Table Of ContentG
U
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P
S
C
O
V
E
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They are the enemy. They are feared. They are
famous . . . and infamous. They can be terrifying
adversaries – or phenomenal heroes. They are
covert ops.
This book is your guide into a world of danger GURPS Basic Set, Third
Edition Revised and GURPS
and suspense, from historical fact to today’s
Compendium I are required
headlines. includes: to use this supplement in a
GURPS campaign. The
d A comprehensive catalog of tools of the trade,
information in this book can
be used with any game system.
from guns and bombs to disguises and forged
documents.
THE FIELD AGENTS:
d Information about covert ops through history,
Written by
for background and scene-setting.
William H. Stoddard and
S
d Countermeasures for operatives to circumvent. Hans-Christian Vortisch
T
E
d Historical, speculative, and fantastic methods Edited by
V
Kimara Bernard with
E
for covert operations.
Gene Seabolt
J
d Templates for covert operatives in any A
Cover Art by
C
Alex Fernandez
setting, from the street thug to the secretive K
S
poisoner, from the mercenary to the Illustrated by
O
Gene Seabolt
N
religious fanatic.
G
d Guidelines for developing your own
A
FIRSTEDITION,FIRSTPRINTING
M
adventures and campaigns. 9!BPMUFB@LJISAH:ERDSOUTCTWORBoERY`20Z]0Z3gZnZ`
E
ISBN 1-55634-658-1 S
®
STEVE JACKSON GAMES 6
5
www.sjgames.com
4
SJG02295 6549 Printed in 9
the USA
Written by
WILLIAM H. STODDARD
HANS-CHRISTIAN VORTISCH
and
Edited by Lead Playtester: GURPSSystem Design d STEVE JACKSON
KIMARA BERNARD
Andrew Moffatt-Valance Managing Editor d ANDREWHACKARD
GENE SEABOLT Playtesters:
with Roland Boshnack, GURPSLine Editor d SEAN PUNCH
Illustration and Design by Frederick Brackin, Art Director d LOREN WISEMAN
GENE SEABOLT Douglas Cole,
Anthony Jackson, Production Manager d MONIQUE CHAPMAN
Cover by Hunter Johnson, andi jones, Print Buyer d MONICASTEPHENS
Leszek Karlik,
ALEX FERNANDEZ
Katherine Keirns, Production Assistance d ALEXFERNANDEZ
Phil Masters, Robert Prior,
Additional Material:John M. Ford, Matt Jones, Errata Coordinator d ANDYVETROMILE
Thomas M. Kane, Nigel McCarty-Eigenmann, Lisa Steele,
Robert O’Connor,Heather Oliver, Kenneth Peters, and Peter V. Dell’Orto Sales Manager d ROSS JEPSON
David Pulver,and Sean M. Punch
GURPS,Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Covert Ops,Pyramid,and the names of all
products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license.
GURPSCovert Opsis copyright ©2003 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Some art based on photographs from www.clipart.com.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher
is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage
the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
ISBN 1-55634-658-1 12345678910
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
These Aren’t the Operatives
CONTENTS
You’re Looking For ...........51
Intrusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Invisibility .....................53
Walking Through Walls ...........55
Underwater Emergency Breather ..56
Smart Materials ................57
Escape and Evasion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Introduction . . . . . . 4 Surveillance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Zombie Drug ...................59
Image Manipulation .............44 TRANSPORTATION...................59
About GURPS...................4 Tripods ........................48 Collisions ......................59
ABOUTTHEAUTHORS ................4 INFILTRATIONANDEXFILTRATION ......48 Ground Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
False Identities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Water Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
1. Treason, Stratagems,
Magical Disguise ...............49 Air Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
and Spoils . . . . . 5
DANGEROUSTRADES.................6
Retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
The Original Assassins ............6
Wholesale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Stockholm Syndrome ..........8
Ancillary Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mass Destruction and
Its Consequences ..............9
FICTIONANDTRUTH .................9
Legends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Tales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Death of Holofernes .............10
History ........................10
Villains or Heroes? ..............11
The Gunpowder Plot ............13
The BlackHand:AConspiracy ....15
The Eichmann Arrest ............16
2. Behind the
Mask . . . . . . . 17
ADVANTAGES,DISADVANTAGES,
ANDSKILLS ..................18
Cyberwear .....................19
Inappropriate Disadvantages ......20
Shooting From Strange Positions ...22
Holdout Modifiers ...............23
Deadly Ninja Secrets ............24
New Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Maneuvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
TEMPLATES .......................26
Functional Templates ............26
Motivational Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3. The Right
Tool . . . . . . . 33
HOWTOGETIT....................34
Locating Gray- and
Black-Market Items ...........34
THEBAREESSENTIALS ..............35
SURVEILLANCEANDCOMMUNICATION ..36
Secure Digital Networks ..........36
Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Hacking .......................37
Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2 CONTENTS
WETWORK .......................61
Hand Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
The Ninja-to ...................63
Improvised Weapons .............64
Ranged Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Black Powder Weapons . . . . . . . . . . 65
Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
The Lupara ....................65
The Troika Pistol ................66
Accessories and Customizations . . . 69
Ultra-Tech Weapons .............70
Exotic Ammunition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
WEAPONTABLE ...................71
Poisons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
DMSO ........................73
Binary Poisons .................76
Mind Control ...................77
Facial Scars....................77
What to Ask the Chemist For ......78
Plagues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Murder and Magic ..............79
DEMOLITIONANDSABOTAGE .........79
Arson and Incendiaries . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Making Things Burn .............80
Explosives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
The Big Bang ..................82
Things That Make You Go Boom:
Home-Cooked Explosives ......83
Explosives Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Disguised Explosives ............83
The Flying Bomb ...............84
4. Access
Denied . . . . . . 85
PERSONALPROTECTION..............86
Personal Sensors ................86
Armor ........................86
Tailored Armor .................88
Medical Treatment ..............88
Universal Antidote ..............89
SAFEPLACES......................89
Defensive Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . 89
The Armored Limo ..............90
Air Force One ..................92
Locks .........................93
Safes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Alarms and Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
5. The Most Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Countersurveillance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Identity Verification .............99 Dangerous THEORGANIZATIONALMILIEU .......114
Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Countermeasures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Game . . . . . . 107
Technical Support ..............117
GUARDS ........................102
Foes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Human Guards ................102 CAMPAIGNROLES .................108
Protectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Animal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Adversaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
The U.S. Secret Service ..........120
Fantastic GuardBeasts .........103 Protagonists ...................109
Automata .....................103 Party Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 CONTRACTS ......................122
Open Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Mythical and Magical Automata ..104 The Unwritten Treaty ...........111
Thirty Pieces of Silver . . . . . . . . . . 124
INVESTIGATION ...................104 GENRE ..........................112
Crime Scene Methods ..........104 Suspense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Bibliography . . . . 125
Forensic Nano .................106 Technothrillers .................112
Corpse Identification . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Crossovers ....................113
Index . . . . . . . . 127
Pathology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Historical and Fantastic Settings . . 114
CONTENTS 3
Introduction
About GURPS
Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of the Covert operations are the other side of the coin from
GURPS system. Our address is SJ Games, Box 18957, espionage. The spy attempts to find out by stealth what
Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self-addressed, an enemy is doing, and conceal his knowledge. The
stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! covert operative attempts to do something to an enemy
Resources include: by stealth, and conceal what he has done. Very similar
Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid/). Our online people are involved in both activities, but the risks are
magazine includes new GURPS rules and articles. It also higher for the covert operatives.
covers Dungeons and Dragons,Traveller,World of Dark- GURPS Covert Ops explores
ness,Call of Cthulhu,and many more top games – and other these dangerous undercover
Steve Jackson Games releases like In Nomine, Illuminati, missions: assassination,
Car Wars,Toon,Ogre Miniatures,and more. Pyramidsub- hostage-taking, sabotage,
scribers also have access to playtest files online! terrorism, and similar
New supplements and adventures. GURPScontinues to activities – and exam-
grow, and we’ll be happy to let you know what’s new. For ines the people who
acurrent catalog, send us a legal-sized or 9”· 12” SASE – carry them out.
please use two stamps! – or visit www.warehouse23.com. GURPS Covert Ops
Errata.Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we lets you add covert opera-
do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all tives to your campaign
GURPSreleases, including this book, are available on our with all the realism that
website – see below. GURPS players look for. If
Gamer input.We value your comments, for new prod- you’re interested in modern intrigue,
ucts as well as updated printings of existing titles! from the Cold War to the latest terrorist threats, you’ll
Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at find the latest high-tech equipment and the organiza-
www.sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much tions that supply it to their agents. Campaigns focused
more. GURPS has its own Usenet group, too: on secretive conspiracies or criminals can use this
rec.games.frp.gurps. information, as well. Additional material looks ahead to
GURPSnet.This e-mail list hosts much of the online dis- the future of covert methods, and back to the hidden
cussion of GURPS. To join, point your web browser to operations of history, and suggests ways to explore
www.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l/. these themes in worlds of fantasy or science fiction.
The GURPS Covert Ops web page can be found at Character templates and optional rules provide for a
www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/covertops/. range of play styles from the grimly realistic to highly
cinematic thrills.
Page References
About the Authors
Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the
GURPS Basic Set,Third Edition.Any page reference that
begins with a B refers to the GURPS Basic Set – e.g.,
William H. Stoddard is a freelance editor and writer
p. B102 means p. 102 of the GURPS Basic Set,ThirdEdi-
who lives in San Diego, Calif. As an editor, he special-
tion. Page references that begin with CI indicate GURPS
izes in academic material, ranging from computer sci-
Compendium I.
ence to the history of philosophy. As a writer, he
Other references are AN for Arabian Nights, BE for
specializes in roleplaying games. His work for Steve
Bestiary, BIO for Bio-Tech, C for Cops, CB for Cabal,
Jackson Games includes GURPS Steampunk and,
CII for Compendium II,Hfor Horror,HTfor High-Tech,
most recently, contributions to GURPS Blue Planet
J for Japan, LT for Low-Tech, M for Magic, MA for
and GURPS WWII:Weird War Two.In his spare time
Martial Arts,ME for Mecha,MF for Modern Firepower,
he edits Prometheus, the quarterly newsletter of the
MIiii for Magic Items 3, RO for Robots, SO for Special
Libertarian Futurist Society, and plays with his cat,
Ops, SPI for Spirits, STM for Steampunk, UN for
Rakshi, an aspiring killer queen.
Undead, UTT for Ultra-Tech 2, V for Villains, VE for
Hans-Christian Vortisch is a writer and translator
Vehicles, VEL for Vehicles Lite, W for WWII, WWi for
based in Berlin, Germany. He is the author of GURPS
Who’s Who 1, and WWii for Who’s Who 2. The
Modern Firepowerand numerous gaming articles. He
abbreviation for thisbook is CV.
also revised GURPS Special Ops, Third Edition, and
For a full list of abbreviations, see p. CI181 or the
contributed to GURPS Cliffhangers, GURPS Cops,
updated web list at www.sjgames.com/gurps/abbrevs.html.
GURPS Vehicles Lite,and the GURPS WWIIline, as
well as a number of German Call of Cthulhuproducts.
4 INTRODUCTION
1. Treasons,
1. Treasons,
1. Treasons,
Stratagems,
Stratagems,
Stratagems,
and
and
and
Spoils
Spoils
Spoils
At the top of tonight’s news is the detonation of an
atomic bomb in New Delhi, the capital of India.
The explosion was timed to coincide with Prime
Minister Shivaji’s opening address. The prime
minister and most of the cabinet are reported dead.
Preliminary estimates place the death toll between
150,000 and 200,000. No group has claimed
responsibility for the attack at this point.
In Tonga, members of the Labour Alliance have
seized control of the royal palace and key
government offices, announcing the abolition of the
monarchy and the Privy Council . . .
TREASONS, STRATAGEMS, AND SPOILS 5
Covert operations are attempts to inflict harm on people or There’s a spectrum from completely covert operations to
organizations who are protected by the law. This is why they open warfare. War is also an attempt to harm an enemy, but
are covert – if such actions are attempted openly, the legal it’s not hidden from the legal authorities; rather, military
authorities interfere. Operatives are criminals, at least accord- forces openly contest the power of those authorities, in the
ing to the law of the societies where they operate. One of name of a foreign invader or an internal rebellion. Usually,
their major goals is to avoid the attention of the authorities. the government itself is the main target in a war; it may not
But covert operations are a special kind of crime. Ordi- be in a covert operation.
nary crimes are committed for emotional reasons, such as Concealment and deception are an element in military
rage, spite, or entertainment – or direct gain, in money or action, but within limits. For example, a uniformed soldier
marketable goods. Covert operatives have more impersonal who shoots an enemy general on the battlefield is engaged in
or indirect motives. They may serve a political or religious an act of war. But a man in civilian clothes who enters a city
cause, or they may be professionals, carrying out jobs for an held by the other side and shoots an enemy general is classed
organization or for anyone who can afford to hire them. as a spy and isn’t protected by the laws of war – legally, he’s
They profit not by taking from the victim, but by providing simply a criminal. For military missions involving deception
a service to a third party or aiding a cause. and the forces that conduct them, see GURPS Special Ops.
Dangerous Trades
Covert operations differ from one another in a variety of “assassin” derives from the Arabic hashishin (see The Origi-
ways: the kind of object they’re intended to affect, the actions nal Assassins, below).
they attempt to perform upon it, the precision of their target- To be classified as an assassination, a killing has to be tar-
ing, and their emphasis on physical consequences or psycho- geted against a specific person. Many assassinations use pre-
logical impacts. Labels such as “assassin,” “saboteur,” and cise weapons such as sniper rifles, knives, or poison that are
“terrorist” are based on one or another of these aspects. A unlikely to cause collateral deaths. But shooting automatic
complete classification has to look at all of them. weapons into a crowd or setting off a bomb that destroys a
Realistically, any operation, especially a large one, building is still assassination, no matter how many innocent
includes actions in several of these categories. For example, bystanders die, if the goal is a specific person’s death.
a kidnapper or saboteur can gain access to the target by An assassination attempt may fail to kill the victim. There
killing a guard, or cover up aspects of the crime by killing a are also crimes similar to assassination for which the goal
witness. It’s simplest to discuss the various types of opera- isn’t killing in the first place. On one hand, actions that crip-
tions separately, classifying each operation according to its ple or mutilate a person, such as throwing acid in his face
main goal, but this classification certainly doesn’t exclude (see p. 78), may produce more shock and fear than simply
the possibility of other types of effects. killing him. On the other, inflicting pain without permanent
Auseful starting place for this sort of classification is the injury is a way of keeping people in line, especially for a
difference between striking at individuals and striking at pop- criminal organization.
ulations. Psychologically, human beings usually
react as individuals, making choices that reflect
their personal concerns. But under some conditions, The Original Assassins
they act collectively, with each individual being
part of a larger human mass. All covert operations The hashishin, also called Nizari Isma’ilya, were a sect of
have targets, but some operations target people as Shi’ite Muslims, allies of the splinter Ismaili sect led by the Egypt-
individuals, while others target people as groups. ian-Iranian imam Abu Mansur al-Nizar. Led to prominence by the
Syrian leader Hasan ibn al-Saban in the 11th century, the society
Retail
indoctrinated its members with a sense of religious superiority and
used them to take out political targets.
For individually targeted operations, the target The Isma’ilya were fearless warriors, convinced that success or
may be a specific person, a particular item of martyrdom earned them a private paradise in the afterlife. Their
physical property, or a body of information. best-known name derives from the drug hashish, and popular leg-
end claimed that the group used hashish to induce visions of this
Assassination
paradise. Europeans who came in contact with them during the
An assassin is a person who kills other people Crusades, or heard stories of their deeds, carried the name back to
for money or ideological reasons. Assassination is Europe, where linguistic evolution turned it into “assassin.”
a premeditated act, not the product of impulse. In this book, general references to an “assassin” mean anyone
Usually it’s performed by stealth; ideally, the vic- who kills for money or ideological reasons such as a political or
tim doesn’t see the attack coming and doesn’t get religious cause, while a capitalized reference to an “Assassin”
a chance to fight back or run away. The term means a member of the original hashishin.
6 TREASONS, STRATAGEMS, AND SPOILS
Sabotage purpose. If they get paid, it is for delivering the person or
object to a specific person who commissioned the extrac-
A saboteur is a person who commits destructive acts
tion. (Legal actions such as bounty hunting or property
against property. The name comes from the French sabot, a
repossession have similar goals, but a wider choice of meth-
wooden shoe – angry French factory workers threw their
ods, since they don’t have to be hidden from the police.) Or
shoes into the gears of machinery. Despite its origins in eco-
they may be performing the extraction as a duty to some
nomic conflicts, sabotage now often takes place in military
cause. They may even simply want to get the acquisition
conflicts, with the goal of denying the enemy the use of vital
out of someone else’s possession or exclusive control;
equipment. More recently, some environmental activists
animal-rights activists may set animals free, and computer
have used “ecosabotage” or “monkeywrenching” –the latter
hackers may publish formerly confidential information via
term comes from Edward Abbey’s novel The Monkey
the Internet as free downloads.
Wrench Gang(see p. 31).
Extraction of a person isn’t always hostile. Methods very
Data Destruction much like kidnapping are used to get a person out of captiv-
ity, or to help a slave escape. Hackers who believe that
Rather than destroying physical property, a saboteur may
“information wants to be free” and animal-rights activists
want to destroy information. When information was mainly
have similar motives in their own eyes, though not in the eyes
stored on paper, this meant physically destroying the paper.
of people who consider themselves legitimate owners of the
Now it often means gaining access to a computer and erasing
information or the animals.
its files, or introducing false information. Such actions fall
into the general category of hacking or cybercrime. All of
Wholesale
these acts are sometimes called infowar.
Another kind of destructive act against information is the
The biggest differences among wholesale operations
installation of virus programs that take over a computer, dis-
aren’t the kind of object or the intended action, but the strat-
rupt its operation, and use it to make and communicate copies
egy for affecting the target population. Broader or narrower
of the virus. With the growing volume of Internet communi-
populations can be targeted: everyone who works for a cer-
cation, such programs can spread rapidly, taking vast num-
tain corporation or government agency, everyone who’s
bers of computers out of service at very high costs.
wealthy or holds any official position, or even anyone who
Intimidation lives in a certain country.
Naturally, people are afraid of death or bodily injury, and Mass Destruction
the destruction of property or information can also be fright-
In some covert operations, the goal is to inflict harm on a
ening. Sending agents to demonstrate that such actions are
large scale, for the sake of the physical consequences of that
possible is a way of controlling another person’s behavior.
harm. The target can be the personnel or facilities of an
Such acts of intimidation, for example, have been attributed
organization; an ethnic, religious, or other minority; or sim-
to theAssassins(p. 6).
ply everyone living in a certain area. Releasing poisonous
One way to make such a threat credible is to carry out the
gases or plague organisms in an inhabited area, committing
threatened actions in a slightly different form. Instead of
arson in a built-up area, and releasing a virus program that
killing the primary target, an assassin kills a member of his
shuts down large numbers of computers are all examples of
family or one of his friends, or injures the target without
this kind of widespread effect.
killing him. Agents of a protection racket enter a store and
break a display case or damage some merchandise, to show Terror
what happens if the owner doesn’t pay up. Many covert
Large-scale death and destruction are naturally terrify-
actions are a means for “sending a message.”
ing, and any act of mass destruction may be classed as ter-
Extraction rorism. It’s possible to deliberately shape acts of mass
destruction for psychological impact. Intentionally killing
If you can destroy something, often enough you could
innocent victims, such as children, or destroying symbolic
alternately take possession of it. Rather than being assassi-
sites, such as religious shrines, can shock an entire society.
nated, a person can be kidnapped; rather than being
The methods used in such acts can also increase their
destroyed, property can be stolen. Ageneral name for such
impact; for example, terrorists can set two bombs at a site,
actions is hostile extraction.
with the second one timed to kill rescue workers brought
Many such actions are performed for straightforward mon-
there by the first explosion.
etary gain. Thieves take property they can fence; kidnappers
Instead of killing large numbers of people all at once, ter-
take people they can ransom. The identity of the specific prop-
rorists can kill individuals or small groups at random. When
erty or person doesn’t matter, so long as there’s money to be
the harm falls on randomly chosen members of a widespread
made. This kind of crime is more or less opportunistic.
population, the entire population’s morale suffers. In effect, a
When covert operatives perform a hostile extraction, it’s
small number of deaths or injuries threaten everyone with
against a specific target, whose acquisition serves some
similar harm.
TREASONS, STRATAGEMS, AND SPOILS 7
Taking Hostages has to be kept secret in spite of its scale, until the critical
moment when the conspirators seize power.
Taking hostages is another strategy often pursued by ter-
rorists. In some ways, hostage-taking is an individually tar-
Ancillary Operations
geted operation; many hostages are chosen because they are
important in some way as individuals. But the effect on the
Covert organizations have the same need for resources as
hostage isn’t usually the real goal; the goal is to change the
any other organizations; in turn, many such organizations
behavior of others by threatening to harm the hostage. Tak-
have used their agents to obtain their resource needs.
ing innocent bystanders hostage puts pressure on a govern-
ment whose citizens expect it to protect their lives, especially
Funding
if the hostages are children. Demonstrating the ability to take
hostages also creates a sense of being threatened among the Since very early in history, there have been ties between
target populace – in essence, they are all potential hostages – banditry and political revolt. Common people with oppres-
making this a useful terror tactic. sive rulers have made heroes of bandits, as in the Robin
Hood myth, and enemies of a regime have turned
to banditry to support themselves. The 20th centu-
The Stockholm Syndrome ry saw revolutionaries and terrorists taking up
bank robbery, from the Russian Bolsheviks
One of the possible hazards of hostage situations is hostages (including Stalin by many accounts) to the Sym-
becoming emotionally attached to their captors. This is commonly bionese Liberation Army.
called the Stockholm Syndrome, after the first case that attracted Covert organizations may also have ties to
widespread public notice. In 1973, a bank robber named Jan Ols- smugglers or engage in smuggling themselves –
son took hostage four employees of the Kreditbanken in Stock- for example, illegal drugs. Conversely, Colombian
holm. Police acceded to his demand that a friend, Clark Olafsson, narcotraficantes were primarily smugglers, but
be allowed to join him, and the two men held out for six days could afford to fund large-scale covert operations
before surrendering. To the surprise of the Swedish authorities, the in defense of their territory.
hostages refused to testify against their captors and even raised
Recruitment
money for their defense.
Psychologists put forth a variety of theories to explain this If getting a job done requires help from someone
strange behavior, largely focusing on the shared experience of an with special skills, or in a special position, a covert
ordeal terrifying to both hostages and captors. Many later incidents organization may not rely on voluntary cooperation.
have been described as examples of the same pattern, including Blackmail, extortion, or kidnapping family mem-
Patricia Hearst’s embrace of the cause of her kidnappers. Rescuers bers can force people to cooperate in illegal activi-
in a hostage situation may have to contend with hostages who ties. An organization may also attempt to brainwash
resist being rescued! According to most accounts, it takes about a captive into becoming a recruit, as the Symbionese
three or four days for this bond to develop. Liberation Army did with Patricia Hearst – fanatics
The Stockholm Syndrome isn’t universally accepted as real. are likelier than professionals to try this.
The strongest bond in the original incident was between Kristin
Security
Ehnemark, a bank employee, and Olafsson, both of whom appar-
ently wanted to end the incident without open violence – appar- Covert organizations need hiding places,
ently Olafsson had some restraining effect on Olsson. And, in fact, armories, training sites, and other secure locations
the nonviolent resolution came about and everyone survived. It’s – and they need to protect their key people from
arguable that Ehnemark’s later support for Olafsson reflected adversaries. The most effective security is being
entirely rational gratitude for the part he played in her captivity. inconspicuous. But with high stakes involved, an
This complexity and ambiguity surrounds many notable historical organization that’s already operating outside the
episodes involving covert acts. law may not hesitate to kill people who know too
much. The same applies to people who see an
operation in progress. Silencing witnesses is one of
Coups
the oldest motives for murder.
Acoup d’état, or putsch, is a seizure of power from an
Propaganda
existing government – not through warfare or popular upris-
ing – but by a strike at the heads of state. In one sense, it’s Organizations that engage in terrorist “propaganda by the
targeting the individual people who hold public office, but in deed” need some of the ordinary kind of propaganda to frame
another, it’s targeting the entire population that they rule. A their acts as service to a cause rather than simple violent crime.
coup forces them to submit by taking control of the govern- In liberal societies, they can send their claims to the media and
ment to which they already owe their allegiance. hope for sympathy or fear. In repressive societies, spreading
Even a small coup is a large and complex operation, at the such information may itself be a crime; secret organizations
high end of covert operations. But if it’s going to succeed, it may have their own printing presses or radio stations.
8 TREASONS, STRATAGEMS, AND SPOILS
Fiction and Truth
Mass Destruction and
Its Consequences Awide body of beliefs already surrounds the history of covert
operations. These generally follow into the following categories.
Asuccessful act of mass destruction is effectively
Legends
an intentionally produced disaster. Its effects are
comparable to those of a natural disaster, as is the
Threats of assassination or terrorism are fearful, and like other
response of the community on which they are inflict-
causes of fear – discussed in GURPS Horror, pp. 31-62 – they
ed. Statistical studies of large-scale catastrophes
are the subject of legends and folklore. Covert agents are often
reveal some common patterns in both sets of events.
credited with superhuman powers. Sometimes these are
In a major disaster, a number of people are likely
described as divine gifts, sometimes as the product of specialized
to die. On average, about five times this number are
training in secret arts. Science-fiction and superhero comics have
likely to suffer injury; 20 times have their lives dis-
added various technological possibilities. Chapters 3 and 4 dis-
rupted, losing their homes or families; and 100 times
cuss several such abilities, including disguise, invisibility, meth-
this number suffer some degree of property damage.
ods of bypassing defenses, magical killing abilities, and special
Acommunity’s response to a disaster follows a
advanced weapons. Or assassins may be inhumanly skilled with
typical course in time. For a short time, generally a
mundane weapons such as guns, knives, or bare hands.
few days, life is totally disrupted, with normal activ-
In settings where operatives work in organized groups
ities simply ceasing. Temporary repairs to damaged
(pp. 114-116), the leaders have extraordinary data sources. Read-
property and restoration of normal daily routines
ing letters without opening them or hearing whispered conversa-
takes about 10 times as long (a number of weeks).
tions between subordinates anywhere in headquarters conveys a
Permanent rebuilding of destroyed property takes
sense of omniscience and discourages inconvenient ambitions.
about 100 times the immediate emergency (typical-
Even in a more realistic view, leaders know a great deal and do
ly about a year).
not account for their sources of information. They may also be
The psychological effects of terrorism by mass
skilled at reading people’s intentions from their body language.
destruction are somewhat different from those of
All these abilities are likely to inspire suspicion or outright
natural disasters, since humans inflicted the harm.
paranoia. Folklore about hidden conspiracies fascinates many
People often feel rage and a desire for vengeance.
people and obsesses a few. In a society where covert operations
The possibility of a further attack may lead to chron-
are common, or commonly feared, many people, especially the
ic fear and suspicion, especially if the perpetrator’s
rich and powerful, may be Edgy or Paranoid.
identity is uncertain. Potential victims may spend
great effort on self-protective measures, which may
Tales
or may not be effective. People who were actually
injured, or who lost family or friends, may suffer
Covert operatives have appeared in literature for a long time.
from long-term depression.
For instance, Shakespeare’s Macbeth hires mercenaries to pose
To represent these effects in GURPS terms,
as bandits and kill Banquo and his son. In some of Shake-
choose suitable mental disadvantages. Chronic
speare’s other plays, however, main characters do their own
Depression, Compulsive Behavior (Precautions
dirty work, from Claudius murdering his brother, the king, to
against attack), Delusions, Edgy, Fanaticism, Flash-
the conspirators who assassinate Julius Caesar.
backs, Guilt Complex, Intolerance, Nightmares, Para-
Edgar Allan Poe’s popularization of the detective story pro-
noia, or Phobias are all appropriate. Use the Fright
vided a solid fictional grounding for covert operatives, later
Check mechanic (see pp. B93-94) to judge whether a
brought to fruition by Arthur Conan Doyle’s Moriarty – and
given person experiences such effects. Appropriate
Sherlock Holmes himself, with his Baker Street Irregulars – and
modifiers to Will are -5 for people directly affected by
Jack London’s Assassination Bureau. The heroes of espionage
the event (seriously injured or trapped for an extend-
novels – for instance, in the Great Game of Rudyard Kipling’s
ed time); 0 if on the scene; +5 if an Ally or Dependent
Kim– contended with operatives backed by the funding of rival
was harmed or trapped; -1 to -5 for large-scale events
governments. Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu occupied a middle
(-1 for the bombing of a building; -5 for the nuclear
ground, acting as a criminal without official standing, but in fact
destruction of a city).
wielding great political power and aspiring to even more.
TREASONS, STRATAGEMS, AND SPOILS 9
