Rogue: Clandestine Operations v. 0.99! (Comments are appreciated)

[Kensen]

In Rogue: Clandestine Operations, the player characters are medieval spies, assassins, thieves and resistance fighters. The world of Rogue is harsh and deadly, and they must rely on good plans, underhanded tactics, lies, disguises, concealed weapons and the latest in infiltration equipment to successfully complete their missions.

Game features:

• There are eight skills in the game: Archery, Awareness, Fighting, Gadgetry, Guile, Legerdemain, Mobility and Stealth. The same action resolution mechanic is used for all checks: roll 3d6, add modifiers and compare it with a target number.
  
• Equipment includes armor, melee & ranged weapons, disguises & forgeries, and equipment for observation & measurement, signaling & alarm, poisons & medication, ignition & illumination, entry & pursuit denial, methods of entry, and load-carrying items.
  
• In combat, each character has eight action points that can be used for moving, picking up objects, drawing weapons, attacking and so on. Each character also has eight life points, and a character who is dealt damage also loses a like number of action points.
  
• It's easy to customize the skills and equipment for different settings or styles of play.
  
• From character creation to skill use and combat, the game is designed to run fast and smoothly. This makes Rogue well-suited for play-by-post adventures as well as tabletop gaming.

For more information on the game rules, see the Rogue: Clandestine Operations rules reference: HTML | PDF (hosted by Google Docs)

The rules reference is automatically updated when I make changes, so it's always up to date.

Upcoming playtest scenarios

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Because the most recent rules updates brought major changes to how combat works, the first playtest scenario with the new rules will be combat-oriented. (Nb. Usually it's a good idea to avoid combat in Rogue, but in some scenarios it cannot be avoided.)

Ideas for later scenarios: abductions, ambush, assassination, burglary/heist, espionage, infiltration, investigation, raids, sabotage

Background information

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Since its inception, Rogue: Clandestine Operations has gone through substantial changes and I felt that most of the discussions in the old thread are no longer relevant for the current ruleset and may in fact distract any new readers. The game needs a fresh start, and therefore, I decided to start a new thread.

So far, I've run two playtest scenarios (two groups each): Capturing von Richter and Storm over Eisendorf. Due to scheduling issues, the latter scenario had to be canceled when we were about halfway through it.

The players and I agreed that the latter scenario was too long, and it was decided that it's better to play several short scenarios (approximately the same length as the first playtest).

Old development thread
Playtest 2: Garrote, Rooks
Playtest 1: Garrote, Rooks

[SamBurke]

MMMM. YES. NEW THREAD SMELL.

Also, I knew we had an Alisa, but do you perhaps mean Alyera, not Alyssa? (Or they both from Team Rook?)

[Heian]

Two suggestions:

1st make Mobility penality count in Archery DC

2nd Add a range/size modifier in Archery DC

[Kensen]

Oops..! this is why I always call her Aly :D at any rate, the two names would be too similar if they were iconics. Ahh and yes the smell of a new thread. There's nothing quite like it!

Thanks for the suggestions, Heian! Mobility penalty from armor is tricky because it would basically cancel out the benefit of wearing armor. That's why I made the exception. Range penalties certainly make sense, but I' ve not included them to keep things simple. I'll think about it. :)

[bobthe6th]

this looks very cool... any chance to get in on the playtesting?

[Eldest]

Hooray, another playtester! How many of the other people from the playtest are still here?

[Kensen]

this looks very cool... any chance to get in on the playtesting?

Yes, I'd say you have a very good chance to get in on the playtesting.

Eldest: I'll PM our playtesters if necessary. I'm sure we'll get five playtesters, which should be many enough for the next scenario.

Speaking of which, I'll simply call it The Ambush! As I mentioned before, it'll be a more combat-oriented scenario to test the updated combat rules. I still need to work on the details, but basically you'll just have to kill a target in broad daylight, and get away before the bodyguards get you (or kill them too!) Even though it's a combat mission, I expect you to do some planning, use traps and distractions if feasible, and use the layout of the map to your advantage (alleys, roofs, and so on). Besides the combat skills, Guile, Stealth and other non-combat skills will also be useful to successfully set up your trap.

[Eldest]

...
Lydia is a cat burglar who knows how to fight. This will be fun.

[bobthe6th]

thinking about making a high mobility fighter, an abusing the TWF rules. could be exciting.

[Kensen]

Yeah, Lydia has just the right skills for this. :) you're in, Eldest. And so are you, bobthe6th. You may create your playtest character.

Eldest & everyone who's played in the previous playtests: Add +5 xp for completing the first half of Storm Over Eisendorf, and use 100 EP to buy equipment. (The rules regarding equipment points are new so I think it's fair everyone gets the same number of EP regardless of what equipment they previously had.. this may mean you cannot use your special weapon in this scenario because many rare or expensive items cost so much). Try and see if the new equipment rules make sense (slotted items like belts, concealed slots, etc.)

New playtesters: use 100 XP and 100 EP as per the rules reference.

[bobthe6th]

this legit?

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{table=start]skills|rank
guile|1(5)
gadgetry|0(0)
Legerdemain|4(15)
awareness|1(5)
stealth|1(5)
mobility|10(50)
archery|0(0)
fighting|6(20)
[/table]
equipment
belt(5)
bandolier(5)
2xshort sword(50)
6xthrowing knives(30)
normal clothes(5)
cloak(1)

[Kensen]

That's probably the most specialized Rogue build I've seen so far, but 100% legit. And you managed to fill up each of your 11 belt and bandoleer slots with weapons, impressive. :D He/she is certainly the right person for this job. Two things, though:

The belt has both front and rear slots, so it's useful to know which item is where because AP cost for drawing is different and rear slots are usually considered concealed, which makes it possible to draw a weapon discreetly. I presume you put 5 throwing knives on the bandoleer and 3 in the belt's rear slots, and the sword and main gauche are in the front slots for easier drawing?

Also, choose a style for your clothes. "Urban“ is a safe bet in this scenario unless you specifically want to stand out.

And of course, give your character a name and write a paragraph or two of backstory. What did he do before and why did he join the resistance?

[bobthe6th]

Well, the idea was a high speed muscle... though I hope the mobility and legerdemain can allow him to be useful outside of stabbing people in the face.

I was thinking of the two melee weapons to be in the back, to hide the more illicit parts of his armament. unless the AP penalty is over 2, I think he can deal with it.

Urban sounds good, matching the city to a degree.

And yeah, I was just throwing up the crunchy bits before I made it into a person. Would rather have a solid build before I make a history and life for him.

Now I shall start characterizing.

[bobthe6th]

Back story, for your perusal.

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James Dark-child

James grew up in the shadows of the empire. His father was in the army, an officer that carried his family along with him. He was a strong man, part of the garrison holding (insert city name). He taught his son to fight, the art of swordsmanship.

When James was ten, the war broke out. The city was sacked, his father slain and his mother executed. He escaped with his life and little else.

He bounced from city to city, stealing enough to feed himself. He learned to run, and he ran well. At 18 he was approached by the resistance, and he saw a chance to take his vengeance.

[Eldest]

Lydia Somborg
Female
22

Backstory

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Lydia was a burglar, who knew the rooftops and sewers of cities just as well as the streets. She had a slight hiccup on her last job, where she tried to steal something that the resistance already had it's eye on. She was recruited post-haste, gaining the resistance both the documents it was after and a good thief. After being selected as a cell leader, she managed to orchestrate the capture of Captain von Richter. Her next mission was to infiltrate and destroy a truth serum under development, which was aborted mid-infiltration.

Skills

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Guile: +5 (15 xp spent)
Gadgetry: +6 (20 xp spent)
Legerdemain: -
Awareness: +4 (11 xp spent)
Stealth: +7 (26 xp spent)
Mobility: +7 (26 xp spent)
Archery: -
Fighting: +5 (15 xp spent)

2 xp unspent

Equipment

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Lockpicks - 25
Normal Urban Cloths - 5
Knife - 5
Rope- 5
Tool Kit (medium) - 20
Small Backpack - 15
Grappling Hook - 15
10 left unspent.

I know you mentioned Fighting checks for throwing large objects; what would the stats on a javelin be?

[Kensen]

Well, the idea was a high speed muscle... though I hope the mobility and legerdemain can allow him to be useful outside of stabbing people in the face.

I was thinking of the two melee weapons to be in the back, to hide the more illicit parts of his armament. unless the AP penalty is over 2, I think he can deal with it.

Specialization has its advantages and disadvantages, and there's nothing wrong with that. Actually, looking at his stats, someone like Jet Li or Jackie Chan comes to mind - superb agility (catch him if you can!), great close combat skills, and good manual dexterity as well.

Actually, the short sword, main gauche and throwing knives have the same legality status: restricted. So you're only allowed to carry them if you have a bodyguard licence or something like that. But a simple cloak will solve your problem. You'll just toss the cloak aside before the action begins. (I noticed I haven't included cloak in the clothes sets, so you'll get one for free.)

Back story, for your perusal.

Looks ok! You're all set.

I know you mentioned Fighting checks for throwing large objects; what would the stats on a javelin be?

Note to self: I'll have to figure out a good format for the PCs equipment list so that it's easy to see which items are stored where. In Lydia's case this is not a problem since she only has her backpack to put things into.

Javelin, let's say it's a Large, military only throwing weapon with a +2 bonus and a range of 10. Cost: 10. Sound about right?

[Eldest]

How about a tomahawk? I'm looking for something medium, ranged, and skilled off of fighting. And cheap.

[Laura Eternata]

...I take ONE MONTH off from the forums and we start up again. Figures.

Site looks very good. It's intuitive. I'm surprised by the new Life Points rule, though. Am I misreading it, or does it now take 8 successful attacks (using up at least 8 rounds) to take down an opponent? That sort of does away with what made Rogue so well-suited for forum play, doesn't it?

Anyway, I'm back as Seira Thorinhein.

[Kensen]

How about a tomahawk? I'm looking for something medium, ranged, and skilled off of fighting. And cheap.

...I take ONE MONTH off from the forums and we start up again. Figures.

Site looks very good. It's intuitive. I'm surprised by the new Life Points rule, though. Am I misreading it, or does it now take 8 successful attacks (using up at least 8 rounds) to take down an opponent? That sort of does away with what made Rogue so well-suited for forum play, doesn't it?

A successful attack deals 1 pt of damage if your roll equals the target's defense value. You do however deal an extra point of damage for each point your roll exceeds it. So you can kill a target with one attack, and any amount of damage will weaken the target considerably because it loses AP as well.

Anyway, welcome back Laura! :)

As for the tomahawk, I'll add it to the weapons list later and let you know what its stats are.

[Eldest]

Also, attacks cost 3 AP, so you can attack twice in a round and have a little movement to spare.

[Laura Eternata]

A successful attack deals 1 pt of damage if your roll equals the target's defense value. You do however deal an extra point of damage for each point your roll exceeds it.

Ah, I missed that part. Wouldn't be a playtest without me misreading something, now, would it?

Also, attacks cost 3 AP, so you can attack twice in a round and have a little movement to spare.

I don't think so. See here:

You can make one attack per round.

It's on the "Combat" page. Looks like multiattacking isn't a thing anymore.

[bobthe6th]

on the license note, I noticed it was never requested in any of the threads... and getting caught was already a death sentence. but yeah, cloaks would be nice. perhaps like 2-3 AP to remove, but make all slots concealed slots?



unless you TWF(note my character). a question though, do you pay 6AP to TWF? Or one action as a 3AP action?

edit: depending on the answer I might just trade the off hand blade for a shield... +2 is very nice, especially against snipers(22 TN for the win. take that snipers. . also thinking of trading the short for an axe, to open hidden back slots(it is legal, so you can wear it in front, and the shield in back.) that would free up 25 points... and 25 is a good amount of points.

but being armed like a dwarf might seem a bit silly in a rogue game...

edit edit: thinking this would be a great system for a Connan game. power scales more horizontally, so you get guys with +5-6 in everything... or straight +10s. might try running it with my home group.

edit edit edit: for acurate storage how about:

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Back:
carrying device: back pack/back sheaths/coat
slot 1:stuff
slot 2:more stuff

Front:
carrying device:bandeliero
slot 1:
slot 2:
slot 3:
slot 4:
slot 5:

belt:
front slot 1:
front slot 2:
front slot 3:
back slot 4:
back slot 5:
back slot 6:

hat:
slot:

[Kensen]

on the license note, I noticed it was never requested in any of the threads... and getting caught was already a death sentence. but yeah, cloaks would be nice. perhaps like 2-3 AP to remove, but make all slots concealed slots?



unless you TWF(note my character). a question though, do you pay 6AP to TWF? Or one action as a 3AP action?

edit: depending on the answer I might just trade the off hand blade for a shield... +2 is very nice, especially against snipers(22 TN for the win. take that snipers. . also thinking of trading the short for an axe, to open hidden back slots(it is legal, so you can wear it in front, and the shield in back.) that would free up 25 points... and 25 is a good amount of points.

but being armed like a dwarf might seem a bit silly in a rogue game...

edit edit: thinking this would be a great system for a Connan game. power scales more horizontally, so you get guys with +5-6 in everything... or straight +10s. might try running it with my home group.

edit edit edit: for acurate storage how about:

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Back:
carrying device: back pack/back sheaths/coat
slot 1:stuff
slot 2:more stuff

Front:
carrying device:bandeliero
slot 1:
slot 2:
slot 3:
slot 4:
slot 5:

belt:
front slot 1:
front slot 2:
front slot 3:
back slot 4:
back slot 5:
back slot 6:

hat:
slot:

Not sure if I understood correctly what you meant with the comment about licences, but the main reason they're there is that some people want to use big weapons despite their drawbacks in stealth missions.

And yeah, in the current iteration of the rules, twf is the only way to make two attacks in a round. Doing so costs 3 + 3 AP. I'll clarify that in the rules.

Being armed like a dwarf... well yes. Or a viking. Axes are legal indeed because a lot of people need them for wood cutting. They're common in rural areas,but are often seen in towns too, particularly in lower-class districts where people do all manual labor themself.

22 is a great ranged defense value.. but against snipers the problem is that you lose all defense bonuses except armor bonus if you're surprised. Luckily though, the rebels don't usually have to worry about snipers, it's generally the rebels who have the advantage of surprise.

If you run a Conan game with your group, feel free to write about it in this thread. Particularly about what house rules you used and what the players liked about the rules and what they didn't like. :)

The inventory could look like what you suggested, thanks. I'll put a sample character sheet in the rules reference sometime soon.

[bobthe6th]

Not sure if I understood correctly what you meant with the comment about licences, but the main reason they're there is that some people want to use big weapons despite their drawbacks in stealth missions.

they just never seem to come up... anywhere. at all. unless that it is assumed to be checked regularly.

And yeah, in the current iteration of the rules, twf is the only way to make two attacks in a round. Doing so costs 3 + 3 AP. I'll clarify that in the rules.

k

Being armed like a dwarf... well yes. Or a viking. Axes are legal indeed because a lot of people need them for wood cutting. They're common in rural areas,but are often seen in towns too, particularly in lower-class districts where people do all manual labor themself.

they are also cheap as hell, but a -1 to defense might not be conscionable. really, a cloak is needed for this.

22 is a great ranged defense value.. but against snipers the problem is that you lose all defense bonuses except armor bonus if you're surprised. Luckily though, the rebels don't usually have to worry about snipers, it's generally the rebels who have the advantage of surprise.

more snipers as in high skill archers, like the guy with a +10 running around.

[Kensen]

they just never seem to come up... anywhere. at all. unless that it is assumed to be checked regularly.

Ah, yes you're right, they were never checked in the first two playtests. Well, back when we played the first playtest, the licences didn't even exist. I kind of automatically assumed that people will pick easily concealable weapons, but didn't come to think of that people might want to disguise themselves as hunters or other people for whom it'd make sense to carry bows and other particularly deadly weapons legally. I didn't want to make things difficult for them, so I figured that maybe the Invictus will grant licences to people whose livelihood depends on weapons, such as hunters. So, players can use bigger weapons if they're willing to pay to extra price to get the licence.

In the second playtest everyone either chose legal or concealable weapons OR wore a disguise (soldier's uniform) that allowed them to carry military-only weapons, so it was not necessary to produce a licence. (Only civilians are required to carry weapon permits.)

After the second playtest, I revised the equipment section and assigned a price tag to each item, and uniforms and permits are rather costly. In the upcoming playtest, having a license isn't that much of an issue, but if you want to continue using the same character in any later scenarios, it's a good idea to keep your weapons hidden or have a license. And as I've said many times before in other threads, carrying weapons visibly may attract unwanted attention even if you have a permit.

they are also cheap as hell, but a -1 to defense might not be conscionable. really, a cloak is needed for this.

Yep, added the cloak to the disguises table some time ago. Hmm, dunno if it should be in the load-carrying equipment table after all, because its main function is to conceal slots in other items...

more snipers as in high skill archers, like the guy with a +10 running around.

Yeah very true. NPC Archers with +10 bonuses aren't all that common, really.

[Snowfire]

So, so in. I'll pull up Alissa from Storm and see what I can do with her for this. Possibly add some mobility if I can. Or she could be the distraction

[Eldest]

Yeah very true. NPC Archers with +10 bonuses aren't all that common, really.

I got the feeling from the rules thing that people with 10 ranks are pretty much legends, or at least very widely known.

[Kensen]

So, so in. I'll pull up Alissa from Storm and see what I can do with her for this. Possibly add some mobility if I can. Or she could be the distraction

Glad you're back. :) We need one more player and we can get started.

I got the feeling from the rules thing that people with 10 ranks are pretty much legends, or at least very widely known.

Some people of that level of expertise may become famous/infamous for their skills, while others train secretly and keep (or at least try to keep) their identities secret. It really depends on who they work for and whether it's wise to stay under the radar in that profession. Archery champs, for example, may become celebrities, but sniper/assassins usually prefer to remain faceless killers.

[MintyNinja]

I'm throwing my hat back in the ring. Gimme a bit of time to reread the rules and I'll bring Deryk Arios back from the Thieves Guild.

Edit:

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Derryk Arios
Male
23

{table=head]Skill|Rank|Exp Spent
Guile|2|6
Gadgetry|6|20
Legerdemain|7|26
Awareness|2|6
Stealth|7|26
Mobility|5|15
Archery|0|0
Fighting|2|6[/table]

{table=head]Equipment|Size|Legality|Cost|Stored
Coat|---|Legal|20|Worn
Normal Clothes, Traveller|Medium|Legal|5|Worn
Belt|Small|Legal|5|Worn
Knife|Small|Legal|5|Belt, Front
Tool kit, Small|Small|Legal|15|Coat, Outside Pocket
Lockpicks|Small|Illegal|25|Coat, Inside Pocket
Garrote|Very Small|Illegal|3|Coat, Outside Pocket
Throwing Knife x4|Small|Restricted|20|3 in Coat Pockets, 1 in Belt[/table]

Backstory:
Derryk spent most of his life on the wrong side of the law. He had a knack for opening locks and he never let that skill get rusty. Until the war, that is. One of the only times in his life that Derryk had underestimated the security of a building and he ended up paying for it with years in prison. After the war was over, the Resistance staged a jail break. Not for him, of course, but that didn't mitigate his feeling of gratitude to them. Since then his old skills have been put to work in the Thieve's Guild in Eisendorf. After the aborted mission that he assisted with, he began travelling from city to city, doing small jobs for the Resistance.

Physical Appearance:
Derryk Arios is a slight man, with a gaunt look to him. Years in prison on the edge of starvation will do that to a man. His hair is mangy and kept short, blending perfectly into his close cropped beard. His eyes are dull blue and always look tired. His clothes reflect his common appearance and are commonly dark shades of blue and green. He commonly wears travelling clothes and a sturdy coat.

EDIT: Didn't notice the +5 XP for Storm Over Eisendorf. Added to Mobility and Fighting.

[Kensen]

Alright, we've got five playtesters! (More may still join; I'll just adjust the number of bad guys accordingly.)

I'll give you the mission details sometime soon.