Cold Shadows

DEDICATION
For Stewart. Your loss is felt daily.
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CREDITS
Written by: Alan Bahr, Ben Woerner, Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, Tobie Abad, and
Drew Wendell
Edited by: Braydon Beaulieu
Project Manager: Alan Bahr
Interior and Logo Design: Robert Denton
Cover Art by: Shen Fei
Layout by: Robert Denton
Cold Shadows © 2017 Gallant Knight Games. All rights reserved. Reproduction
without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except
for the purposes of reviews, and for the blank character sheets, which may be
reproduced for personal use only.
This game uses material from Blood & Honor under license.
Blood & Honor © 2017 John Wick Presents. Blood & Honor is trademark of John
Wick Presents in the U.S.A. and other countries. All John Wick Presents characters
and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of
John Wick Presents.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction & Glossary 4
Chapter One: Agencies & Agents 6
Chapter Two: Risks 26
Chapter Three: Aspects 30
Chapter Four:
Virtues, Trust, Betrayal, & Cover 32
Chapter Five: Action & Violence 40
Chapter Six: Espionage & Intrigue 44
Chapter Seven: Seasons 48
Chapter Eight: War Between Agencies 60
Chapter Nine: The Field 64
Chapter Ten: Framing The Cold War 77
Chapter Eleven: Martini Mode 80
Chapter Twelve: Solitaire 96
Chapter Thirteen: Fighting Styles 108
Chapter Fourteen: Spyware 112
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INTRODUCTION &
GLOSSARY
Welcome to Cold Shadows, an espionage roleplaying game of secrets and
betrayal. Cold Shadows is based on the excellent ruleset by John Wick laid out
in Houses of the Blooded and Blood & Honor. Additionally, we’ve also leveraged
material from Woerner Wunderwerks’s wonderful expansion: A World of Dew.
Cold Shadows is designed to allow you to tell spy stories, like the sort found
in the novels of John le Carré, Robert Ludlum or Daniel Silva. Stories of subtle
betrayal, secret deals and unauthorized operations are commonplace here.
What differentiates Cold Shadows from other espionage roleplaying games?
A deliberate focus on putting narrative control in the player hands (through
mechanics), and a focus on starting players as experienced and high ranking
officers in their Agency and Division.
Throughout this book, you’ll find call-outs, and suggestions for adapting
the game for different genres. When writing this book, our primary focus was
on rules that supported suspenseful and dramatic tension, over action thriller
espionage and other forms. However, you will see sidebars suggesting how you
can adapt this game to different genres and themes.
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Common Terms
Agency: The overall coalition of Dice: When we refer to dice, we
multiple Divisions under a single exclusively refer to six-sided dice
Director. When you start the game, that you can get at any fine hobby
your Agency only has one Division store, or out of board games around
(yours). your house. You’ll want roughly ten
Director: The leader of your Agency. for each player if possible, but if not,
The woman behind the desk that you ten for the table is fine.
report to. Narrator: The Narrator is the director
Agent: Agents work for Agencies of your spy movie. They are responsible
and are assigned to Divisions. If for handling the Director and Agency,
Agents is capitalized, we’re referring and any non-player characters you
to the players and their characters. meet.
If it’s not, then we mean agents in a Officers: All Players and their Agents
general “spy” sense. are Officers in a Division. If something
Asset: Assets are resources and refers to “Officers”, it’s referring to the
locations assigned to your Division. players and their characters.
If not capitalized, assets refer to Risk: Making a roll to resolve an
targets, important people, and more. action is a risk.
Division: The party of Agents or the Trust Points: Trust points are currency
specific group within the Agency and points used in the game to gain
for which the Agents work. For bonuses, measure effects or generally
example: The Berlin Office of the help tell a story around your Agents.
CIA is the Berlin Division of the You can use tokens for these.
Central Intelligence Agency. Wagers: Wagers represent narrative
The Field: The Area of Operations control in the game. They are
for your Agency. Usually it is a single generated from risks. We’ll get into
city that is a major espionage hub, detail later about wagers.
one small country, a large region of
a geographically large country, or
a large multinational region with
sparse, but similar people groups
or a large area distant from major
espionage powers. For example:
East Germany, Great Britain, North
Africa and Southeast Asia are all
valid Fields of Operation.
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CHAPTER ONE:
AGENCIES AND AGENTS
“What do you think spies are: priests, saints and martyrs? They’re a squalid procession
of vain fools, traitors too, yes; pansies, sadists, and drunkards, people who play cowboys
and Indians to brighten their rotten lives. Do you think they sit like monks in London
balancing the rights and wrongs?” - John le Carré
Agents are expendable, but Agencies

endure. Making an Agency
Cold Shadows is a game about Before you make your Agent, you
espionage, betrayal, loyalty and must work with your group to create
intrigue. Your character (also called the Division of the Agency that you
an Agent) is essential to the story, serve. When making an Agency,
but it’s important to remember that you will work as a team to create the
those who prioritize themselves over philosophical and mechanical pieces
country and Agency often become of your superiors and goals. These
the traitors and moles they fear. It’s bonuses will influence all Agents of
important to remember that duty to the Agency.
country and Agency are paramount. • First, who is the Director of your
As we said above: Agents are Agency? Historical accuracy is
expendable, but Agencies endure. secondary to theme and fun here. If
you know the real historical figures
As such, determining the resources
and behavior, that’s wonderful and
and reach of an Agency is of primary
can add to immersion. However,
importance in the game. Agents are
never let real history get in the way
the second step taken, as the goals
of a great story and experience for
and resources of the Agency will
all players.
often influence character creation.
• Second, what is the Virtue in
It’s also very important to note that
which your Agency attempts to
you will probably end up playing
train each Agent? What is their
multiple characters over the course
priority as an Agency?
of a game. Agents die, retire or get
burned, and will need to be replaced. • Third, what Assets does your
Agency have at its ready disposal?
Unlike in Blood & Honor, in Cold
Shadows, all Agents are always from • Fourth, what Aspects does your
the same Agency. Agency have?
A group of Agents is called a • Fifth, what Reputation does your
Division, and multiple Divisions Agency have? What are they
make up an Agency. All Agencies famous for?
start with one Division (the Division • Sixth, what is a secret about your
the players are part of). Agency that is true?
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Below is each step in thorough detail.
Step 1: Director
First, the group must choose a
Director, the head of the Agency.
The Director is a powerful figure
with many demands on their time.
They don’t always have a lot of
energy or resources to devote to
you, and so they start at Rank 1.
The Director’s Rank is equal to the
number of Divisions under them.
(The War Between Agencies chapter
has rules for increasing Divisions).
You can either roll on the Director • Advantage: Your Agency gains
Personality table, or you can pick one additional Season Action per
Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

one of the six available Director Season.
personalities below. • Disadvantage: All Agents have
The strengths and weakness of the “Ambitious” aspect, which can
a Director are often reflected in be tagged or used by opponents
how their Agents and subordinates or allies. See the Aspects chapter
conduct business. for more details.
D6 roll Director Personality Clever

A clever Director puts their focus
1 Ambitious on R&D, experiments and new
2 Clever innovations. They believe that
3 Cruel the way to solve problems is with
4 Cunning unorthodox solutions.
5 Dangerous • Advantage: All equipment
provided for Agents is considered
6 Paranoid good quality. You can find more
Ambitious information about this in the
An ambitious Director is a terrifying Seasons chapter.
force to work for. All resources, • Disadvantage: All Agents gain
tools and agents are expendable in the aspect “Unorthodox”, which
the pursuit of their goals. They will can be used against them. See
sacrifice anything and stop at nothing the Aspects chapter for more
until they’ve accomplished their details.
designs.
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Cruel Cunning
A cruel Director does not suffer fools A cunning Director believes that
or traitors. Getting called to the office the strength of an Agency lies in the
of such a Director is often the end talents of the Agency’s spies. They
an Agent’s career, but any Agents carefully cultivate allies and friends,
who serve such a Director are feared and they have a dossier on everyone.
throughout the land. • Advantage: Every Season, the
• Advantage: All Agents who serve Agency gains a free Espionage
a cruel Director gain 2 bonus dice action (see Seasons).
for any intimidation risks. See the • Disadvantage: All Agents have
Risk chapter for more details. the “Untrustworthy” aspect. See
• Disadvantage: All Agents who the Aspects chapter for more
serve such a Director gain the details.
“Cruel” aspect in social situations.
Dangerous
See the Aspects chapter for more
The dangerous Director takes risks,
details.
makes rash choices, and rewards
Agents who do the same. They
It may sound lik embody the qualities most feared by
e the director other Agencies: unpredictable, lethal
is a player agent,
but in fact, and deadly.
it’s an NPC em
bodied by the
Narrator. How • Advantage: Any Agent gains 2
ever, if the
story ends up w bonus dice when taking a risk that
here a player
Agent becomes may end their life.
director, the
Narrator should • Disadvantage: Any time the
allow that.
Narrator removes Trust for
declining a risk, they remove
four instead of three.
Paranoid
The paranoid Director believes
every corner of the Agency has been
infiltrated by moles and spies. They
trust no one — not even their allies.
• Advantage: Any social situation
involving interrogation gains 2
bonus dice.
• Disadvantage: All Agents gain
the “Paranoid” tag, which can
be used against them. See the
Aspects chapter for more details.
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Step 2: Virtues
Every Agency focuses on training
in one of six Virtues. Your Agency
must select which qualities it wishes
to instill and engender in its agents
above all others. Your choice here
says a lot about your Agency and
the sort of Agents it recruits.
Charisma
Charisma is the ability to
communicate and talk, to
get your point across and
sway hearts and minds. This
can be through words (spoken or
written), dance, or any other form

of communication or expression.
Charisma is the most essential Virtue,
for how can you accomplish your
Agency’s goals if you cannot convince
anyone of your purpose? Athleticism
Athleticism encompasses all physical
Resolve actions: lifting, running, climbing,
Resolve is the ability to say, “No,” to
hiding and even manual dexterity
temptation, seduction, fear, pain or
actions such as picking locks, palming
torture. Resolve is the most essential
wallets and more. Athleticism is the
virtue, for if Agents cannot say no,
most essential Virtue because without
then how can you trust them?
it, you cannot escape or tail your
Perception targets.
Perception is the ability to see the plan
Intellect
within the plan, and all the moving
Intellect is knowing what is the truth
cogs and parts of the grand schemes
of the matter is, and what knowledge
of Directors and Agencies. Perception
can bring. Intellect encompasses
is the most essential virtue, or else how
book smarts, street smarts and raw
will you anticipate your enemy’s plans?
decisive brainpower. Intellect is
Violence the most essential Virtue because
Violence is the ability to wield all spies must be able to determine
weapons, inflict harm and damage falsehood from fact.
your surroundings. Violence is the
most essential Virtue, because in
the end, all spies die… who better to
bring that about than you?
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Like everything in Cold Shadows,
Step 3: Agency Assets Assets have Ranks. All Assets begin
Each Director has numerous
at Rank 1, and may not be increased
resources dedicated to the use of
except through Season Actions.
Agencies. Agency Assets represent
wealth and essential individuals • Archives: A place for Agents to
available on your home turf during gather leads and gain knowledge
down time and between missions. about the world.
Each player may pick one Asset • COMINT: Access to current enemy
to add to your Agency. You’ll find intelligence via communications
out how to use those Resources in intercepts.
the Seasons chapter, but below is a • Combat Instructors: Trainers
compiled list you may choose from. who help to improve the combat
Some of these Assets may physically ability of Agents.
be the same place, but they are • CON OPs: Where Operations are
separate based on the advantages they run from, and analysts to help spies
each offer. You start with CON OPs make decisions.
Asset at Rank 1 for free. • Military Liaison: Access to
soldiers and their equipment to
help on Operations.
• Medical Wing: Medical attention
and long-term rehabilitation are
provided here.
• Non-Governmental Contacts:
Connections with non-government
organizations like multinational
corporations, organized crime
syndicates and political groups.
• Quartermaster: A place where
special equipment is created,
maintained and assigned.
• School: A place where new agents,
analysts and agency associates are
trained.
• Shrink: A place for spies to recover
their balance and mental stability.
• Slush Fund: Financial resources
and money.
• Training Site: A place where Agents
improve their abilities beyond
violence.
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Each Agency has four Aspects
Step 4: Aspects that define it. You pick four from
Each Agency has four aspects that
the list below to define the character
define their approach to CON OPs
and training style of your Agency.
and missions. An Aspect is like a
Remember, these Aspects also define
skill or talent, but it’s less narrowly
how your Agency tends to approach
defined, vaguer in a sense. It’s an
problems or missions. Choose carefully.
emphasis on style, approach and how
to handle a problem. It’s a cliché in Agents Don’t Retire.
spy films, a common trope that has
game mechanics wrapped around it.
They Flame Out.
Invoke: Your Agents are well-known for
For example, a commonly chosen
being ruthless when it comes to matters of
Aspect is Teamwork:
revenge. Gain three bonus dice whenever
Teamwork you are directly confronting an issue of
revenge.
Invoke: Your Agency is known for the

quality of teamwork that its field agents Compel: Unfortunately, your Agents
display, and this training is emphasized are also rather hot-blooded and rush to
from day one. Gain three dice when judgment, seldom listening to reason
helping another Agency member when offended.
accomplish a goal that both of you want.
Compel: You genuinely feel that success
Center Of Attention
is determined by working together. You Invoke: Your Agents know exactly
will help another Agency member, how to get attention. Gain three
regardless of the risk to yourself. If dice for any act in front of a crowd
you are harmed or burned by the intended to serve as a distraction or
direct actions of the Agent you helped, gather attention to the actor.
remove one Trust from the Trust pool. Compel: You are a Cover hound. You
can’t shut up about yourself and you
As outlined above, this Aspect gives must always be in the spotlight.
your character three bonus dice whenever
the Agent takes a risk appropriate to the Culture And Etiquette
Aspect. However, on the other hand it Invoke: Your Agency knows the proper
has a compel that will force the Agent procedure and etiquette for everything.
to behave in a certain way due to the Gain three bonus dice for any risks
ingrained training. involving manners.
When presented with the opportunity Compel: You must do things the right
to help another Agent, the Narrator adds way. Doing otherwise is disgraceful
a Trust Point to the pool. If you ignore and dishonorable.
the chance to help, your pool does not
gain the Trust. We’ll go into more detail
on this in the Aspects chapter.
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Don’t Trust The Dossier Grim As Death
Invoke: Your Agents and Agency are Invoke: No humor. No compassion.
exceptionally good at deceiving others. Nothing but action and results.
Gain three dice whenever trying to lie. Gain three bonus dice to resist any
Compel: Lying is just like any other attempt to change your mind once
source of power: incredibly addictive. you’ve made it up.
You must lie when given the opportunity. Compel: You have no sense of beauty.
You cannot appreciate poetry or
Even The Grave painting or theater or any of the arts.
Can’t Hide Secrets
Invoke: Your Agency is incredibly good
Hold My Beer
at discovering and keeping secrets. Invoke: Your Agency is well-known for
Gain three dice for any risk obtaining its excessive Agents. Gain three dice on
or keeping secrets. any risk when drunk.
Compel: You love secrets and you tend Compel: A drunken man will say
to go out of your way to discover them. anything, do anything. Be careful.
Drunkenness is not always forgiven.
Flip The Enemy And if you are caught leaking secrets…
Invoke: Your Agents understands the
need for compassion. When you try Honeypot
to convince another, you know how to Invoke: The Agents of your Agency
portray sympathy with their cause, so are beautiful, cunning and deadly.
you gain three dice. Dashing, dangerous and sly. Gain three
Compel: You truly believe in compassion dice for any seduction risk (regardless
and will sympathize with those in dire of your character’s gender).
need. Compel: A charmer is always lured
by charms. You often succumb to
Friends In The Dark likewise advances.
Invoke: Your Agency is known for how
it integrates itself with its targets, and As with all Compels, the
the ability of its Agents to defuse tense Narrator should use this to
social situations with humor. Gain help tell a compelling story,
three bonus dice when using humor in not antagonize or make a
a delicate situation. player uncomfortable.
Compel: Sometimes, the fool forgets
that he is only a fool. You forget your
place from time to time and cause
situations that would not have occurred
if you had kept your mouth shut.
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Match The Cover risk to yourself. If you are harmed or
burned by the direct actions of the
To The Skillset
Agent you helped, remove one Trust
Invoke: Your Agents are knowledgeable from the Trust pool.
in crafts such as industry work,
shipping, factory work, etc. Gain three Wilderness Survival Training
dice for risks involving craftsmanship
Invoke: Your Agency prioritizes training
or general blue-collar tasks.
in the wilds and outdoors. This Aspect
Compel: Your Agents are also known gives three bonus dice for risks involving
for their fair treatment of the lower- hunting and surviving in the wilderness.
and middle-income classes. You show
Compel: The Agents of your Agency
them compassion and good will.
are known for being very clever hunters
Men Of Iron, Women Of Steel but they sometimes struggle with social
interactions and delicate customs.
Invoke: Gain three bonus dice when
resisting physical pain or arduous Words Are Bulletproof

circumstances.
Invoke: Your Agency is known for its
Compel: You are rude, brutish and ability to inspire hearts and minds.
don’t care about etiquette. The Agents are masters of propaganda.
Gain three dice when making speeches
Reckless Behavior or performing.
Invoke: Your Agents do not hesitate. Compel: You tend to speak when not
Gain three bonus dice for any risk spoken to.
that is impetuous, impertinent and
spontaneous.
Compel: You must act without thinking,
jump into situations without knowledge
and otherwise throw yourself into
danger.
Teamwork
Invoke: Your Agency is known for the
quality of teamwork that its field agents
display, and this training is emphasized
from day one. Gain three dice when
helping another Agency member
accomplish a goal that both of you want.
Compel: You genuinely feel that
success is determined by working
together. You will help another
Agency member, regardless of the
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Step 5: Reputation Step 6: Secrets
Every Agency has a reputation, a thing All Agencies have secrets and hidden
they are known for being the best at. skeletons. What are yours? Each player
What is that thing for your Agency? gets to say one true thing about your
What do they excel at? What can no Agency. You cannot contradict an
other organization can match them in? already-established truth, but you can
Some good examples of Reputations modify it. You can say whatever you like
are as follows: — it’s true. Remember to keep a focus on
• Our Agency is the best at removing the style and immersion of the game here.
problematic targets before they For example, you could create secrets
become a problem. around the Director, failed operations
• Our Agency has a Reputation of or other events in the Division and
being the best at snatch-and-grabs. Agency’s past. Items such as: “We have
a secret mole in the group,” or: “The
• No one can withstand our Agency’s
Director has an unsavory reputation
interrogation techniques.
because of how they got promoted” are
great fodder for stories to be told.
FINISHED. YOUR AGENCY IS BUILT.
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Making an
Agent
Once you’ve made an Agency, it’s
time to make an Agent. Take the
following steps to create an agent.
You’ll notice that it’s like building
an Agency.
• Name
• Role
• Virtues
• Aspects
• Trust and Cover
• Choose an Advantage.

Step 1: Choose A Name
Your character’s name is important; it
represents who they are and their life.
It doesn’t have to be their birth name
(in fact, it probably isn’t). Pick a name, • Your role gives you three bonus dice
and then pick a personal meaning your for any risk involving your job. For
character associates with that name. If example, if you are a Security Chief,
a risk relates to that meaning, then you and you are protecting an asset, then
can add two die to the risk. (We cover you gain 3 dice.
building Dice Pools for Risks later). • Your role also grants you a unique
Then select your character’s Codename. special ability. Read the role
If a risk relates to that meaning, then you descriptions to find out more.
can add one die to the risk. (We cover • Finally, you gain a specific benefit
building Dice Pools for Risks later). during the game. This will usually
Step 2: Choose A Role result in a single use “in-game
Now, you must determine your role benefit”.
within the Agency. This is the job It’s important to note that the
you do daily and the reason you were players are not just junior field agents,
recruited. There can be multiple agents but instead are trusted operatives
fulfilling the same role in an Agency. and officers of the Director.
Your role gives you three distinct
advantages:
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Accountant Ability: You have access a network
The Economic Analyst (Accountant) of contacts embedded all over who
handles money and growth. They gather information for you. Your
learn how funds and banks can be contacts give you a number of facts on
manipulated for information, data and characters you meet, and each game,
gaining benefit over the targets and you may state a number of truths
enemies of the Agency. about NPCs equal to your Role Rank.
(For example: if your Role Rank is 3,
Bonus: You gain your Role Rank
you get 3 Truths per game, not per
as bonus dice on any risk involving
NPC.) You may not use this ability on
economic institutions or finances.
other players.
Ability: You are trained in finances,
Benefit: Your contacts are everywhere.
hiding and moving money, and so
A number of times per game equal to
much more. You start each game
your Role Rank, you may choose to
with 1 Resource for each Role Rank
overhear or see any discussion or event.
you have (Resources are covered in
However, if your contacts don’t trust
later chapters). You can spend this
or communicate, then you lose this
Resource as normal, or you can spend
benefit. In addition, if the Trust pool is
your Resources as free wagers on any
empty, then you lose this benefit.
risk. You can choose to spend the
wagers after the risk has been made Commander
and privilege is determined.
The Commander oversees the soldiers,
Benefit: You know how to find things guards and garrisons of the station.
that no one else can. You can spend a They’re usually publicly called the Head
Trust point, and underworld contacts of Security of an embassy, a captain in a
will make the item you need available locally station unit or some similar role.
to you. If you need multiple copies
Bonus: You gain your Role Rank as
of the item, you must make a Role +
bonus dice when leading other Agents
Cunning risk. Every wager grants you an
or inspiring them to work together.
additional copy of that item. If the Trust
pool is empty, you lose this benefit. Ability: You may take an action to
survey the circumstances of a scene.
Analyst Make a Perception + Role risk. If you gain
You are the master analyst of all the privilege, every Agent on your side gains
data your division processes. You know one die due to the advantages you’ve
everything, you see and hear everything, found. Any wager you make increases the
and your fingers are everywhere. You number of dice by one per wager.
keep it all straight. Benefit: You have access to a number
Bonus: You gain your Role Rank as of soldiers, equal to your Role Rank.
bonus dice when engaging in gathering Your soldiers require no upkeep,
information or data for the Agency. and are always loyal to you if there
is Trust remaining in the Trust pool.
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These are your soldiers and they Benefit: You can never be the target
will do as you command. Only the of someone’s Bond of Trust (they can
Director can spend wagers or use be yours, though). Additionally, you
risks to make them betray you (and always have one Betrayal check with
the Director can only do that if the other players. Any Agent who makes a
Trust pool is empty). Violence risk against you must set aside
dice from their pool equal to your Role
Counter-Intelligence Rank before making a risk.
The Counter-Intel Agent is the thin wall
that helps disrupt the CON OPs of other NOTE: The Counter-Intel
agencies and organizations. You’re the Agent is an interesting beast.
spy who hunts other spies and makes It’s very powerful, but it
their lives a living hell. You usually serve also doesn’t deny you the
as internal security, ensuring that other use of your ability against
spies in your Agency stay loyal. allies. Don’t be a poor player
Bonus: You gain your Role Rank and just ruin the game for

as bonus dice on any risk involving your friends. The Counter-
disrupting plans for other Agencies Intel Agent is designed to tell
or tracking their agents. stories, and while using its
Ability: You are trained to find the ability against other allies can
holes in plans, exploit them and flip make for a great story, it can
enemy assets. Once per session, you also be very negative. If you’re
may make a Role + Intellect risk. going to constantly attack
If you gain privilege, then for each other players with this role,
wager you made, you may decrease then perhaps you shouldn’t
the Cover rating of another agent. If be playing this game.
you decrease the cover to zero, the
cover is immediately burned and
nothing is gained from it. You must Doctor
know the agent you are going to burn, The Doctor handles the health and
and you must interact with them in a physical wellbeing of the Agents and staff
narratively appropriate way to use this at their Division. They often accompany
ability. (This can be by leaking their the Agents on their missions, and risk
identity to the press, compromising their life to save the lives of others…
them in the eyes of their Director or often, even the lives of enemies.
other appropriate actions). If you use Bonus: You gain your Role Rank
this Ability against an ally, then you as bonus dice on any risk involving
can never be their Bond of Trust again, medicine or medical treatment or
and you must remove 3 Trust points processes.
from the Trust pool. They might not
know who did it, but you can expect
that they will try to find out.
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Deputy Director
The Deputy Director oversees
the local Division of the
Agency. They are the Director’s
proxy when the Director is
not in contact.
Bonus: You gain your Role
Rank as bonus dice when
directing operations, leading
a team or planning.
Ability: Because you are the
local representative of the
Director, you have similar authority.
When the Director is not present or
Ability: You are trained in handling speaking, you have the Social Rank of
injury, sickness and poisons. You may “Director”. You may add a number of
take an action to diagnose and treat bonus dice to any social situation equal
any poison, disease or injury sustained to your Role Rank or the Director’s
by an individual. Make a Role + Rank, whichever is higher.
Intellect risk. If you gain privilege, you Benefit: You have an entourage of Staff
may spend wagers equal to the Injury and Admins equal to your Role that
Rank to lower the Injury Rank one for will accompany you if you want. Your
one. Once you have treated an injury Staff includes various admins who run
you cannot do so again for 48 hours. errands, carry messages and perform
Benefit: You are a Doctor, which lesser bookkeeping functions. These
means your status is protected by are your staff and they will do as you
international law. Espionage is a command. Only the Director can spend
dangerous business and you forfeit wagers or use risks to make them betray
some of that protection, but when you (and the Director can only do that if
performing your Role, if you are the Trust pool is empty).
injured or killed, then increase the
War Rank by your Role Rank, with the Freelancer
Agency or organization of whoever The Freelancer is a gun for hire, a
struck or killed you. If the Trust pool mercenary in the covert world of
is empty, you lose this benefit. espionage, who is all over the board. You
have some shady contacts and a negative
reputation, but you get paid well.
bonus dice when involved in violence.
18
Ability: You have lots of contacts and assets entails. A number of times per
friends in low places. When trying to game, equal to your Role Rank, you may
locate or find someone, you add your procure a piece of information from an
Role Rank times two to the total of any asset or contact. This information should
risk you make. be something needed by an Agent or the
Benefit: You supply your own Agency. You also start with Trust Rank 3
equipment. You start with a weapon (instead of Trust Rank 2).
of your choice at Great quality. Benefit: You excel at flipping enemy
agents. When confronting an enemy
Handler agent, you can attempt to suborn them
The Handler is responsible for human and make them a double agent. Make
assets, training new Agents and handling a Role + Cunning risk. If you set aside
the delicate social manipulation that more wagers than your War Rank with
espionage work requires. their organization or Agency, they are
Bonus: You gain your Role Rank as now a double agent, and will aid you.
Once they’ve aided you a number of

bonus dice when trying to flip an
agent, manipulate a human asset or times equal to your Role, you lose them
objective or train a new Agent. as a double agent, unless you reset the
Ability: You are trained to handle the duration on your last meeting with
extensive social work that having human them. You can have a number of double
agents equal to your Role Rank.
19
Hitter Mastermind
The Hitter is the weapon of the Agency. You are the planning person. You
When someone needs to die, the Agency manage the relationships between assets,
turns to you. contacts, information and agents. You
Bonus: You gain your Role Rank as have a unique understand of behavior
bonus dice when engaging in violence and trends, and have a trained ability to
against an Agency-sanctioned target. make accurate behavioral predictions.
Ability: You carry a license to kill and Bonus: You gain your Role Rank as
have some special training. You have bonus dice when working around a
a number of Techniques equal to your plan or adapting to a changing situation.
Rank. See Techniques for more options. Ability: At the beginning of each game
• B rutally Efficient session, you may make a prediction
• B ad Reputation about a risk that may happen during
the game (based on your knowledge
• S wift Strikes
of all the moving pieces of a successful
• E xtra Training operation). You may be as vague or
• E xtra Cover specific as you like. If your prediction
Benefit: Your reputation as a Hitter works or occurs, then any Agent who is
proceeds you. If you are ever in an participating in that risk gains a number
antagonistic position toward another of dice equal to your Role Rank.
character, that character automatically Benefit: You may give any other
reduces their Risk by your Role Rank. Agent a number of Operational
However, a Hitter with no backing is just Advantages each season equal to
a thug and murderer. If the Trust pool is your Role Rank. See Operational
empty, you lose this benefit. Advantages for more information.
However, if your allies don’t trust
you, how can you plan? If the Trust
pool is empty, you lose this benefit.
Public Relations
You are the face of the Division.
Usually positioned as an adjunct to an
ambassador or diplomat, you make sure
everything is spun and played the way
it should be. Publicity, news and politics
are your friends.
bonus dice when attempting to protect
the secrecy of the organization to
outsiders or media.
20
Ability: You may alter, redact, edit, risks to make them betray you (and
reinterpret or change anything the Director can only do that if the
said by any Agent to make it more Trust pool is empty).
appropriate to the current situation, or
to avoid political and cultural gaffes. Step 3: Choose Virtues
You must be present or informed of You must now assign Ranks to Virtues.
the statement before it reaches wide There are six Virtues, but unfortunately,
public consumption. You may do this you are mortal and flawed, and you
a number of times per game session only get five of them. The sixth Virtue
equal to your Role Rank. is your weakness. You will never have
Benefit: Every game session, your Ranks in that Virtue.
contacts and allies gain you a Assign these Ranks to your Virtues as
number of favors equal to your Role you see fit:
Rank. A favor represents a boon or • One Virtue at Rank 4
help some other character owes you, • Two Virtues at Rank 3
but if you cash in, you must repay it

• Two Virtues at Rank 2
by the end of the session. If the Trust
• One Virtue as a weakness (write
pool is empty, you lose this benefit.
a W next to this Virtue on your
Security Chief character sheet)
The Security Chief is the protector • Then increase your Agency’s
of others. They keep assets alive, Favored Virtue by 1 (if you
make sure drops happen safely, and put a W there, then it does not
are always omnipresent… in a Big increase. Tough luck, but way to
Brother sort of fashion. commit to the roleplaying).
Bonus: You gain your Role Rank as Having a weakness means you have
bonus dice when protecting those no dice for that Virtue. You must
inside your Agency. find dice to roll from other parts of
your character (Aspects, Covers,
Ability: You may take an Injury for
etc.). Having a weakness does not
any other Agent from your Agency
mean you never roll dice, just that
or an asset you are tasked with
the Virtue will never contribute dice
protecting. Reduce the Rank of the
to your risk.
Injury by your Role Rank.
Benefit: You have a small number
of Guards with you at all times (you
can choose to send them away if you
see fit). You have a number of Ranks
of Guards equal to your Role Rank.
These are your Guards and they
will do as you command. Only the
Director can spend wagers or use
21
Step 4: Choose Aspects Education
You began working in academia,
Now you must choose three of the four
probably as a professor in a
Aspects your Agency has chosen to
field important to the intelligence
define its Agents. Each player simply
community, and were recruited
writes down the three Aspects they
when something you published or a
want on their sheet.
lecture you gave helped the Agency
Step 5: directly, without your realization.
Your Cover might still be in
Choose Background academia, or as a traveling scholar
and touchstone or researcher.
Next, choose where your agent came • EXTRA TRAINING
from before becoming an agent, from
• LIKE A LOCAL
the list below. Then choose one of the
advantages listed below under your • PERCEPTIVE
background. More details on these • MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE
advantages can be found under Step 7. • NATURAL TALENT
Military Politics
While serving in the military your You worked as either a bureaucrat in the
skills caught the eye of the intelligence government or as a political operative
community and you were recruited running campaigns before becoming
straight from service. Your Cover entangled with the intelligence services.
might still be as a serving member of Your skills with people were the most
the military. likely reason you were recruited. Your
• COLD-BLOODED KILLER Cover might be as a public aide to the
• FAST HEALER diplomat at your embassy, or some
other public role.
• FAVORED WEAPON
• DIRECTOR’S PROTÉGÉ
• NATURAL ATHLETE
• DEBONAIR
• UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL
• NATURAL TALENT
• PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
• TRUE BEAUTY
Civilian
You worked in business, finance
or even as the night manager at a
hotel. Whatever you did brought
you into contact with intelligence
agents and for whatever reason you
were recruited into the Agency. Your
Cover might be as a worker for your
old job.
22
• CON OPs TRAINING
• IRREPROACHABLE
• LUCKY
• OATH
• OUTSIDER
• UNSHAKABLE
Espionage
You have always wanted to
work in intelligence. You may
have even been raised in a
family of spies, or worked as a
lookout for an agent while you were job and location, and it is at a greater
a child. Whatever the case, you’ve risk of being lost or destroyed.
always worked in intelligence. It is Here are some examples of

in your blood. Your Cover could be Touchstones:
anything, because you’ve done this Lover, spouse, children, parents,
your whole life. family, mentor, close friend(s), secluded
• DIRECTOR’S PROTÉGÉ cabin/location, very personal object/
• INSIGHT memento that evokes a powerful
• MULTIPLE ROLES memory of an event that set you on your
• QUICK path, a bar where everyone knows your
“name” and accepts you, etc.
• UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Now choose your Touchstone. Step 6: Trust & Cover
Touchstones are the people, places or Each Agent begins with two Ranks of
things that keep your agent grounded Trust. This gives you two Trust Points
and certain of their path forward. They for the Trust pool. See more about
restore your trust in your worldview Trust Points in the Risks section. You
and your place in the world as an agent. just designate a player to have your
Most Touchstones are kept safe in your Trust. Write their name next to your
home country and away from prying Trust Rank.
eyes, for if you lose a Touchstone, then Each Agent also begins with one
your entire foundation will be shaken. Rank of Cover. You should write a
Record your Touchstone on your name and occupation next to this
character sheet. Cover. Whenever you use that Cover
Later, during Field construction, to accomplish a risk, you may add a
you can decide if your Touchstone number of dice equal to your Cover
is in-country or safe at home. If it is Rank to that risk. Additionally, Covers
in-country, it provides a much more can be used to replenish Trust.
potent and frequent benefit, but it is
also exposed to all the dangers of your
23
Step 7: Advantages Fast Healer
Each Agent gets one Advantage of You heal faster than other Agents. At
their choice from the list below. This is the end of the day, you always heal one
a free Advantage that they can justify Injury Rank, regardless of your current
however they wish. This will be their condition.
second Advantage after the one they
gain from their background.
Favored Weapon
You have trained in the use of a specific
Cold-Blooded Killer weapon until you’ve perfected its use.
You are deadly, decisive and prone to See Violence for more information on
violence. You gain a free wager on all favored weapons.
Violence risks.
Insight
Con Ops Training You were born to perform this role.
You might not be an Operational It’s in your blood. All your life has
Analyst, but you know your stuff. You led to the moment when you could
get one Operational advantage that serve your Queen and Country. You
you may call upon once per Season. begin the game with a Role Rank of
2 rather than 1.
Debonair
Your character always gains a free Irreproachable
wager on all Charisma risks. You are renowned for your sense of
honor and fidelity. Any action you
Director’s Protege take must be for the greater Cover of
For reasons known only to you and the Agency. One per game session,
the Director, you have the Director’s you may negate one Trust loss.
favor. At the end of each Season, you
always get a Season Action. This is in Like a Local
addition to any other Season Actions You always know the correct direction
the Director may have. to get to your destination. You know
how to get anywhere. You never need
Extra Training to take any kind of risk for navigation.
Your character has a bonus Aspect,
something that distinguishes him from Lucky
the other Agents. You may choose an Three times per game, while taking
Aspect from the Aspect list or create a risk, you may re-roll any dice that
one with the Narrator’s approval. show a one (1).
Measure Twice, Cut Once

Once per game session, you can reroll
a single risk.
24
Natural Athlete True Beauty
Your character always gains a free While most characters are either
wager on any Athleticism risks. dramatically handsome or dramatically
ugly, your character’s beauty outshines
Natural Talent almost all others. Gain two dice whenever
If you have a Virtue at Rank 5, then you speaking to a character who is sexually
may increase it to Rank 6 if you lower attracted to you (Narrator’s decision).
another Virtue by a single Rank.
Unshakable
Oath Your character always gains a free
Your character has made an oath. wager on all Resolve risks.
They have vowed to accomplish some
important task. Your character will not Up-Close And Personal
die until they reach their goal. Literally. When using a knife, you do the same
Your character cannot die until they damage as if using a silenced pistol.

gain the opportunity to accomplish Unfortunately, when you use a silenced
that task. But your character will die pistol, treat it as a normal weapon. See
if they accomplish the goal or if they Violence for more information.
fail. The goal cannot be small; it must
be something… epic. You have no Multiple Roles
guarantee that your character will You start with a Rank 2 Role, in
another Role. Why do you no longer
succeed, but they won’t die until they
get the opportunity to do so. perform that Role? You gain access to
its bonus, benefits and advantages. You
Outsider effectively have two Roles. However,
You gain +1 to a Virtue other than you automatically start with Trust 1.
your Agency’s revered Virtue.
Perceptive
Your character always gains a free
wager on all Perception risks.
Planning For The

Future
Every Season, you gain a single
Season Action for yourself.
Quick
You move with speed and
finality. Gain two bonus
dice for any risk involving
speed.
25
CHAPTER TWo:
RisKS
“The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success.”
- Ian Fleming
In this chapter, we discuss all the rules enough, then they can narrate the
for resolving risks in the game. outcome of their action. If they do not
A risk is a meaningful action roll well enough, then the Narrator
taken by a character whose outcome determines the outcome.
may influence the plot and/or other
characters. If it isn’t meaningful, it Privilege
probably isn’t a risk. If it doesn’t affect Rolling dice in Cold Shadows is not
any characters, it probably isn’t a risk. about success and failure. Instead, it is
If it doesn’t affect the plot, it probably about who gets to say what happens.
isn’t a risk. When you want your character to
If a player wants to undertake an take a risk, you roll a bunch of six-
action and it doesn’t qualify as a risk, sided dice. If the sum of the dice is
the player gets to narrate the outcome equal to or greater than ten, you gain
of the action. If a player wants to privilege. This means you get to say
undertake a risk, then the narrative what happens.
rights of that action are at stake. In
other words, if the player rolls well
26
If the sum of the dice is nine or less,
the Narrator gets privilege. This means
Simple Risk
A simple risk usually involves a single
the Narrator gets to say what happens.
character: an Agent trying to remember
Just to make sure you understand, details, an Agent trying to lift something
we’ll repeat it: heavy, an Agent climbing a wall. These
If you beat the target number, are good examples of simple risks. All
then you get to determine how your you must do is roll a number of dice
character succeeds or fails. If you and beat a ten. If you can do that, you
don’t, then the Narrator gets to say get to say how your Agent succeeds or
how your character succeeds or fails. fails. If you roll nine or less, the Narrator
says how your Agent succeeds or fails.
Target Number Example: Ben is having his agent,
The target number for all risks is ten. Mr. Ryker work to discover the key
That number never goes up or down. to the crypto that hides an important
Ten. piece of information. The Narrator and
Ben agree that this is a risk that would
Getting Dice use Intellect. Ryker’s Intellect is 4, so
You get dice from the following Ben gathers four dice. The Narrator and
Chapter 2: Risks
sources: Ben also agree that Ryker’s previous
experience with crypto and access to
VIRTUE: If a Virtue is appropriate high-powered NSA tools will aid him,
to the risk, you get a number of dice granting Ben, another 3 dice. Ben
equal to the Virtue’s Rank. You may gathers his 3 dice, for a total of 7, and
only invoke one Virtue per risk; you with success virtually assured, rolls the
cannot gain dice from more than one dice, knowing he only needs to able to
Virtue for a risk. total 10 on all the dice.
NAME: If your name’s meaning is
appropriate to the risk, you gain two Wagers
dice. If your Codename is appropriate As you are about to undertake a risk,
to the risk, you gain one die. you may notice that you have more
dice than you need for rolling a ten.
ASPECT: If you have an Aspect that If that’s the case, you’ll want to make
is appropriate to the risk, you gain some wagers.
three dice. You may only invoke one Wagers are the real backbone of the
Aspect per risk; you cannot gain dice Cold Shadows system. They make the
from more than one Aspect for a risk. game fun.
OTHERS: As you read through this Usually, when your character succeeds,
book, you will find other sources of dice. he has one Rank of Effect, or 1 Effect. But
there is a way of increasing the Effect of
your success. We do this through wagers.
27
Consider. About to roll for a risk, You cannot use a wager to get a free
you look at your pool. You can easily risk. Any action that would require a
beat the risk. You’ve got seven dice. risk cannot be accomplished with a
Using four is a safe bet. Five is nearly wager. That requires an additional risk.
a guarantee. So, what do you do with
Free Wagers
those extra dice? You wager them. Set
Occasionally, you will receive a
those extras aside and roll the rest.
free wager. This is a wager that
Setting dice aside before your roll is the Narrator gives you because of
called “wagering dice.” A wagered die circumstance, a mechanical bonus
does not get rolled with your other dice. or some other reason.
If you beat the risk, then each wagered
Free Wagers are just that: free. They
die adds 1 Effect to your success.
don’t come from your pool of dice.
If you succeed on a wager, you get You can’t add them back into your
bonus Effect. Bonus Effect usually leads pool of dice, either. Also, if you roll
to more Trust Points, but it can also be 9 or less, then you lose all wagers—
used to take narrative control of a scene even the free ones.
and provide additional details.
Yes, this means the players tell the
Contested Risks
Narrator what’s happening in the scene.
A contested risk occurs when two
Wagers give everyone the opportunity
characters want the same thing—
to be the Narrator, to be in charge, to
even if they are working together.
add to the collective narrative.
Both players roll simultaneously and
Example: Continuing our example the player who rolls higher is the
above, Ben has 7 dice to decipher the victor. The player who rolls lower is
crypto hiding information he needs. the defeated.
Ben only needs to equal or exceed 10
on the dice, so he feels that rolling 7 • Step 1: Declaring Dice
is…overkill. He decides to hold 3 dice Both players announce how many
aside as wagers, planning to use them dice they can roll for the risk.
to gather more information from the
• Step 2: Hidden Wagers
deciphered document.
Each player then secretly makes
The Wager Golden Rules wagers and reveals their wagers at the
You cannot use a wager to contradict same time.
a previously established element of
• Step 3: Determine Privilege
the scene. You cannot use a wager to
say, “No.” The players roll. The player who
rolls highest is the victor and has
You can only use wagers to say, “Yes,
privilege. All other players involved
and…” or, “Yes, but….” You cannot simply
in the risk are defeated and do not
negate another person’s wager. Wagers
have privilege.
are used to add elements to a scene or to
define undefined elements of a scene.
28
The Victor & Defeated Cooperative Risks
The victor has privilege and may If two or more Agents are working
describe the outcome of the risk. The toward the same goal, they can make
victor also gets to keep all his wagers. a cooperative risk. This kind of risk
The victor also gets to say who spends allows everyone to assist (and add
his wager first (themselves or another details) in some way.
player).
• Step 1: Gather Dice
The defeated does not have privilege.
All players announce how they are
The defeated also only keeps half gathering dice and then announce how
their wagers, rounded up (minimum many dice they have.
of one).
• Step 2: Announce Wagers
All players then announce how
Spending Wagers many wagers they are going to make.
The victor decides who spends their
first wager (the victor can include • Step 3: Privilege
themselves). Then, spending wagers Everyone rolls. Every player who
goes around the table clockwise until rolls ten or higher gains privilege. That
Chapter 2: Risks
everyone has spent a wager. is, every player who rolls ten or higher
If you like, you can choose to pass gets to say one true thing about the
when it comes your turn to use a outcome of the risk.
wager. This allows you to hear more The player who rolled highest
of what’s going on but also loses you keeps all their wagers. Players who do
the opportunity to spend your wager not roll highest only keep half their
first and set precedent. wagers, rounded up.
Remember: wagers cannot say, The player who rolled highest
“No.” A wager can only say, “Yes, gets the first opportunity to say what
and…” or, “Yes, but…” or some other happened at the end of the risk. They
positive modifier. then choose which player goes next.
Each player who rolled ten
Less Than 10 or higher can add a detail to the
If any player in a contested risk rolls less outcome, adding additional details
than ten, they get nothing. They get no with each wager.
wagers, no privilege, no nothing. Don’t
throw all your dice away on wagers
expecting to keep half of them even if
you lose. If you don’t roll at least a ten,
then you get nothing.
29
CHAPTER ThREE:
ASPECTS
“The easiest thing in the world is to convince yourself that you’re right. As one grows
old, it is easier still.” - Robert Ludlum
Aspects are defining traits. People
have Aspects, places have Aspects, Invoke & Compel
and even objects can have Aspects. Every Aspect has two elements: an
For those familiar with roleplaying invoke and a compel. The owner of the
game tropes, an Aspect is like a “skill” Aspect uses the invoke but others can
or an “ability,” but it’s a bit more three- use the compel. (A player may compel
dimensional in Cold Shadows. his own Aspect as well. We’ll talk more
Aspects represent the qualities of a about that later.)
person, place or thing. For example, You invoke Aspects when your
if you have the Aspect Teamwork, it character is about to take a risk.
reflects a quality about your character: When you invoke an Aspect, your
they recognize the strength of unity of character gains three bonus dice for
purpose. Many hands can accomplish an appropriate risk. For example,
more than two. if you want your Agent to know
Other Aspects reflect different the right course of action during
qualities. complicated issues of etiquette,
he should have the Culture and
Aspects reflect not only knowledge,
Etiquette Aspect. That Aspect gives
but skill as well. They are broad-
you three bonus dice for any risks
based abilities that are open to a little
involving procedure and decorum.
interpretation.
Remember: invoking an Aspect gives
Now, you can’t go around with an
you three bonus dice for appropriate
Aspect like: “I’m Awesome!” It’s too
risks. You may only invoke one Aspect
broad, it doesn’t fit the tone and theme
per risk. You cannot invoke more than
of the game, and it’s not a dramatic
one. Also, you are the only person
statement of character. Aspects should
who can invoke your own Aspect. You
be open for players to use, but an
can’t invoke it for someone else and
Aspect shouldn’t be useful in every
someone else can’t invoke it for their
situation.
own benefit, either.
Invokes are powerful tools that allow
you to get narrative rights at the end of
a risk. But each Aspect has a compel
as well.
30
Tags
You can give a temporary Aspect to
another character, a place or even a
thing. We call these “Tags.”
When you give another character
a Tag, it works like an Aspect. For
example, if someone drops a lantern
in a room full of flammable material,
you can give the room the “On Fire!”
Tag. Or, if an Agent belongs to an
Agency with an Ambitious Director,
then he has the “Ambitious” Tag.
If you have a Tag, it is an Aspect
that you cannot invoke but others can. Injuries as Tags
Tagging doesn’t cost anything; the The most common Aspects a character
character only needs to know the Tag may Tag are Injuries. If you are facing
exists. Invoking a Tag (or “Tagging”) another character in a physical risk
Chapter 3: Aspects
gets you two bonus dice. Not three, (Violence or Athleticism), you may
but two. Tag all Injuries that character has for
For example, my Agent comes from bonus dice. The number of bonus
an Agency with a Clever Director. dice you gain is equal to the Ranks of
That gives me the “Unorthodox” the Injuries.
Tag. Another Agent—if he knows my For example, if a character has a Rank
Agency—can use that Tag to gain two 1 Injury, a Rank 2 Injury and a Rank
bonus dice against me in any situation 3 Injury, then you may Tag all three
when my being “non-traditionalist” Injuries for a total of six bonus dice.
would be an advantage to him. Whenever your character’s Injuries
Likewise, if the room has the “On are Tagged, your character gains one
Fire!” Tag, characters who find ways to Trust to add to the Trust Pool. This
take advantage of the fire can Tag that might seem a little unusual. However,
Aspect for two bonus dice. the more your wounds and injuries are
Tags do not count toward the used against you, the more you must
total number of Aspects that can be rely on your allies and compatriots for
invoked during a risk. Usually, only aid. Adding a Trust Point to the Pool
one Aspect can be invoked during a will help make it easier to leverage that
risk. Because your character is using relationship.
a Tag (or “Tagging” an Aspect), he
isn’t invoking it. He’s Tagging it. And
that doesn’t count towards the total
Aspects invoked in the risk.
31
CHAPTER FoUR:
VIRTUES, TRUST,
BETRAYAL, AND COVER
“Jesus Christ only had twelve, you know, and one of them was a double.”
- John le Carré
For Agents, Trust is everything. For

you, as a player, Trust will be the key The Trust Pool
to the game. Trust unlocks all the In the center of your gaming table,
mechanics. It is the true engine of place a bowl. This is the Trust Pool.
the game. You can use whatever tokens you
Without Trust, your Agents will fail like to represent Trust Points. At the
and end up as less than nothing. beginning of the game, fill the Trust
Pool with a number of Trust Points
But Trust is a difficult concept,
equal to the total Trust Rank of all the
especially in a world filled with
Agents present.
shadows, betrayal and more secrets
than could ever be found. The Before you make a risk, you may
constant grating and conflicting draw a Trust Point from the pool.
nature of espionage adds an element A player may only draw one Trust
of roleplaying to the table that can be Point at a time; a single player cannot
very enjoyable. draw two or more Trust Points for a
single roll, for example. Give
the Trust Point to the Narrator.
You have spent a Trust Point
from the Pool.
You can spend Trust Points
in two ways: for bonus dice
and adding details to the
story.
Bonus Dice
When you spend a Trust
Point before a risk, add four
dice to your pool. Once
you have spent a Trust
Point, it is gone for the
32
remainder of the adventure. Because take a risk that fulfills more than just
almost all Agents start the game with one qualification, it’s worth multiple
2 Trust, each Agent will add two Trust Trust points.
Points to the Pool. The wording here is very specific.
Simple actions are expected of Agents
Adding Details and are not worth Trust Points. Only
During the game, a player may spend risks are worth Trust Points.
a Trust Point (withdrawing it from There may be circumstances where
the Pool) to add details to the story as an action qualifies for a Trust Point,
it progresses. Think of these like free- but these should be momentous.
floating wagers. They should be few and far between.
Just as a wager allows you to add • Take a risk that directly furthers the
Chapter 4: Virtues, Trust, Betrayal, and Cover

details to a risk, Trust Points allow Agency’s interests (and not yours).
you to modify the story in the same • Take a risk that upholds the
way. You can add details to an NPC, Agency’s agenda, plans and goals.
a location, your relationship with
• Take a risk that puts your Agent in
your family or anything else you like
danger while fulfilling your Bond of
in the game.
Trust.
Like wagers, Trust Points cannot
• Remove a Betrayal token. [Optional
be used to say, “No.” For example,
Rule]
if I use a wager to say the Director
is a drunken fool, you can’t use a Losing Trust
Trust Point to say, “No, he’s not.” You
can use a Trust Point to say, “He’s a
from the Pool
When an Agent takes an action that
drunken fool, but that’s only because
is a betrayal, upends a plan or ruins
his wife drives him to drink.” That
an operation, the Narrator takes three
intimates that if we get him away
Trust Points from the pool.
from his wife, he’ll drink less. That
isn’t a “No,” it’s a “Yes, but….”
Adding Details
Adding Trust At the end of each game session, the
to the Pool Narrator should count the total Trust
You can add Trust Points to the Pool Points in the pool. At the start of the
by taking specific kinds of risks. next game session, the players begin
See the list below for risks that allow with the same amount of Trust.
for a Trust Point to be added to the
Pool. Each of these qualifications are
cumulative. That is, if you take a risk
that fulfills one of the qualifications,
that’s worth a Trust Point. But if you
33
THE X-CARD
For groups to successful play out these stories of betrayal, violence and drama,
sometimes you need a way to carefully end conversations to avoid uncomfortable
situations. In brief, here is how the X-Card works:
The X-Card is an optional tool (created by John Stavropoulos) that allows anyone
in your game (including you) to edit out any content anyone is uncomfortable
with as you play. Since most RPGs are improvisational and we won’t know what
will happen till it happens, it’s possible the game will go in a direction people don’t
want. An X-Card is a simple tool to fix problems as they arise.
To use, at the start of your game, simply say:
“I’d like your help. Your help to make this game fun for everyone. If anything
makes anyone uncomfortable in any way… [draw X on an index card] …just
lift this card up, or simply tap it [place card at the center of the table]. You
don’t have to explain why. It doesn’t matter why. When we lift or tap this card,
we simply edit out anything X-Carded. And if there is ever an issue, anyone can
call for a break and we can talk privately. I know it sounds funny but it will help
us play amazing games together and usually I’m the one who uses the X card
to protect myself from all of you! Please help make this game fun for everyone.
Thank you!”
X
34
Notes:
• The X-Card speech above can be • If you aren’t sure what was
more useful that the X-Card itself. X-Carded, call for a break and
It makes it clear that we are all in talk with the person in private.
this together, will help each other, • Don’t use the X-Card as an excuse
and that the group of people to push boundaries. It’s not a Safe
playing are more important than Word.
the game. • Some GMs (usually those who
• Use the X-Card early, even on haven’t used the X-Card) fear
yourself, to lead by example, and that the X-Card will limit their
model the behavior. creativity. Many GMs who use
• The X-Card does not have to be a the X-Card find the opposite is

tool of last resort. The less special true. Since the GM doesn’t have
it feels, the more you use it, the to be a magical mind reader, it
more likely someone will use it frees up their energy to focus on
when it really is badly needed. other elements of GMing.
• The X-Card is not a replacement • The X-Card is not an excuse to
for conversation. If you prefer try to get back to the game as
to talk about an issue that soon as possible. People matter
comes up instead of using the more than the game. If you need
X-Card, please do. Just because to take a break, take a break.
the X-Card is available does not The X-Card was created by John
mean it has to be used. But when Stavropoulos and more information
it is used, respect the person who (including a detailed write up) can
uses it and don’t ask why or start be found here: http://tinyurl.com/x-
a conversation about the issue. card-rpg.
The X-Card is optional.
• The X-Card is a safety net, but not
everyone will feel comfortable
using it in all situations. If a player
had a problem with the game
and wants to talk to you about it
afterward… please listen. It it not
okay to say “but you didn’t use
the X-Card” as a defense. Don’t
use the X-Card offensively. Listen
and talk it out.
35
Betrayal
Each player has 3 Betrayal boxes by their
Bond Of Trust Bond of Trust. Once all three Boxes are
Each Agent has a name of one of marked, erase the name of your Bond
their fellow agents marked next to a of Trust, and fill in the name of another
Trust Rank. Whenever the agent you agent. Keep a Blacklist of all the Agents
designated as a Bond of Trust takes who have Betrayed you. It makes for
a risk that aids you at their expense, great storytelling. If you ever manage to
you may restore one Trust Point to the even the score (not necessarily kill, but
Trust Pool. However, if that Agent ever embarrass, disrupt or make miserable)
takes an action that directly opposes someone who has betrayed you, then
you, remove a number of Trust Points you may erase their name from the
from the Trust Pool equal to your Trust Blacklist, and once again, they can be
Rank and mark a Betrayal Box. part of your Bond of Trust.
These mechanics are designed to
represent mounting distrust. These Betrayal Points
should be interpreted in both a system At the start of each session, tally up the
sense (rules that help guide you amount of Betrayal boxes checked on
mechanically) and in a roleplay sense the players’ character sheets. Put that
(as prompts to help you tell dramatic many Betrayal tokens into the Trust
and engaging stories). Pool. These tokens should be of a
different color.
36
Anyone can spend these Betrayal
tokens. Take one out of the pool, and For a more heroic game,
add one die for every Betrayal token removing the Betrayal rules,
still in the pool to the risk on which you will lend you a bit more of
are spending the token. After the risk is an action thriller flair.
resolved (regardless of success or not),
give that Betrayal token to the Narrator.
The Narrator can spend Betrayal When Trust is restored, set your
tokens to add three dice to any risk an Trust Rank to 2, and make the Agent
NPC or enemy makes. The Narrator that helped you recover your trust
should illustrate how the previous into your Bond of Trust.
action the player took aided the enemy

(usually unintentionally). Then the
Narrator restores the Betrayal token to Cover
the Pool. Cover represents alternate identities.
Any player can remove a Betrayal The higher your Covers, the more
token from another player by spending solid, deep and untraceable they are.
3 wagers from a cooperative roll. Like Trust, Cover comes in both
If you remove a Betrayal Point from Ranks and Points, but Agents do not
your Bond of Trust, you may add a Trust spend Cover Points. Cover Points are
Point to the Trust Pool. Additionally, put used to track the growth and depth of
a check next to your Trust Rank. Once a Cover as it is used throughout play.
you have ten checks, you may increase By acquiring Cover Points, Agents
your Trust Rank by 1. can acquire Cover Rating. Effectively,
successfully using and building those
At the end of the session, any Agent
Covers in play.
with a Betrayal token must decrease
their Trust Rank by 1. All Agents begin the game with a
Cover Rank of 1. Each Cover has a
Betrayal and name and occupation associated with
its Cover Rank, indicating the general
Trust Rank 0 knowledge you earned getting that
If your Trust Rank ever reaches 0, bad
Rank of Cover.
things start to happen. You no longer
want to work with the team, and you Cover enters the game in many ways.
can no longer spend Trust Points. First, if you are about to undertake
Instead, you can only spend Betrayal a risk and one or more of your Cover
tokens, and you must begin to subtly Ranks is appropriate, you may add
work against your former allies. one die per Cover Rank that is
You do this until an ally helps you appropriate to the risk. In other words,
recover Trust in the team (the Narrator if you have a Cover Rank: 1 – Hans
will help decide when that is fulfilled). Gruber (Terrorist) and you are about
37
to infiltrate a terrorist cell, and if you
pretend to be Hans Gruber, then you
Damaging Your Cover
You may take actions that damage a
may add one die to your risk total.
Cover you have built.
If you have more than one Cover
If you do, the Narrator may declare
Rank that’s appropriate to a risk (Cover
that your current Cover is exposed,
Rank: 3 – Hans Gruber, for example),
and must be ditched or repaired before
you may gain one die for each Rank
it may be used again. You cannot call
that’s appropriate.
upon that Cover for bonus dice until
Second, whenever you perform a you have taken actions to repair it.
risk that uses a Cover, you may convert
To repair a damaged Cover, you must
two wagers for one point of Cover.
earn ten points of Cover in actions that
Doing so represents your attempts to
are appropriate to your Cover. For
solidify and build up your Cover.
example, if you are masquerading as a
Third, you can burn a Cover. To terrorist, you must work to build that
burn a Cover, you select one of your reputation by converting wagers into
non-exposed Covers and convert your Cover points. You’d be unable to use
Cover Rank in that Cover into Trust the Cover Rating of that cover until
Points and add them to the Trust Pool. you’ve repaired it.
Then, erase your Cover, and create a
new Rank 1 Cover.
For example, Elizabeth must burn a Touchstones
Cover to put more Trust back into the Touchstones are important anchors
Pool. Elizabeth has a Rank 3 Cover, for your Agent. Touchstones help
“Elena Kostavi the Nuclear Physicist”. your Agents restore their Trust in the
She erases that Cover from her sheet, system and their faith in themselves
puts three Trust Points back into the as Agents. It helps them rebuild Trust.
Trust Pool, and creates a brand-new During Season Actions, an Agent can
Cover, with a new name and identity spend one or more Season Action(s)
at Rank 1. This new Cover is “Natalia, to activate their Touchstone to remove
Waitress”. She plans to use this to get Betrayal from their character sheet, and
close to enemy Agents. thus remove Betrayal tokens from the
When you reach ten points of Cover, Trust Pool. They also add one Trust
your Cover Rank increases by one. Point to the Trust Pool.
Alternatively, you can gain a new Cover If an Agent has the In-Country
slot, and create a new Rank 1 Cover. Touchstone then they may activate their
You can any have number of Covers. Touchstone without spending Season
Actions based on the Asset Rank of the
Touchstone. They may still activate it
with Season Actions as well. While this
increases their overall Trust, the danger
rises precipitously as their Touchstone
is now exposed to enemy action.
38
If the Touchstone is restored (e.g.
Losing your family is freed, lover escapes captivity,
Touchstone, journal is taken back from the dead
Replacement and enemy agent), then these points of
Dark Touchstones Betrayal and marks are immediately
In-Country Touchstones provide much removed. If the Touchstone is
greater benefits than the standard destroyed permanently, then these
Touchstone, however, the Narrator can points cannot be restored except in
take actions against your Touchstone the usual fashion and the damage may
if the enemy Agency discovers the linger for a long time.
Touchstone. They can then destroy it or If an Agent has no Touchstone then
capture it. This is usually the basis for they must begin searching for a new

an entire story and adventure for the one. While they do not have one they
unit, but not always. may not take the Touchstone Season
When an Agent loses access to Action. Once a new Touchstone is
their Touchstone they immediately discovered, usually after a long story
Blacklist any Agent they feel was most of self-reflection, then write the new
responsible for this loss, and they add Touchstone on the sheet and restore all
three Betrayal tokens to the Trust Touchstone abilities.
Pool. If that Agent already had marks This is a vulnerable time for Agents
against their Bond of Trust, mark any and is a perfect opportunity to insert
additional Betrayals on enemy actors into the life of
the Agent in the hopes of
turning the Agent for the
enemy Agency. If such a
Dark Touchstone is created,
then the player now creates
Betrayal instead of Trust
when activating this
Touchstone. This is an
extensive and dark story
for a player to take, if
they wish to have a Dark
Touchstone where they
gain Betrayal instead
of Trust. Before going this route, this
another Agent. This does must be cleared with both the Narrator
not have to be the current Bond of and all the other players at your table.
Trust that you have listed on your Creating Dark Touchstones can be fun
sheet. and engaging, but they will affect the
game for every player in attendance.
39
CHAPTER FivE:
ACTION AND VIOLENCE
“Can’t you see it’s the same? The same guns, the same children dying in the streets?
Only the dream has changed, the blood is the same colour. Is that what you want?”
- John le Carré
Agents live with the constant threat That’s how violence begins in the
of exposure and death. Agencies real world. It starts fast. There’s almost
ask a lot, and sometimes, the only no time to react. That’s how our fights
solution to a problem is to make it begin here, too.
go away permanently. The tools of A fight scene begins when someone
the trade are many, but one thing is calls out, “Strike!” and points at
always known: a bullet in the back of another player. No initiative rolls. You
the skull is the fastest way to shut up call it out and it happens.
someone who is leaking your secrets. When an attacker announces a
Normally combat chapters in Strike, they gain two bonus dice. There
roleplaying games are very long is a slight advantage to surprise. Not
and complicated. In this game, the much, but enough for two bonus dice.
combat chapter is going to be one of If both Agents call out “Strike!” at
the shortest. the same time, neither gains bonus
There are two circumstances where dice. There is no surprise, therefore
the violence mechanics are necessary: a no advantage.
strike and mass murder. We’ll discuss
each in turn. EXAMPLE: As Ben and I find
our characters in a heated
STRIKE debate, Ben’s character says
something to mine that my
A strike is an immediate action. One
character doesn’t quite like.
Agent draws his pistol and the other
So, he decides to gun Ben’s
responds. This is not a formal, polite
character down. I declare a
action like in a western showdown.
“Strike!” The violence begins.
This is an Agent immediately
drawing their Walther and their
target responding as quickly as
possible. The first actions in a fight are between
the attacker and the defender. No one
else can assist. The action is too quick.
The two Agents draw guns and
(most likely) one of them dies. After
the first strike is over, other Agents
40
can announce intentions to attack,
but the first attack and defense OPTIONAL RULE
are between the attacker and the Silenced Pistols
defender and no one else. If you’d like to add some drama and
tension to the game, use this rule:
Result If you’ve been struck by a silenced
After a strike has been called, both pistol, you die. In this case, the
opponents gather dice for a contested victor may be the defender and the
Violence risk. You know the procedure. defeated may be the attacker. It’s
Each player announces their dice, then entirely possible to draw a weapon
hides their wagers, then rolls. on a superior foe, and lose your life in
The victor (the player who rolls the process. It happens all the time in
highest) gains privilege and may espionage fiction and it can happen
determine the outcome of the strike. here. Violence is unpredictable, tragic
Does the attacker or the defender and almost never beneficial.
Chapter 5: Action and Violence

successfully strike? Do they both
miss? The victor determines the Weapons
outcome, whatever it may be. If you get struck with any weapon, you
take a Rank 1 Injury. Your opponent
EXAMPLE: Ben and I both may use wagers to increase the Rank
gather dice. of the Injury, but only up to a number
Ben has eight dice while of wagers equal to his Violence.
I have six. We both make If using the Optional Rule for
wagers secretly, then reveal Silenced Pistols above, a Silenced
our wagers and roll. Ben Pistol will automatically kill the target
made three wagers while I of its attack.
made two.
Ben’s roll: 5 + 5 + 2 + 2 + en they have
A gents die wh and
1 = 15 ank 5 injury,
suffered a R
ent to declare
My roll: 6 + 4 + 3 + 1 = 14 a wager is sp
them dead.
Ben gets privilege, so he can
narrate the outcome of the strike. He
could say that I win the strike. He
could say that he wins the fight. He
could say that we both strike each
other at the same time. It’s up to him
to determine how the fight goes.
41
Mass Murder
So, what happens when three or
more Agents want to get involved
in a fight? You’ve got a mass murder
on your hands. After a strike occurs,
if other Agents want to be involved
in the violence, then the Narrator
invokes the mass murder rules.
Step 1: Gather Dice

Using Wagers All players who want to be involved
If you have a dead opponent and gather dice as if they were preparing
wagers left over, you may convert your for a strike: Violence + Aspect + Role
wagers into Cover. Two wagers make (if appropriate) + other bonuses. All
one Cover Point that you can add to players announce how many dice
an applicable Cover. This represents they have.
using the violence to protect your
Agent and solidify their cover. If mass murder directly follows a
strike, the winner of the strike gains
two bonus dice for the mass murder.
Using Trust If an Agent has the Quick Advantage,
If your Agent is about to be killed,
they may use it during this step.
you may pull one Trust from the
Trust Pool to reduce your death to a Step 2: Declare Strikes
Rank 5 Injury. On the count of three, each player
points at who they want to strike. If a
The Henchmen Rule player wants to strike an NPC, then
Henchmen are any non-Agent they point at the Narrator.
characters, unnamed enemy Agents
or NPCs. Any Agent can kill a Step 3: Strike
henchman simply by announcing it. Everyone sets aside wagers (secretly)
“I kill him.” That’s all it takes. and rolls. The player who rolls
If there’s more than one henchman, highest has initiative and privilege.
an Agent can kill a number of them He may declare his strikes first.
equal to his Violence. No player loses any wagers for not
If you took Violence as a weakness, gaining privilege in mass murder.
then you cannot employ this rule. All players keep all wagers made.
This does not mean henchmen In the event of a tie, strikes occur
cannot harm you. If they are in a group, simultaneously.
and you cannot remove them all, then The striking Agent rolls a contested
they can still act against you, using their Violence risk against his target. The
wagers to inflict Injuries like normal. winner gets privilege.
42
During mass murder, an Agent the Soldiers or Guards can take the
may strike one opponent. Then, the hit instead, saving their commander.
player who rolled the next highest The Soldiers and Guards may do
number may declare a strike. This this a number of times equal to their
continues until all Agents involved Rank. Doing so diminishes their
have made a strike. Rank, however, leaving the General
Then, go back to the first player. and Security Chief with fewer men to
They may make an additional strike. command. A group of Rank 3 Soldiers
Each wager made by this player who take an Injury for their master
allows them to strike an additional become Rank 2 Soldiers. When they
opponent. This continues with each lose all their Ranks, their commanders
Agent making an additional strike, have no more men to command. Both
in turn, until all additional strikes Soldiers and Guards become refreshed
are exhausted. at the end of the Season.
After all strikes are exhausted, Also, both the Soldiers and Guards
count as Agents in regards to the
Chapter 5: Action and Violence

if Agents wish to continue mass
murder, then repeat the process. Henchmen Rule and during mass
murder. They roll a number of dice
equal to their commander’s Violence
Soldiers & Guards plus their Rank.
The Commander and the Security The Soldiers’ special ability gives
Chief both have vassals at their them bonuses during War. You can read
command who can be used during about their bonuses in that chapter.
Violence Scenes. The Soldiers and The Guards, however, may extend
Guards provide similar duties but their ability to any other Agents
each also has a unique ability only under their Director’s command. In
they can perform. other words, they are not limited to
The Soldiers’ and Guards’ only protecting the Security Chief.
effectiveness is directly related to The Security Chief can command
their leader’s Role Rank. The higher which Agents that the Guards
the Role Rank, the more effective protect during mass murder. The
the Soldiers and Guards. Each Role Soldiers and Guards cannot use their
Rank adds a Rank onto the vassals. abilities during a strike.
In other words, if the Commander Important note: Guards cannot
is Rank 2, then he commands two provide bonus dice during War.
Ranks of Soldiers. They can protect their charge (the
Likewise, if the Security Chief is Security Chief and his fellows) by
Rank 3, then he has three Ranks of taking Injuries, but they provide no
Guards with him. Both the Soldiers bonus dice.
and Guards can take Injuries for
their commanders. If the General or
Security Chief ever suffer an Injury,
43
CHAPTER SIX:
ESPIONAGE AND INTRIGUE
“Intelligence work has one moral law — it is justified by results.” - John le Carré
Using Operational Operational

Techniques Advantages
Operational Advantages are allies,
Now, with all that in mind, how does
locations, equipment and training
one go about using “Operational
that the Operational Analyst can
Techniques” and other similar ideas
impart to the team, to aid them and
and mechanics in a roleplaying game?
help them succeed.
Additionally, having access to a CON
Gear and Gadgets OPs will also allow a team without an
In Cold Shadows, we deliberately leave Operational Analyst to gain the benefit
the time and place that constitute the of Operational Advantages.
game’s setting up in the air. Internally,
Your Agents gain a number of
we normally play it in a Cold War-era
Operational Advantages each Season
setting, with period-appropriate tech,
equal to the Rank of the CON OPs in
but that doesn’t mean you must play
your Division. That is, if you have a
the game in this setting.
Rank 3 CON OPs, then your Agents
must share three separate Operational
Shrinks & Psychology Advantages; each Agent does not
Spies are a goddamn mess. Their receive three Advantages each.
heads are full of secrets, their closets A Division may have more than one
full of skeletons. They constantly CON OPs, thus giving your Agents
need help and must visit a Shrink to multiple Operational Advantages.
remain stable and healthy.
Listed below are the many
With a Season Action—and a Shrink Operational Advantages that an
Resource —an Agent may gain a Operational Analyst or CON OPs can
Stability Point. give their allies. When you work with
Agents may spend a Stability Point a CON OPs, they (i.e. the Narrator)
before any roll. Doing so turns that will give you the Advantage they feel
roll into a ten. The Agent must roll at you need and/or deserve.
least one die, but the Stability Point You may only use each Operational
turns that single die into a ten. He Advantage once per Season.
must spend the Stability Point before
rolling and before declaring wagers.
44
Chapter 6: Espionage & Intrigue
Counter-Espionage Training
When another Agent compels one
Advanced Training of your Aspects, you may invoke this
Invoke this Operational Advantage Operational Advantage and ignore
before making a risk. You may that compel.
replace your lowest Virtue with your
highest Virtue. You may not replace Counter-Plan
your Weakness. Invoke this Operational Advantage
after you have rolled dice in a
Always Prepared contested Cunning risk. Cancel your
Invoke this Operational Advantage opponent’s wagers in this risk.
after another Agent has declared Success and failure of the risk are
surprise upon you. You may cancel unaffected, but only you can keep
the effects of surprise. your wagers.
Blackmail Counter-Strike
Invoke this Operational Advantage Invoke this Operational Advantage
and target an Agent. You must be and pick one opponent during the
able to name the Agent’s Aspect. That Gather Dice phase of a contested
Agent loses the invoke for that Aspect Violence risk before any wagers are
until next Season. The Aspect can still made. Before you roll for your attack,
be compelled, but not invoked. you may deduct dice from your own
pool to force your opponent to deduct
dice from their pool, one for one.
45
Field Hospital Parkour Training
After taking an Injury, invoke this Invoke this Operational Advantage
Operational Advantage. You may after you have rolled dice in a
reduce that Injury’s Rank by three. contested Athleticism risk. Cancel
your opponent’s wagers in this risk.
Force of Personality Success and failure of the risk are
Invoke this Operational Advantage unaffected, but only you can keep
after you have rolled dice in a your wagers.
contested Charisma risk. Cancel
your opponent’s wagers in this risk. Plan In Place
Success and failure of the risk are When it comes time to make wagers
unaffected, but only you can keep in any contested risk, invoke this
your wagers. Operational Advantage. You may look
at your opponent’s wagers before you
Iron Will make your own. Your opponent may
Invoke this Operational Advantage not change their wagers after you’ve
after you have rolled dice in a contested looked at them. You do not have to
Resolve risk. Cancel your opponent’s show your own wagers. You also
wagers in this risk. Success and failure cannot reveal your opponent’s wagers
of the risk are unaffected, but only you to other Agents.
can keep your wagers.
46
Preemptive Strike Surveillance
Invoke this Operational Advantage Invoke this Operational Advantage
if you lose a risk. You may either after you have rolled dice in a
spend your wager first or make your contested Perception risk. Cancel
opponent spend theirs. your opponent’s wagers in this risk.
Success and failure of the risk are
Press The Advantage unaffected, but only you can keep
Invoke this Operational Advantage your wagers.
after privilege is determined but
before any wagers are spent. You may Team Building Exercise
spend two wagers in a row (rather Invoke this Operational Advantage to
than just one at a time). You may prevent one Trust loss.
only do this once during this risk.
Trained Interrogator
Strategic Focus Invoke this Operational Advantage
Chapter 6: Espionage & Intrigue

Invoke this Operational Advantage after another character has spoken
while surveilling a target (be it an to you. You know whether that
Agent or an object). On your next character is lying or telling the truth.
risk against that target, you know
exactly where its weakness lies. Trained Strike
This applies to any roll, such as the Invoke this Operational Advantage
weakness of an argument or a gap after you have rolled dice in a contested
in someone’s fighting style. You gain Violence risk. Cancel your opponent’s
free wagers equal to your Intellect wagers in this risk. Success and failure
on your next risk against that target. of the risk are unaffected, but only you
You can reveal this weakness to can keep your wagers.
another, but the person to whom you
are communicating does not gain Triggered Advantage
complete understanding. Another Invoke this Operational Advantage
Agent can only gain half your after dice have been rolled in a risk
Intellect in wagers. but before privilege has been declared.
You may spend your wager before
Superior Knowledge anyone else.
Invoke this Operational Advantage
after you have rolled dice in a contested Verifiable Facts
Intellect risk. Cancel your opponent’s Invoke this Operational Advantage
wagers in this risk. Success and failure when making a confession or revealing
of the risk are unaffected, but only you statement. All in attendance believe
can keep your wagers. your sincerity.
47
CHAPTER SEVEN:
SEASONS
“You should have died when I killed you.” - John le Carré
Time is an important element in

Cold Shadows. It moves forward The Passage of Time
at a terrible pace. Never hesitating, When you first sit down to play Cold
never resting. The passage of time Shadows, with everybody around
gives characters the chance to grow, the table—character sheets, dice and
to practice, to become more than refreshments ready—the Season
what they are. Time also allows an has begun. In other words, the first
Agency the opportunity to grow, to adventure begins the first Season.
accumulate more power and secrets We’ll assume you’ll be starting with
and to undo their enemies. Spring. Remember: you have ninety
This chapter focuses on the days before the end of the season.
Seasons mechanic you will use to That leaves you with plenty of time to
measure the passage of time in the get a lot done.
campaign. As the seasons pass, both Each Season, the Narrator prepares
your characters and your Agency several stories (otherwise known
will grow and change. You can as “adventures”). A story, of course,
make long-term plans into motion is a fictional tale with a beginning,
and watch as they come to pass. You a middle and an end in which the
will spy on other Agencies, build characters take part—for better or
Archives, hire contacts to protect worse. The Narrator chapter has more
the Director, mine assets for secrets information on building stories.
and attempt to diffuse international Characters cannot participate in
and intra-Agency tensions. more than three stories per Season.
These things require time. More Upkeep of contacts, assets and
time than is allowed in a single resources and other downtime actions
adventure. Days, weeks and months demand attention.
of toil, labor, blood and sweat go If the players take up too much
into a Season Action. Great effort time with stories, the Narrator may
for great deeds. To explain the determine that they cannot spend time
long-term strategies and subtle handling other important activities.
maneuvers of a Season, we have this
chapter.
Season Actions
At the end of each Season, the Director
prepares their Season Actions. Season
Actions represent large, long ranging
plans and goals.
48
A Director has a number of Season A Division may only have up to
Actions equal to the number of ten Assets. Once you reach that total,
Divisions they control. In other words, you must start looking to expand into
as a starting Director, the Director new Divisions.
controls one Division. This means
the Director has one Season Action. The Season
As they conquer additional Divisions, Spring, Summer, Autumn and
they gain additional Season Actions. Winter. When you first sit down to
The Director and their officers all have play the game, you should start in
Season Actions they may perform. the Spring Season. You’ll play one
These represent long-term goals for or two adventures, then move on to
the Agency. the Summer Season. Then Autumn,
then Winter, then back to Spring.
Divisions Circles, circles, circles. Four Seasons
Every Director owns his own Agency, constitute a Year and at the end of the
which is comprised of numerous Year, your character ages.
Divisions. A Division is an ambiguous That’s how the Seasons work. The
amount of power, bureaucracy and slow and inevitable crawl of time.
Chapter 7: Seasons
assets controlled by the Director.
Some Divisions are large while others
are small. For this system, the actual
Actions
Every Season, the Director can take
size of the Division is unimportant.
a number of Season Actions. They
The fact that the Director runs it
can use their Season Actions for the
establishes their authority and power.
following tasks.
Every Division should also have a
• Division Improvement: Make your
name. I’m not going to force you to
Division a better place by building
name your Division, but if you don’t,
important Resources or Assets.
you’ll look awfully silly when someone
at a party asks you for your Division’s• Craft Items: The Director can
name and you say, “Oh, uh, we haven’t direct the Resources of the
named it yet.” Division to create items and
tools the Agents will need.
• Personal Training: Make the
Resources
players’ characters better Agents
Your Division has a number of
by adding further details to their
Assets that represent the Director’s
character sheet.
accumulated power and assets. Each
Season, your Assets provide either
Resources or Actions (or, sometimes,
both). Keep your Division’s Assets in
mind as you go through the Season.
49
Also, the Archives provide your
DIVISION Agents with a number of leads equal
IMPROVEMENT to its Rank. A lead is an Intellect-based
The Director may order a new Asset wager that allows the Agents to say
for a Division, providing his Agents things are true this Season.
the benefit of that Asset when it is Like normal wagers, leads cannot
complete. be used to contradict facts already
Acquiring an Asset requires a Season established in the game. If an Agent
Action. wants to use a wager from the Archives
to say the Director of a rival Agency is
• A Division may only have a total
secretly a drunk, or a coward or even
of ten Assets.
dead (and being portrayed by his Field
• A brand-new Asset begins at Officer), then they may do so.
Rank 1: a new and untested Asset.
However, with further Season Combat Instructor
Actions, you can improve your If the Director supports a Combat
Assets, increasing their Ranks. Instructor, your Agents gain a number
• An Asset may not have a Rank of bonus Violence wagers, per Season,
greater than three. equal to the Rank of the Combat
Improving an Asset requires a Season Instructor. The Combat Instructor only
Action. provides one, two or three wagers for all
the Agents to use, so use them carefully.
Archives Also, the Combat Instructor provides
If the Director supports Archives, your an additional benefit. Providing
Agents gain a number of bonus Intellect Soldiers with the knowledge and
wagers, per Season, equal to the Rank of training a Combat Instructor provides
the Archives. The Archives only provide (see Violence for more information)
one, two or three wagers for all the increases their skills, making them
Agents to use, so use them carefully. more effective warriors. Using a
Season of Field Hospital wagers
increases the Rank of any Soldiers
troop by one.
Con Ops
If the Director supports a CON OPs,
you gain a number of Operational
Advantages (see Espionage and
Intrigue) equal to the CON OPs
Rank. In other words, if you have
a Rank 2 CON OPs, then your
Agents share two Operational
Advantages among themselves.
50
A Division may have more than
one CON OPs, thus providing
more Advantages for your
Agents to share.
Factory
Factories produce Agents,
Covers and more. They are not
literal industry factories. Instead,
“factory” is a term used to refer
to any location that churns out
deniable paperwork.
If the Director supports a Factory,
your Agents gain a number of by a silenced pistol. Your Agents may
bonus Charisma wagers, per Season, do this a number of times per Season
equal to the Rank of the Factory. The equal to the Rank of the Field Hospital.
Factory only provides one, two or (Don’t go jumping in front of trains,
three wagers for all the Agents to use, out of planes without parachutes
Chapter 7: Seasons
so use them carefully. or perform other acts of stupidity,
Also, the Factory provides a number of trying to abuse a rule’s literal text, thus
Gifts each Season equal to its Rank. A violating the spirit of the rule. Only a
Gift, when presented, adds a number wanker would do that, and it could
of free wagers to any social risk equal result in the loss of 3 Trust.)
to its own rank. A Factory produces a
number of Gift Ranks equal to its own Garage
Rank, so a Rank 3 Factory can make Where the engineers and mechanics
three Rank 1 Gifts or one Rank 3 Gift, maintain the vehicles, you use. Your
as the Director wishes. Agency’s vehicles have a Rank equal
Gifts are often used to bribe, gain to the Rank of your Garage. Any
access and ease social negotiations. vehicle-based risks gain a number
of free wagers equal to the Rank of
Field Hospital your Garage.
If the Director supports a Field
Hospital, your Agents gain a number
Garrison
of bonus Resolve wagers, per Season, A Garrison allows you to hold troops
equal to the Rank of the Field Hospital. in your Division. A Garrison allows
The Field Hospital only provides one, a Rank of Soldiers for each Rank
two or three wagers for all the Agents of the Garrison. (See War for more
to use, so use them carefully. information.)
The Field Hospital provides an
additional benefit: the Agents may
ignore any weapon Injury not caused
51
Quartermaster
Quartermasters are responsible for
assigning weapons, supplies and
tools to the Agents who need them
on their missions, and ongoing
maintenance of those tools. The
quality of your Agency’s weapons
relies on the Quartermaster.
With a Quartermaster, your Agents
are all equipped with normal-
quality silenced pistols and other
weaponry (see Equipment, below).
Shrink Each Season, your Quartermaster
can take a Season Action to provide
If the Director supplies a Shrink,
one of your Agents with a Normal-
your Agents gain a number of bonus
Quality weapon. The Rank of your
Intellect wagers, per Season, equal to
Quartermaster equals the number of
the Rank of the Shrink. The Shrink
Normal-Quality weapons and other
only provides one, two or three
equipment your Agents can acquire
wagers for all the agents to use, so
and maintain each Season.
use them carefully.
For example, if you have a Rank 1
Also, a Shrink provides your Agents
Quartermaster, then as a Season
with Stability Points (see Espionage
Action, he can provide one of your
and Intrigue). It provides a number of
Agents with one sniper rifle. A
Stability Points equal to its Rank as a
Quartermaster of higher Rank can
Season Action.
produce better-Quality equipment.
Slush Fund Each Rank allows him to increase the
Where the banks and government Rank of your equipment by one level
drones toil to generate the real keystone of Quality.
of the espionage economy: deniable For example, a Rank 2 Quartermaster
slush funds. Slush Funds produce can supply two Normal-Quality
Resources, which are essential for an pistols or a single Fine-Quality pistol.
Agent’s usage. A Rank 3 Quartermaster can supply
A Slush Fund produces two Resources three Normal-Quality pistols or one
per Rank per Season. Exquisite-Quality pistol.
It takes time and effort to smuggle
deniable weapons and assets into the
field, and every time such equipment
is used, it risks being compromised.
Hence the limit on how easily a
Quartermaster can supply equipment.
52
Safehouse Craft items
If the Director supports a Safehouse, Certain Assets can produce Equipment.
your Agents gain a number of bonus This represents your Division spending
Cunning wagers, per Season, equal time, effort and resources to create
to the Rank of the Safehouse. The weapons and art that further the goals
Safehouse only provides one, two or of your Agency.
three wagers for all the Agents to use, An Asset may make a number
so use them carefully. of items equal to its Rank. Thus, a
Also, the Safehouse provides additional Rank 1 Asset may only make a single
Resources per Season… and may Equipment piece. All such Equipment
produce more if you take a gamble and pieces are Good Quality; they provide
risk breaching security. The provides a bonus to any Agent who uses them.
one Resource per Rank of the Safehouse. If an Asset has a Rank greater
If the players want to gamble, they can than Rank 1, then it may produce
earn two additional Resources if they Equipment of greater Quality than
can roll a 5 or a 6 on a number of dice Normal. For example, a Rank 2 Asset
equal to the Rank of the Safehouse. If can produce a Rank 2 Equipment (Fine
Chapter 7: Seasons
they do not roll a 5 or 6, then they lose Quality) or it can produce two Items
the Resources they gambled. of Good Quality. Remember: if your
Division does not have certain Assets
Training Site (the Quartermaster, for example), all
If the Director supports a Training Equipment your Division provides are
Site, your Agents gain a number of only Normal. You must have specific
bonus Athleticism wagers, per Season, Assets to gain Equipment of Good,
equal to the Rank of the Training Site. Fine or Exquisite Quality.
The Training Site only provides one,
two or three wagers for all the Agents
to use, so use them carefully.
Benefits of Quality
Each level of Quality above Normal
The Training Site provides another gives the person using the Equipment
benefit: it provides a number of free a bonus die for any appropriate risks.
Season Actions for the sole purpose of A Fine tailored suit, for example,
the Personal Training Season Action. provides two bonus dice for Charisma
These Actions do not count toward risks. An Exquisite Silenced Pistol
the maximum number of Actions that provides three bonus dice for any
may be spent for Personal Training Violence risks.
(see Personal Training as a Season
Normal No Bonus
Action, below).
Good 1 die
Fine 2 dice
Exquisite 3 dice
53
To an Agent, nothing is more
PERSONAL TRAINING important than the weapons they carry.
Personal Training allows you to add Agents carry a single pistol with a
elements to your character sheet. silencer, always. This is considered
The Director may use a Season a normal-quality item. The silencer
Action to give your character an grants +2 dice to any risk to avoid
additional Role Rank. detection while the pistol is being used.
The Director may also spend a Season
Action to add an Aspect to your sheet. Requisitioning more
You are limited to the total number of Equipment
Aspects you may have on your sheet. Only the Quartermaster can requisition
You may only have two Aspects plus more equipment or weapons for Agents.
a number of bonus Aspects equal to The Quality of an item is measured by
your Wisdom. No Wisdom? No bonus the Rank of the Quartermaster.
Aspects. • A Rank 1 Quartermaster may
The Training Site Asset can spend make a Normal-Quality weapon or
Season Actions for Personal Training. item. A Normal-Quality weapon
See the Training Site in Assets, above. or item has no bonus Techniques.
• A Rank 2 Quartermaster may
Silenced Pistols make a Good-Quality weapon or
It was said that you could tell the item. A Good-Quality weapon or
quality and personality of an Agent item may have one Technique.
by their weapon of choice. Times have • A Rank 3 Quartermaster may
changed. Overt action is frowned make a Fine-Quality weapon or
upon, and wearing restricted weapons item. A Fine-Quality weapon or
in public is a great way to get caught item may have two Techniques.
and hanged as a spy. • A Rank 4 Quartermaster may
make an Exquisite-Quality
weapon or item. An
Exquisite-Quality weapon
or item may have three
Techniques.
54
Techniques Extra Cover
High-Quality items often give access Some items can provide extra Covers
to techniques. Each point of Quality when they are displayed or used. For
an item has, gives it one technique example, if you have the Cover “Hans
that can be used. Qualities have Ranks Gruber (Terrorist),” then your item
just like other items in the game. An can also carry that Cover and be used
Exquisite-Quality item can have three to aid you. Your item grants a bonus to
Rank 1 techniques, a Rank 2 and that Cover equal to the item’s Rank in
Rank 1 technique, or a single Rank 3 this quality.
technique. If a Hitter has this technique, they gain
an extra Cover, with a Cover Rank
Bad Reputation equal to their Role Rank.
Some weapons or items carry a Bad
Reputation. If your Agent carries a Extra Training
Bad Reputation weapon or item, then Some items or weapons also give the
at the beginning of each game session, benefits of training, without having
the Narrator adds a number of Trust to train. A weapon or item may only
Points to the Pool equal to the Quality carry one “Extra Training”, regardless
Chapter 7: Seasons
of the weapon or item. of its Quality. An item with this quality
Once per game session, the Narrator grants one benefit from the Advantage
can force the user of the item to lose list in Chapter 1.
dice from a risk dice pool equal to the If the Hitter has this technique, they
Rank of this Quality. gain one extra Advantage from the list
If a Hitter has this technique, the in Chapter 1.
Narrator can reduce their dice pool by
the Hitter’s Role Rank.
Swift Strikes
The quality of the handle determines
Brutally Efficient the control an Agent has over the item.
The quality of the item determines the If you invest in the weapon or item’s
control an Agent has over its use. If the “swift strikes”, then it allows a number
item or Agent has a Brutally Efficient of free strikes equal to the Rank of this
technique, the user gains a number of free Quality.
wagers equal to the Rank of this Quality. If a Hitter has this technique, the
If a Hitter has this technique, they gain Hitter gains free strikes equal to their
a number of free wagers equal to their Role Rank.
Role Rank.
55
Breaking a Agents & Resources
Weapon or Item We assume all Agents are well-paid,
A weapon or item breaks if the Agent have homes or apartments, can access
using it does not beat 10 on their roll their necessities and are far from
and their opponent spends one wager. impoverished. In their Director’s eyes,
So, to break an opponent’s weapon or they have no need to pay for anything.
item, you must win privilege, spend If they need a car, they take it from the
a wager and your opponent must roll Garage. If they need a weapon or item,
less than 10. they take it from the Quartermaster.
Their Director provides everything
You must spend a number of wagers
they need.
equal to the Quality of the weapon or
item. A Normal weapon or item costs But additional Resources provide an
one wager to break. A Good weapon or Agent with funds above and beyond
item costs two wagers to break. A Fine their needs. If the Director’s Divisions
weapon or item costs three wagers to produce extra Resources, it is the Field
break. An Exquisite weapon or item Officer’s duty to hand those Resources
costs four wagers to break. out to the Agents who deserve them.
At the end of the Year, Officers
can spend any additional Resources
Resources on just about anything they want.
Money is king in the modern world, Want a new suit and you don’t have a
and as little greenback soldiers work Quartermaster? Resources tend to that
to take over the world, spy agencies need. Want a new weapon or item and
leverage financial institutions to gain your Quartermaster is busy? Resources
access to more resources and money. tend to that need. Agents may also
This is represented abstractly in the spend Resources to make their own
game as “Resources”. contacts and allies happier. Any
A Resource represents enough money Resources spent on contacts or allies
to supply, pay and care for an Agent. (such as the Commander’s Soldiers,
Realistically, each Division should have the Intelligence Analyst’s contacts or
operating budgets in the millions of the Security Officer’s guard) give that
dollars, but that requires a bit too much Officer a bonus equal to the Resources
math for a roleplaying game. spent.
Each Season, your Division generates An Officer cannot spend more
Resources—if you have a Slush Fund, Resources than his Rank.
that is. This game assumes your
Division generates enough Resources
Commander
to keep everything running. The Resources add to the General’s Troops.
Resources you deal with is the excess Every Resource increases their Rank
you can use to purchase additional by one until the end of the Season.
Assets, equipment, etc.
56
Field Officer Operational Analyst
Resources add to the Seneschal’s Staff, More funds give more access to
adding one Rank per Resource. Operational Advantages. One extra
Operational Advantage per Resource
Hitter spent.
Resources further motivate the Hitter,
making them a more threatening Public Relations
individual. Each Resource adds to the Resources give PR more bribes, thus
dice the Hitter gains for intimidation. earning them an additional favor per
Resource spent.
Intelligence Analyst
If a Spy Master gets Resources, they Security Officer
can spend it on their agents, adding Additional Resources increase the
to the number of times they can learn morale of the Security Officer’s
secrets. Guards. Each Resource increases their
Rank by one.
Chapter 7: Seasons
57
tag you for two bonus dice on any
Equipment appropriate risk.
& Resources Normal equipment provides no
If an Agent has any Resources, then we bonuses or penalties. An Agent can
assume they have enough Resources purchase Normal equipment if they
to pay for any mundane needs. A have one Resource. One Resource lasts
night at the inn, a bowl of pho, wine— an Agent the entire year and covers all
whatever they need. Remember: one their costs.
Resource is enough to feed and house
Good equipment provides a bonus
an Agent for a year. That one Resource
of one die to any appropriate risk
represents all of an Agent’s needs for
and costs one Resource, regardless
an entire year. Fiddling over the cost of
of what it is.
a night at hotel is just silly.
Fine equipment provides a bonus
If the Agent needs a new suit, they
of two dice to any appropriate risk
get one. It doesn’t give them any
and costs two Resources, regardless
bonuses and it is just a Normal-Quality
of what it is.
suit, but it will do. An Agent receives
their equipment from their Division. Exquisite equipment provides three
They do not have to pay for their bonus dice to any appropriate risk and
weapons or items or vehicles or other costs three Resources, regardless of
gear. Their Director expects them what it is.
to fight for the Division, therefore,
the Director provides them with the Touchstones
proper equipment to do just that. Agents may spend one of their Season
Usually, the Director provides you Actions with their Touchstone. This
with Normal equipment. This provides time spent improves their Trust and
no bonus or penalty. However, you may role as an Agent for their Agency. When
seek out finer equipment… but you they spend a Season Action on their
need to know where to look. Talented Touchstone, they remove a Betrayal
Quartermasters can provide Fine or even token from the Trust Pool and remove
Exquisite weapon or items and armor, but a mark from their Bond of Trust. They
they are often difficult to locate. (In other also add a Trust Point to the pool.
words, looking for high-quality items can
provide an adventure hook.) End of the year
The quality of your equipment Another important date. The end of
is important. Equipment comes in the Year.
five categories, listed below. Poor In Winter, Agents mark the end
equipment includes anything found of the Year by looking back at their
on the battlefield, left over or otherwise accomplishments and defeats. But
scavenged. If your Agent has poor more importantly, each and every one
equipment, they gain the tag Poorly of them takes one more step toward
Equipped. Any other Agents can inevitable death.
58
This section can seem
Age confusing. Effectively, Age is
On your character sheet, you’ll find a abstracted to a pool of “Age
space for Age. When you created your Points” that roll over between
character, you were instructed to roll one seasons when the pool reaches
d6 and write that number there. It is the 60. This represents not just
end of the Year. Time to add to that total. aging, but the mental, social and
physical wear and tear of the
At the end of the Year, each Agent
espionage world.
rolls one d6 and adds those Age Points
to their Age.
When your Agent’s Age reaches Autumn to Winter: Gain one new
60 Points or higher, your character Aspect and two new Winter Aspects.
advances to the next Phase of their life. Winter Aspects
Spring to Summer, Summer to Autumn, A Winter Aspect has only a compel and
Autumn to Winter, Winter… to Death. no invoke. It must be an Aspect like
Once you reach 60 or higher, erase “Bad Leg” or “Blind Eye” or “Quivering
that total. You now have zero Age Points. Hands.” When your character moves into
At the end of next Year, roll one d6 and Autumn, you gain one Winter Aspect.
Chapter 7: Seasons
write down your roll in that spot. When your character moves into Winter,
you get two more. Spies get old. And
Phase to Phase eventually, they die… or disappear.
When your character moves from Spring Covers
to Summer or Summer to Fall or Fall to An Agent can create a new Rank 1 Cover
Winter, they may make certain changes. when moving between Phases. You may
They can change their Name, change their only do this once between phases.
Aspects and even switch their Virtues.
Listed below are all the changes your
Virtues
When your character enters a new Phase,
character can make when they move from
they may switch their Virtues. For example,
Phase to Phase. You can make any number
as your character grows older, they may
of these changes, as you see fit.
switch their Wisdom and Strength or
Name perhaps their Violence and Cunning.
You may, if you like, change your Public You may switch your Virtues as you
Name, changing who you are. Altering wish, but remember, you always have
your Destiny. Taking on a new path. a Weakness.
Aspects
When you move to a new Phase, you Death
also gain new Aspects. Winter Phase. You’ve reached 60 Age
Spring to Summer: Gain two Aspects points at the End of the Year. Time for
Summer to Autumn: Gain one new your character to pass away or retire.
Aspect and one Winter Aspect. You will have to make a new character,
as this character is no longer playable.
59
CHAPTER Eight:
WAR BETWEEN AGENCIES
“There are no allies in state craft. Only common interest.”
- Atlee, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Warfare is an important part of the You only have a War Rank with
political landscape, and the sign of Agencies you meet and interact with
a failed espionage operation. If your during the campaign. War Rank can
Agency ends up in an inter-Agency also be applied to organizations that
war, shit has gone so sideways that are not spy-based, such as police
there’s no coming back. outfits, criminal organizations or
In nearly every spy story, characters political entities.
are either at war, go to war or suffer the
scars of it. The system in this chapter War Before 10
provides you with a way to present Question: Can you declare War before
warfare in a way that is narrative rather the War Rank reaches 10?
than tactical. Yes, tactics can come into Answer: Yes, you can. Reaching 10
play, but more importantly, this system means War is inevitable.
allows the players and Narrator to tell
the story of the conflict. There is also Escalation
an element of arbitrariness in the Once you have established contact with
system—which players can modify— Agents or operatives from another
allowing for a sense of real danger and Agency, you automatically receive a
helplessness amid epic struggles. War Rank 1 with that Agency. Every
Season, that War Rank increases by 1
The War Rank unless you take direct actions to stop it
from going up. You can also take actions
Your Agency does not live in a vacuum.
to decrease the War Rank between you
You have enemies and allies with and
and another Agency… but the Agents
against whom you operate. Their
from the other Agency may do the
Agents are targets. Their Assets need to
same—both increasing and decreasing
be turned. Their operations disrupted.
the War Rank.
War is inevitable. It will happen. It’s
During your game, when you
only a matter of time. To represent this
interact with Agents from other
fact, each of the Agencies you interact
Agencies, your actions may (or may
with has a War Rank representing
not) increase the War Rank with that
how close you are to covert and inter-
Province.
Agency warfare with that Agency.
The lower the Rank, the further you Listed below are all the ways you
are from War. The higher the Rank, can increase and decrease the War
the closer you get to War. Rank with another Agency.
60
Chapter 8: War Between Agencies
Other Actions
Gifts During the campaign, an Agent
If you send a Gift to another Agency, may commit an offense that justifies
the War Rank between the two increasing the War Rank. You know
Agencies decreases by a Rank equal those pesky players; always coming
to the Rank of the Gift. up with something you and I never
Gifts can include Resources. If thought of…
you send Resources, decrease the
War Rank equal to the number of Declaring War
Resources you send. Once the War Rank between two
Provinces reaches 10, War is inevitable.
Insults It will occur the next Season.
If you insult the Trust of another War is a Season Action. It is the
Agency, the War Rank increases by one. only Season Action a Director
and their Officers can take for that
Murder
Season. All Resources and efforts are
If an Agent from another Agency dedicated to War.
is murdered in (or even near) an
That is, if you declare War, you may
operation of yours, the War Rank
take no other Season Actions that Year.
increases by a number of Ranks
equal to that Agent’s Role Rank. This
is at the Narrator’s discretion.
61
Calculations The Third Calculation:
When determining the outcome of a Terrain and Locale
War, we must calculate the Advantages Who can take advantage of the
each side has. benefits of city and state?
Winning one of the calculations Division makes an Intellect risk (Aspects
means you gain Advantage Points. and other benefits are appropriate).
Whichever side has the most Advantage The one who gains privilege adds their
Points at the end of the calculations will wagers as Advantages. The loser only
most likely be the victor. adds half their wagers, rounded up, as
Although, some other factors may Advantages.
come into play after the calculations
are made…. The Fourth Calculation:
Orders
The First Calculation: Whose orders will be carried out most
The Moral High Ground successfully?
Whose government can establish a Each General makes a Cunning risk.
moral cause and gain the people’s The one who gains privilege adds their
enthusiastic cooperation? wagers as Advantages. The loser only
The Public Relations of each adds half their wagers, rounded up, as
Division makes a Charisma risk. Advantages.
(Speeches may be necessary from
the players. Narrator’s choice.) The The Fifth Calculation:
one who gains privilege adds their Resolve
wagers as Advantages. The loser only Whose covert army is strongest?
adds half their wagers, rounded up, Add the total Ranks of Soldiers for
as Advantages. each side. Each Rank of Soldiers
grants an Advantage Point. The
The Second Calculation: Security Officer’s Guards do not add
Commanders to this calculation.
Whose Commanders are most capable?
Next, determine the Role Rank of the The Sixth Calculation:
Commanders. Each Commander Training
gains a number of Advantage Points Whose troops have the best training?
equal to his Rank. All Agents make a Violence risk (target
number 10, as usual). The victor keeps
all theirs while the defeated only keep
half. The wagers made by each side
count as Advantages.
62
The Seventh Calculation: End of the Wave
Morale At the end of each Wave, either side
Covert wars hinge on faith, trust and may surrender. Surrenders must be
belief in duty… negotiated. If one side is unhappy with
All Officers make a Resolve risk (target the negotiations, War may continue for
number 10, as usual). The wagers made another Wave and another Season.
by each side count as Advantages. When all casualties are counted,
recount each side’s Advantages and
Waging War perform another Wave.
Once the Advantages have been Remember: No Season Actions
calculated, it is time for War. other than War may be taken while
Wars occur in Waves. Each Wave is a War is declared.
Season. During the Wave, each side uses
its Advantages to cause casualties. Each “Wow. War Sucks!”
Chapter 8: War Between Agencies

player writes down their orders secretly It costs you Season Actions. It costs you
and hands them to the Narrator. The Resources.
damage done by Advantages is revealed It costs you Soldiers. It costs you
all at once. Officers.
An Advantage can cause one of your It costs you Assets. War sucks.
opponent’s Soldiers to lose one Rank. Consider it carefully.
If a Soldier is reduced to zero Ranks,
We warned you that war was the
it is destroyed. Or, if you prefer, you
ultimate expression of an espionage
may use an Advantage to cause damage
operation and apparatus failing.
to your opponent’s Agency. You can
reduce the Rank of any Asset by one for Don’t fail.
each Advantage you use. If an Asset is
reduced to zero Ranks, it is destroyed. Winning The War
Both Soldiers and Guardsmen may War can end two ways.
use their ability to protect Officers from First, one side can surrender.
Injury. They lose a Rank for doing so. If they do, the winner of the War
You may also use Advantages to give determines what happens to the
Injuries to prominent Agents and NPCs loser. The Director and their Officers
on the opponent’s side. Each Advantage place themselves in the winner’s
is a Rank 1 Injury. You may use further hands. Or, they can all commit
Advantages to aggravate Injuries. suicide. Their choice. Negotiations
should be roleplayed, of course.
Second, one side can be destroyed.
When War is over, the winner claims
the Assets and Division of the loser.
63
CHAPTER NiNE:
THE FIELD
EXOTIC LOCALES AND OPERATIONAL FIELDS
“A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.” - John le Carré
Division Headquarters is the heart However, they can be located
of any Agency, but the real work of literally anywhere: an apartment, the
intelligence Agencies happens in offices of a local business or even a
the Field. While your Division HQ jungle camp.
is in your home country, your Field
Operations can be run out of any Who creates the field
number of places. The most common This chapter is written for the entire
location is in your country’s embassy gaming group, both the players and
located in the capital city of the the Narrator. You are all going to
region in which you’re operating. have a hand in creating the Field of
Operations because we want every
member of your group to be invested
Short term field ops
in the setting. We want players to add
and global agencies the Assets, Themes and Threats they
What if the characters are in the want the characters to face, and for the
Berlin Field but need to run an Narrator to lay the groundwork for the
Operation in Moscow? Or what if we plots and conflicts to come. We will try
want the Agency to be a truly global to be clear in this chapter when we are
Agency with jobs everywhere? addressing just the Narrator or just the
There are two simple things you can do players, but if we don’t call out either,
to achieve these campaign objectives. then please assume we are talking to all
First, create an On-the-Fly Locale as of you.
detailed later in this chapter for each Cities, countries and regions are
location you plan on visiting. byzantine structures that grow and
Second, if you want a truly global change beyond any one person’s
campaign or a campaign centered control, but creating your own Field
around Moles and Counterintelligence, for the game can be a lot of fun. When
then use your Division HQ city as your you create your Field, sit down with
Field Location. The Queen & Country your entire group and decide on the
stories, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and level of detail you want. If some of you
The Sandbaggers all use London as want more detail than others, the more
their primary Field Location with each detail-oriented members of your group
Exotic Locale a short vignette in the should take on research and design
wider story centered around the Agency themes before coming to the table to
in London. play. And if you really don’t want to
64
spend all the time creating your own and Organizations to the Field. The
Field, place a Headquarters and the Narrator collects these Points to form
Locations associated with each Role the Story Pool, a pool of points that
and start playing! will complicate and twist the events of
Let’s run down a list of what you’re the story during play.
going to have to do to create your Field:
Narrator Note:
• Step 0: Research your Field (if it is
a real place). Quick City Creation
• Step 1: Determine the major Field Creation taking too long? You’d
Themes for your Field. rather start playing now instead of
building your Field? Go ahead! All the
• Step 2: Create some Field Assets
Narrator needs to do is give the players
to help the Agency.
their points, tell them what they can
• Step 3: Spend Field Points to create spend them on, give them their free
or improve: Field Assets, Threats, Locations and dive into the story. If the
Organizations or Faces. players later want to go somewhere,
• Step 4: Fill in any details you think see someone or face an imminent
are needed, and leave some holes threat, they can spend a point to add
Chapter 9: The Field

for later fun. information to the Field Sheet.
At the start of Field Creation, each Step 0: Research
player gets (2) two Field Points, (2) Read up on your Field of Operations
two Opposition Points and (1) one if it’s a real place. Wikipedia and the
Wild Point. As your group goes CIA World Fact Book are excellent
through Field Creation, the Players resources. Travel guides are also a great
give these Points to the Narrator to
add Locations, Threats
65
I also read about Checkpoint Charlie,
place to learn about the neighborhoods a famous passage between the two
and politics of your setting. You can halves of the city and discovered Café
find travel guides to virtually anywhere Adler (Eagle Café). It was a famous café
with a simple Google search, each full situated right at the checkpoint popular
of great history, maps and important with Allied officers, and those visiting
dates and landmarks. both for normal and clandestine
As you do your research, talk to each reasons. It even overlooked East Berlin.
other about major themes you see This sounds like a fantastic location
that have developed around this Field for a Watering Hole. Cafe Adler will
of Operations. Was it in the Soviet definitely be a place my Agents will be
Bloc, a NATO ally or a Third World visiting for good or ill.
Country? Was it a major trade hub, did Step 1: Themes
it have natural resources that could be The first step is something you’ve
exploited or was it a Banana Republic roughed out already through your
ripe for the plucking by ambitious research: Themes. What major
agencies? Note these details. Designate themes are important for your Field
someone in your group to take notes of Operations and game? Talk to each
about what you all find interesting other explicitly about what kind of
about your city. game you want; some players might
I’m making my version of Berlin as it have an idea of something they want,
existed at the height of the Cold War in to help complement their character.
the 1960s. I’ve read about and watched If it doesn’t clash with the rest of the
the movie depicting the story of the Themes for the Field then the group
Bridge of Spies, so I know that Berlin should try to accommodate everyone’s
was divided a uniquely divided city ideas. If it does clash somewhat, then
between West Berlin and East Berlin. I reworking it and the other Themes
note that “A Divided City” would make so they all work together can help
a great Theme in my game. And it was a everyone get some of what they want
place where NATO and the Soviet Bloc from the game.
would do business with each other, so
those two factions will likely both come
into play as Major Organizations.
66
• Emergency Medical Staff: When
THE FIELD OF injured Agents can call on trained
OPERATIONS MAP medical staff for immediate in-the-
Acquiring and printing out a map Field help.
of your Field of Operations helps • Garage: Where the cars and vehicles
immeasurably. Or better yet, order are maintained and equipped.
an old-style fold-out map of the city
• Garrison: Guards for your
your Headquarters is in. This type
Headquarters or a small squad to be
of tactile map provides immersion.
used in the Field if the host country
While they may not be accurate for the
allows/is aware of such actions.
time period, they can help give you a
real sense of place. Make sure it’s large • Headquarters: Your in-country base.
enough for everyone to see and to • In-Country Touchstones: Family,
write on. Noting the location of various lovers, friends, favorite gambling
Field Assets, Allies and Opposition will den or a personal place agents go
help the players visualize where things to revitalize themselves, get a bit of
are located, help them plan Operations downtime and rebuild their Trust
with routes, chokepoints, meeting and sate their needs. Of course,

locations, etc. since they are in-country, they are
Step 2: Field Assets vulnerable to direct enemy action.
After deciding on a set of Themes for • Safe House: A place for Agents to
your game, add specific Field Assets. lay low and plan, away from HQ.
Field Assets are locations, people or • Source: A local face who works with
materials that provide specific in-game a specific Agent to provide Intel.
benefits to the characters. Characters • Supply Drop: Division equipment
can call up a Medic on Call to help heal smuggled into the country.
Injuries, or meet with their Informants • Watering Hole: A popular meeting
or Moles to gain some Intel, or tap spot for agents from various agencies,
the Black Market to get some illegal sometimes a neutral meeting space
goods like Soviet Red Army firearms. to plan inter-Agency deals.
These benefits may require characters
to spend Trust or Betrayal Points to
activate the effects, but any character
with access can gain the benefit if they
are willing to pay the cost.
Field Assets
• Black Market: A place where illegal
equipment can be acquired.
• CON OPs HQ Liaison: Access to
CON OPs without an Analyst.
67
Step 3: Spending Field Points
Free Assets Once free locations are placed in
The Narrator starts Field Creation
the city, each player (in turn) can
by granting a free Asset to each
give one of their Field Points to the
of the players, beginning with an
Narrator to add an Asset to the Field
Agency Headquarters. Work with
or increase the Rank of an existing
the players to add one true thing
Asset and add an important detail to
about the Field Operations Agency
an Asset. Players can also spend their
Headquarters. Where is it located?
Field Points to purchase Threats,
How is it defended? Are there secret
Organizations or Faces.
entrances? Is it big enough to house
other Assets? If there are any major Berlin is an important capital and
geographic features, the Narrator border city. I start Field Creation by
should quickly describe one feature giving the Players the Watering Hole
of each. Is the city built on the side (Café Adler —Eagle Café—a famous
of a mountain in the Alps? Is there a coffee bar that overlooked Checkpoint
major international trade port in the Charlie and was frequented by Allied
city? Are there extensive plantations officers and Eastern Bloc Agents) as
that cover most of the island? a free location. And since Berlin was
Describe them so the players have a the flashpoint between the US and
sense of place. Finally, the Narrator Soviets, I give them a Headquarters
may grant a free Asset to each Agent, at Rank 3 (Teufelsberg—The Devil’s
something they feel would work Mountain). I also give them a
for each character: a Source for a Garrison, a Safe House, a Source
Handler, a Garrison for the Security and In-Country Touchstones as we
Chief, or a Black Market for the have a Security Chief, a Freelancer, a
Freelancer. Handler and a Commander playing.
The Commander mentioned his
family had moved
into West Berlin to be
nearby.
Asset Benefits
During gameplay,
characters will call on
their Assets to gain in-
game benefits. Players
cannot simply state
that their character is
activating an Asset to
gain the benefit. Assets
are important! When a
68
Player wants to activate an Asset,
the Narrator will create a scene
for the Player. If it’s something
as simple as gaining a CON OPs
Liaison benefit for an upcoming
mission, the Narrator might
describe a montage scene
where the character practices
on a Parkour Course, or
describe the Trust Exercises
the team works through. Or better
some information the dealer
yet, the Narrator might let the player
wants. The Narrator decides what the
describe the scene.
dealer will accept. Finally, specialized
If multiple characters visit a location, goods like fake IDs or travel papers
the Narrator should have them are not available through Black
roleplay the experience of interacting Markets. You need a Fixer for those,
with the Asset. Often, new story but often, Fixers work closely with
threads and hooks emerge naturally, Black Market dealers, and they may

growing the campaign for everyone. even work out of the same shop.
• Rank 1: A Rank 1 Black Market
Field Assets specializes in a single type of
Here is a list of all the Field Assets and equipment: something that is
the Benefits they provide. Many Assets available in the local region, but
have a Rank, which represents how well- might be outlawed for the public, like
developed this Asset is for the Agency. police or military weapons, or illegal
specialized listening equipment, or
Black Market drugs. Choose one type of good that
Black Markets come in all shapes this Black Market dealer has available.
and sizes. They range in size from • Rank 2: A Rank 2 Black Market
one guy smuggling illegal recording has a broader selection of goods
equipment in his apartment, to a available, but nothing that wouldn’t
massive multinational smuggling be available in this country.
ring of heavy military and industrial • Rank 3: A Rank 3 Black Market is a
equipment and illicit goods and veritable treasure trove of goods. If a
substances. Agents must spend a thing is manufactured somewhere
Trust Point or Betrayal token to in the world, you can get it here. The
acquire equipment for their entire only limits are one-of-a-kind objects,
team (Trust Point) or just themselves artwork and experimental items.
on the down-low (Betrayal token).
This is usually represented by off-
the-books currency, or by a trade in
69
CON OPs HQ Liaison Garage
The CON OPs staff from the A well-equipped and maintained
Division Headquarters is on call vehicle can mean life or death for an
with the Agents and can help them Agent in the field. Having access to
with various training or exercises to a false-paneled van at the right time
prepare for missions. You may have can turn a daunting task of smuggling
some guy you can call back home printing plates through Checkpoint
at Langley or an attentive, in-office Charlie into a simple milk run. Agencies
team of agents ready to provide with a well-equipped garage have staff
whatever help they can. who maintain the vehicles available for
• Ranks 1–3: These Ranks represents missions in a secure location usually
how well-funded this Liaison is directly connected to the headquarters,
and how many CON OPs benefits although airfields and docks are limited
they can provide to the Agents each by the terrain.
Season, just like the CON OPs Agent. • Rank 1: Choose one: ground, water,
or air. You have a garage, dock or
Emergency Medical Staff airstrip. The Agency has access to
When missions go sideways, Agents stock vehicles of that type to use on
can get severely injured or even die. missions and in their downtime if
Worse, clandestine operations can not currently requisitioned.
be discovered if an injured Agent or • Rank 2: Choose a second type of
Asset goes to a public hospital, and vehicle. The Agency gains a garage,
breaking into a vet’s office isn’t always dock or airstrip in addition to
an option. Thus, Emergency Medical their current, Rank 1 vehicle base.
Staff are on call for the Agents to deal The second base provides stock
with injuries and poisons quietly and vehicles of that type for missions
off the books. and downtime. The first base now
• Ranks 1–3: These Ranks represent provides customized vehicles of that
the level of skill of the nurse, medic type like tuned racing planes, fishing
or doctor the Division has on call. boats with false-panel smuggling
If the Emergency Medical Staff can holds or secretly-armored sedans.
have time to work on the injured Agents may now also spend a Trust
or poisoned character, they can Point to gain access to a custom
stabilize and heal Ranks of Injury specialty vehicle that isn’t usually
equal to their Rank. They can also available to the general public, like a
heal poisonings equal to their Rank. police APC, a jet or a massive yacht.
However, Rank 4 or 5 poisons, like • Rank 3: The Agency gains access
Polonium poisonings, can only be to the third type of vehicle base and
handled by Medical Staff back at gains stock vehicles of that type to
Division HQ in your home country, use on missions and in downtime.
and often, poisons this advanced can The first and second base now both
be fatal if not dealt with immediately. provide customized vehicles of their
70
types, and the second base now • Rank 3: A large garrison of troops
provides the specialty vehicles like and a special forces team above and
in Rank 2 for a Trust Point. beyond the embassy security team.
They can handle multiple missions
Garrison both as special forces strike
Sometimes embassies have small missions in the Field location or
military detachments housed in a can even travel with the Agents to
garrison at the embassy to defend it another Field location for missions.
in case of attack. Sometimes those They can also pull off large simple
garrisons are larger than needed for missions like spearheading a coup
the basic security of the embassy and of a small nation for rebels, or act
are trained for more specialized and as a “mercenary force” doing black
clandestine jobs. A Security Chief ops work hunting down jungle
Agent in play oversees the Garrison rebels.
Asset and will command them in the
Field as well as use them in a special Headquarters
way detailed in the Violence Chapter. A This is your Agency’s Field
Security Chief’s Guards do not directly Headquarters. It can be as large as

correlate with the abilities or Ranks the massive complex of Teufelsberg
of the Garrison. Even if a Field Office outside of Berlin during the height of
doesn’t have a Garrison, the Chief will the Cold War or it could be a single
still have his guards and vice versa. apartment where the team meets
• Rank 1: A basic security team for before going on missions.
the Headquarters. These are well- • Rank 1: If it is part of an embassy,
trained soldiers, or marines, who this level of Headquarters might be
will stop any basic attack or keep a corner of a large office, or even a
back a mob for a few hours. single set of rooms with a guard in
• Rank 2: A large garrison of troops the hallway to stop those without
or a single special forces team clearance. If it’s a standalone place
beyond the embassy security then it’s a single apartment, house,
team that can be utilized for some small building, etc., with some
basic strike missions either in a basic security like a door guard and
clandestine plainclothes manner maybe a lookout.
or, if the government of the region • Rank 2: A wing of an embassy or
has granted permission, as soldiers a set of offices in a larger office
of your nation in full combat building, a large building like a
disposition (for example, as converted warehouse, or a small
marines fighting drug traffickers in hotel or apartment complex.
Colombia in the 70s or as advisors It will have multiple points of
aiding the local government secure entry, clean rooms, private
military against rebel forces). offices and secure Intel storage.
71
• Rank 3: A vast complex, or even the Because of this danger, Touchstones
majority of an embassy. An entire do not cost Field Points during Field
campus of buildings, training areas, Creation. Instead, during this step,
secure storage, guard stations, Agents decide the Rank of their
archives, research labs, etc. Touchstone, disclosing three important
details about the Touchstone.
In-Country Touchstone • Rank 0: Family, friends, lovers or
Each Agent has a Touchstone—the special places or groups back home
thing they care about more than any that are safe from enemy action or
other thing. Whatever that may be, intrusion. Agents may only activate
it is their weak spot, but also their these Touchstones with Season
source of strength. Usually, Agents Actions.
can only spend Season Actions to • Rank 1: A simple Touchstone like a
access their Touchstone during their hang-gliding club for an Adrenaline
R&R and gain the benefits there. junkie, a distant family member, an
However, some Agents bring their ex-lover or an acquaintance. Once
Touchstones in-country, or even find every three game sessions, an Agent
them there. A Deputy Director might can activate their Touchstone to
have moved her family into houses gain the Touchstone benefits.
outside of the embassy, or a Handler
• Rank 2: A close Touchstone like
might have fallen in love with one of
a spouse, an old friend, the one
his Sources, or a Hitter might have
bar where everyone knows you,
a specific bar to which she goes to
your cabin up in the mountains
forget her worldly concerns.
or a former colleague. Once every
Whatever the case, Agents with other game session, Agents can
access to this Asset can activate their activate their Touchstone to gain
Touchstone by spending a Trust Point. the Touchstone benefits.
However, there is also a downside to
• Rank 3: The love of your life, your
this powerful ability. Basic Intel will
spouse and your children who
reveal this weakness to enemy agents or
mean the world to you, your best
even betrayed Agents of your own team
friend, or maybe his bar, the secret
can easily discover your Touchstone.
place you’ve spent years as your
Once discovered it is only a matter of
personal private and secure refuge
a few slit throats, a burned-down bar
that no one knows about. Once
or a hit-and-run in the street to destroy
every game session, Agents can
your Agent’s Touchstone and devastate
activate their Touchstone to gain
them. Worse, they can be used as
the Touchstone benefits by visiting
leverage against your Agent when they
that Touchstone.
are threatened.
72
Safe House location. There are armed Guards
A place for Agents to lay low, plan away (9 dice worth of Henchmen
from HQ, or to meet with their sources. minimum), extensive defenses
Safe Houses are usually some sort of and security systems throughout,
living space (i.e. apartment, house, multiple escape routes and vehicles,
hotel room) where people coming and and perhaps even an elaborate
going isn’t strange. A Safe House can be escape tunnel/ship/plane system
as small as a loft over a bar/club or as hidden from surveillance. The
large as an entire apartment complex. Narrator gains nine dice in any risk
Agencies can have more than one Safe versus an Agent trying to uncover
House to maintain cell security. Detail the location of this Safe House
each when it is purchased. through indirect tracking attempts.
• Rank 1: A single cheap apartment, Source
loft above a bar or out-of-the-way
A Source is a local face who work
hut. There is no security besides a
with a specific Agent to provide Intel.
basic door lock. Narrators gain three
They can be disaffected or disloyal
dice to any risk versus an Agent
personnel working for a rival Agency, a

trying to uncover the location of the
blackmailed government or corporate
Safe House through any financial or
employee in a sensitive position, or
other indirect tracking attempts.
even the spouse or lover of a VIP in
• Rank 2: A fancy apartment, another group. Whoever they are and
suburb home or a small secluded whatever the Agency has on them or
compound. There is some offers them, the Source provides Intel
basic security and the Agency based on their Rank.
has spent time and resources
Sources can even be developed to rank
making this place secure: active
up, if possible—not everyone can get
security systems linked to the
access to the highest-level secrets, no
Agency, maybe a door guard at an
matter how loyal or willing they might
apartment, sniper hideouts in a
be. At times, the Narrator, through a
cabin, firearms and basic go bags
hidden throughout the safe house,
an escape route and extensive
dummy corps used to purchase
the property. Narrators gain six
dice in any risk versus an Agent
trying to uncover the location of
the Safe House through indirect
tracking attempts.
• Rank 3: Either an extensive
compound, apartment complex,
or small office building, or an
incredibly secure, but smaller
73
Source, can offer the Source’s handling ramifications for their Organization
Agent an opportunity to increase the if made public, which can cause
Source’s Rank. If the Agent/Agency can backlash against the Agency, pay
fulfill the Source’s demand they will them large sums of bribe money, or
provide either better/more Intel or gain acquire for them dangerously illegal
deeper access and rank up and provide goods or services.
more Intel in the future. • Rank 3: A rival Agency’s top-level
Finally, handling Agents need to either Agent, a non-Intel government or
maintain or provide the hold that they corporate head, or a leader of an
have over the Source. Sources have Organization. Each session, these
a Desire, and these must be fulfilled Sources can provide their handling
every Season or the Source may expose Agent with up to three total points
themselves, be caught and destroyed, or of Intel either as three single points
even turn on the Agency. of Intel, a Rank 2 Intel and a Rank 2
• Rank 1: A low-ranking rival Intel point, or a Rank 3 piece of Intel.
agent, a government or corporate These Sources’ desires are complex
employee with access to some basic and difficult to fulfill. They could
sensitive material/equipment, or a be anything from not exposing
basic member in an Organization, their crime which could bring
etc. Each session, these Sources down multiple sitting governments,
can provide their handling Agent destroy the stock market trust in an
with one point of Intel. Returning entire corporate sector, or publically
the Intel to HQ will verify it or expose multiple secure agents. Or it
determine if it’s false, in the case of could be huge sums of bribe money,
a double agent. Or Agents can hold or acquiring for them unethical
onto the Intel and use it themselves sources of illegal goods or services:
and share it only with other Agents assassinations, running a cocaine
they wish. These Sources’ desires are cartel, WMDs, etc.
simple: do not expose their low level
crimes, pay them a relatively small Supply Drop
amount of bribe money or grant Your Agency has access to loads of
them access to some contraband. powerful equipment and tools useful
• Rank 2: A mid-level rival agent, a to your Division, but not always the
non-intelligence Agency government means to get it to you in the Field. This
or corporate top-level manager, or Asset will either be vital or perhaps
senior Organization member. Each unimportant depending on the location
session, these Sources can provide of your Field Office. If your Field office
their handling Agent with two points is in the same country/region as your
of basic Intel or one Rank 2 point Agency HQ then this will not be an
of Intel. These Sources’ desires are important Asset as you can pop over to
more complex: do not expose their HQ and gear up. However, if your Field
crime(s) which would have extensive Office is located in hostile territory
74
or in the country of an unfriendly
government clandestine supply drops
become your thin lifeline to home. This
could be a business front, an “in” with a
smuggling gang, a literal aerial supply
drop in a secure place or even a turned
enemy supply officer. Detail this with
your Narrator.
• Rank 1: You have diplomatic access
and immunity and therefore secure
diplomatic courier with Agency multiple
HQ. Any Intel that you gain, you Agencies meet, or it
can send to your Agency HQ with can be much more than other Agencies
no worry about transmission leaks realize. Watering Holes are usually bars,
in either direction. You can also taverns, coffee shops or restaurants
acquire basic illegal documents where agents or important people
and papers that can either fit in a regularly meet. However, they can
diplomatic pouch or be transmitted also be brothels or even an apartment

securely. block housing almost nothing but
government employees’ mistresses.
• Rank 2: Your Agency has a secure
smuggling operation that can • Rank 1: A neutral meeting place
send your Division equipment not for Agents or government officials
normally available in your Field. of multiple Agencies/governments.
Illegal firearms, documents and A place where violence is set
various supplies available from your aside and unofficial backchannel
Agency Quartermaster are now discussions can occur.
available to your team in the Field. • Rank 2: A neutral meeting place
• Rank 3: Your Agency has a massive for all but your Division. Your
smuggling operation that can Division has acquired the loyalty of
provide both equipment of any sort the Watering Hole employees and/
you would need via the Agency or owners/residents and can now
Quartermaster as well as troops and acquire one piece of Intel per game
specialty personnel. session from visiting the Watering
Hole.
Watering Hole • Rank 3: A very popular meeting
A popular meeting spot for agents place that has been completely
from various agencies and sometimes set up to acquire as much Intel as
a neutral meeting space to plan inter- possible from unwitting visitors.
Agency deals. The Watering Hole is a Each session, your Division can
passive form of Intel collection. A sort acquire two pieces of Intel from the
of Source, but as a location and not a Watering Hole or one Rank 2 piece
face. It can be a common ground where of Intel.
75
Threats, you spend a point you may detail one
Threat, Organization, or Face that
Organizations, will be important to the characters.
and Faces Go around until everyone passes. If
you are stumped look at the Assets
After placing all the Assets, it’s time to
and Themes you’ve detailed for ideas.
add Threats to the Field. You should be
getting an idea from the Locations and Once you’ve finished adding Threats,
Themes as to what type of story you Organizations, and Faces to the Field, the
want to tell and the direction you’re Narrator asks the player whose character
taking can give you an idea of the is closest to the item to detail Three True
Threats, Organizations, and Faces you Things about the item added to the
want to interact with as a group. Field. Does the merc unit have a fleet of
choppers for transport and fast attack?
Are you playing all upstanding
Is the mechanic addicted to alcohol? Is
loyalists to the Premiere and a coup is
the coup about to be mounted by the
coming? Is there a secretive mercenary
Premiere’s own brother!?
group willing to work for the highest
bidder? Or what about that mechanic at When all points have been passed or
all players have passed move on to Step
the local garage that can modify even the
worst beater into a top gear race car? 4: Fill in Details.
As with assets, go around in a circle Step 4: Fill in Details
to spend your Opposition Points Go back over everything you’ve
for Threats, and either Opposition created as a group. Make sure everything
Points, Field Points, or Wild Points is recorded and detailed to the level you
for Organizations and Faces. When need to start playing. If you have any
76
Points left over, spend them on whatever
you think would add interesting stories Narrator’s Note:
to the Field. Make sure you’ve filled in The Story Pool
Three True Things for each item on The Story Pool is there because plot
your sheet. Have the players check the twists can be awesome, and as a Player
Narrator’s work or if the Narrator is I love not being certain of what’s really
having a player record everything have going on. The system of privilege and
the Narrator check their work. You are wagers allows Players to have a lot of
ready to play! control over what happens in the story,
and I’ve found that it can cut mystery
The Story Pool and uncertainty out of the game. If you
Do you remember how all of the Points can always spend a wager to have things
the Players spent went to the Narrator? turn out in your favor, why worry?
Goood, Goood. *cue evil laugh* The Story Pool is intended to maintain
the mystery of a constantly changing
Now that the Players have foolishly
situation, to put doubt in the Players’
given the Narrator all of their City
minds about the certainty of the choices
Points, the Narrator has set aside the
they’ve made. But don’t abuse the twists

very seeds of the Player’s inevitable
and turns it brings to the game. The
doom as the Story Pool! At any point
Story Pool is designed to create in-game
during a game session, the Narrator
tension and drama, not table drama
may spend a Story Point from the Story
and tension. Don’t override the Player’s
Pool to make a change to an existing
wagers without reason or contradict
detail in the game, like spending a
True Things just because you don’t like
wager after a risk. But Story Points can
them. Look for points of drama and
actually contravene existing Truths
pressure.
and facts, effectively rewriting what
the Players know to be true. If your Players are making the
current plot far too easy for themselves
In short: Narrators are allowed
with wagers, by all means hit them
to restate any single Truth already
with a tough Story Point: an NPC ally
established per Story Point they spend.
betrays them unexpectedly, one of
Perhaps that important left turn on them is captured instead of escaping,
the map enroute to the secret nuclear or a key resource they needed is
sub base isn’t there! Maybe the slimy suddenly missing. But remember
Field Director is not behind the recent that the Story Points are there to raise
murders. Or perhaps your old friend tension and keep things interesting for
from spy school is the Soviet mole! Story the Players first.
Points add twists and turns to the game
by surprising the Players.
77
On the Fly Step 1: Theme
Field Creation Even with a minimum sense of the
location you should be able to come
If you don’t want to take a long time in up with a theme that is appropriate
creating your Field, you aren’t sure how to this Field. If it’s a quick one time
much detail you need for this place, or location for the Agents then base
if you want to discover this location as it off of their current mission, if it’s
you go, then On the Fly Field Creation going to be used for a long time, the
is the method you will want to employ. create a theme that is relevant for
Follow these steps to Create your the overarching campaign you are
Field: building for the characters.
• Step 1: Name a single Theme for
your Field Step 2: Field Assets
• Step 2: Create some Field Assets Look at your character sheets or
to help the Agency and one or at the mission taking place here.
two for their Opposition. Create a single Assets for each
• Step 3: Fill in any details you think character, something they will want
are needed, and leave the rest or are planning on using during the
blank for future determination if mission. If it’s a higher ranked asset
needed. the entire Team will be employing
you can count it towards multiple
Unlike the full process, One the
agents at a rank per agent. Look at
Fly is much faster with less steps and
the Opposition and determine what
each step something the Narrator can
Assets, if any, they might have in
handle directly or with quick input
place to foil the Agents missions.
from the players.
Step 3: Details
Name any agents you’ve come up
with in relation to the Assets both
for the Agency and the Opposition.
Consider asking the players to
name Three True Things about
each character created. Name any
locations that you think the Agents
will visit (Cafe Adler or Donaupark)
and finally, determine any higher ups
or points of contacts that might be
involved with this Field.
That’s it! Go play, and while playing
if you run into any blank spaces, fill
them in then and there.
78
CHAPTER TEN:
FRAMING THE COLD WAR
“You could be the perfect spy. All you need is a cause.” - John le Carré, A Perfect Spy
Most of what we know about the Cold To get into the mood for playing Cold
War is from secondary sources— Shadows check out the media below:
history books, cinema and literature.
Movies often shape what we know Watch
about espionage and add exciting • Dr. Strangelove
elements of fantasy and romance to • From Russia with Love
an already amazing story. Books delve • The Manchurian Candidate
deeper into what happened in the • Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
war. They sometimes show us actual
• The Night Manager (mini-series)
Chapter 10: Framing The Cold War

documents and outline recorded
conversations. They paint a world • The Sandbaggers
and allow us to fill in any blanks with • Munich
our imaginations. Cold Shadows is
no different. This game allows you Read
to experience the life of a spy, while • Bridge of Spies: A True Story of the
weaving in cinematic elements to Cold War
create an epic, shadowy world for you • One Minute to Midnight
to play in. • The Hunt for Red October
Media about this era is often • The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
matter-of-fact, explanatory, showing and other novels by John le Carré
you the nuts and bolts of how spies • The Kill Artist and other novels
managed to pull off amazing feats by Daniel Silva
in a period where everyone was • The Bourne Identity and other
suspicious of one another. It also novels by Robert Ludlum
shows how mundane things became
impossibly difficult for spies. For Listen (Podcasts)
example, calling your mother on her • Backstory Podcast: Enemies
birthday from deep Cover? That’s a • Stuff You Missed in History Class
no-go. No one was above suspicion, Podcast: “The Billion Dollar Spy”
yet everyone had to play their part by David E. Hoffman
for their country.
That world of paranoia, extraordinary Listen (Music)
feats and human frustrations is where • 99 Luftballons, by Nena
Cold Shadows takes place. • A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, by
Bob Dylan
• Crazy Train, by Ozzy Osbourne
79
Being descriptive will help to add
The Theatrics of War romance, drama and beauty to your
Part of the fun of playing a game set in game. It will make losing another
the Cold War is living the life of the many Agent all the more devastating and the
dark heroes in your favorite movies. violence of war all the more merciless.
Setting the scene, acting in character
and changing your tone depending on Cinema vs. Reality
where you are and to whom you are Cold Shadows is a make-believe game
talking—these are all great ways to get that is meant to be fun. Adding elements
that cinematic experience. Like any of reality—places, names, terms—can all
good protagonist, take other characters’ make a game amazing to play. However,
actions seriously. The fate of an entire often focusing on making every element
nation rests on your shoulders, after all. of your game as historical as possible
Another good way to immerse yourself can bog down everyone having a good
in this world is to learn the lingo. Use the time. Each player at the table has a
phonetic alphabet and spy terminology. responsibility to make sure the game
Below are some terms you can use in stays fun. Take the Cold War as seriously
your game to bring the story to life. as you take each other’s feelings. If
someone doesn’t know or understand
Beauty through something, help by explaining it to
the Seasons them; however, if it isn’t important for
Beauty isn’t a theme commonly the narrative you are telling, then let it go.
associated with war, but as humans we Can you imagine Bond and Romanova
crave it. So, how do you add beauty to making love in From Russia With Love to
such a cold topic, making it something the sound of someone arguing that it was
cinematic enough for people to enjoy? A impossible for SPECTRE to have filmed
great way to do this is by framing each them because of X, Y or Z? Neither can
Season and your actions within them. we.
Use descriptive words for how your
character is feeling and how they enact Inclusivity
their motivations. Involve the other A debonair man in a pristine suit walks
Agents in your stories, respond to their down a sunny avenue. A grin spreads
remarks and make the world come alive. across his face as he tips his charcoal
grey fedora to shield his eyes from the
For example: The agent Juliet
sun, placing his briefcase down next
Whiskey isn’t just learning the Brutal
to a trash can, admiring the beautiful
Fighting Style. Juliet Whiskey got
day. Smiling, he wipes flaky bits of sugar
knocked down one too many times, so
from his hand from the pastry he just
now, the normally-quiet Agent feels a
finished, and throws away the thin piece
deep anger in her gut. It compels her
wax paper which housed the paper into
to fight onwards, faster, harder, more
a trash can. Whistling a show tune, he
brutally—Juliet Whiskey gains her first
makes his way back to his office building.
Rank the in Brutal Fighting Style.
The drop was made.
80
Scenes like the one above are than enforcing harmful stereotypes,
commonplace in our social psyche of empower your fellow players, have
what it means to be a Cold War spy. A fun and watch as your shadowy spy
gallant white man who is often defending narrative unfolds. Set your story in an
against the “Red Menace”. When we see unexpected place and showcase the
a woman in a typical Cold War-era spy crazy history of our world. Why not
movie, she is beautiful, seductive and play through the building of the secret
fawns over the main protagonist of the underground city beneath Beijing?
story… or she is a wife or secretary. She Have your players fend off Soviet spies
is a device by which to show the prowess as the People’s Revolution seeks to
of the male spy. Likewise, often when build a covert base to protect its people
we see media of people of color in the against an eventual Soviet attack? Make
Cold War, they are sidekicks to the main Cold Shadows the espionage story of
protagonist or they are antagonists to his your dreams and tell an amazing story.
cause. Characters from marginalized Together.
Chapter 10: Framing The Cold War

communities often function as foils to
the main spy in the story, who is usually Families and Ties
white, straight, cisgender, and masculine. A commonly-overlooked theme in
Some of these stereotypes come Cold War cinema is the fact that often
from reality. In 1960s America, a large both husband and wife were spies.
contingent of the espionage initiative Most married before entering the world
were white men. Other stereotypes of espionage, unlike the Jennings in
are fiction. Not every feminine spy the popular TV series The Americans.
was Mata Hari. So, what do realism, Husbands and wives supported one
cinematography and reality mean for a another in the effort to keep their
game of Cold Shadows? country safe. This familial relationship
is one that may be interesting to play
Cold Shadows is a game about
with in a game of Cold Shadows.
shadowy intel drops, spying on your
Husband, wife, Agency, country—
enemy, brutal yet effective fights against
where do a character’s real allegiances
other operatives, and debonair people
lie? What are they willing to sacrifice
in suits. It is about taking what you
for their significant other? For their
know about the Cold War and turning
country?
the dial up to 11. Most importantly,
the game is about friends having fun Having another spy who is related to
and telling an awesome story together. you in the game by blood, marriage or
friendship makes the story all the more
So, if one of your fellow role players
poignant when the character may die
is interested in playing Cold Shadows
or retire. It allows you as a player to
as a woman, as a person of color,
explore every aspect of your character
as a member of the LGBTQIA+
and push the boundaries of what life as
community, or as any other type of ass-
a spy means to them.
kicking spy: let them, regardless of how
that player identifies in real life. Rather
81
CHAPTER ELEVEN:
COLD SHADOWS: MARTINI MODE
These are the rules for playing Cold On the Rocks
Shadows in different modes. All On the Rocks, on the other hand, explores
Martini mode games are intended as multi-generational games where you
one-on-one sessions, and are perfect have a series of Agents who go through
for nights when you and a friend end the events as they all attempt to finish
up needing a fun spycraft game. In what one started.
Cold Shadows: Martini, there is no
Inspirations: Quantico
Narrator as the responsibilities of
the Narrator are shared by the two These rules are meant to simulate the
players. Cold Shadows: Martini offers cat-and-mouse feel of stories where two
three game modes: Shaken, Stirred individuals are at odds, be it an Agent-
and On the Rocks. * versus-Agent story or an Agent-versus
Shaken Director story. To facilitate such a game,
however, let it be known that not all
Shaken mode is for Agent-versus-Agent existing rules of a Cold Shadows game
stories. In these games, both Agents will be utilized.
are either from the same Division, or
are from opposing companies. The Cold Shadows: Martini games are
spotlight is on the Agents and their intended to be limited in scope, and
attempts to maintain their Cover and through the course of the game, reach an
fulfill their Missions. epilogue to the narrative. These games
will have the following goals in mind:
Inspirations: Infernal Affairs
• Focus the drama and action between
Stirred the two opposing sides
Stirred mode shakes things up. In Stirred • Play up the back-and-forth victories
mode, the game is Agent-versus-Director, and failures of each sides
whether the Director is from the Division • Reach an ending where one or the
they work for, or from an opposing group. other emerges victorious (though
Inspirations: Alias, Bourne Identity not necessarily alive)
To accomplish this, certain systems
are added to the game to assist in
capturing this feeling. Certain systems
currently in the game will also be
altered or removed. What follows is the
mention of each system and how it has
been changed or altered to work with
the scope of Martini games.
82
Example M01:
Agent Adams, played by Rocky,
the Rope
is at odds with Agent Dufford,
The Rope is the first key system that
played by Yoshi. Rocky decides
will be added accomplish the goals of
one of Adams’ objectives is to
a Cold Shadows: Martini game. The
intercept Dufford’s messages
Rope is an abstract representation of
Chapter 11: Martini Mode

to Control. During the game,
the actions of both Agents eventually
Adams successfully does so
reaching the point where one or
after locating Dufford’s courier
the other wins the battle of wits and
and bribing him to always give
deception. One can think of the Rope
him a copy of the messages.
as a meter that tracks the progress of
Rocky then fills up one segment
the story and when one reaches the
of Yoshi’s Rope meter for his
end of the Rope, the time for the story
character, Agent Dufford.
to end has come.
Each player has their own Rope
meter. The concept of the Rope is to provide
A recommended length is nine an abstracted tracker for how far the
segments. Each segment represents narrative has moved forward. With the
an objective the other Agent sought to Rope, both players can easily see if the
accomplish. Whenever that objective events of the story should be leading up
is met, a segment of the Rope is filled to a dramatic finale without necessarily
up. Only objectives that help one talking about it. The Rope also gives an
Agent identify the other as a threat, or easy glimpse into who should be more
objects that help deal with the other desperate given the circumstances now
agent being a threat, fill up the Rope. that they are “on the ropes.” Though the
Alternately, some Rope segments can term is typically for boxing games, the
represent specific things (see Rope idea of two people battling it out—and
Segment Options below). one near the end of their resources—is
nicely captured by this system.
83
that point onward, each time a segment
Shorter or of Rope is filled up, that player gains
longer rope two Betrayal tokens.
Players can opt to have longer or Betrayal tokens encourage both
shorter Ropes, depending on how Agents to find ways to try to attack the
long they want the game to last. One- other Agent with indirect methods.
shot sessions might have a Rope as Either Agent can spend their own
short as three segments. Short-story Betrayal tokens in two ways:
arcs, on the other hand, intended to • Add one die to their pool for every
be played across three to five game Betrayal token spent
sessions, might have a Rope as long as • Add three dice to any risk an
thirteen segments. NPC makes against their rival,
so long as the NPCs actions were
When either Agent has filled up
somehow triggered or influenced
the last segment of their Rope, both
by the Agent
players are now aware that they have
reached the point in the story where Example M02:
the final scene, the finale, should Agent Adams is pinned by the
unfold. At this point, the story should gunmen tipped off by Agent
come to a climactic point—whether Dufford. The gunmen typically
it is an emotional or intellectual point have 3 dice. But Yoshi opts to
of intensity—and end with one or spend a Betrayal token to boost
possibly both agents dying. the dice to six! The gunmen
roll a miraculous six wagers,
Inapplicable Aspects while Adams gets none. With
While most Cold Shadows games will
the six wagers, five are spent to
feature Agents using the Teamwork
deal a Rank 5 Injury on Adams.
Aspect, for Martini games, this Aspect
The sixth is spent to declare
is usually inapplicable. The idea of two
him dead. Yoshi describes the
sides working well together doesn’t
gunmen riddling Adams’ car with
necessarily need an Aspect to fulfill that
bullets even as he drives away.
properly. Instead, we will offer a new
Aspect under each Martini section that Rocky then fills in one segment
better captures the relationship shared of his Rope and describes
in the game. Adams’ car falling off the bridge
into the river. And him awakening
Betrayal, Revisited days later, under the care of
Given that two sides are intended to be some nurse who fished him
at odds, Betrayal needs to be revisited out of the water.
in this game. At the beginning of the
very first game session, add a single Betrayal points are not tracked in
Betrayal token to the Trust Pool. From this game. Only the Betrayal tokens are
tracked in between game sessions.
84
Cover. For Martini games, however, the
Cover, Revisited relationship between the two players is
While Cover usually is used as the
represented by the Rope.
system to track whether or not an
Agent’s actual identity is compromised, Violence, Revisited
in a Martini game, the Cover mechanic In Martini games, unless the source
needs to be revised. First of all, Cover of an Injury is through the actions of
does not relate to how the two players an opposing Agent, nothing should
see each other. Cover still only reflects result in the Agent’s death by mere
the concealment of identity the Agent coincidence or chance. This means that
has in relation to other characters in all kinds of Violence in the game can
the game, other than the character of result in Injury (which can be tagged
the other player. as normal), but unless the source
Example M03: of the Injury is the opposing Agent
Agent Dufford’s Cover is 4. themselves or by their manipulations,
In scenes where Dufford is the most any other source of injury
questioned or approached by can cause would be a Rank 5 Injury.

NPCs, the Cover 4 rating applies. Any resulting moment where one of
the Agent dies does not result with
the Agent’s death. Instead, the Agent
As per normal rules, the Cover can somehow narrowly escapes death and
be used to gain dice for appropriate one additional segment of his Rope is
risks, convert wagers to strengthen the filled up.
Cover, or be burned to create a new
85
While in it may be possible in the Perhaps the Agent receives help from
real world that an Agent gets into a fatal
an unexpected source. Or perhaps they
accident wholly unrelated to the events
simply barrel through the injuries and
that are transpiring, such moments survive what should have been a fatal
are more appropriate for games injury. This shift is to ensure that both
emulating the Coen brothers’ movies.
Agents are still alive for the finale when
Martini games work best when any one of them reaches the end of their
possible death is due to a rival player’s
Rope. Note that we used the word
machinations. Injury by accident does
“additional” above. This is because
not fill up a Rope segment. the opponent might also fill another
segment of Rope because the “death”
Example M04: allows him to accomplish another
Agent Adams is pinned by gunmen objective.
during a mission, and he contacts
System for assistance. System Example M05:
instructs Dufford to assist Agent Adams, played by Rocky,
Adams. Yoshi declares that the is at odds with Agent Dufford,
gunmen are actually men he played by Yoshi. Agent Adams
tipped off to Adams’s location, tracks down a contact who can
so the gunmen can kill Adams if reveal who Agent Dufford meets
their shots injure him enough with each Sunday night. Adams
since they are part of Dufford’s tries to kidnap the contact, but
machinations. They can possibly Dufford arrives (in disguise)
hurt Adams enough to “nearly kill to intercept. In the resulting
him” and fill a segment of Rope. scene, Adams and Dufford
In a later part of the session, trade gunshots and Adams
Dufford leaps off a building successfully shoots Dufford
rooftop to escape detection. in the chest with a shotgun,
He fails his roll and lands badly, blasting him out the window.
crashing through a glass ceiling, Rocky tells Yoshi to fill up
seemingly to his death. We cut two segments of Rope. One to
to a few months later, when survive the shot, and the other
Dufford awakens in a hospital because Adams now learns
bed, patched up and alive, thanks Dufford meets weekly with
to someone in his team calling his paramour. Yoshi has seven
for emergency services. His segments left on his Rope.
death was reduced to a Rank
5 Injury, but it does not fill a
segment of Rope.
86
Rope No Love
Segment Options Lasts Forever
In Martini games, each time a Rope Some players might welcome the
segment is filled up, the narrative opportunities for drama and opt to
moves closer towards the finale. To both have the same NPC represent
make the experience even more the Paramour in both players’
engaging, players are recommended Ropes. This can represent a tug-of-
to mark a few portions of their Rope war between loyalties and love that
segments with specific labels, to help can make games worth an intense
guide each other on what aspects emotional investment. In the end,
or opportunities exist to complicate this story is likely to end in tragedy
matters for their rival. One approach for one, if not both, characters.
is to choose specific Agency Assets
from which the Agent can benefit as The Sanctuary (one segment)
segments, and losing that segment
This Rope segment represents that
represents losing access to that Asset.
one place of safety that an Agent can

Below are a few more suggestions:
truly call home. Whether it is a place
The Paramour (1 to 3 segments) where they can live a more normal
life, or a public venue to which they
This Rope segment represents a
always return for mental stability,
relationship between the Agent and
the Sanctuary is the location that the
an NPC which is highly prized by
Agent has never even shared with
the character. Each segment of the
their superiors. Losing this place is a
Paramour represents the stability
clear personal attack upon an Agent.
of their connection, and once all
segments are filled up, the Paramour As the story unfolds, there may be
has either defected to the other times when a Segment Option becomes
side or been eliminated from the the target but the player realizes they
narrative. don’t want to lose what that segment
represents just yet. The player may
The File (1 to 3 segments) save that segment at the cost of filling
This Rope segment represents that up two other segments instead. This
one key datafile or record that a represents Agents making the decision
character cannot allow to fall into to sacrifice other resources or embrace
enemy hands because it exposes the risk of making themselves more
everything about the character. Their vulnerable to save something that
full identity, family records, redacted matters more to them.
records and the like are contained in
this segment and it can be the holy
grail of intel against an Agent.
87
Example M06:
Yoshi decides he still wants
Agent Adams has marked three
the Paramour to stick around
of his Rope segments as the
for a session or two more. So,
Paramour. In the last few
he declares he’s sacrificing
games, Agent Dufford has
two segments to save her. He
been tracking the Paramour and
marks down two segments
has filled up two Paramour
and shares how the Paramour
segments of Adams’s Rope.
is rescued by emergency
Down to the last Paramour
services, and how Dufford
segment, the current game has
retrieves her from the hospital
Adams kidnapping the Paramour
before Adams notices. Yoshi
and holding her hostage to lure
declares the two segments
Dufford out.
lost represent Dufford losing
When the session reaches access to Asset: Slush Fund
its climax, Adams realizes the and Asset: Field Hospital as
Paramour is no longer useful, the Agency withdraws both
as Dufford has refused to kinds of support for his
reveal himself. Given that his actions, which may have risked
original objective to force the Agency’s reputation.
Dufford to reveal himself
has failed, he switches his
focus, choosing to remove The End of the Rope
her from Dufford’s life and For some stories, the end of the Rope
make him suffer. He shoots might represent the two characters now
the Paramour and throws her fully recognizing each other for their
off the bridge, and tells Yoshi duplicitous actions. For other games,
to fill up the last Paramour the realization of being on opposite
segment of his Rope. sides might be represented by the first
segment of Rope that has been filled up,
and the end of the Rope represents
the last determining actions taken to
settle the score. The preferred tone
of the game is wholly dependent on
both players. When either Agent has
reached the end of the Rope, both
players should prepare for the finale.
In designing the finale, both
players should note the number of
filled segments they have on their
Rope. Each segment can be “cashed
in” in the finale to add a die to the
Agent’s final roll against their rival.
88
Finale
In the finale, the two rivals finally come
to final blows. Bear in mind that this
does not necessarily mean a face-to-
face shootout. It can be a calm, quiet
moment of the two having tea, as they
finally admit what they’ve uncovered
about each other, and their wagers
being spent as declarations on how
each one has finally trapped the other.
As this is the end of their long, drawn-
out, cat-and-mouse battle, be sure to
make every wager worth it! and Dufford counters with
times when Adam’s ineptitude
Example M07: was the source of his spite
Agent Adams and Agent Dufford towards the other. But as a
are both on their final segments final wager, Adams mentions

when Agent Dufford makes one the gunsmith and casually
more mistake during an Op and mentions that Greece is also
mentions a name he shouldn’t known for the importance of
have known, a gunsmith from sharing a meal with family and
Greece. This gives Agent Adams friends. Dufford smiles and
enough reason to track down asks if this tea means they are
the name and upon interrogating friends.
him, learns Dufford is indeed A silenced pistol is his reply. A
a spy! This fills the final tea cup shatters upon hitting
segment of Dufford’s Rope, the floor.
initiating the finale.
Adams walks away silently,
The two meet for tea, on leaving the dead Dufford’s body
Dufford’s request. Adams to be eventually noticed by the
and Dufford sit opposite café owners.
each other at a public café in
London. Rocky and Yoshi gain Their story is over.
extra dice based on their filled
segments (eight for Rocky,
while nine for Yoshi) in this
final roll. They decide they talk
it out and call for Clever rolls.
Adams confronts Dufford,
mentioning the many times
Dufford acted questionably,
89
Your drink, sir? The Trust Pool,
What follows are the rule breakdowns Revisited
for each type of Martini game. In Shaken Martini games, the Trust
Pool has some slight changes.
Cold Shadows:
From the Same Division
Martini The Agents share the Trust Pool as
Shaken Edition normal, as it represents how they also
Shaken mode is for Agent-versus-Agent view each other. As they spend from
stories. In these games, both Agents the Pool, the two can use the Pool as a
are either from the same Division, or gauge to measure how strained things
are from opposing companies. The may feel between them.
spotlight is on the Agents and their The Pool starts with five Trust Points
attempts to maintain their Cover and for each player.
fulfill their Missions. Additional points may be added (see
Recommended Rope: 9 segments Rope Segment Options below).
The Aspect of Rivals From Rival Divisions
We offer this Aspect for Cold Shadows: The Agents have separate Trust Pools,
Martini, Shaken games. which represent their connection and
relationship with their respective
Rivals Divisions. This reflects them tapping
Invoke: You and your rival are a perfect into their connections for assistance
match. There are things at which you or support, as well as a gauge to show
might be better, compared to the other when their Division might sense
Agent, but at its root, you are both that the Agent seems preoccupied or
part of a strange, symmetrical rivalry. distracted.
Gain three dice when doing anything The Pool starts with five Trust Points
directed against your rival. for each player.
Compel: Doubt plagues you. You trust
Example M08:
each other. You don’t trust each other.
Agent Adams, played by Rocky,
Somehow, something interferes with
is at odds with Agent Dufford,
your judgement. You cannot help but
played by Yoshi. Both decide to
second-guess yourself in relation to
be Agents for System, but Yoshi
the other. If you are harmed or burned
claims that Agent Dufford is
by the direct actions of the Agent you
really a double-agent working
helped, then remove one Trust from
for The Network. This means
the Trust Pool.
they start the game with a single
Trust Pool of ten tokens.
90
shifting tides of Trust between them.
Betrayal, This represents why even in the face
Shaken Edition of facts and intel on the other, the
In Shaken games, Betrayal is tracked Agent refuses to simply do what
as normal, with each Agent having 3 must be done to the other. This is
Betrayal boxes on their sheet. At any highly recommended to be the final
point in the game that one player has three segments of each player’s Rope.
all three Betrayal boxes filled up, both
players immediately fill up a segment of Seasons
Rope to represent the narrative tension & season actions,
moving forward. This means both have Shaken Edition
begun to see each other’s true colors and In Shaken games, Season Actions can
the story is moving towards the finale. be ignored. It is possible that the story
However, if there are still Rope transpires within an amount of time
segments left in both players’ sheets, before any developments within the
then there should still be some narrative Division can occur.
reason why neither has pushed the For games which opt to last longer,

events to reach a finale. This can be however, or for pairs that still desire
represented by their characters having Season Actions to transpire, Season
doubts, or perhaps even their characters Actions are still approached as normal.
still giving the other the chance to turn
sides and join them. This resets both From the Same Division
Betrayal boxes to one. How the Season Action will be spent
depends on which Agent has garnered
Rope more favor from the Director. This
Segment Options, can be represented with a dice roll,
with both players rolling the Virtue of
Shaken Edition the Agency, plus an extra die for each
In Shaken games, the following Rope
unfilled Rope Segment. Whoever rolls
Segment Options are recommended to
higher determines the Season Action
enhance the gaming experience. Both
taken. (Wagers are not needed in this
players are recommended to mark
roll.)
segments of their Rope with the Assets
that their Agency provides. This makes From Rival Divisions
the segment feel more personal when Each player simply rolls their Agency’s
they are lost. Virtue with one wager risked. If the roll
Shaken games also have the following succeeds, then the player can declare
option: their Agency’s Season Action.
The Bond (1 to 3 segments)

This Rope segment represents the
deep connection between the two
Agents, which stands despite the
91
Cold Shadows: All Director actions (such as Season
Actions) will be determined by the
Martini Director player.
Stirred Edition
From Rival Divisions
Stirred mode shakes things up. In
The Agent player creates a character
Stirred mode, the game is Agent-
as normal, which includes creating a
versus-Director, whether the Director
Director and Agency that she works
is from the Division for which the
for.
Agent(s) work, or from an opposing
group. The Director player creates a character
using the Expanded Director Rules
Recommended Rope: 9 segments
written here. Each player determines
How stirred any Season Actions for their own
Agency.
up are things?
When playing this game as an Agent- Expanded
versus-Director story, the other player Director Rules
creates their character as a Director
A Director is a powerful figure with
instead of an Agent. The simplest way
many demands and focuses on their
to do this is to create an Agent using
time. Directors typically start at Rank
the Commander role to represent the
1 unless both players want to increase
Director.
the starting Rank. The player chooses
From the Same Division a Director’s Personality, and the two
The Director player creates a character players jointly choose the Agency’s
using the Expanded Director Rules Virtue. In games where both players
written here. The Director player are in the same Division, this means
chooses the Director Personality, which the Director Personality applies to
the Agent player will have to work with. both of them. Take note, however, that
the Director player has full control
over deciding how to spend
Season Actions, which makes
them a force to be reckoned with.
The Director chooses an Asset
for the Division, and for each
Rank of the Director, an additional
Asset is chosen with the players
alternating turns.
92
Example M09: These Aspects are less than the usual
Che and Urim are playing Cold number of Aspects because Directors
Shadows: Martini, Stirred. Urim all have the Role: Director as an Aspect.
opts to be an Agent, while Che
decides she is the Director for
Director
whom Urim’s character works. The Director oversees the local Division
They opt to have the Director of an Agency. Whether the Agent is
start at Rank 2. Che decides she directly under you, your presence
likes the idea that she’s Paranoid and command radiates outward and
and marks that down. Urim marks cannot be ignored.
down the Paranoid advantages Bonus: You gain your Role Rank as
and disadvantages as well. They bonus dice when directing operations,
decide the best Virtue would be planning or leading a team.
Courage. With a Rank 2 Director, Ability: You may add a number of
Che begins and chooses CON bonus dice to any social situation equal
OPs. Since the Director is Rank to your Rank.
2, two additional Assets are to Benefit: You have an entourage of

be chosen with Urim choosing Staff and Admins equal to your Role
next. He chooses Factory. Che that will accompany you if you want.
decides the last Asset will be Your Staff includes various admins
the Slush Fund. who run errands, carry messages, and
perform lesser bookkeeping functions.
Recommended Directors are older These are your staff and they will do as
than the Agent. To represent this, the you command. The other player must
Director player creates their character spend twice the number wagers or use
like a regular agent with the following risks to make them betray you.
adjustments. Directors choose Virtues Just like Agents, the Director’s two
as normal, and modify the Agency’s Aspects must come from the Agency’s
Favored Virtue by one. four Aspects.
Directors start at either Autumn or Being a director, your Role selection
Winter. represents what you were long before
you became a Director. Choose any
Autumn Directors appropriate role save for Field Director.
Have four Aspects in total
Have one Winter Aspect
Winter Directors
Have five Aspects in total
Have two Winter Aspects
93
From the Same
Division
The Agent and the
Director have history.
They’ve known each
other for quite some
time and hold a sense
of loyalty or trust for
one another.
The Pool starts with
five Trust Points for
each player.
From Rival Divisions
The Agents have separate Trust Pools,
The Aspect of Rivals which represent their connection
We offer this Aspect for Cold Shadows: and relationship with their Division.
Martini, Stirred games. This reflects them tapping into their
connections for assistance or support,
You Made Me as well as a gauge to show when their
Invoke: Once, you learned under the Division might sense that the Agent
other. Once, the other was your student. seems preoccupied or distracted.
You both hated each other, and yet The Pool starts with five Trust Points
learned from each other. You are what for each player.
you are now because the other became The Director also starts with a single
part of your life. Gain three dice when Advantage from the usual list.
doing anything you learned or taught
the other. If You Want
Compel: When given the opportunity Something
to end things early, you hesitate. You Done Right…
stop. You hold back. Somehow, part of
To represent the constant barrage of
you believes that what you once shared
demands on the time of the Director,
can somehow change the other for thethey must rely on using NPCs when
better. You let the other go. targeting the odd-valued segments (i.e.
The Trust Pool, 1, 3, 5, 7…) of the rival player’s Rope.
This means that during those instances,
Revisited the Director player must spend 1 Trust
In Stirred Martini games, the Trust to push them to succeed, or they might
Pool has some slight changes. have to accept the fact that their less
capable underlings are all they can rely
on during such instances.
94
Agent’s group with a new Rank or a
My Own Base new Rank of Asset to allocate.
of Operations In addition, if the Director player
In Stirred Martini games, the player ever opts to spend Season Actions, the
who plays the Agent might want to Agent automatically gains a Rank of
not be affiliated with an Agency but Ghost as well, to represent both sides
instead be handling things with a utilizing the time that passed to their
rogue selection of friends and Assets. advantage.
This can be represented in the game as Finally, the Director player can
a variant version of the Agency. attempt to locate and attack the Ghost.
First, the Agent will not have access In such cases, the Director must gain
to a Director, which means they do not wagers equal to the Ghost’s Rank to
have the added bonus of the Director’s locate and affect the organization. The
Personality. Second, the Agent will also appropriate Virtue used depends on
not have an Agency Virtue bonus. In the method the Director uses in the
exchange, however, the Agent’s group attempt to find them. If the hunt is
of associates gain a new Trait called successful, then any remaining wagers

Ghost, which starts at Rank 1. The can be spent to destroy a Rank of Asset
Ghost Rank limits the Ranks of any that the Ghost organization has.
Assets that the group creates to assist A Ghost cannot be reduced to less
the Agent in his activities. The Rank than Rank 1, except as a Rope segment
can be increased as a Rope segment objective.
objective against the opposing player,
and successfully doing so rewards the
95
of the single career, unexpected
Cold Shadows: coincidences) allow the plot to reach
Martini its inevitable finale.
On The Rocks Edition This Is for You
On the Rocks explores multi-generational For On the Rocks games, death should
games. not halt the flow of the narrative. It
Recommended Rope: 5 segments might throw a monkey wrench into
In On the Rocks games, the optional things, or complicate matters, but it
systems offered by Shaken and Stirred should never abruptly terminate the
games can be utilized by both players story. This rule even encourages players
if desired. The idea being whether this to consider death as a mechanic to
began as two Agents becoming rivals, help continue the story. This is why On
or an Agent embracing a crusade the Rocks games tend to have fewer
against a Director, as deaths come, new segments. Death is encouraged in order
faces step up to continue the actions of to keep the story moving.
the recently deceased. When a segment is to be filled up,
In On the Rocks games, the key is you can instead opt to sacrifice your
the idea that death does not abruptly current character to save the Rope.
end the story. The Rope still functions This means that the character you
as the main foundation of when the are using dies, and you create a new
narrative should end; however, death one to pick up the pieces and trudge
merely moves the narrative forward onward. Which means that you need
as new personalities (or in the case to make each death a dramatic and
96
poignant moment. Or even better, to
show how some deaths were painfully Switching Ropes
meaningless in the grander scheme of Players who might want to challenge
things. Sometimes, when people die themselves can consider switching Ropes
amidst the cold shadows, not even the each time a character dies. This can give
darkness mourns for them. the game a different experience worth
exploring. This would, however, require
New Characters coming up with a reason why the other
With the death of a character, a character either disappears from the
new character rises to continue the narrative, or passes on the responsibility
story. Create a new Agent as normal, or duty to the new character. An easy
allocating Virtues and selecting way is to have the player come up with
Aspects from the list of Aspects of a way the other character is eliminated
the Agency. You do not, however, as well from the narrative—especially
start with a new Rope. Instead, your when you consider that the new set
existing Rope carries over to the new of characters can become relevant,
character. You, as the player, must narrative-wise, a few months or so down

consider how to make narrative the line. The switch doesn’t have to be
coherence with the other segments an immediate moment in game-time.
when necessary. Does the Asset Maybe the new character reads about
set in a segment become the place the event and decides to investigate.
where this Agent emerged from to Maybe the new set of characters are new
continue the deceased’s legacy? Is the Spring Agents, and the surviving Agent
Paramour from the first character’s from the earlier plot is now Summer in
Rope actually someone this new Age and has contacted the new character
character values as well? to do things for him.
Existing In such instances, the rules for

Characters Shaken and Stirred should provide
Another option is to “upgrade” you the necessary rules to create the
NPCs already in the game to become new character, with some elements
the active characters in the story. For (such as the Agency’s traits and
instance, with the death of an Agent, Director’s Personality) already set.
maybe the Rope is then continued
by the Director of the Agency, who
feels responsible for the Agent’s
death? Or maybe as the Agent dies,
the Doctor who was trying to save
the Agent’s life is passed the USB
flash drive with all the information
that has been gathered so far.
97
CHAPTER TWELVE:
COLD SHADOWS: SOLITAIRE
“So what are you planning to do with the rest of your life?
“Develop a drinking problem. More Scotch, please.”
- Daniel Silva, The Marching Season
These are the rules for playing Cold To accomplish this, certain systems
Shadows: Solitaire. The main idea are added to the game to assist in
behind this rule set is to allow a capturing this feeling. Certain systems
single player to enjoy a Cold Shadows currently in the game will also be
experience despite not having altered or removed. What follows is the
other people with whom to play. mention of each system and how it has
Interestingly, this ruleset has also been changed or altered to work with
proven to be a good game session the scope of Solitaire games.
generator for normal Cold Shadows
games as it uses the framework of the Rope
espionage thrillers and spy movies Similar to Martini games, Cold Shadows:
as its foundations. If you want to Solitaire games utilize the Rope as the
play Cold Shadows with others, as a abstract representation of the ongoing
Narrator, then playing Solitaire will narrative in which the player is engaged.
be useful for creating content. While in most games, the Narrator and
In Solitaire rules, the player takes the player work together in developing
the role of an Agent dealing with a the story and bringing it to an end when
Mission that has been sent to them it feels narratively appropriate, Solitaire
by their Director. As actions are taken games utilize the Rope to both track the
in response to the event, this system narrative flow, and to suggest when the
provides the likely shifts and twists to finale seems due.
the narrative with which the Agent The Rope is composed of segments,
must deal. These games will have the with each segment representing a
following goals in mind: narrative goal point in the Solitaire
• Introduce the primary objective game. A standard game can have nine
and possible complications segments, but those seeking shorter or
• Introduce twists and unexpected longer games can adjust this number of
complications that arise and segments as desired, so long as the key
must be overcome parts of the Rope are maintained.
• Present a possible denouement to The Rope should always have the
the narrative which may or may following key segments:
not end in the Agent’s favor a) Set-Up
b) Confrontation
c) Finale (and Consequences)
98
Set-Up Segment Optional Rule: The
This represents the initial events that
Rising Tide of Tension
pull the character into the narrative.
Film and fiction have the advantage of
During Set-Up, the Agent experiences
being plotted out wonderfully to show
something that should end with the
the rising tide of tension and fear. In a
Agent becoming committed to a
roleplaying game, simulating this can be
goal. Cold Shadows: Solitaire games
a bit more challenging. This optional rule
care little for Agents who distance
attempts to mimic that feeling. When a
themselves from the event that is
Confrontation Segment is filled up, the
demanding attention. This is expanded
stakes should increase to represent the
upon in the walk-through below.
growing tension and intensity of the
Confrontation scene. This is represented as a +1 Wager
needed to all Risks for each currently-
Segments filled-up Confrontation Segment.
Confrontation Segments are moments
when the Agent finds themselves • The Agent makes an accomplishment
face-to-face with the Antagonist. This or achieves an objective towards their
Chapter 12: Solitaire

may or may not constitute a moment desired goal.
of violence, especially if you pattern • The Agent dies, but the player
your games to have the feel of John doesn’t feel the game should end yet.
le Carré novels. A good number of • The Antagonist dies, but the player
Confrontation Segments is one for doesn’t feel the game should end yet.
every three segments of Rope.
The first two options will be most often
Finale Segment used as you play through the narrative and
make your way towards Confrontations
Every Solitaire game ends with a
leading to the finale. The last two will be
Finale Segment. The Finale represents
used only when you feel the need to, but
the final scene in the narrative where
are also license to push your story to the
the initial Set-Up is given closure, and
limits and embrace the many genre tropes
depending on the mood you prefer, the
we love from our favorite espionage
consequences of the Agent’s decisions
stories. The Agent is in a helicopter that
and actions are then shown.
blows up? Fill in a segment, and continue
Other Segments the story as the Agent is fished out of the
Similar to Cold Shadows: Martini river by a friend. The Villain is shot in the
games, the other segments are filled head in the second act? Fill in a segment
up when any of the following occur in and reveal the Villain was just someone
the game. else in a mask of the villain’s face.
• An important person to the Agent In the end, the Rope is your guide
is eliminated or otherwise removed to creating the narrative flow of your
from being helpful to the Agent. story and will signal when it is time to
have the finale occur.
99
the Threats Recovering
The manner of threats in the game from Injury
greatly depend on the kind of stories in Unlike the usual Cold Shadows games,
which you want to play. The explosive in Solitaire, the player can always opt to
adrenaline rush of James Bond, for recover from Injuries. This, however,
example, has a different set of threats always comes at a price. By filling up a
compared to the slow-burning Rope segment, the player can have the
psychological realizations in Tinker, Agent recover Ranks of Injury equal to
Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Thankfully, Cold the segment’s position. This, however,
Shadows uses an abstracted system in means someone important to the
handling these threats and that would Agent, or one of the Agent’s existing
be in the following manner: Assets or resources, is then removed
Any time the Agent faces a particular from the story as part of the narrative.
Threat, be it physical, psychological
or emotional, the player can require Example:
a dice roll if failure against the Threat Corwell is playing and has a
has an appropriate danger involved to nine-segment Rope story. He
the Agent’s progression through the is currently on the fourth
Narrative. As a standard, all Threats are segment, when he realizes his
assumed to have a range of 1 to 5 wagers. Agent already has Exhaustion:
It is up to the Solitaire player how often Rank 2 and Bleeding Arm: Rank
Threats challenge their Agent. 4 as Injuries. Worried they’ll
impair him later on, he decides
to fill up the fifth segment of
rope. This allows him to reduce
up to five Ranks of Injuries, so
he decides the Agent ties up his
wound, and takes a nap to recover.
He removes both injuries (4
points from the Bleeding Arm,
and reduces the Exhaustion by
1 point) and replaces them with
Exhaustion: Rank 1 instead.
He wakes up to hear news that
his old friend, Agent Chunk-
Smith, has been found dead, left
in an alleyway. He was hoping to
ask Chunk-Smith for help given
that the man was a source of
intel.
100
Threats Table
Type of Minimum Examples Examples
Threat # of Wages (Le Carré) (Fleming)
Typical 1 Small risk. Easy risk.
Against normal Leaping onto mov-
security. ing vehicle.
Against everyday Against normal
people. security.
Challenging 2 Challenging risk. Typical risk.
Against operatives of Dodging incoming
young or adequate fire.
status. Spotting hidden
Avoiding weapon- weapons.
based injury. Fighting operatives
Initial confrontation or goons.

with antagonist.
Dangerous 3 Dangerous risk. Challenging risk.
Against trained Against trained
operatives. operatives and death
Avoiding firearm- traps.
related injury. Incredible stunts.
Disastrous 4 Fatal risk. Incredible risks.
Avoiding sniper fire.Fighting underwater
while decoding a
bomb.
Inventing a new
gadget on the fly.
Emerging from
water, in a suit,
completely dry.
Finale 5 Finale confrontation Legendary feats of
with the Antagonist. impossibility.
101
Trust Points and Playing a
Assets, Revisited Solitaire Game
Given the game’s cat-and-mouse feel, Here are the step-by-step rules for
Trust Points in this game are now a bit playing a Cold Shadows: Solitaire
different from the usual Cold Shadows game.
game. tart the game with only 1 Trust
Point. CON OPs are not used in this 1. Generate your Agent
game. And Assets are simplified in this Young Agent
game. Each Asset can be used once in Generate the Agent as normal,
the story. This Asset grants a narrative starting with the creation of your
effect on your story, and grants Trust Director and Agency. Create an
Points equal to its Rank. Agent as normal; however, see
As per normal rules, Trust points below for the offered Aspect.
can be spent to increase one’s dice pool Start with Assets equal to the
by four in a single risk. number of Rope segments your
Trust cannot be used to add details game will have. Assets cannot be
to the story. Instead, that occurs higher than Rank 1.
automatically, as this is a solitary Seasoned Agent
game, and dramatic scenes are Generate the Agent as normal,
now accomplished solely through starting with the creation of your
additional wagers in Risks. Director and Agency. Create an
Additional Trust can also be gained Agent as normal; however, see
in the following ways: below for the offered Aspect. Then,
• A used Asset grants Trust points depending on the desired age of
equal to its Rank your Agent, add additional Aspects
• A risk is successfully overcome in if you are in either Summer,
relation to the Set-Up’s goal Autumn or Winter in age.
• A player chooses to fail in a risk Start with Assets equal to the
(this grants Trust equal to the Rank number of Rope segments your
of Injury received) game will have. Add half that
number (rounded up) for each
level older you are than usual
(Summer Agents add once,
Autumn add twice, and Winter
add three times). Assets cannot
be higher than Rank 1 (+1 if
the Agent is Autumn, and an
additional +1 if Winter.) So, a
Winter Agent will be allowed to
have Assets up to Rank 3.
102
We offer this Aspect for Solitaire games: Roll Plot Description
Up To Me Result
Even The The Agent has
Invoke: No one else is aware of what

numbers Mission been given a
you are aware of, and worse, even Mission to carry
if you warn others, no one else but out.
you can meaningfully do something
1 or 9 The The Agent has
about it. Gain three dice when you Target become the
do something despite others telling target of the
you to do otherwise. antagonist.
Compel: You refuse to let others Roll again to
get involved. You deny others the determine what
opportunity to help you, and if type of target:
ever they still do, you find ways to • Odds = On
ensure they don’t ever do it again. the Run
Mechanically, this is reflected by the • Evens =
fact you only use each Asset once in Under Attack
the game, and that you don’t have lots 3, 5, or 7 The The Agent
of backing to help you. Additionally, Mystery attempts to
anyone helping you is reflected as uncover the
identity of the
additional wagers or segments of
antagonist
Rope being filled up.
behind a disaster
2. Generate your Set-Up or tragic event.
During Set-Up, the player rolls By determining the Set-Up segment,
a ten-sided die to generate the the player then has a better feel for what
kind of plot in which the Agent the initial mood of the game is.
is involved (or simply chooses, if
that is desired).
103
3. Fleshing Out Your Set-Up Plot: The Target (On the Run)
Depending on the type of You are being framed for
plot you are going through, something, or have been found
the following tables will offer guilty of having done something
suggestions on what the segment that the organization does not
you are currently playing through agree with. Or perhaps you chose
will be about. Some suggestions to do something the organization
will even offer system/mechanic does not agree with. You must run.
recommendations that can help Roll Le Carré Fleming
embody the plot. Result
Plot: The Mission 1-4 Find a place Escape
Your Director has given you a to hide before they
Mission you must accomplish. It catch you
is that simple. 5-8 Find the Discover
proof you who has
Roll Le Carré Fleming need framed you
Result 9-10 Find who Fake your
1-2 Infiltrate a Apprehend has betrayed death
location someone you
3-4 Identify a Steal
target something Plot: The Target (Under Attack)
5-6 Gain the Protect An enemy group or organization
trust of someone has decided you are a threat that
someone must be eliminated. Survival is
7-8 Gather Deliver now of utmost priority.
information something Roll Le Carré Fleming
on
Result
something
1-4 Get away Your
9 Retrieve Get to the
from the credentials
something extraction
heat are destroyed
10 Eliminate Prove that
5-8 Get to a You lose
someone something
loved one access to
impossible is
you must your friends
happening
protect
9-10 Fake your Defend a
death home
104
4. Expanding on Setting: Overseas/Exotic Location
the first segment Roll Le Carré Fleming
Knowing now if your session is Result
a Mission, a Target or a Mystery, 1-2 Paris Hong Kong
further define the Set-Up with the 3-5 Berlin Rome
following tables. Roll three ten-
6-7 China South America
sided die and allocate a die to each
8-9 Singapore Mexico
category.
10 Moscow Manila
The Initial Setting
Determine where the story initially Setting: Home Country
begins.
Roll Le Carré Fleming
The Antagonist Result
Determine who the antagonist 1-2 Other Highway
is. The Agent may or may not government
know this. building
The Object in Question 3-5 Headquarters Public venue

Determine what object or item is with crowds
part of the whole affair. 6-8 Public Headquarters
building
Setting: Initial
9-10 Private Tunnel
Roll Le Carré Fleming residence
Result
1-3 Overseas Exotic Setting:
location Elsewhere/Incredible Location
4-7 Home Home Roll Le Carré Fleming
country country Result
9-10 Elsewhere Incrdible 1-2 Some old On the
location cafe moon
3-8 In transit With a
beautiful
woman
9-10 Cemetery Aboard a
submarine
105
Antagonist: Initial Antagonist: Someone You Know /
Roll Le Carré Fleming Hideous Mastermind
Result Roll Le Carré Fleming
1-3 Enemy Wealthy Result
agent eccentric 1-4 Former Blinded by
4-7 Someone Hideous lover his cause
you know mastermind 5-6 Family Obsessed
8-10 Enemy Beautiful member with
director manipulator destroying
you
Antagonist: 7-10 Former Scarred by a
Enemy Agent / Wealthy Eccentric mentor moment of
weakness
Result Antagonist: Enemy Director
1-3 Former Connected to / Beautiful Manipulator
fellow agent government
4-7 Rival agent Influential
philanthropist Result
8-10 Former Connected to 1-4 Once your Seen by others
close friend agency teacher as good
5-6 Believed Obsessed with
you were owning you
pointless
7-10 Currently Was just a
your boss front (roll
again initial
antagonist)
106
Object in Question:
Physical Information
Result

1-2 A microdot A portable
drive
3-5 A A trinket of
Object in Question: Initial photograph some sort
Roll Le Carré Fleming 6-8 A copy A video
Result of some recording
1-3 Verbally- Physical document
shared information 9-10 An audio A body
knowledge recording
4-7 Physical A person
information Object in Question:
8-10 A person Verbally- A Person
shared Roll Le Carré Fleming
knowledge Result
Object in Question: 1-2 A source of A victim
information
Verbally Shared Knowledge
3-5 A dead body A distraction
Roll Le Carré Fleming 6-8 A A witness
Result supposedly
1-2 A name An acronym dead person
3-5 An identity A secret alias 9-10 A source of A target
6-8 A date Coordinates misinforma-
tion
9-10 A fact A confession
107
5. Segment Suggestions Roll result 4:
As you go through your story, • Le Carré: Cornered
you can roll a ten-sided die The Threat has you cornered.
and choose from these possible Defeat two Threats in a row.
segment suggestions. Remember, • Fleming: An ally
additional segments can be filled An ally emerges. Remove one
up if you opt to heal injuries or Asset, and create a new Asset one
if death happens to you or the Rank higher than the previous
antagonist too soon. one. Or gain 3 Trust.
Roll result 1: Roll result 5:

• Le Carré: A dead end • Le Carré: Red herring
What you thought led somewhere A clue misleads you. Either lose an
was a dead end. A Threat emerges. Asset or face a Dangerous Threat.
• Fleming: Blackjack • Fleming: Deathtrap
Roll twice and use both rolls. If The antagonist reveals them-
you roll a 1 again, destroy all Assets selves. If already revealed,
and reallocate the Ranks to a single then the Agent is thrown into
gadget Asset. Or, the plot shifts! a deathtrap. Overcome Threats
Roll a new plot that overtakes the equal to half the number of
existing one. segments filled up.

• Le Carré: A clue • Le Carré: Checkmate
A clue to the truth emerges. The antagonist is sighted. Defeat
Possible threats abound. (Roll two Threats in a row. If you
a die. On odds, continue. On defeat them, you may encounter
evens, a Threat emerges.) the antagonist.
• Fleming: A distraction • Fleming: A quiet moment
Something comes up to distract Whether it is a chance for a
you from your mission. You romantic interlude, or a break
must overcome an Emotional from the violence giving a
or Psychological Threat. moment to swim or relax, these
are rare moments. Remove one
Roll result 3: Injury of any Rank. Any future
• Le Carré: A betrayal rolls treat this as a distraction (a
An asset turns out to be the roll of 2).
Threat! Add Ranks of Asset to
Threat Rank.
• Fleming: A chase
The Agent must overcome three
Threats to emerge from a chase.
108
• Le Carré: Upper hand • Le Carré: A rhyme
You either gain more infor- Roll twice and use both rolls.
mation that helps you in your If you roll a 10 again, then kill
objective (gain 2 Trust) or an off an Asset. Or, the plot shifts!
advantage against the next Roll a new plot that overtakes
Threat (+2 free wagers to the existing one.
spend in that confrontation). • Fleming: A romantic admission
• Fleming: A betrayal An Asset to whom you are
An Asset turns out to be working romantically attached is part
for the enemy. Erase one Asset. of the plot. Lose the Asset, but
Face now a Threat of the same complete one segment and heal
Rank of that Asset. Injuries.
Roll result 8: 6. Finale Suggestions
• Le Carré: A confession The finale is the final scene of the
An asset turns out to know more campaign. The great confrontation.
than originally admitted. Lose the Or the undeniable revelation. Be

Asset, but complete one segment sure to pull out all the stops with
and heal Injuries. your finale. Without a segment to
• Fleming: An ambush fill in to avoid death, the finale is
The Agent must overcome three your chance to bring the narrative
Threats to represent an ambush. to its bitter end, and see in which
Roll result 9: direction the tragedy swings.
• Le Carré: A clue Consider having a “bookend”
A clue to the truth emerges. Pos- feel to your story by setting the
sible Threats abound. (Roll a finale at the same location as
die. On evens, continue. On the start of the story. Or perhaps
odds, a Threat emerges.) even consider having the same
• Fleming: A distraction very scene be echoed somehow.
Something comes up to distract
you from your mission. You 7. Consequences
must overcome an Emotional And to end the game, spend perhaps
or Psychological Threat. one or two sentences giving short
vignettes on how the whole story
has changed things. Has leadership
shifted in the organization? Is the
city safer now? Did the antagonist
walk away with the world now in
the palm of their hand?
End the story.
And pour yourself a drink.
109
CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
FIGHTING STYLES
“I have destroyed him with the weapons I abhorred, and they are his. We have crossed
each other’s frontiers; we are the no-men of this no-man’s land.”
- John le Carré, Smiley’s People
All Agents know that each mission Your character’s Style represents who
comes with risks. That’s the job. Every they are as a person and the way they
spy is willing to put their life on the line perceive the world. How each Agent
if duty calls for it. However, a smart approaches a fight is different. While
spy learns how to defend themselves, two Agents may have the same basic
so if the time comes where they have training and take the same courses to
to risk it all in a fight, then they are master a martial art, each of them will
the one who comes away victorious. have completely different Styles. When
The actual fighting technique you it comes down to it, when an Agent is
choose for your character will largely outnumbered, and has taken more hits
be based on where your Agency is than any normal person could bear,
placed and what decade you play in. they reach deep within themselves
Will your character learn to defeat their to use every last ounce of being they
foes with military self-defense classes? possess, to win. One Agent may do that
Or maybe they’ve managed to learn a by brutally beating down her opponent
martial art? Fighting Styles are based on with anything she can find. Another
the type of aggression and personality agent may do this by nimbly dodging
your character puts on the techniques out of the way and using his opponent’s
she learns. They show a deeper strength against her.
understanding of the technique they
were taught, beyond the basic moves. The System
Each Fighting Style gives your Agent
bonus dice in a fight. However, if
your opponent has also developed a
Fighting Style, they may gain bonus
dice because of their mastery.
An Agent develops the techniques
of a Fighting Style with a Season
Action, representing the training that
they undergo and the deepening of
their understanding. This gives them
one Rank in that Fighting Style. They
gain a bonus die for each Rank that
they learn in that Style. Additional
110
Ranks and bonus dice may be gained Smooth +2 vs. Brutal
as well, but each costs additional Season
Brutal + 2 vs. Nimble
Actions.
Nimble +2 vs. Offensive
• Increasing from Rank 1 to Rank 2
in a Fighting Style costs two Season Offensive +2 vs. Defensive
Actions. Defensive + 2 vs. Smooth
• Increasing from Rank 2 to Rank 3 in
a Fighting Style costs three Season Smooth
Actions. Foxtrot Delta pulled a pack of Lucky
• Increasing from Rank 3 to Rank 4 Strikes from her pocket, lit one and
in a Fighting Style costs four Season inhaled deeply with a sigh of relief.
Actions. Staggering to her feet, the dreaded
• Increasing from Rank 4 to Rank 5 Siberian Serpent, who had picked
in a Fighting Style costs five Season up her knife and was about to strike,
Actions. paused. Foxtrot Delta extended her the
Each Style is associated with a pack of cigarettes, “Smoke break?” The
Chapter 13: Fighting Styles

particular Virtue. You may only gain Siberian Serpent let out an enraged
a number of bonus dice from a Style howl and lunged at the smoking Agent.
up to the number of Ranks you hold A sly smile crept across Foxtrot Delta’s
in the Virtue associated with that face as she flicked her cigarette to the
Style. ground, using the Serpent’s momentum
to flip her and pin her. Foxtrot Delta
For example, if your Violence is
said, “Angry opponents… they’re
Rank 2, then you may only gain two
always so sloppy.”
Ranks in a Style that has Violence as
its associated Virtue. A Smooth Style means your Agent
fights with wit and grace. They are the
When facing an opponent from
type of fighter who enjoys engaging
an opposing Style, you either gain
their opponent in small talk to lighten
additional dice or your opponent
the mood to throw them off-balance.
gains additional dice.
They know the most cutting words
If you create a Style, then you and easiest shortcuts to make quick
must place your Style somewhere work of any foe. Smooth Fighting
on the chart in this section. It should Styles give bonus dice based on a
be a Brutal Style, a Quick Style, etc. person’s Charisma.
Regardless of where you place it,
another Style will have advantage
over you. No technique is perfect and
every technique has a weakness.
Each Style grants a +2 bonus (a
lesser advantage) against a rival Style.
111
Offensive Brutal
There were five guards, one exit, and Blue June leapt over the table, blood
North Star had run out of bullets. Two streaming from her nose. She could
gun’s barrels pointed at him, North barely see out of her left eye and the
Star’s vision narrowed. All he saw was stab wound in her gut let out a fiery
the pale mint green door. Freedom. scream with every move she made.
Time to cause some trouble. He lunged There were two Agents left. She had
at the two guards in front of him, to escape. Her camera held the intel
slamming them to the ground like a needed to change the fate of the
quarterback, and three swift strikes damned war. Barely dodging an
to the third guard’s nose brought him oncoming blow, she head-butted the
down quickly. A shot rang out, etching Agent in front of her and twisted his
a stinging wound onto his cheek. That arm behind his back. With her free
was too close for comfort. He grabbed hand, she quickly grabbed his gun,
the fourth guard’s gun—still smoking pointed it at other flabbergasted Agent
from the shot—and knocked the in the room, and pulled the trigger.
guard’s head back with his elbow, firing A Brutal style means your agent uses
a shot into the fifth. excessive force, violence and savagery
An Offensive fighter never stops. With to win the day. Where another Agent
fast, decisive maneuvers he never looks may dodge, your Agent grabs a chair
back and keeps going at all costs. His and bashes it over someone’s head.
Style is focused on getting is opponent Where another Agent may punch,
down quickly, efficiently, before they your Agent moves to gouge out
can attack. Offensive Fighting Styles someone’s eyes. The Brutal Fighting
give bonus dice based on a person’s Styles give bonus dice based on a
Perception. person’s Violence.
112
Nimble Defensive
Jack Quick could hear the thug’s labored 1… 2… 3… Grey Gardner centered
breath from across the room. Swiftly, herself for the fight ahead. A true battle
silently, he positioned himself behind wasn’t about strength, it was about
the monster of a man. One keen, well smarts. The Ocean Alpha moved for a
placed shot to the kidney and man low blow, a fist aimed for her gut. The
crumpled like a piece of paper. Jack world slowed around Grey Gardner,
could’ve stayed to finish him off, but she felt the heavy energy in the room,
that would be stupid. Get too close and her body a blade moving through
the man would crush him. The man deep waters. Grasping the Alpha’s fist
would die. Jack just needed one more and moving her body to the left of the
good strike. blow, Gardner’s arms followed the
A Nimble fighter uses a mixture of man’s energy upwards. She turned her
flexibility, balance and speed to dart back to him and as his momentum
across the battlefield. Even when he is ran Alpha into her Garden’s she
crouched effortlessly flipping him over
Chapter 13: Fighting Styles

caught off-guard, his ability to dodge
out of the way means he is rarely hit. his shoulder. The bigger they are, the
Nimble fighters often prefer to perform harder they fall.
devastating strikes from the shadows Defensive fighters are all about exerting
rather than engage in an all-out fight. minimum effort for maximum effect.
Nimble Fighting Styles give bonus dice They dance around a battlefield in
based on a person’s Athleticism. smooth, flowing movements, using their
enemies moves against them. Protection
and exploitation of your enemy are the
key ingredients of this Style. Defensive
Fighting Styles give bonus dice based on
a person’s Intellect.
113
CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
SPYWARE
Espionage Agencies, real and imagined, Bonus: You gain your Role Rank as
strive to remain on the cutting edge bonus dice when remotely gathering
of technology, cooking up all manner information or data for the Agency.
of devious devices to help agents in Ability: You have access to an extensive
the field. Gadgets can range from database, archive or library containing
whimsical to lethal and, as always, the a staggering amount of information.
Narrator has the final say as to which Each game, you may state a number of
items are available and how prevalent truths about the world or events equal
they are in the world of the game. to your Role Rank. While these Truths
can touch on NPCs, describing where
New Aspect they will be or something they’ve done
Cutting Edge (e.g. “The informant uses a dead drop
Invoke: Your Agency is known for outside the Reichstag”), but can’t speak
providing its Agents with the best directly to them (e.g. “The informant
technology available. Gain one free is the Austrian banker we’ve been
wager when using gadgets; when your watching”). These Truths must relate
Agency first acquires a Mister Wizard to either the past or the future and can’t
Asset, gain an additional Gear Point. provide real-time information (unless
otherwise specified by a gadget).
Compel: You tend to rely a little too
much on your toys and occasionally Benefit: You have a gift for puzzles and
struggle when you have to do things the an eye for detail. Each game, you may
old-fashioned way. reroll a number of failed Perception or
Intellect risks equal to your Role Rank.
New Role
Spook New Asset
The Intelligence Analyst handles Mister Wizard
information from a carefully-cultivated “Mister Wizard” is the tongue-in-cheek
network of people, known in the title given to a person, group or process
trade as HUMINT. The Spook, on used to deliver technology to Agents in
the other hand, handles information the field. This could be a single engineer,
from pretty much everywhere else: an entire “Q Gadgets” division or a
signals (SIGINT), imagery (IMINT & network of hackers and makers only
PHOTINT), radar (RADINT), public accessible by dead drop. Whether high-
sources (OSINT) and a host of obscure tech or low-budget, Mister Wizard
measurements and signatures that provides equipment over and above
defy categorization (MASINT). that issued by a Quartermater.
114
If your Director supports a Mister • Rank 1: Collapsible Stock – Grants
Wizard, your Agents gain two Gear stability at the cost of concealment.
Points worth of gadgets per Rank When unfolded, the silenced
in this Asset. These Points can pistol gains no bonus dice to avoid
accumulate across Seasons and a detection but confers +1 dice to
Director may spend a Season Action Violence risks with the weapon.
to add an additional two Points per • Rank 2: Extended Barrel – Increases
Rank. Gear Points don’t need to range and power at the cost of
be spent during the Season Action concealment. When attached, the
phase, but they can’t be spent in additional size imposes a penalty of
the middle of a Mission—Agents -2 dice to avoid detection but grants
need adequate time to acquire or either +2 dice to Violence risks
construct their new toys. or one free wager for additional
Injury.
New Item: Gear
• Rank 3: Advanced Optics – Provides
A Division of an Agency acquires gear deadly accuracy. For every pair of
by spending Gear Points generated doubles rolled in your risk pool, gain
from Aspects, Assets or other sources. a free wager for additional Injury.
Chapter 14: Spyware

Each gear purchased with Gear Points
• Rank 4: High Capacity Clip – Puts
is singular and must either be shared
a little more lead in the air. You
or used by one Agent.
may reroll any 1’s in your risk pool.
Gear comes in Ranks, which determine
• Rank 5: Burst Fire – Puts a lot more
cost and impart additional benefits as
lead in the air. You may reroll your
Rank increases. You can spend Gear
entire risk pool but must accept the
Points to either increase existing Rank on
second result.
gear or to buy a gear at a predetermined
Rank (paying the appropriate cost for • Rank 6: Full Auto – Can hit
the total amount of Ranks). multiple targets. If your Violence
risk succeeds, you may spend
Weapons three wagers to make another
Violence risk against another
A Gun for All Seasons target using only the dice from
Cost: 2 per Rank your original risk pool.
Effect: Every Agent is issued a standard
sidearm but not every Agent settles for
“standard issue.” The list of possible
attachments and enhancements is
nearly endless; with enough effort, a
simple pistol can become a weapon
of mass destruction. Only the Rank
1 enhancement can be applied to
silenced pistols.
115
Intimate Weapon Disguised Weapon
Cost: 1 per Rank Cost: 1 per Rank
Effect: From the classic poisoned lipstick Effect: Whether it’s an umbrella dart
to knockout gas stored in a bracelet, an gun or a submachine gun built into
intimate weapon is any concealed device a briefcase, disguised weapons are a
that requires contact or extremely close staple of spycraft. Any weapon except
proximity to be effective. If you declare a a silenced pistol can be disguised
strike with an Intimate Weapon, you may and doing so adds +2 dice per Rank
make a seduction risk as the initial attack to any roll to avoid detection.
roll. Intimate Weapons gain one free
Incapacitation Weapon
wager per Rank which can either be used
for additional Injury or incapacitation. Cost: 1 per Rank
One wager spent toward incapacitation Effect: They say discretion is the
can reduce the benefit of one Virtue by better part of valor and for Agents
one die for one hour. If a Virtue bonus in the field, violence is usually a last
is reduced to zero, the target is rendered resort. Agents who find themselves
unconscious. Intimate Weapons cannot in situations where combat seems
be used in mass murder. unavoidable often rely on some
handy gadgets to ensure they live to
fight another day.
116
• Rank 1: “Willie Pete” – Named for pre-arranged signal) is rendered
“William Peter,” or “WP” in the completely blind for one round
Joint Army/Navy radio alphabet, and suffers a -3 penalty to any risk
these small canisters use white involving vision or hearing on the
phosphorous to produce large following round. The penalty is
amounts of thick, white smoke reduced by 1 per round until the
almost instantly (unlike solid fuel Agent’s sight and hearing return to
canisters). Mildly toxic and utterly normal.
opaque, the dense cloud of smoke • Rank 3: Edgewood CS – The
completely obscures vision and facility known as Edgewood
complicates breathing. Arsenal in Maryland’s Aberdeen
If an Agent equipped with a WP Proving Ground has manufactured
canister calls strike, that Agent may chemical weapons since 1918.
choose to deploy the canister rather Beginning in the mid-1950s, the
than attack. Once the canister is U.S. Army Chemical Corps used
deployed, no other Agent can make the location to conduct classified
an attack action until the end of medical tests on the effects of over
the round and any Agent wishing 250 different chemicals and their
Chapter 14: Spyware

to leave the area may do so. Agents potential military applications.
leaving the scene cannot be followed The compound known as CS
by normal means (some Gadgets (named for the two men who first
may allow for this, however). synthesized it: Ben Corson and
• Rank 2: M84 Stun Grenade – Roger Stoughton) showed the
Developed by the British military, most promise: test subjects likened
the M84 is the gold standard exposure to being set on fire. An
for the class of devices known aerosol canister of the chemical
less formally as flashbangs. On was in the hands of British and
detonation, these grenades create American operatives by the end of
a one million candela flash and a the decade.
bang loud enough to shatter glass. Edgewood CS takes several, critical
The resulting blindness lasts about seconds to take effect, but once it
five seconds, but the afterimage does so, exposure can be crippling.
makes precision tasks like aiming a Contact or inhalation inflicts a -2
firearm extremely difficult for over penalty to all risks. This penalty
a minute following the initial flash. increases by 2 per round until
If an Agent equipped with a M84 it reaches -8, at which point the
calls strike, that Agent may choose penalty decreases at the rate of 1
to deploy the grenade rather than per round until the victim is fully
attack. Any Agent who is not aware recovered. Edgewood CS may not
the grenade is being used at that prevent violence from occurring
exact instant (either via a Hidden but it certainly makes a sustained
Communications Network or a engagement exceedingly difficult.
117
semi-coherent. While it must be
TOOLS OF THE TRADE administered via injection, the drug
Interrogation Drugs can produce staggering results.
Cost: 3 per Rank The drug lasts for two hours and
Effect: Every Agent receives intensive reduces the target’s Courage by 1
training in resisting interrogation per hour. If this brings the Courage
before going into the field, so much so rating to zero or below, the target
that barbarous techniques like torture passes out. The target must answer
are barely effective. To counter this, at least three questions per hour,
Agencies have developed a robust though only two answers per hour
pharmacopeia of interrogation drugs. must be true.
• Rank 1: Scopolomine – Scopolomine • Rank 3: ULTRA – A classified
is the sledge hammer of interrogation and highly dangerous chemical
drugs: dramatic, inelegant and cocktail which can produce
highly effective. Its odor and taste vivid hallucinations, loss (or
are difficult to conceal and the target multiplication of) identity and
experiences extreme drowsiness all manner of deeply disturbing
before the drug takes hold. Once psychological effects. The drug
under the drug’s influence however, gives the interrogator almost
the target becomes extremely god-like power over the target;
receptive to simple commands, short unfortunately, many targets never
term memory is completely blocked recover.
and suggestions can easily be The target’s Courage is reduced to
transformed into vivid hallucination. 1 for eight hours. Every hour, the
Under the drug’s effects, the target’s target can be compelled to answer
Courage is reduced to 1 for the purpose at least five questions: three must
of resisting simple temptation or be true, one may be false, and one
suggestion; any complex commands may be partially false. At the end
are extremely difficult for the subject of each hour, the target must make
to follow and thus comply with. an Intellect risk. If the target fails
The target must answer at least two two consecutive rolls, then his
questions: one of the answers must be psyche is permanently damaged
true, one may be false. in some noticeable way (often
• Rank 2: Sodium thiopental – The in the form of serious reality
classic truth serum, Sodium impairment). If the target fails
thiopental (also known as Sodium three such risks in a row, his mind
Pentothal) renders its target talkative is irreparably and catastrophically
and cooperative but confused and damaged; he will never again
function independently in normal
society.
118
Hidden Communicator (a resonant cavity microphone)
Cost: 2 for the base unit, 1 for each and other foundational designs
field unit which revolutionized espionage.
Once per game, you may choose
Effect: Communication is the foundation
to overhear any discussion or
of operational efficiency, a fact that is
event involving a designated NPC
often taken for granted. Like a bug or
or location.
listening device, communicators have a
disguised field component and a larger • Rank 2: Radio Tracker – Developed
base unit. Unlike bugs, these devices by the U.S. military in 1957 and
allow for surreptitious communication perfected by Harvard psychology
in both directions. The base unit has a students Robert and Kirk Gable
Cost of 2 and each field unit has a Cost in the mid-1960s, radio tracking
of 1. devices quickly made their way into
the spy’s tool kit. Twice per game,
Any Agent with a Hidden
the user may grant any other Agent
Communicator who calls strike may
two free wagers to set or avoid an
choose any other Agent on the same
ambush. This device (and those
Hidden Communicator network
ranked higher) allows Spooks to
as the striker. Mechanically, this
Chapter 14: Spyware

give real-time information.
designated Agent may choose to
act as though she had called strike • Rank 3: Hallicrafters SX-28 –
instead; all the bonuses and rolls are Developed in 1940, the SX-28 is
calculated at exactly the same time, a superheterodyne receiver that
using the Designated Striker for all covers all frequencies between
calculations. 550 kHz and 43 MHz, making
it the preferred interception
Surveillance Suite device for many intelligence
Cost: 2 per Rank organizations. Your Director may
Effect: Intelligence Agencies in every spend a Season Action to learn the
era have devoted enormous resources nature of any one Season Action
to listening to and tracking enemy taken by an Agency with which
diplomats, operatives and assets. you are at war. Whether your
This technological arms race has Director chooses to share this
produced inventive and innovative valuable information, however, is
devices which have, in turn, shaped another story.
the modern world.
• Rank 1: Theremin Devices –
Brilliant Soviet scientist Leon
Theremin invented several of
the first effective covert listening
devices, including Buran (a
wireless microphone), The Thing
119
Credible Intelligence • Rank 1: Basic Bulletproofing – The
Cost: 1 per Rank addition of high-tech ballistic
materials or just extra plates of steel
Effect: Secrets are the only real
has made the vehicle significantly
currency in the world of espionage
safer, even in a firefight.
and information is the deadliest
weapon. Intelligence takes many Anyone attacking the vehicle or its
forms and comes from many sources, occupants must spend 2 wagers to
but often a key piece of information breach the armor, otherwise the
is enough turn a disaster into an attack bounces off harmlessly.
advantage. An Agent may spend • Rank 1: Pursuit Countermeasures
one Rank of Credible Intelligence to – Smokescreens, oil slicks, and
reroll one Charisma, Perception or road spikes all qualify as pursuit
Intellect risk. countermeasures—nasty surprises
for anyone too intent on following.
Spy Car
Anyone attempting to follow the
Cost: 1+1 per Rank vehicle must devote 2 wagers to
Effect: There are myriad technological avoiding these countermeasures.
miracles designed to allow an Agent • Rank 2: Weaponry – Headlight
to drive in safety, comfort and style. mounted machine guns tend to be
As with any Gadget, Narrators should a popular choice but the offensive
carefully consider the consequences options for a Spy Car are limited
of introducing the items detailed only by the imagination.
below; not only for their effect on
When attacking, these weapons
game balance, but also for their effect
grant 2 free wagers to damage.
on the overall tone and tenor of the
These wagers can also be used to
game. Spy Cars can benefit from a
breach the armor on bulletproof
Garage.
vehicles or structures.
• Rank 2: Tracking Technology –
The vehicle has advanced
tracking technology which
makes it very difficult to
shake in a chase. Whether
through image recognition or
radioactive tagging, the vehicle
can spot a marked vehicle in
even the most chaotic traffic.
The driver must initially spend
2 wagers to tag the vehicle
she intends to pursue. After a
vehicle is tagged, the driver gains
2 free wagers for maintaining
120
the pursuit (including to negate
Pursuit Countermeasures). SPY CARS AND
• Rank 3: Polychromatic Plasticity – GAMEPLAY STYLES
The vehicle as a limited ability to Perhaps no Gadget has a bigger effect
change color and shape, making on the feel of a game than the Spy Car.
it extremely difficult track even While the Narrator always has final
casually. While this isn’t much say, the number of Gadgets a Spy Car
use in hot pursuit, once the can hold generally varies by gameplay
vehicle ducks around a corner or style. The recommended slots are as
into a congested intersection, it follows:
can appear to vanish into thin air. • Trope Heavy Games: 5+
This device can be triggered once • Wet Work: 3–4
the vehicle is out of its pursuer’s • Covert: 1–2
direct line of sight. Once out of
view, the vehicle’s shape can shift The selection of which environment
to resemble a number of additional the vehicle is modified to suit
models equal to its Garage Rank is made at the time this Gadget
and can adopt the same number of is purchased, though it may be
Chapter 14: Spyware

additional colors. These changes changed once per Season at the
combine to add 3 free wagers to beginning of the Season.
avoiding detection. • Rank 5: Autonomous Operation
• Rank 4: Automatic Navigation – – The vehicle is not only equipped
The vehicle can drive itself, a feature with cutting edge technology but
which can be quite useful in the also a personality. While it views
event of a chase. itself as a member of the team, the
vehicle has its own preferences and
The vehicle may make driving-
opinions. Most gearheads dream
related risks with a pool equal to
of a sentient car; Agents should be
its Rank (4+) and the Rank of its
careful what they wish for.
Garage. This allows an Agent to
call the car to her location or the Autonomous vehicles have one
car’s driver to take other actions Virtue at 4, one at 3, three at 2, and
during a chase. one Weakness; they also have an
Aspect and a Name. The vehicle
• Rank 5: Environmental Adaptation
will take direction from the Agents
– The vehicle is equipped with
and is programmed in such a way
all the necessary seals, alternative
that it cannot betray them, but the
systems and structural adjustments
Narrator has a certain amount of
needed in an otherwise impossibly
leeway in what the vehicle will and
hostile environment. The car could
will not do.
be modified to drive flawlessly on
snow, beneath the waves or even in
the vacuum of space.
121

concept

player
Name:
Codename:
Cover:
cover name
occupation rank
Role: AGENCY:
Bonus gained when:
Aspect #1:
Ability: Aspect #2:
Aspect #3:
BaCKGROUND:
Benefit:
Advantage:
Inventory & Notes:

AGENCY
Director:
Personality:
Specialized
Advantage:
Virtue:
Disadvantage:
AGENCY ASPECTS
#1: AGENCY ASSETS
Invoke:
#1 lvl:
#2 lvl:
Compel: #3 lvl:
#4 lvl:
#2:
Invoke: #5 lvl:
#6 lvl:
#7 lvl:
Compel:
#8 lvl:
#3: #9 lvl:
Invoke:
#10 lvl:
#11 lvl:
Compel:
#12 lvl:
#13 lvl:
#4:
Invoke: Secrets & Notes:
Compel:
Name:
Type of City:
THEMES
THREATS
ORGANIZATIONS
Name:
Name:
Name:
Name:
Name:
Name:
Name:
Name:
Name:
FIELD ASSETS
Type: Description Rank

FACES
Name and Details:
Name and Details:
Name and Details:
Name and Details:
Name and Details:
Name and Details:
Name and Details:
Name and Details:
Name and Details:

book will
This core rule
self-destruct.
128
Cold Shadows is a tabletop roleplaying game
where the rules are focused on telling a dynamic,
personal and compelling story. The game is set
in a taut world of espionage, betrayal, and drama
inspired by the great spy stories of authors
such as John le Carre and Robert Ludlum.
Take control of your story with a player oriented
narrative system designed to inspire, while giving
you the freedom to create and innovate! With rules
for single player, GMless, and standard troupe play,
Cold Shadows is an espionage RPG for all groups!

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What are Agencies and Divisions?

What are Agencies and Divisions?

What are Assets and how are they ranked?

What are Assets and how are they ranked?

DEDICATION

For Stewart. Your loss is felt daily.

Agents are expendable, but Agencies

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

D6 roll Director Personality Clever

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

FINISHED. YOUR AGENCY IS BUILT.

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Chapter 1: Agencies And Agents

Planning For The

For Agents, Trust is everything. For

Chapter 4: Virtues, Trust, Betrayal, and Cover

Chapter 4: Virtues, Trust, Betrayal, and Cover

Chapter 4: Virtues, Trust, Betrayal, and Cover

Chapter 4: Virtues, Trust, Betrayal, and Cover

Chapter 5: Action and Violence

Step 1: Gather Dice

Chapter 5: Action and Violence

Using Operational Operational

Chapter 6: Espionage & Intrigue

Time is an important element in

Chapter 8: War Between Agencies

Chapter 9: The Field

Chapter 9: The Field

Chapter 9: The Field

Chapter 9: The Field

Chapter 9: The Field

Chapter 9: The Field

Chapter 9: The Field

Chapter 10: Framing The Cold War

Chapter 10: Framing The Cold War

Chapter 11: Martini Mode

Chapter 11: Martini Mode

Chapter 11: Martini Mode

Chapter 11: Martini Mode

Chapter 11: Martini Mode

The Bond (1 to 3 segments)

Chapter 11: Martini Mode

Chapter 11: Martini Mode

Chapter 11: Martini Mode

Existing In such instances, the rules for

Chapter 12: Solitaire

Chapter 12: Solitaire

Chapter 12: Solitaire

Chapter 12: Solitaire

Chapter 12: Solitaire

Roll result 1: Roll result 5:

Roll result 2: Roll result 6:

Chapter 12: Solitaire