hiding in. Hours of
wandering and talking also might be one
Scenario. The few moments it takes to ex-
change a briefcase in an alley might be a Sce-
nario.
Each Scenario will have one or more Elements.
Leaving the Scenario
Anyone may attempt to retreat from a Direct
Conflict (Exception: see The Chase Scene). This
involves leaving the Scenario. Once done, the
Agent or NPC may not re-enter the Scenario
or re-involve themselves in that Direct Conflict.On your action, declare your intent to retreat
from the Direct Conflict and the Modus Ope-
randi that supports your action. If an enemy
wishes to prevent you from leaving, he may
immediately roll his Modus Operandi as an
attack. The enemy must have an available
action this Turn. Your retreating Modus Ope-
randi is used to defend. If he causes you
wounds, you may not retreat. Otherwise, you
will exit the Scenario and be immediately safefrom the Direct Conflict.
Intervening – defending another – applies
here as well. Only here, you are helping them
leave the Scenario. The same rules apply.
You may allow an enemy to leave the Scenario.
In this case, no dice are rolled. The retreat
from the Scene and the Direct Conflict simply
happens.
Instead of attempting to prevent an enemy
from leaving the Scene, you or an NPC may
declare a Chase Scene!
ElementThe Element is the smallest building block of
the Scenario or Mission. An Element is primar-
ily a physical location. If the Scenario is a
hotel, then several parts of the Hotel might be
individual Elements: restaurant, kitchen, andlobby.
The Scenario might be a street at night, but
the area around the street light might be one
Element while the darkened alley nearby
might be another. What are separate Ele-
ments in one Scenario might all be a single
Element in another. The nature of the Scenar-
io and Administrator intent will influence that.
Elements affect who can interact with whom.
This is covered in detail in the “Interactions
and Elements” section of the “Direct Conflict”
chapter.
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Interactions and Elements
Characters and antagonists must be in the
same Element to interact with each other but
may move between Elements.
In this way an argument may break out in a
hotel lobby (one Element) and spill out into
the street (a second Element). Those out in
the street may interact with each other. Those
remaining in the hotel lobby may interact with
each other. Someone in the hotel lobby who
wishes to interact with someone in the street
must move into the street (move between
Elements) to do so.
Moving Between Elements
To move between Elements in a Scenario re-
quires an action. Example: moving from the
aforementioned hotel lobby to the street. Just
to be clear, this is the same as an action re-
quired by a Modus Operandi Roll. So, if one
has already acted in a given Turn, then one
may not move between Elements. If one has
moved between Elements, then one may not
attempt another action until the followingTurn.
The Scenario should describe how the Ele-
ments connect and therefore where an Agent
or NPC exits from one Element and emerges in
to the next.
We will hint at this point that Elements are size
agnostic.
Attempting to Prevent Another from Mov-
ing Between Elements
If you are in the same element as your enemy,
you may attempt to prevent them from mov-
ing to another Element. This takes up your
next available action this Turn. You must have
an action this turn to attempt to prevent an
enemy from moving to another Element.
Intervening – defending another – applies
here as well. Only here, you are helping themleave the Element. The same rules apply.
You may allow an enemy to leave the Element.
In this case, no dice are rolled. The move
between Elements simply happens.
Putting it all togetherScenarios and Elements are conceptual blocks
that, together, build a Mission. Each Mission
adds to the story of your Agents.
Certain rules in the Power of 12 Roleplaying
System™ and many abilities rely on Scenarios
and Elements. Consider these when designing
your Missions.
In any given Scenario there might be a small
advantage to be had or disadvantage to suffer.
These will be determined by the Scenario.
Some will be obvious while others not readilyapparent. Not every Scenario will have one.
Some Scenarios will have both.
The Administrator might describe the follow-
ing: “In an attempt to evade pursuit, you enter
the crowded train terminal. You notice that
everyone in the crowd is moving at the com-
muter pace: as quick as they can without
bumping into others.”
A clever Agent might identify the Possibilityand respond accordingly, “I match pace with
the commuters, moving to the 937 train with-
out jostling anyone.”
An advantageous Possibility, if you are able to
find one and use it appropriately, will add one
D12 to your Modus Operandi Rolls in the
Scenario (including Initiative if you can reason-
ably use it).
A disadvantageous Possibility, if you don’t
realize it and avoid it, will subtract one D12
from your Modus Operandi Rolls in the Sce-
nario that would be affected by the Possibility
(including Initiative if it would reasonably af-
fect it).
A Possibility might become more obvious as a
Scenario is played out, allowing Agent’s and
NPC’s to begin to use an advantageous Possi-
bility or avoid a disadvantageous Possibilitymid-Scenario.
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Between the detailed Scenarios of a Mission,
we have Transition Scenes. These may not be
outlined in a Mission, but they will naturally
occur if you allow them.
Transition Scenes are role-playing scenes that
allow for the Agents to “prepare” for the next
Scenario. No dice are rolled, no damage is
taken.
There are two kinds of Transition Scenes: the
Swipe and the Prep. The real difference is how
much time you want to spend talking about
what happens between Mission Scenarios.
Swipe TransitionJust like in a movie or TV show, you can swipe
from one Scenario to the next, assuming that
the Agents moved from one to the other in
whatever “Agent” fashion is appropriate. The
Administrator can narrate the Swipe Transition
Scene if he likes.
Prep TransitionIf the first scene is at an Agency safe house,
and the second scene is at an abandonedwarehouse, the Agents will walk, drive, take a
cab, hop a train, or get there some other way.
If the Agents want to stop on the way to pick
up supplies or role-play their next moves in
the taxi cab, that is the Prep Transition Scene.
The Prep Transition Scene can take anywhere
from a minute to an hour to a year – whatever
amount of time makes sense given the current
Mission.
What is important is that the Agents are limit-
ed to a few actions (two to four) that they can
get done along the way. Again, this is a role-
playing scene, but you want to keep the game
moving.
As an Action you may attempt to recover one
damage point from a Modus Operandi. To do
this you roll a single D12. No Espionage Points
may be used. The Power of 12™ applies. Ona success, you recover a single point of dam-
age from any Modus Operandi. Rather than
acting to damage your enemies or defend
your comrades, you compose yourself.
The Composure Roll is not contested.
The Composure Roll may be used to heal
damage on a Support Team member or a
piece of gear.
After rolling, declare how the point (or points
if you are so lucky) will be used.
It is conceivably possible to heal all of an
Agent’s damage this way during a Scenario.
But… what are the other Agents doing? And is
that the best use of your time? Role playing is
always fun!
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At the End of each Game Session is the Refresh
Scene. It might occur between Scenarios or at
the end of a Mission. Whenever your game
session ends for the night, before the players
put up their characters’ sheets and go home,you have the Refresh Scene.
A Refresh Scene may not occur in the middle
of a Scenario. If your game session must end
mid-Scenario (in the real world, things do
come up) then finish the Scenario on the next
session first before you conduct the Refresh
Scene.
During a Refresh Scene, each Agent has a
chance to disappear within himself (or awayfrom everyone else) to recharge, regroup, and
reenergize. How this occurs must be de-
scribed (role-played). The Agents may con-
duct a Refresh Scene as a group if they so
choose, or several Agents may share a Refresh
Scene while the others conduct their own.
The result: Each Agent rolls six D12s (The Pow-
er of 12™ applies). Each success removes one
point of damage from a Modus Operandi. A
Refresh Scene may not generate enough suc-
cesses to remove all the damage an Agent has
sustained. Heal what you can.
An Agent may heal his Gear or Support Team
through the Refresh Scene.
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Often times the most dramatic and thrilling
scene in any espionage show, movie, or book
is the Chase Scene. This is an all-or-nothing
attempt by both parties: one to escape, the
other to capture. Both sides are committedand will stop at nothing to win this conflict.
Chase Scenes are declared dynamically by a
player or the Administrator. They are never a
planned Scenario within a Mission.
Any time that a NPC decides to leave the
current Scenario (see Leaving the Scenario
above), a character may declare they are giv-
ing chase. This requires an unused action.
Once that declaration is made, any and all
Agents and NPCs who wish to join the Chase
Scene must declare so immediately. Those
Agents and NPCs involved in the Chase Scene
are removed from the current Scenario imme-
diately. The remainder of the current Scenario
is conducted normally with whoever remains.
The Administrator may have one of his NPCs
declare a Chase Scene if a character attempts
to leave the current Scenario, and if it fits the
moment.
The Chase Scene begins immediately. The
NPC who is being chased and all Agents and
NPCs who declared as part of the Chase Scene
now participate.
The Chase Scene is conducted immediately
and simultaneously with the current Scenario.
Current Initiatives are kept. The Chase Scene
is conducted by the same rules as any other
Scenario and Direct Conflict.
Any Agents or NPCs who left the Scenario
prior to the declaration of the Chase Scene do
not participate in the Chase Scene.
Regardless of how a Chase Scene is initiated,
it is one Element. Everyone involved may
interact with each other. The Chase Scene
Element transcends normal Elements and may
“cross over:” from a building to the street, to afree fall off of a cliff, into a body of water, over
a waterfall, into motorboats, into a high speed
car chase, then down into the sewers. This is all
one element. This allows those willing to do
anything to get away to try whatever they
want to escape. Those who are desperately
trying to stop them can literally “stop at noth-
ing” to get them.
Chase Scenes can take many forms: a car
chase, a foot chase, helicopter chasing a car,car chasing those on foot, those on foot taking
short cuts across alleys to chase those in a car,
taxies, limos, or any and all combinations!
The Chase Scene ends when one side is de-
feated. No one may attempt to leave the
Chase Scene (see ). This
is all or nothing: victory or defeat.
Escaping may not be pleasant, and catching
up with your quarry may prove detrimental to
everyone. You may end up escaping only to
find yourself in a worse position than whenyou started. You may catch your target(s) only
to cause their deaths and thus silence them
from revealing to you what you most needed
to know.
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An Obstacle is a moment in which a single
Modus Operandi roll will determine a specific
outcome. This will rarely, if ever, result in the
defeat of an Agent or an NPC. But, it will
determine what decision is to be made, whatdirection to go in, what action must be taken
next.
The Obstacle has a set value of successes that
the Agent must meet or exceed on his roll to
overcome.
Obstacles may be physical or emotional. They
may occur anytime during a Scenario. They
may be a planned part of the Mission or dy-
namically created by the players or the Admin-istrator.
An Obstacle difficulty of three should be con-
sidered very difficult. Three is what starting
Agents will average on their best Modus Ope-
randi. Two would be considered hard. One
would be considered easy.
As Agents add Gear and a Support Team Ob-
stacle difficulty may rise to present a fair chal-
lenge.
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Each character has Espionage Points (in the
form of extra dice) for those critical moments
where failure is not an option. These dice may
be used at anytime and on any Modus Ope-
randi Roll unless otherwise noted.Unlike Modus Operandi, whose dice are avail-
able for each roll, Espionage Points are finite
in number.
So, why wouldn’t you use Espionage Points
dice on every roll? Remember, these dice are
finite in number. Once an Espionage Point has
been used to augment a Modus Operandi roll,
it is gone. For good? Yes. However, each
Agent can gain more Espionage Points as thegame progresses.
Espionage Points may represent the Agent’s
resourcefulness, the Bureau’s investment in
gadgets, or anything else you come up with.
What is important is that the player explains
where the extra dice for his roll come from.
· A mirror can be used to reflect the
sunlight and temporarily blind an
enemy trying to shoot you.
· A curtain can be used to temporarily
entangle an opponent.
· Your car might be equipped with
caltrops or an oil slick.
· A watch with a mini-grappling hook
and micro-wire can come in handy.
Espionage Points can represent specialized
knowledge or training. A gadget or training is
unlikely to be uniquely useful more than once.
Try to invent new things and reasons for your
use of Espionage Points. It makes the game
more interesting.
Also, as mentioned before, Espionage Points
can allow you to bend or break the rules. You
can “spend” an Espionage Point to do the
following:
· Perform an action immediately after
moving between Elements.
· Act in an adjacent Element without
leaving the Element you are current-
ly in.
· Join a Chase Scene if you do not
have an action.
You or your Administrator may think of other
circumstances where rules can be broken in
the name of Espionage.
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At the end of each game session, your Agent
is awarded one Agent Advancement point to
improve his abilities. This point can be used
to:
· Improve one of his Modus Operandi
· Add a piece of Gear
· Improve an existing piece of Gear
· Add a Support Team member
· Improve an existing Support Team
member
During play an Agent may learn something of
himself. This comes in the form of Agent Traits.
At the end of a Mission, Agents may also gain
one or more Espionage Points from the Agen-
cy.
Gear represents permanent equipment that
the Agent has gained through play, either as a
reward from the Agency or acquired on his
own. Regardless, Gear is permanent and cannot be removed from the Agent. Gear, howev-
er, can be damaged like the Agent and will
need to be repaired.
Gear Modus OperandiGear Modus Operandi may be one of the
standard four that every Agent begins the
game with. It may also be different based on
the type of Gear and its intended purpose. A
specially made Walther PPK pistol might havethe Modus Operandi of “Accurate,” “Reliable,”
or “Quiet.”
The Modus Operandi chosen by the Agent can
influence under what circumstances the Gear
can be used. Just as with Agent Modus Ope-
randi, Gear Modus Operandi must be role-
played. Its use must make sense before its
dice can be used.
Gear Modus Operandi, when used, is added to
the Agent’s Modus Operandi and the total is
the number of D12s that are rolled for the
Modus Operandi Roll.
When used as DefenseWhen Gear is used as Defense it may take
damage in place of the Agent’s Modus Ope-
randi. Damage may be split equally or in any
fashion the Agent decides.
Once a piece of Gear has lost all points in all
its Modus Operandi, it is defeated (useless)
until repaired.
Gear can be used by other Agents or Support TeamMembersGear belonging to an Agent may be freely
given to another Agent or Support Team
member for use during a Mission or Scenario.
Gear can be exchanged between Agents or
between Agent and Support Team member
during a Direct Conflict. This requires an Ac-
tion on the part of the giver or receiver (but
not both). Someone hands the Gear over, or
someone takes it.
Exception: A Trademark item may NOT be
loaned to any other Agent or Support Teammember.
Standard GearStandard Gear has one Modus Operandi.
Creating a piece of Standard Gear
An Agent Advancement point is used to create
a piece of Standard Gear with one point in its
Modus Operandi.
The Modus Operandi is named and the piece
of Standard Gear is now part of the Agent.
Improving a piece of Standard Gear
An Agent Advancement point is used to add
another point to the Modus Operandi of a
piece of Standard Gear.
This can be done until the Standard Gear’s
Modus Operandi reaches a maximum value of six.
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Elite GearElite Gear works much like Standard Gear, but
each piece may have up to four Modus Ope-
randi. Like an Agent or NPC, you must choose
which Modus Operandi of the Elite Gear youwill be using and explain how it supports the
current action.
Creating a piece of Elite Gear
Standard Gear becomes Elite Gear once an
Agent Advancement point is used to create a
second Modus Operandi.
The Modus Operandi is named and the piece
of Standard Gear is now a piece of Elite Gear.Improving a piece of Elite Gear
An Agent Advancement point is used to add
another point to the Modus Operandi of a
piece of Elite Gear. Or that point may be used
to add a new Modus Operandi to a piece of
Elite Gear if it currently has fewer than four
Modus Operandi.
Only one Modus Operandi may reach a maxi-
mum value of six. The other three Modus
Operandi may reach maximums of five, four,
and three. A piece of Elite Gear, when it
reaches its maximum Modus Operandi values,
becomes a Trademark Item.
Trademark ItemA Trademark Item is a piece of Elite Gear that
has reached its maximum values in four Mo-
dus Operandi. It can now gain Perks and Flaws
like an Agent. That means that a Trademark
Item, when defeated, must either choose to
leave the story (become destroyed and use-
less, lost forever) or take a Flaw and come back
in the next scene at half Modus Operandi
values, just like an Agent. A Trademark Item
has a personality and a history.
The Support Team is one or more NPCs that
support your Agent. They are either in the
employ of the Agency or freelancers the Agent
has employed between Missions. The Support
Team is loyal and will not willingly betray the
Agent. The Agent makes all decisions for his
Support Team as if they were separate Agentsunder his control.
Support Team members can be defeated and
gain Perks and Flaws.
Unlike Gear, Support Team members can act
independently. A Support Team member can
move between Elements and Leave a Scenario
on his own. Support Team members roll for
initiative and may use teamwork and intervene
to assist an Agent.
Support Team ModusOperandiThe Support Team has the same Modus Ope-
randi as an Agent: Blunt Instrument, Infiltrator,
Investigator, and Technician.
Supporting AgentsA Support Team member may act in support
of an Agent. This can be the Agent to whom
the Support Team belongs or another Agent.
This decision is made when rolling for initia-
tive.
Rather than rolling for initiative, the Support
Team member describes what he is doing tosupport the Agent, and with which Modus
Operandi. The Support Team member’s dice
are then given to the Agent who can then add
them to his dice for any Modus Operandi Roll
that turn, including Defense.
When used in Defense, the Support Team
member may take damage in place of the
supported Agent. This decision is made by the
Agent the Support Team member is support-ing that Turn.
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Creating a Support TeamMemberAn Agent Advancement point is used to create
a Support Team member with one point in
each of its four Modus Operandi. An addition-
al point is added to one Modus Operandi of
the player’s choice. The Support Team Mem-
ber begins play with the values 2, 1, 1, and 1 in
his Modus Operandi.
The Support Team member is then built like
any other Agent (See “Physical Description”
under “Agent Creation”).
Improving a Support TeamMemberAn Agent Advancement point is used to add
another point to the Modus Operandi of a
Support Team member.
Support Team members are not as good as a
full Agent and thus their Modus Operandi
maximums are lower. A Support Team mem-
ber can have Modus Operandi maximums of 5,
4, 3, and 2. Once those are reached the Sup-port Team member may not be further im-
proved.
Separately from the Refresh Scene, an Agent’s
Gear and Support Team may be healed by
holding them out for an entire Scenario. Gear
is sent to the Agency (or another trustworthysource) for repair. Injured Support Team
members are sent for some R&R, to the hospi-
tal, or anywhere else they can recuperate.
After a Scenario is complete, any of an Agent’s
Gear and Support Team that were held out of
that Scenario are fully healed. Any Perks and
Flaws they have gained are, of course, still
there.
An Agent Trait is a word or phrase that de-
scribes your Agent’s personality and hints at a
time before he was an Agent. They do not
have dice associated with them, but they will
help you role-play your Agent and may be
used by the Administrator to drive you to
action.
Agent Traits are not present when an Agent isfirst activated. They are discovered over time
as your Agent conducts Missions.
A new Agent Trait can be triggered by the
Administrator when a moment seems right,
when the Administrator has noticed a trend in
situations, outcomes, or actions involving the
Agent. The Administrator then pauses play
and assigns a Trait: now a Flashback occurs.
The Agent is on the spot to improvise theFlashback, thus explaining the Trait. If the
Flashback is impressive, the Administrator may
award an Espionage Point to the Agent.
Perks and Flaws can be associated with Traits.
Agents can acquire an unlimited number of
traits.
Traits can be removed or “lost” through role-
play.
Espionage Points may be gained by the Agent
at the end of a Mission. Between one and
three should be awarded to each Agent based
on the judgment of the Administrator (there
may be guidelines in the Mission).
An Agent may have no more than twelve
Espionage Points at any one time. If an Agent
already has twelve Espionage Points at the end
of a Mission, then he will gain none.
Why only twelve? The more important ques-
tion to ask is… why isn’t the Agent using them?
These kinds of resources have an expiration
date. Look at it this way. The three he would
have gained, he actually did. But three others
are no longer useful. The favor is gone, the
item no longer functions, or the resource isn’t
useful on future Missions. Use them.
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Deniable Asset is presented with a gritty Spe-
cial FX Budget. You’ll carry a gun, a passport,
some spending cash, perhaps a cell phone. If
you want a car, there are plenty of serviceable
vehicles lining the streets. A few might have afull tank of gas. If you want to overhear a
conversation, feel free to take a few steps
closer.
Why gritty? Guns don’t kill people, people kill
people. Computers don’t hide information,
people hide information.
The Special FX Budget is something that the
Administrator and the Agents keep in mind
when describing Agency resources and meth-ods, the use of Espionage Points, as well as
enemy resources and methods. Beyond that,
what the environment and locales contain has
a vast influence on the feel of the game. Vital
information can be exchanged in a back alley
or an abandoned warehouse just as easily as
at a black tie affair surrounded by diplomats.
A taxi cab is just as capable a getaway vehicle
as a Concord jet. It all depends on who you
are getting away from. Keep the Special FX
Budget consistent and you’ll find the Agents
contributing more easily and adding to the
substance of the game.
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This section is intended for the Administrator’s
eyes only. However, we realize most crafty
Agents will find their way past the password
encryption. So, the information in this section
will be limited to guidelines and suggestions.No Mission details will be presented.
Antagonists take many forms but these are the
most common: terrorist, local government
armed forces, local police, private security, and
even agents working for other agencies.
Sometimes an Antagonist's purpose is to di-
rectly harm the Agents. More often the An-
tagonist is there to achieve his own ends (that
of his employer) and he and the Agent are
thus at odds. Occasionally, an Antagonist's
goals run parallel to the Agent’s goals. How-
ever, this may not be obvious.
As their careers develop, the Agents will gain
the notice of other Agencies (for good or for
bad), and their opposition, those Antagonists
who oppose them, may become more direct-
ed to interfere with or harm the Agents… or tryto recruit them.
As you design missions, place your Antago-
nists with care. There are few random encoun-
ters in Deniable Asset™. Those that seem to
be there are often being manipulated by other
Antagonists.
Antagonist Modus Operandi
Antagonists have the same Modus Operandias Agents. An inept guard might just have one
or two points of Blunt Instrument, while a
more capable lackey could have four points of
Investigator and three points of Blunt Instru-
ment. A VERY capable significant NPC might
have the same level of Modus Operandi as an
Agent.
Beyond that, Antagonists can have motiva-
tions.
Antagonist MotivationsAn Antagonist motivation is a word or phrase
that encapsulates a driving force behind the
NPC. It can define why they are where they are
and doing what they are doing or it can repre-
sent a broader purpose. Regardless it is a
strong recommendation on how to role-play
the NPC. For example:A capable terrorist might have a Blunt Instru-
ment of four and an infiltrator of three. But his
motivator might be Defending Holy Places.
Now we know what is important to him in the
immediate Scenario.
A NPC can have more than one motivation. A
significant NPC most likely will. They are more
important to the Mission and are naturally
more complex and interesting.
An Antagonist can have as many motivations
as you care to give them, but between one and
three will give plenty of depth.
Any Significant NPC who returns (again and
again) will most likely acquire Perks and/or
Flaws that will add further interest.
Knowledge, Hints, and CluesDeniable Asset™ is a role-playing experience;it is character and story driven, and the plot,
however simple or complex, must be loosely
followed. When Agents must discover knowl-
edge in order to proceed, this should be role-
played: Modus Operandi Rolls are not normal-
ly necessary.
Keep in mind that there is a difference be-
tween knowledge necessary for player direc-
tion and knowledge necessary for the Agentsto complete the Mission.
1. Knowing that the enemy has nuclear
weapons
2. Knowing the exact numbers for the
launch codes
The first drives the plot. The Agents should
find this out without direct dice rolling as part
of a Scenario; the second they should have to
work for.
Do not be afraid to make the second very
difficult. An Agent can always be defeated,
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choose a Flaw, and end up gaining the infor-
mation in the end. Think of the Drama!
Enemy Agents will gain Perks and Flaws just ascharacter Agents do. Many enemies will have
one or more when the Agents meet them for
the first time. Some will have none. This will
depend on how you want to characterize the
enemy: having a history and experiences be-
fore the Agents met them or just starting out.
In the modern day, languages are a tool and a
barrier. Foreign languages are exotic and
intriguing (foreign is relative to what you
speak natively, of course). Few espionage
books and movies would get very far if the
protagonists had no way to speak or “navi-
gate” the local languages.
In Deniable Asset™ fun and excitement are
paramount. With that in mind, make sure your
Agents can speak or be able to at least reason-
ably decipher as necessary the languages and
writing of whatever locale you have placed
them in. The Agency would not have put them
there without that necessary skill.
On occasion it might be important that they
DON’T understand what has been said, but
this should be rare.
Here are two options you might go with:
1. Every Agent speaks at least three lan-
guages: his native and two others that
are pertinent to the area. If the area you
have chosen is very cosmopolitan and
has many languages, spread those aboutso your Agents cover most if not all of
them.
2. Have the Agency provide translators. Or
make one or more conveniently available.
But can the Agents really trust some
translator they don’t know? All the more
fun.
The idea of a Scenario and its definition for
Deniable Asset™ is covered in the “Mission,
Scenarios, and Elements” section of the “Pow-
er of 12™” chapter.
Here in “Administering the Game” we want to
provide some insight on a few aspects of a
Scenario.
InitiativeThe details of initiative are covered in the
chapter. But when do you call for
initiative? When does your gathering around
the table turn from a purely role-playing expe-
rience into a conflict?
Unless specifically stated in the description of
the Scenario (and if you wrote the Scenario,
you should know), this will be something you
“feel” as the role-playing turns into conflict.
Nevertheless, someone, character or antago-
nist must declare his intent to start the conflict,
be it a back stab, a demanding shout, thepulling of weapons, or the swinging of fists.
Then, and only then, will a conflict occur.
Then, and only then, will you call for initiative.
The Agent or NPC who declares their intent to
start a conflict, he who initiated the conflict,
goes first. They do not need to roll for initia-
tive nor can they participate in teamwork.
Teamwork The use of teamwork is a wonderful opportu-
nity for role-play. You can show or hide the
true nature of the enemy through their team-
work or lack thereof. Role-playing their work-
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ing together might be fun, but role-playing
their refusal to work together might be even
more fun!
Movement and ElementsGenerally, any Agent or NPC in the Scenario
can interact with any other. By interact we
mean talk, fight, or otherwise affect. There is
no need to specifically move or change one's
position. If, for dramatic effect or in keeping
with one's Modus Operandi, the Agent or NPC
is described as charging, crouching, leaping,
running, taking cover, etc… this is fine. But
these things are discussed and do not affect
the Modus Operandi Roll. They may be neces-sary to use a specific Modus Operandi, howev-
er. This is a role-playing game.
Keep in mind that some Scenarios may be
better served by having more than one sepa-
rate Element. If you have designed a Scenario
and discover, through review or during play,
that Agents would logically have a hard time
interacting across a particular barrier, then
make a separate Element out of it. Or adjust
the Scenario so the barrier is no longer there.
What is important is that Agents and NPCs
interact as you had intended – and have fun of
course!
A restaurant kitchen is often separated from
the main dining area, but not always. The
rooms of an apartment or house could be
separate Elements, but half-walls and an open
floor plan take care of that. Don’t let your
Mission get sidetracked because someone hasa copy of the local municipality’s building
codes.
The best rule of thumb is this: if it helps the
story and encourages role-play, then do it.
Elements are size agnosticAn Element does not require specific measure-
ments or dimensions. An Element is sized
relative to other Elements in the Scenario.Outdoor Elements will naturally be larger than
indoor Elements. This does not change how
characters and antagonists interact within or
move between Elements.
It may, however, affect how much an Agent or
NPC can do or how far they can move in a
single Action. Within the confines of a broom
closet, movement and actions will be very
restrictive. A few steps will carry you from oneend to the other where a ventilation grate
might be. In a dogfight scene between two
modern jet planes, a turn is likely to cover
miles of distance and perhaps minutes as the
pilots fire missiles and maneuver through the
clouds. Actions indoors will be quicker and
shorter. Actions outdoors (or in massive cav-
erns, a sports stadium, or other large area) will
naturally occur over longer distances and take
more game time. If an element seems un-wieldy, don’t be afraid to divide it into a num-
ber of smaller elements.
Keep this in mind when designing your Mis-
sions and Scenarios: if you just can’t see how
an Agent can move up the cliff, around the
swimming pool, and into the patio of the
mountain chateau, then create separate Ele-
ments.
Movement BetweenElements When No DirectConflict OccursCharacters may move between Elements as
casually as they wish when no Direct Conflict
is occurring. Use your judgment as to who is
where should a Direct Conflict occur when
characters have moved between Elements pri-
or.
Perks and FlawsThe rules for Perks and Flaws as outlined in the
chapter will cover most circumstanc-
es. However, you may wish to allow either a
Perk or a Flaw to have a useful or hindering
effect that does not involve dice.
For example, a Flaw might cast a dark shadow
over the character at all times. This would be
a role-playing disadvantage, whether the char-acter was otherwise brighter and cheerier or
the shadow simply reinforced a greater dark-
ness they had.
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As well, a Perk might have a beneficial effect.
The Agent might give off an air of supreme
confidence when facing a specific enemy.
Either of these could result in an additional die
based on circumstances, if you wished. Butthe role-playing and story they bring forth
might be far more valuable.
The Measurement of TimeThe only meaningful measurement of time
during a conflict is the Turn as described in the
Power of 12™ chapter. How long before the
bomb detonates? 5 Turns. Other questions of
time, such as “How long until sunset?” can be
answered with less specific terms such as
“soon,” “not long” or “not for some time.” For
example: if the Agents wish to role-play the set
up of a trap, the building of an explosive, or
the scouting of an area, then these might be
done “soon,” “won’t take long,” or will take
“some time.” Often this is what Transition
Scenarios are for.
A Turn has no specific time associated with it.
If you want to include a ticking time bomb,then roll a D12 after every Turn to see how
many seconds have elapsed. Judgment is your
best friend here. Use it.
Timing - When thingshappenScenarios that hinge upon the arrival of the
Agents, enemies, or some other event should
not be timed. Such events should occur whenthey are supposed to according to the Mission.
This maintains the Mission and doesn’t cut off
the players from setting up their world the way
they want it.
There is no advantage gained or disadvantage
suffered by an event occurring before the
Agents destroy all the incriminating evidence
or finish wiring the bomb. If an event is de-
signed to take place as the Agents just light
the match and hold it to the fuse, then it
doesn’t matter when they light the fuse. It can
be well before dusk or after the sun sets, so
long as the event occurs WHEN they decide to
light the fuse.
It will occur that, on occasion, not all your
Agents will be available every week. Should
you still wish to run your game but don’t want
the unavailable players to miss out on theaction in which they have been so far instru-
mental, you can conduct a Side Mission.
A Side Mission is an entirely new and different
Mission (perhaps related to the current Mis-
sion, perhaps not) that those Agents sitting at
the table can partake in, thus saving the origi-
nal Mission for the next session when all
Agents can be available while giving those
currently present the fun and excitement of playing Deniable Asset™!
A Side Mission should be short enough to last
a single session, unless you know that your
missing Agents will miss more than one ses-
sion.
Never miss an opportunity to play!
Initiating a Side MissionInitiating a Side Mission can be a simple affairor a complex one if you want to set it up.
If you are currently between Scenarios, the
Agency can call (or send a man) and inform
the Agents present that something needs to
be taken care of right away! The Agents can
be whisked away in cars, boats, or helicopters
(keep in mind your FX Budget).
If you left off in mid-Scenario, then you can
conduct a flashback or flash forward, covering
action that actually took place days or weeks
ago, or will take place days or weeks from now.
You can start a flashback or flash forward, just
like in your favorite espionage movies, “48
hours ago,” or “Three days from now.”
Feel free to tie it into the current Mission,
loosely involve one or more current NPCs, or
just keep them cleanly separate.
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Rejoining the Primary MissionThe Agents from the Side Mission will rejoin
their fellow Agents in the primary Mission as
the next game session begins to pick up right
where everyone left off. The same transporta-
tion can return them or they can even be air
dropped in. Again, your FX Budget will help
determine that. Agents from the Side Mission
might have sustained wounds or even gained
a Flaw. If this was a flashback or flash forward,
wounds may not carry back into the Primary
Mission (how convenient for the Agents).
As Administrator you have a lot of latitude to
adjust your missions on the fly. Agents will do
the unexpected, and it is rewarding when you
can roll with it and still keep things on track.
There may be one or more Scenarios in a
Mission that are Checkpoints - places that the
Agents, regardless of prior actions, must arrive
at for the Mission to “work.” In official Deni-
able Asset™ published Missions, any suggest-
ed Checkpoints will be obviously labeled.
As you create your own missions, you may
wish to identify in advance Scenarios that are
Checkpoints, annotate them, and keep them inmind as you roll with player dynamics and
your own creativity. In order for the plot to
unfold correctly, the Agents MUST arrive at a
Checkpoint. That Scenario MUST work as
intended. Otherwise, it is not a Checkpoint.
Don’t arbitrarily insert a Checkpoint just to
have one. Your Mission design may be so
flexible that none are needed. Chances are,
there will be at least one key Scenario where a
major clue is, or the primary villain is set to
deliver important information, or it is a Scenar-
io that really sets the tempo for your game.
You can use any die type you care to from D2’s
all the way to D100’s. Establish the success for
the die type as the top 50% of the number
range. For example, using a D8, successeswould be 5 and higher. Using a D10, successes
would be 6 and higher. Using a D100, success-
es would be 51 and higher.
What you are really changing is the Power of
12 effect. This is now happening on the high-
est number for the die type. Using a D8, any
8’s generated would allow for another D8 to
be rolled for potentially more successes and
the same applies to any other die type youmight use.
This changes the odds.
Is this a risk you are willing to take?
There should be the occasional Scenario
where the only sane thing to do is retreat. Not
every challenge or conflict is a likely victory.
This is a choice the players should truly con-
sider.
And we say this because…
Remember, as you design your Missions, Sce-
narios, and Elements, that Agents need only
expire if the player chooses. They can always
have their character take a Flaw and keep
playing! It adds more role-playing opportuni-
ty. So, don’t be afraid to make an encounter
challenging.
Constant Flaw-or-die choices get just as te-
dious as never being challenged at all, so don’tover-do it. To that end...
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The simple rule: ensure that the total value of
all Modus Operandi among Antagonists, Gear,
and Support Team is the same or very close to
the total value of all Modus Operandi for the
Agents, their Gear, and Support Team.
It is important to note that Espionage Points
are not mentioned. Initially, we recommend
not considering them when balancing an en-
counter.
Refer to the Antagonists chapter for guide-
lines.
Key concepts:
· Antagonists have a purpose
· Antagonists have Modus Operandi just as
characters do
· Antagonists will not sacrifice themselves
on the alter of Heroism without cause
· Antagonists can negotiate
· Antagonists can retreat to fight another
day
· Antagonists can view themselves as bad
guys
· Antagonists can view themselves as good
guys
This list could be many pages but we hope you
get the idea.
The short answer: As Administrator, you de-
cide.
Here are a few guidelines:
· NPCs who are Agents
· NPCs who are major characters in
the Mission
We would recommend that each Mission you
make should have one to three significant
NPCs.
Keep in mind that the number of significant
NPCs will dictate the opportunities for Perks aswell as the Nemesis Perk. If you want to
increase the Perk opportunities, plan for more
significant NPCs.
Be sure to strike a balance that works best for
your gaming group. Too many significant
NPCs can cloud the Mission and make the
experience more about them than the Agents.
Too few significant NPCs and character devel-
opment may be limited.
Any NPC can be vital to the Mission, become
life long friends with the Agents, or try to
thwart the Agents’ goals. All NPCs should
enrich the Story. Not all NPCs need to be
significant NPCs to accomplish that.
Even when dice are not being rolled, ask what
Modus Operandi drives a character’s actions.This will keep the players focused on the “how”
and the role-playing of their characters.
Deniable Asset™ has been designed with an
elegant and flexible system. An Administrator
and two Agents would be the recommended
minimum. Beyond that, as many Agents as
you think you can manage. An Administrator
and a single Agent would create a differentdynamic altogether.
The ideal party size would be four Agents,
each with a main focus on a different Modus
Operandi. We say this mostly for the role-play
experience. Enough people to spice things up
and each Modus Operandi brings its unique
flavor into the game.
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