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Deniable Asset© 2013 Eric D. Sack and Brent SpiveyISBN: 978-0-9843467-2-1

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Product Number

P12-004


Introduction............................6

The Making of an Agent.....8Modus Operandi............................9

Choose your Agent’s Strengthsand Weaknesses...........................9

Description.......................................9

Espionage Points...........................9

Training.................................10The Core Mechanic...................11

Conflict.............................................12

Inner-party Conflict....................15

Damage..........................................16

Perks and Flaws..........................16

Mission Structure.............20Mission, Scenario, and Element............................................................21

Possibilities....................................22

Transition Scenes......................23

Composure Roll...........................23

Refresh Scenes..................24

Chase Scene........................26Declaring a Chase......................27

Conducting the Chase..............27

Ending the Chase Scene.........27

Obstacle................................28Setting the Obstacle Difficulty............................................................29

Espionage Points...............30Role-Playing with EspionagePoints...............................................31

Agent Advancement.........32Gear..................................................33

Support Team..............................34

Repairing Gear and Healing theSupport Team..............................35

Agent Traits..................................35

Espionage Points........................35

Special FX Budget.............36

Administering the Game.38Who are the Antagonists?....39

Enemy Perks and Flaws..........40

Languages.....................................40

How to Conduct a Scenario. .40

Side or Solo Missions...............42

Mission Checkpoints.................43

Do I have to use D12s?..........43


Discretion Being the BetterPart of Valor...............................43

Death is Optional......................43

How Do I Set Up a BalancedConflict?.......................................44

How to Run Antagonists......44

What is a Significant NPC?.44

Encourage Role-Play...............44

Party Size.....................................44





There are four Modus Operandi that drive howyour Agent acts. They determine what capacitythe Agent is currently functioning in.

1. Blunt Instrument – The direct ap-proach

2. Infiltrator – Gets inside…

3. Investigator – Questions, searches, &observes

4. Technician – Acts with technical ex-pertise

· Assign a value of 6 to the ModusOperandi of your choice. This is whatyou are best at.

· Assign a value of 5 to one of the threeremaining Modus Operandi.

· Assign a value of 4 to one of the tworemaining Modus Operandi.

· Assign a value of 3 to the final ModusOperandi.

Decide the following for your Agent:

· Height and weight

· Eye color

· Age

· Give yourself a first name

You start the game with six. Espionage Pointsallow you to bend and even break the rules.



These are the skills and knowledge one mustacquire to become an Agent:

· The Core Mechanic

· Modus Operandi

· Espionage Points

· Scenarios and Elements

· Conflict

· Inner-Party Conflict

· Damage

· Healing

· Perks and Flaws

The Core Mechanic: roll a D12, and if thenumber comes up 7 or higher, that’s a success.In the Power of 12 Roleplaying System™ youwill most often roll several D12s at once. Eachone that comes up 7 or higher is a success.More than one success often yields betterresults. In Deniable Asset™ this roll is called aModus Operandi Roll.

Power of 12™Any D12 that rolls a value of 12 allows anadditional D12 to be rolled. That D12, in turn,if it rolls a value of 12, allows another D12 tobe rolled, etc… This works like “explodingdice” in other RPGs.

The Power of 12™ applies to all rolls.

The Modus Operandi RollEach of your Modus Operandi has a value.That value is the number of D12s you rollwhen choosing that Modus Operandi as themethod for your action. More details on Mo-dus Operandi are to be found later.

Thought, judgment, and role-playing go intothis decision. The Modus Operandi youchoose for a Modus Operandi Roll must not bearbitrary. This is a core concept of the game.It is HOW your Agent executes the Missionand each action he takes along the way.

Operating within the Modus Operandi

Any action taken by the character must berole-played. An Agent may have many rea-sons why he pursues a course of action. Mo-dus Operandi reflect “how” this action ispursued and what method is taken to achievethe desired result.

The Modus Operandi in Deniable Asset™ isbased on the nature of the action. That is tosay, instead of having a "rifle" skill or a "repair"skill, any Agent may shoot a rifle or attempt arepair. The Modus Operandi used is based onthe nature of the action. It is how the Agent isperforming it.

Approaching Actions

Look at each individual action that is per-formed and judge the correct Modus Operan-di based on that action. For example: Firing agun with the intent to do harm is what a BluntInstrument would do. Claiming to be some-one else in order to gain entry to a restrictedarea is what an Infiltrator would do. Interro-gating the enemy to find out who he reportsto is what an Investigator would do. Rigginga car to explode when the key is turned is whata Technician would do.

Equipment and actions stereotypically associ-ated with one Modus Operandi may in fact beused under any Modus Operandi if used cor-rectly. A few examples:

● Using a gun: the target of the Agent’s as-signment is just ahead but he has beentipped off and is trying to run out of theoffice building. A Blunt Instrument mightlevel his weapon, fire at the center mass,and keep firing until the target is down. Hecould then retrieve the briefcase: simpleand direct. An Investigator might threatenwith the gun to convince the target tosurrender, hoping that interrogating thetarget will reveal more information than inthe briefcase. A Technician might fire forthe target’s hand, hoping to force him todrop the briefcase, or fire at the lock on thedoor, trying to jam it to prevent escape. AnInfiltrator might fire at someone else (per-


haps purposefully missing) who he willclaim to be a threat to the target and fur-ther claim to be there to rescue him fromcapture.

● Using a computer need not always fallunder Technician: it’s all on how you use it.We are not talking about picking it up andbeating someone over the head with it.Hacking a computer system might seemvery Technician. But a Blunt Instrumentwould simply insert a virus and bring itdown – done. An Infiltrator might use acomputer to gather records and informa-tion on the location so his team can betterinfiltrate a facility. An Investigator mightuse a snooper program in hopes of gather-ing the needed target information from alocation or facility, thus avoiding a personalappearance in the first place. A Techni-cian… well a Technician might insert a hos-tile program to allow him to take overcameras and computer run defenses. Nowhe can actively manipulate the entire in-stallation.

Actors and TargetsHe who performs the action is the “Actor” -even the Administrator. The target of thataction, he against whom the action is per-formed, is the “Target” - even other players.

If you have the choice then your goal is toalways be the Actor and never the Target.Good luck with that.

ContestedAll Modus Operandi Rolls are contested. Ifyou are rolling dice to accomplish something,then someone or something else will be roll-ing dice to oppose you. There are a fewexceptions with the main exception beingInitiative. In Initiative, everyone is an Actor,and no one is the Target.

Default Die RollThe typical Agent has four Modus Operandi.If you cannot see how your Agent could use

one of his Modus Operandi to pursue a partic-ular action, then either you should consider adifferent course of action that can be support-ed by one of your Modus Operandi, or roll asingle D12.

Rolling a single D12 means your character isperforming an action that does not supportrole-playing through one of his Modus Ope-randi. This should almost never be the case.

Though combat will play an important role inDeniable Asset™, it is but one expression ofconflict. As explained in the "Modus OperandiRoll" section earlier, the core of the game isHOW we accomplish something. Staying trueto that core, conflict is about HOW. HOW isdetermined by your Modus Operandi – orvice-versa. If your Agent needs to take some-one out, it is important to know why, but“HOW” it is done and the intended result arekey. Keeping that in mind there are two typesof conflict:

· Direct Conflict

· Inner Party Conflict

Before discussing the two types of conflict wewill talk about initiative.

InitiativeThe Initiative Roll determines the order inwhich Actors perform their actions. Each Actormust choose the Modus Operandi that prop-erly supports their intent at the beginning ofthis conflict. If none of their four ModusOperandi can support their intent in the con-flict, then they will use the default single D12.

Each Agent tallies up the successes from hisInitiative Roll; this becomes his initiative.

The allies and antagonists in the conflict eachroll their initiative to determine their place inthe action.

He with the highest initiative goes first, he withthe next highest goes second, and so on. Tiesbetween Agents are decided amicably among


players (another role-playing opportunity).Ties between players, allies and antagonistsalways go to the player first, then the antago-nist. Allies are always last in a tie.

Ties among antagonists, or ties among allies,are resolved at the Administrator’s discretion.Use your best judgment, and do what makessense. Keep the game moving but do not missan opportunity to role-play between antago-nists. Bumping into one another, a quickargument, and even a vicious stare can beused to establish one’s place in initiative.

IMPORTANT! Initiative is done once before allactions in the conflict. In each turn of a con-flict the same initiative values are used. Initia-tive is the one chance to gain an upper handin a conflict.

Teamwork

An Actor may, at his discretion, improve an-other Actor’s initiative by sacrificing some orall of his own. The Actor must describe whathe will do to help his companion. He thenmoves one or more successes from his initia-tive to his companion's initiative.

An Actor having helped another characterthrough teamwork may not himself be assist-ed through teamwork that same initiative. AnActor who receives help through teamworkmay not during that same initiative help any-one else through teamwork. However, anActor may be helped through teamwork by asmany other Actors as want to help him.

It is perfectly acceptable for the players todiscuss this before teamwork is declared sothat no one's efforts are wasted.

Teamwork occurs after all initiatives have beenrolled and before any actions are taken.

Teamwork may be used by the antagonists aswell. If planned, then the Administrator willarrange any teamwork for the antagonistsbefore the players discuss their teamwork.

Players will not know the order or value ofAntagonists’ initiative until after deciding toutilize and resolve their teamwork.

TurnsConflict in Deniable Asset™ is measured inturns. The turn starts when the Agent or NPCwith the highest initiative acts. It ends whenthe Agent or NPC with the lowest initiative acts.

Conflict SummaryThis is a bulleted list - quick and dirty.

All Actors choose their Modus Operandi fordetermining initiative

● All Actors make their initiative Rolls

● Initiative teamwork for antagonists(TOP SECRET)

Initiative teamwork among players

For each conflict the following steps are re-peated each turn until only one side remainsin the Scenario (either through defeat or vol-untarily leaving the Scenario):

· Start the turn

· Actions are resolved in initiative order:

q The Actor declares their intended ac-tion and Target

q The Actor determines which ModusOperandi supports that action

q The Target determines their intendedresponse

q The Target determines which ModusOperandi supports his response

q The Target’s companions may inter-vene

q The Actor makes his Modus OperandiRoll

q The Target makes his Modus Operan-di Roll

q The Target suffers damage if the Ac-tor’s Modus Operandi Roll yields moresuccesses than the Target’s ModusOperandi Roll. Damage is covered inmore detail in the Damage section.


q The winner of the roll describes howthe action actually occurred (ties maybe cooperative).

q Move onto the Actor with the nextinitiative

q When all Actors are done determine ifthe conflict continues. If so, then pro-ceed with the next turn (return to the“Start the Turn” bullet).

Actors and Targets ReviewRemember that any-and-all participants in aScenario may be both Actors and Targets. Theabove rules apply to Agents as well as Antag-onists.

For initiative, all participants are Actors. Thereare no Targets for initiative.

Direct ConflictThe Maxim – all combat is conflict, but not allconflict is combat. Where there is conflict,there is always risk.

Direct Conflict is between two or more adver-saries who wish to gain advantage over theother (or do the other harm). A Direct Conflictcan be as simple as the characters exchanginggunfire, or as complex as three sides arguingover the best course of action before infiltrat-ing a compound.

Choosing your Modus Operandi

The choice of Modus Operandi is the lynchpinto role-play in Deniable Asset™. Your charac-ter has four Modus Operandi to choose fromthat epitomize his methods for action, fortaking risks, for... everything. These are notconstraints. Modus Operandi are not excuses.They are not a limited supply of that which youconstantly wish you had more of. ModusOperandi ARE the springboard for everythingyour character does. Modus Operandi willnever prevent you from acting or achieving.They will empower you to act and they willhelp you survive.

Now, why use any of your Modus Operandiother than the greatest? Why use fewer than

six dice if you don’t have to? This is a role-playing game. In time, if you spend yourcharacter points to do so, you can increaseyour other Modus Operandi to six. But thatwill take time. You are expected to lean onyour strongest Modus Operandi. But there willbe times when your character would use aweaker Modus Operandi because it makessense. This is a role-playing game.

In addition, there are strategic reasons to useyour weaker Modus Operandi. One examplewould be to save the strongest Modus Ope-randi for when you really need it! Even if yourstrongest Modus Operandi would provide abetter defense, you may want to use a weakerModus Operandi to defend, even if yourchance of taking wounds is greater, to pre-serve your strongest Modus Operandi for at-tack at its full value.

Intervene

As an action, you may intervene - defendanother - who is the Target of an action.Declare which Modus Operandi guides yourintervention and roll your dice when the Tar-get defends. Any successes are added to yourcomrade’s defense successes. You and yourcomrade will take wounds for every successthe attacker has above the combined defensetotal.

A few simple guidelines:

· Just like teamwork, more than onecharacter may intervene on a singledefense action.

· A character may only intervene oncein any given turn.

· Once that character has taken a nor-mal action, he is unable to intervenethat turn.

· All decisions to intervene on a singledefense action must be made be-fore dice are rolled.

Any damage is shared by the interventionistand the Target. If the damage may not be


evenly shared, the interventionist suffers theextra wound.

Defending More Than Once in a Turn

A Target who is attacked multiple times in oneturn will defend with one less die for eachprevious defense that turn. This penalty iscalculated after the defense Modus Operandiis chosen and, of course, considers anywounds already done to that Modus Operandi.

Conflicts and Scenarios

A Direct Conflict occurs within a single Scenar-io. The Direct Conflict is resolved in that Sce-nario or ends when one side or the otherleaves the Scenario. If there are more than two“sides” then the Direct Conflict is resolvedwhen all but one side are defeated or have leftthe Scenario.

It bears noting that a Direct Conflict is not the

same as general conflict, hostility, or animositybetween two adversaries that might span anentire Mission or beyond. A Direct Conflict isresolved in a Scenario.

Never Say Die

If the penalty for defending multiple times in aturn would reduce a chosen defense ModusOperandi to zero or less, the Target may al-ways defend with a single D12.

There come a time when Agents do notsee eye-to-eye. There come a time whentwo or more characters cannot resolve theirdifferences. This is Inner-party Conflict.

Inner-party Conflict is handled like a DirectConflict with a few differences. It may beinitiated separately or as part of a Direct Con-

flict or Chase Scene already in progress. Inner-party Conflict may be initiated openly or bystabbing someone in the back (literally or fig-uratively).

When initiated openly and separate from anyother conflict, the Inner-Party Conflict pro-ceeds normally with the Initiative of theAgents involved. Any Agents not involvedmay choose sides and roll initiative now or atany time later.

Agents involved in an Inner-Party Conflict mayelect to retreat (thus allowing victory for theother character), and all the rules for Leaving aScenario apply.

Agents who openly initiate Inner-Party Con-flict during a Direct Conflict or Chase Scenealready in progress immediately earn the Nota Team Player Flaw (See the section “Perks andFlaws”). In the future, this will come into play

whenever cooperation is required between theAgents. It will also affect teamwork (one extraSuccess must be sacrificed than is given to anally).

Agents who initiate Inner-Party Conflict with-out first announcing their intentions (stabbingthem in the back) thus denying their comradea chance to roll for initiative and automaticallyattacking first, immediately earn the BackStabber Flaw. In the future, this will come intoplay whenever the other Agents absolutelymust count on the Back Stabber to comethrough for them.

It is possible to earn both Flaws by stabbing afriend in the back during a Direct Conflict orChase Scene already in progress. Good rarelycomes from Inner-Party Conflict!

Whatever the conflict was about, once anAgent retreats or is defeated, the victorious


Agent takes possession of the item, gets hisway, or whatever. No more bickering about itmay ensue.

Inner-Party Conflict may take many forms justas any Conflict: arguing, fisticuffs, gunfire, de-stroying each other’s property. Good role-play will involve Agents who disagree or don’tlike one another. This is altogether differentthan Inner-Party Conflict. Inner-Party Conflicthas escalated to the point where peacefulresolution or just putting up with one anotherwon’t work anymore.

The world of Espionage is replete with exam-ples of Agents who worked together for acommon cause despite their differences. In-ner-party conflict should be very rare if ithappens at all.

Damage in Deniable Asset™ is based on thecharacter’s four Modus Operandi. Whenwounds are taken, the player must apply dam-age to the Modus Operandi that was used todefend with. That Modus Operandi, untilhealed, is now one less. This means you haveone less die to throw for any roll based on thatModus Operandi.

A Modus Operandi may be reduced due todamage until it reaches the value of zero. AModus Operandi reduced to zero may not bechosen to perform an action or to defend with.

If a Modus Operandi is reduced to zero anddamage is left over (more damage was causedthan the defending Modus Operandi had leftin it) then that extra damage is applied to theAgent’s other Modus Operandi in whatevermanner he sees fit. Where this damage goesmust be explained by the player just as if thatModus Operandi was used to defend.

What happens when all Modus Operandi havebeen reduced to zero? See the section on

.

Defining MomentsAs your Agent maneuvers through Missions,there will come defining moments. Born ofthese moments are Perks and Flaws that willhelp to define your character. Perks may fillyou with pride, remind you of great success, orshow who you aspire to be. Flaws may markyou with shame, haunt you with failure, orreveal who you truly are. Perks and Flaws markthese defining moments and carry them for-ward with you, never letting you forget. Theycan both help and hinder you. To understandthem we must first understand defeat.

DefeatDefeat can be a condition of pure exhaustion,of complete failure, anytime when the futureseems lost. In game terms, defeat occurswhen any Agent or NPC loses (suffers damageto) his last remaining point in his last remain-ing Modus Operandi.

Is the Agent Dead?

If you want, then you can see it that waydepending on the nature of the Direct Conflictand how it was role-played. Defeat could bethe character lying in a pool of his own bloodwith someone's knife lodged firmly in hischest. Defeat could just as easily be the Agentdrowning in self-pity, his will to go on lost in amire of despair. Defeat could be mere capitu-lation to a power so great that there seems noway to triumph against it.

Simply put, defeat takes the Agent out of theStory. Hand the Agent’s character sheet tothe Administrator. Play that Agent nolonger. He is defeated.

Must I Accept This Defeat?

Must you leave the Story?

No.

You have a choice.


FlawWhen your Agent faces defeat, you canchoose to not accept it. If you believe in yourcause strongly enough, if you feel that fatedemands you carry on, if you cannot stand thethought of your Agent’s comrades going onwithout him, you can choose to rise up! Thismust be described. You were left for dead buta spark of life was still in you. You fell into asewer and awoke downstream. You rolleddown an embankment out of sight. Youbowed to the superior argument of your ad-versary, but you did not break under theweight of his insults and mockery.

If you so choose, then the consequence is aFlaw. This is one word, two words, or a smallphrase that relates directly to the circumstanc-es of the defeat you chose to defy. The Flawthen becomes a disadvantage that may beinvoked by the player, or the Administrator,when circumstances fit.

In game terms, a Flaw is a single D12 that maybe taken away from any Modus Operandi Rolldeemed appropriate by the Administrator orthe player.

Having chosen a Flaw rather than defeat, thecharacter cannot be harmed further, nor harm(or help) anyone else during the Scenario. Heis free however to role-play during the rest ofthe Scenario. Role-play without consequenc-es? Do it…

If the defeat came at the hands of a significantNPC, that NPC will gain the Nemesis Perk.

The Agent will start the next Scenario at half ofhis current maximum points in each of hisModus Operandi (rounding up). Your will tolive restores half your damage. You'll have toheal the rest. The Flaw however will always bethere, riding your shoulder, whispering intoyour ear, "Remember."

Can my Support Team members choose notto accept defeat?

Yes. If one of your Support Team membershas fallen, you may decide for him to defy

defeat, and he gains a Flaw. Conversely, youcan take the flaw for him. Support Teammembers are explained in detail in “AgentAdvancement.”

PerkWhen your character has landed the final blowand has caused a significant NPC to face de-feat, you have a choice. You can finish him orspare him. You can spare him out of mercy,contempt, a desire to see him suffer this lifelonger, or in hopes that he might redeemhimself. Perhaps you hate him so much, thereis no power on Earth that can spare him froma swift end!

If you choose to spare the significant NPC,spare them from defeat, then the boon for theAgent is a Perk. This is one word, two words,or a small phrase that relates directly to thecircumstances surrounding your action tospare this significant NPC from defeat. ThePerk then becomes an advantage that may beinvoked by the player or the Administratorwhen circumstances fit. It may be invokedimmediately if appropriate.

In game terms, a Perk is a single D12 that maybe added to any Modus Operandi Rolldeemed appropriate by the Administrator orthe player, where the Perk applies.

The Agent also gains the “Nemesis” Perk.

Can my Support Team members spare asignificant NPC from Defeat?

Yes, or you can through them. It is yourchoice. If one of your Support Team memberslands the final blow, you may order them tospare the significant NPC. As the choice isyours, the Perk may also be yours.

Can an NPC spare an Agentfrom defeat?Yes. The Administrator may make the samechoice for a significant NPC who has defeatedyou. The NPC will gain a Perk relating to thecircumstances of this act. This NPC will benefitfrom this Perk whenever they face the Agent


they defeated. Not only has he bested you,but he gets a perk for it! Now you really hatehim.

The NPC also gains the Nemesis Perk.

Your Agent can still refuse to go on, but theNPC retains his well-earned Perks.

Perk before FlawIn the order of things, that which is good takesprecedence over that which is bad. The choiceto spare another, to gain a Perk, must comefirst. He who lands the final blow to defeatanother, be it Agent or significant NPC, getsthis choice first. Then he who faces defeat maynow choose to defy that defeat.

Remember that only characters and significantNPCs may gain Perks and Flaws. And they mayonly gain the choice for a Perk by defeating aworthy opponent. Agents and significantNPCs may, when facing defeat, always chooseto gain a Flaw over defeat.

Can an NPC choose not toaccept defeat?Yes. The Administrator may make the samechoice for a significant NPC you have defeat-ed. The Agent – you – will gain the NemesisPerk just as if you had spared him. Thoughtyou had gotten rid of him? There he is again,dogging your steps! Only now you have aPerk, a permanent reminder of how you best-ed him. This might put him at a disadvantageon your next meeting. But he'll be holding agrudge, don't you think?

More Than one Flaw or PerkMore than one of an Agent’s Flaws (up to allof them if deemed appropriate by the Admin-istrator) may affect a single Modus OperandiRoll, subtracting one D12 for each to a mini-mum of one.

More than one of an Agent’s Perks (up to all ofthem if deemed appropriate by the Adminis-trator) may affect a single Modus OperandiRoll, adding one D12 for each.

Both Flaws and Perks may affect the sameModus Operandi Roll.

Important: apply all applicable Perks first, thenall applicable Flaws.

Are Agents ever helpless?Flaws (one or many) may not reduce a ModusOperandi Roll to less than one D12.

Do not, however, confuse this with having lostall of one’s Modus Operandi due to damage.See the damage rule presented earlier for clar-ification.

Nemesis PerkAs explained above, the Nemesis Park isgained by an Agent when he spares a signifi-cant NPC from defeat, or by a significant NPCwhen he spares an Agent from defeat. TheNemesis Perk is personal and only applies tothe significant NPC or Agent who spared theother from defeat.

You are their Nemesis. You both know youbeat them. They may be resentful. They mayseek revenge. They may be afraid to face youagain. Regardless, you were the better man.Your next encounter will reflect that.

For he who has the Nemesis Perk, anytime hefaces the target to whom he is Nemesis, hisModus Operandi Rolls will be greater one D12.




These are the building blocks of the adven-tures you will create with Deniable Asset™.They are the structure within which the Powerof 12 Roleplaying System™ brings you theaction.

MissionMuch like a book, movie, or TV episode theMission is the main theme. It is the overarch-ing goal or premise. It is what your Agent –and any fellow Agents – are trying to accom-plish. A Mission might be to secure nuclearweapons from a terrorist group, uncover thelong term plans of a rogue organization, oreliminate a well guarded target for reasonsonly known to the Agency.

A Mission can be as big or small as you like.There are many Missions your Agent will ac-complish through his career. Each one willbuild upon the other.

A Mission in Deniable Asset™ may take onegame session to tell or several game sessions.

A Mission will be broken up into several Sce-narios.

ScenarioA Scenario is all the action and adventure thattakes place in a short period of time or in asingle location. Each Scenario helps theAgents accomplish the Mission. A Scenariomay lead directly into another Scenario or not.

A Scenario may be all the action and adven-ture that takes place during a clandestinemeeting with a mysterious contact at an aban-doned warehouse. It can be all the events thatoccur during the day as you case a hotel yoususpect your target is hiding in. Hours ofwandering and talking also might be oneScenario. The few moments it takes to ex-change a briefcase in an alley might be a Sce-nario.

Each Scenario will have one or more Elements.

Leaving the Scenario

Anyone may attempt to retreat from a DirectConflict (Exception: see The Chase Scene). Thisinvolves leaving the Scenario. Once done, theAgent or NPC may not re-enter the Scenarioor re-involve themselves in that Direct Conflict.

On your action, declare your intent to retreatfrom the Direct Conflict and the Modus Ope-randi that supports your action. If an enemywishes to prevent you from leaving, he mayimmediately roll his Modus Operandi as anattack. The enemy must have an availableaction this Turn. Your retreating Modus Ope-randi is used to defend. If he causes youwounds, you may not retreat. Otherwise, youwill exit the Scenario and be immediately safefrom the Direct Conflict.

Intervening – defending another – applieshere as well. Only here, you are helping themleave the Scenario. The same rules apply.

You may allow an enemy to leave the Scenario.In this case, no dice are rolled. The retreatfrom the Scene and the Direct Conflict simplyhappens.

Instead of attempting to prevent an enemyfrom leaving the Scene, you or an NPC maydeclare a Chase Scene!

ElementThe Element is the smallest building block ofthe Scenario or Mission. An Element is primar-ily a physical location. If the Scenario is ahotel, then several parts of the Hotel might beindividual Elements: restaurant, kitchen, andlobby.

The Scenario might be a street at night, butthe area around the street light might be oneElement while the darkened alley nearbymight be another. What are separate Ele-ments in one Scenario might all be a singleElement in another. The nature of the Scenar-io and Administrator intent will influence that.

Elements affect who can interact with whom.This is covered in detail in the “Interactionsand Elements” section of the “Direct Conflict”chapter.


Interactions and Elements

Characters and antagonists must be in thesame Element to interact with each other butmay move between Elements.

In this way an argument may break out in ahotel lobby (one Element) and spill out intothe street (a second Element). Those out inthe street may interact with each other. Thoseremaining in the hotel lobby may interact witheach other. Someone in the hotel lobby whowishes to interact with someone in the streetmust move into the street (move betweenElements) to do so.

Moving Between Elements

To move between Elements in a Scenario re-quires an action. Example: moving from theaforementioned hotel lobby to the street. Justto be clear, this is the same as an action re-quired by a Modus Operandi Roll. So, if onehas already acted in a given Turn, then onemay not move between Elements. If one hasmoved between Elements, then one may notattempt another action until the followingTurn.

The Scenario should describe how the Ele-ments connect and therefore where an Agentor NPC exits from one Element and emerges into the next.

We will hint at this point that Elements are sizeagnostic.

Attempting to Prevent Another from Mov-ing Between Elements

If you are in the same element as your enemy,you may attempt to prevent them from mov-ing to another Element. This takes up yournext available action this Turn. You must havean action this turn to attempt to prevent anenemy from moving to another Element.

Intervening – defending another – applieshere as well. Only here, you are helping themleave the Element. The same rules apply.

You may allow an enemy to leave the Element.In this case, no dice are rolled. The movebetween Elements simply happens.

Putting it all togetherScenarios and Elements are conceptual blocksthat, together, build a Mission. Each Missionadds to the story of your Agents.

Certain rules in the Power of 12 RoleplayingSystem™ and many abilities rely on Scenariosand Elements. Consider these when designingyour Missions.

In any given Scenario there might be a smalladvantage to be had or disadvantage to suffer.These will be determined by the Scenario.Some will be obvious while others not readilyapparent. Not every Scenario will have one.Some Scenarios will have both.

The Administrator might describe the follow-ing: “In an attempt to evade pursuit, you enterthe crowded train terminal. You notice thateveryone in the crowd is moving at the com-muter pace: as quick as they can withoutbumping into others.”

A clever Agent might identify the Possibilityand respond accordingly, “I match pace withthe commuters, moving to the 937 train with-out jostling anyone.”

An advantageous Possibility, if you are able tofind one and use it appropriately, will add oneD12 to your Modus Operandi Rolls in theScenario (including Initiative if you can reason-ably use it).

A disadvantageous Possibility, if you don’trealize it and avoid it, will subtract one D12from your Modus Operandi Rolls in the Sce-nario that would be affected by the Possibility(including Initiative if it would reasonably af-fect it).

A Possibility might become more obvious as aScenario is played out, allowing Agent’s andNPC’s to begin to use an advantageous Possi-bility or avoid a disadvantageous Possibilitymid-Scenario.


Between the detailed Scenarios of a Mission,we have Transition Scenes. These may not beoutlined in a Mission, but they will naturallyoccur if you allow them.

Transition Scenes are role-playing scenes thatallow for the Agents to “prepare” for the nextScenario. No dice are rolled, no damage istaken.

There are two kinds of Transition Scenes: theSwipe and the Prep. The real difference is howmuch time you want to spend talking aboutwhat happens between Mission Scenarios.

Swipe TransitionJust like in a movie or TV show, you can swipefrom one Scenario to the next, assuming thatthe Agents moved from one to the other inwhatever “Agent” fashion is appropriate. The

Administrator can narrate the Swipe TransitionScene if he likes.

Prep TransitionIf the first scene is at an Agency safe house,and the second scene is at an abandonedwarehouse, the Agents will walk, drive, take acab, hop a train, or get there some other way.If the Agents want to stop on the way to pickup supplies or role-play their next moves inthe taxi cab, that is the Prep Transition Scene.The Prep Transition Scene can take anywherefrom a minute to an hour to a year – whateveramount of time makes sense given the currentMission.

What is important is that the Agents are limit-ed to a few actions (two to four) that they canget done along the way. Again, this is a role-playing scene, but you want to keep the gamemoving.

As an Action you may attempt to recover onedamage point from a Modus Operandi. To dothis you roll a single D12. No Espionage Pointsmay be used. The Power of 12™ applies. Ona success, you recover a single point of dam-age from any Modus Operandi. Rather thanacting to damage your enemies or defendyour comrades, you compose yourself.

The Composure Roll is not contested.

The Composure Roll may be used to healdamage on a Support Team member or apiece of gear.

After rolling, declare how the point (or pointsif you are so lucky) will be used.

It is conceivably possible to heal all of anAgent’s damage this way during a Scenario.But… what are the other Agents doing? And is

that the best use of your time? Role playing isalways fun!



At the End of each Game Session is the RefreshScene. It might occur between Scenarios or atthe end of a Mission. Whenever your gamesession ends for the night, before the playersput up their characters’ sheets and go home,you have the Refresh Scene.

A Refresh Scene may not occur in the middleof a Scenario. If your game session must endmid-Scenario (in the real world, things docome up) then finish the Scenario on the nextsession first before you conduct the RefreshScene.

During a Refresh Scene, each Agent has achance to disappear within himself (or awayfrom everyone else) to recharge, regroup, andreenergize. How this occurs must be de-scribed (role-played). The Agents may con-duct a Refresh Scene as a group if they sochoose, or several Agents may share a RefreshScene while the others conduct their own.

The result: Each Agent rolls six D12s (The Pow-

er of 12™ applies). Each success removes onepoint of damage from a Modus Operandi. ARefresh Scene may not generate enough suc-cesses to remove all the damage an Agent hassustained. Heal what you can.

An Agent may heal his Gear or Support Teamthrough the Refresh Scene.



Often times the most dramatic and thrillingscene in any espionage show, movie, or bookis the Chase Scene. This is an all-or-nothingattempt by both parties: one to escape, theother to capture. Both sides are committedand will stop at nothing to win this conflict.

Chase Scenes are declared dynamically by aplayer or the Administrator. They are never aplanned Scenario within a Mission.

Any time that a NPC decides to leave thecurrent Scenario (see Leaving the Scenarioabove), a character may declare they are giv-ing chase. This requires an unused action.Once that declaration is made, any and allAgents and NPCs who wish to join the ChaseScene must declare so immediately. ThoseAgents and NPCs involved in the Chase Sceneare removed from the current Scenario imme-diately. The remainder of the current Scenario

is conducted normally with whoever remains.

The Administrator may have one of his NPCsdeclare a Chase Scene if a character attemptsto leave the current Scenario, and if it fits themoment.

The Chase Scene begins immediately. TheNPC who is being chased and all Agents andNPCs who declared as part of the Chase Scenenow participate.

The Chase Scene is conducted immediatelyand simultaneously with the current Scenario.Current Initiatives are kept. The Chase Sceneis conducted by the same rules as any otherScenario and Direct Conflict.

Any Agents or NPCs who left the Scenarioprior to the declaration of the Chase Scene donot participate in the Chase Scene.

Regardless of how a Chase Scene is initiated,it is one Element. Everyone involved mayinteract with each other. The Chase SceneElement transcends normal Elements and may“cross over:” from a building to the street, to afree fall off of a cliff, into a body of water, overa waterfall, into motorboats, into a high speedcar chase, then down into the sewers. This is allone element. This allows those willing to doanything to get away to try whatever theywant to escape. Those who are desperatelytrying to stop them can literally “stop at noth-ing” to get them.

Chase Scenes can take many forms: a carchase, a foot chase, helicopter chasing a car,car chasing those on foot, those on foot takingshort cuts across alleys to chase those in a car,taxies, limos, or any and all combinations!

The Chase Scene ends when one side is de-

feated. No one may attempt to leave theChase Scene (see ). Thisis all or nothing: victory or defeat.

Escaping may not be pleasant, and catchingup with your quarry may prove detrimental toeveryone. You may end up escaping only tofind yourself in a worse position than whenyou started. You may catch your target(s) onlyto cause their deaths and thus silence themfrom revealing to you what you most neededto know.



An Obstacle is a moment in which a singleModus Operandi roll will determine a specificoutcome. This will rarely, if ever, result in thedefeat of an Agent or an NPC. But, it willdetermine what decision is to be made, whatdirection to go in, what action must be takennext.

The Obstacle has a set value of successes thatthe Agent must meet or exceed on his roll toovercome.

Obstacles may be physical or emotional. Theymay occur anytime during a Scenario. Theymay be a planned part of the Mission or dy-namically created by the players or the Admin-istrator.

An Obstacle difficulty of three should be con-sidered very difficult. Three is what startingAgents will average on their best Modus Ope-

randi. Two would be considered hard. Onewould be considered easy.

As Agents add Gear and a Support Team Ob-stacle difficulty may rise to present a fair chal-lenge.



Each character has Espionage Points (in theform of extra dice) for those critical momentswhere failure is not an option. These dice maybe used at anytime and on any Modus Ope-randi Roll unless otherwise noted.

Unlike Modus Operandi, whose dice are avail-able for each roll, Espionage Points are finitein number.

So, why wouldn’t you use Espionage Pointsdice on every roll? Remember, these dice arefinite in number. Once an Espionage Point hasbeen used to augment a Modus Operandi roll,it is gone. For good? Yes. However, eachAgent can gain more Espionage Points as thegame progresses.

Espionage Points may represent the Agent’sresourcefulness, the Bureau’s investment ingadgets, or anything else you come up with.

What is important is that the player explainswhere the extra dice for his roll come from.

· A mirror can be used to reflect thesunlight and temporarily blind anenemy trying to shoot you.

· A curtain can be used to temporarilyentangle an opponent.

· Your car might be equipped withcaltrops or an oil slick.

· A watch with a mini-grappling hookand micro-wire can come in handy.

Espionage Points can represent specializedknowledge or training. A gadget or training isunlikely to be uniquely useful more than once.Try to invent new things and reasons for youruse of Espionage Points. It makes the gamemore interesting.

Also, as mentioned before, Espionage Pointscan allow you to bend or break the rules. You

can “spend” an Espionage Point to do thefollowing:

· Perform an action immediately aftermoving between Elements.

· Act in an adjacent Element withoutleaving the Element you are current-ly in.

· Join a Chase Scene if you do nothave an action.

You or your Administrator may think of othercircumstances where rules can be broken inthe name of Espionage.



At the end of each game session, your Agentis awarded one Agent Advancement point toimprove his abilities. This point can be usedto:

· Improve one of his Modus Operandi

· Add a piece of Gear

· Improve an existing piece of Gear

· Add a Support Team member

· Improve an existing Support Teammember

During play an Agent may learn something ofhimself. This comes in the form of Agent Traits.

At the end of a Mission, Agents may also gainone or more Espionage Points from the Agen-cy.

Gear represents permanent equipment thatthe Agent has gained through play, either as areward from the Agency or acquired on hisown. Regardless, Gear is permanent and cannot be removed from the Agent. Gear, howev-er, can be damaged like the Agent and willneed to be repaired.

Gear Modus OperandiGear Modus Operandi may be one of thestandard four that every Agent begins thegame with. It may also be different based onthe type of Gear and its intended purpose. Aspecially made Walther PPK pistol might havethe Modus Operandi of “Accurate,” “Reliable,”or “Quiet.”

The Modus Operandi chosen by the Agent caninfluence under what circumstances the Gearcan be used. Just as with Agent Modus Ope-randi, Gear Modus Operandi must be role-played. Its use must make sense before itsdice can be used.

Gear Modus Operandi, when used, is added tothe Agent’s Modus Operandi and the total isthe number of D12s that are rolled for theModus Operandi Roll.

When used as DefenseWhen Gear is used as Defense it may takedamage in place of the Agent’s Modus Ope-randi. Damage may be split equally or in anyfashion the Agent decides.

Once a piece of Gear has lost all points in allits Modus Operandi, it is defeated (useless)until repaired.

Gear can be used by otherAgents or Support TeamMembersGear belonging to an Agent may be freelygiven to another Agent or Support Teammember for use during a Mission or Scenario.Gear can be exchanged between Agents orbetween Agent and Support Team memberduring a Direct Conflict. This requires an Ac-tion on the part of the giver or receiver (butnot both). Someone hands the Gear over, orsomeone takes it.

Exception: A Trademark item may NOT beloaned to any other Agent or Support Teammember.

Standard GearStandard Gear has one Modus Operandi.

Creating a piece of Standard Gear

An Agent Advancement point is used to createa piece of Standard Gear with one point in itsModus Operandi.

The Modus Operandi is named and the pieceof Standard Gear is now part of the Agent.

Improving a piece of Standard Gear

An Agent Advancement point is used to addanother point to the Modus Operandi of apiece of Standard Gear.

This can be done until the Standard Gear’sModus Operandi reaches a maximum value ofsix.


Elite GearElite Gear works much like Standard Gear, buteach piece may have up to four Modus Ope-randi. Like an Agent or NPC, you must choosewhich Modus Operandi of the Elite Gear youwill be using and explain how it supports thecurrent action.

Creating a piece of Elite Gear

Standard Gear becomes Elite Gear once anAgent Advancement point is used to create asecond Modus Operandi.

The Modus Operandi is named and the pieceof Standard Gear is now a piece of Elite Gear.

Improving a piece of Elite Gear

An Agent Advancement point is used to addanother point to the Modus Operandi of apiece of Elite Gear. Or that point may be usedto add a new Modus Operandi to a piece ofElite Gear if it currently has fewer than fourModus Operandi.

Only one Modus Operandi may reach a maxi-mum value of six. The other three ModusOperandi may reach maximums of five, four,and three. A piece of Elite Gear, when itreaches its maximum Modus Operandi values,becomes a Trademark Item.

Trademark ItemA Trademark Item is a piece of Elite Gear thathas reached its maximum values in four Mo-dus Operandi. It can now gain Perks and Flawslike an Agent. That means that a TrademarkItem, when defeated, must either choose toleave the story (become destroyed and use-less, lost forever) or take a Flaw and come backin the next scene at half Modus Operandivalues, just like an Agent. A Trademark Itemhas a personality and a history.

The Support Team is one or more NPCs thatsupport your Agent. They are either in the

employ of the Agency or freelancers the Agenthas employed between Missions. The SupportTeam is loyal and will not willingly betray theAgent. The Agent makes all decisions for hisSupport Team as if they were separate Agentsunder his control.

Support Team members can be defeated andgain Perks and Flaws.

Unlike Gear, Support Team members can actindependently. A Support Team member canmove between Elements and Leave a Scenarioon his own. Support Team members roll forinitiative and may use teamwork and interveneto assist an Agent.

Support Team ModusOperandiThe Support Team has the same Modus Ope-randi as an Agent: Blunt Instrument, Infiltrator,Investigator, and Technician.

Supporting AgentsA Support Team member may act in supportof an Agent. This can be the Agent to whomthe Support Team belongs or another Agent.This decision is made when rolling for initia-tive.

Rather than rolling for initiative, the SupportTeam member describes what he is doing tosupport the Agent, and with which ModusOperandi. The Support Team member’s diceare then given to the Agent who can then addthem to his dice for any Modus Operandi Rollthat turn, including Defense.

When used in Defense, the Support Teammember may take damage in place of thesupported Agent. This decision is made by theAgent the Support Team member is support-ing that Turn.


Creating a Support TeamMemberAn Agent Advancement point is used to createa Support Team member with one point ineach of its four Modus Operandi. An addition-al point is added to one Modus Operandi ofthe player’s choice. The Support Team Mem-ber begins play with the values 2, 1, 1, and 1 inhis Modus Operandi.

The Support Team member is then built likeany other Agent (See “Physical Description”under “Agent Creation”).

Improving a Support TeamMemberAn Agent Advancement point is used to addanother point to the Modus Operandi of aSupport Team member.

Support Team members are not as good as afull Agent and thus their Modus Operandimaximums are lower. A Support Team mem-ber can have Modus Operandi maximums of 5,4, 3, and 2. Once those are reached the Sup-port Team member may not be further im-proved.

Separately from the Refresh Scene, an Agent’sGear and Support Team may be healed byholding them out for an entire Scenario. Gearis sent to the Agency (or another trustworthysource) for repair. Injured Support Teammembers are sent for some R&R, to the hospi-tal, or anywhere else they can recuperate.

After a Scenario is complete, any of an Agent’sGear and Support Team that were held out ofthat Scenario are fully healed. Any Perks andFlaws they have gained are, of course, stillthere.

An Agent Trait is a word or phrase that de-scribes your Agent’s personality and hints at atime before he was an Agent. They do not

have dice associated with them, but they willhelp you role-play your Agent and may beused by the Administrator to drive you toaction.

Agent Traits are not present when an Agent isfirst activated. They are discovered over timeas your Agent conducts Missions.

A new Agent Trait can be triggered by theAdministrator when a moment seems right,when the Administrator has noticed a trend insituations, outcomes, or actions involving theAgent. The Administrator then pauses playand assigns a Trait: now a Flashback occurs.The Agent is on the spot to improvise theFlashback, thus explaining the Trait. If theFlashback is impressive, the Administrator mayaward an Espionage Point to the Agent.

Perks and Flaws can be associated with Traits.

Agents can acquire an unlimited number oftraits.

Traits can be removed or “lost” through role-play.

Espionage Points may be gained by the Agentat the end of a Mission. Between one andthree should be awarded to each Agent basedon the judgment of the Administrator (theremay be guidelines in the Mission).

An Agent may have no more than twelveEspionage Points at any one time. If an Agentalready has twelve Espionage Points at the endof a Mission, then he will gain none.

Why only twelve? The more important ques-tion to ask is… why isn’t the Agent using them?These kinds of resources have an expirationdate. Look at it this way. The three he wouldhave gained, he actually did. But three othersare no longer useful. The favor is gone, theitem no longer functions, or the resource isn’tuseful on future Missions. Use them.



Deniable Asset is presented with a gritty Spe-cial FX Budget. You’ll carry a gun, a passport,some spending cash, perhaps a cell phone. Ifyou want a car, there are plenty of serviceablevehicles lining the streets. A few might have afull tank of gas. If you want to overhear aconversation, feel free to take a few stepscloser.

Why gritty? Guns don’t kill people, people killpeople. Computers don’t hide information,people hide information.

The Special FX Budget is something that theAdministrator and the Agents keep in mindwhen describing Agency resources and meth-ods, the use of Espionage Points, as well asenemy resources and methods. Beyond that,what the environment and locales contain hasa vast influence on the feel of the game. Vitalinformation can be exchanged in a back alleyor an abandoned warehouse just as easily asat a black tie affair surrounded by diplomats.A taxi cab is just as capable a getaway vehicle

as a Concord jet. It all depends on who youare getting away from. Keep the Special FXBudget consistent and you’ll find the Agentscontributing more easily and adding to thesubstance of the game.



This section is intended for the Administrator’seyes only. However, we realize most craftyAgents will find their way past the passwordencryption. So, the information in this sectionwill be limited to guidelines and suggestions.No Mission details will be presented.

Antagonists take many forms but these are themost common: terrorist, local governmentarmed forces, local police, private security, andeven agents working for other agencies.

Sometimes an Antagonist's purpose is to di-rectly harm the Agents. More often the An-tagonist is there to achieve his own ends (thatof his employer) and he and the Agent arethus at odds. Occasionally, an Antagonist'sgoals run parallel to the Agent’s goals. How-ever, this may not be obvious.

As their careers develop, the Agents will gainthe notice of other Agencies (for good or forbad), and their opposition, those Antagonistswho oppose them, may become more direct-ed to interfere with or harm the Agents… or tryto recruit them.

As you design missions, place your Antago-nists with care. There are few random encoun-ters in Deniable Asset™. Those that seem tobe there are often being manipulated by otherAntagonists.

Antagonist Modus OperandiAntagonists have the same Modus Operandias Agents. An inept guard might just have oneor two points of Blunt Instrument, while amore capable lackey could have four points ofInvestigator and three points of Blunt Instru-ment. A VERY capable significant NPC mighthave the same level of Modus Operandi as anAgent.

Beyond that, Antagonists can have motiva-tions.

Antagonist MotivationsAn Antagonist motivation is a word or phrasethat encapsulates a driving force behind the

NPC. It can define why they are where they areand doing what they are doing or it can repre-sent a broader purpose. Regardless it is astrong recommendation on how to role-playthe NPC. For example:

A capable terrorist might have a Blunt Instru-ment of four and an infiltrator of three. But hismotivator might be Defending Holy Places.Now we know what is important to him in theimmediate Scenario.

A NPC can have more than one motivation. Asignificant NPC most likely will. They are moreimportant to the Mission and are naturallymore complex and interesting.

An Antagonist can have as many motivationsas you care to give them, but between one andthree will give plenty of depth.

Any Significant NPC who returns (again andagain) will most likely acquire Perks and/orFlaws that will add further interest.

Knowledge, Hints, and CluesDeniable Asset™ is a role-playing experience;it is character and story driven, and the plot,however simple or complex, must be looselyfollowed. When Agents must discover knowl-edge in order to proceed, this should be role-played: Modus Operandi Rolls are not normal-ly necessary.

Keep in mind that there is a difference be-tween knowledge necessary for player direc-tion and knowledge necessary for the Agentsto complete the Mission.

1. Knowing that the enemy has nuclearweapons

2. Knowing the exact numbers for thelaunch codes

The first drives the plot. The Agents shouldfind this out without direct dice rolling as partof a Scenario; the second they should have towork for.

Do not be afraid to make the second verydifficult. An Agent can always be defeated,


choose a Flaw, and end up gaining the infor-mation in the end. Think of the Drama!

Enemy Agents will gain Perks and Flaws just ascharacter Agents do. Many enemies will haveone or more when the Agents meet them forthe first time. Some will have none. This willdepend on how you want to characterize theenemy: having a history and experiences be-fore the Agents met them or just starting out.

In the modern day, languages are a tool and abarrier. Foreign languages are exotic andintriguing (foreign is relative to what youspeak natively, of course). Few espionagebooks and movies would get very far if theprotagonists had no way to speak or “navi-gate” the local languages.

In Deniable Asset™ fun and excitement are

paramount. With that in mind, make sure yourAgents can speak or be able to at least reason-ably decipher as necessary the languages andwriting of whatever locale you have placedthem in. The Agency would not have put themthere without that necessary skill.

On occasion it might be important that theyDON’T understand what has been said, butthis should be rare.

Here are two options you might go with:

1. Every Agent speaks at least three lan-guages: his native and two others thatare pertinent to the area. If the area youhave chosen is very cosmopolitan andhas many languages, spread those aboutso your Agents cover most if not all ofthem.

2. Have the Agency provide translators. Ormake one or more conveniently available.

But can the Agents really trust sometranslator they don’t know? All the morefun.

The idea of a Scenario and its definition forDeniable Asset™ is covered in the “Mission,Scenarios, and Elements” section of the “Pow-er of 12™” chapter.

Here in “Administering the Game” we want toprovide some insight on a few aspects of aScenario.

InitiativeThe details of initiative are covered in the

chapter. But when do you call forinitiative? When does your gathering aroundthe table turn from a purely role-playing expe-rience into a conflict?

Unless specifically stated in the description ofthe Scenario (and if you wrote the Scenario,you should know), this will be something you“feel” as the role-playing turns into conflict.Nevertheless, someone, character or antago-nist must declare his intent to start the conflict,be it a back stab, a demanding shout, thepulling of weapons, or the swinging of fists.

Then, and only then, will a conflict occur.Then, and only then, will you call for initiative.

The Agent or NPC who declares their intent tostart a conflict, he who initiated the conflict,goes first. They do not need to roll for initia-tive nor can they participate in teamwork.

TeamworkThe use of teamwork is a wonderful opportu-nity for role-play. You can show or hide thetrue nature of the enemy through their team-work or lack thereof. Role-playing their work-


ing together might be fun, but role-playingtheir refusal to work together might be evenmore fun!

Movement and ElementsGenerally, any Agent or NPC in the Scenariocan interact with any other. By interact wemean talk, fight, or otherwise affect. There isno need to specifically move or change one'sposition. If, for dramatic effect or in keepingwith one's Modus Operandi, the Agent or NPCis described as charging, crouching, leaping,running, taking cover, etc… this is fine. Butthese things are discussed and do not affectthe Modus Operandi Roll. They may be neces-sary to use a specific Modus Operandi, howev-er. This is a role-playing game.

Keep in mind that some Scenarios may bebetter served by having more than one sepa-rate Element. If you have designed a Scenarioand discover, through review or during play,that Agents would logically have a hard timeinteracting across a particular barrier, thenmake a separate Element out of it. Or adjustthe Scenario so the barrier is no longer there.What is important is that Agents and NPCsinteract as you had intended – and have fun ofcourse!

A restaurant kitchen is often separated fromthe main dining area, but not always. Therooms of an apartment or house could beseparate Elements, but half-walls and an openfloor plan take care of that. Don’t let yourMission get sidetracked because someone hasa copy of the local municipality’s buildingcodes.

The best rule of thumb is this: if it helps thestory and encourages role-play, then do it.

Elements are size agnosticAn Element does not require specific measure-ments or dimensions. An Element is sizedrelative to other Elements in the Scenario.Outdoor Elements will naturally be larger thanindoor Elements. This does not change howcharacters and antagonists interact within ormove between Elements.

It may, however, affect how much an Agent orNPC can do or how far they can move in asingle Action. Within the confines of a broomcloset, movement and actions will be veryrestrictive. A few steps will carry you from oneend to the other where a ventilation gratemight be. In a dogfight scene between twomodern jet planes, a turn is likely to covermiles of distance and perhaps minutes as thepilots fire missiles and maneuver through theclouds. Actions indoors will be quicker andshorter. Actions outdoors (or in massive cav-erns, a sports stadium, or other large area) willnaturally occur over longer distances and takemore game time. If an element seems un-wieldy, don’t be afraid to divide it into a num-ber of smaller elements.

Keep this in mind when designing your Mis-sions and Scenarios: if you just can’t see howan Agent can move up the cliff, around theswimming pool, and into the patio of themountain chateau, then create separate Ele-ments.

Movement BetweenElements When No DirectConflict OccursCharacters may move between Elements ascasually as they wish when no Direct Conflictis occurring. Use your judgment as to who iswhere should a Direct Conflict occur whencharacters have moved between Elements pri-or.

Perks and FlawsThe rules for Perks and Flaws as outlined in the

chapter will cover most circumstanc-es. However, you may wish to allow either aPerk or a Flaw to have a useful or hinderingeffect that does not involve dice.

For example, a Flaw might cast a dark shadowover the character at all times. This would bea role-playing disadvantage, whether the char-acter was otherwise brighter and cheerier orthe shadow simply reinforced a greater dark-ness they had.


As well, a Perk might have a beneficial effect.The Agent might give off an air of supremeconfidence when facing a specific enemy.

Either of these could result in an additional diebased on circumstances, if you wished. Butthe role-playing and story they bring forthmight be far more valuable.

The Measurement of TimeThe only meaningful measurement of timeduring a conflict is the Turn as described in thePower of 12™ chapter. How long before thebomb detonates? 5 Turns. Other questions oftime, such as “How long until sunset?” can beanswered with less specific terms such as“soon,” “not long” or “not for some time.” Forexample: if the Agents wish to role-play the setup of a trap, the building of an explosive, orthe scouting of an area, then these might bedone “soon,” “won’t take long,” or will take“some time.” Often this is what TransitionScenarios are for.

A Turn has no specific time associated with it.If you want to include a ticking time bomb,then roll a D12 after every Turn to see howmany seconds have elapsed. Judgment is yourbest friend here. Use it.

Timing - When thingshappenScenarios that hinge upon the arrival of theAgents, enemies, or some other event shouldnot be timed. Such events should occur whenthey are supposed to according to the Mission.This maintains the Mission and doesn’t cut offthe players from setting up their world the waythey want it.

There is no advantage gained or disadvantagesuffered by an event occurring before theAgents destroy all the incriminating evidenceor finish wiring the bomb. If an event is de-signed to take place as the Agents just lightthe match and hold it to the fuse, then itdoesn’t matter when they light the fuse. It canbe well before dusk or after the sun sets, solong as the event occurs WHEN they decide tolight the fuse.

It will occur that, on occasion, not all yourAgents will be available every week. Shouldyou still wish to run your game but don’t wantthe unavailable players to miss out on theaction in which they have been so far instru-mental, you can conduct a Side Mission.

A Side Mission is an entirely new and differentMission (perhaps related to the current Mis-sion, perhaps not) that those Agents sitting atthe table can partake in, thus saving the origi-nal Mission for the next session when allAgents can be available while giving thosecurrently present the fun and excitement ofplaying Deniable Asset™!

A Side Mission should be short enough to lasta single session, unless you know that yourmissing Agents will miss more than one ses-sion.

Never miss an opportunity to play!

Initiating a Side MissionInitiating a Side Mission can be a simple affairor a complex one if you want to set it up.

If you are currently between Scenarios, theAgency can call (or send a man) and informthe Agents present that something needs tobe taken care of right away! The Agents canbe whisked away in cars, boats, or helicopters(keep in mind your FX Budget).

If you left off in mid-Scenario, then you canconduct a flashback or flash forward, coveringaction that actually took place days or weeksago, or will take place days or weeks from now.

You can start a flashback or flash forward, justlike in your favorite espionage movies, “48hours ago,” or “Three days from now.”

Feel free to tie it into the current Mission,loosely involve one or more current NPCs, orjust keep them cleanly separate.


Rejoining the PrimaryMissionThe Agents from the Side Mission will rejointheir fellow Agents in the primary Mission asthe next game session begins to pick up rightwhere everyone left off. The same transporta-tion can return them or they can even be airdropped in. Again, your FX Budget will helpdetermine that. Agents from the Side Missionmight have sustained wounds or even gaineda Flaw. If this was a flashback or flash forward,wounds may not carry back into the PrimaryMission (how convenient for the Agents).

As Administrator you have a lot of latitude toadjust your missions on the fly. Agents will dothe unexpected, and it is rewarding when youcan roll with it and still keep things on track.

There may be one or more Scenarios in aMission that are Checkpoints - places that the

Agents, regardless of prior actions, must arriveat for the Mission to “work.” In official Deni-able Asset™ published Missions, any suggest-ed Checkpoints will be obviously labeled.

As you create your own missions, you maywish to identify in advance Scenarios that areCheckpoints, annotate them, and keep them inmind as you roll with player dynamics andyour own creativity. In order for the plot tounfold correctly, the Agents MUST arrive at aCheckpoint. That Scenario MUST work asintended. Otherwise, it is not a Checkpoint.

Don’t arbitrarily insert a Checkpoint just tohave one. Your Mission design may be soflexible that none are needed. Chances are,there will be at least one key Scenario where amajor clue is, or the primary villain is set todeliver important information, or it is a Scenar-io that really sets the tempo for your game.

You can use any die type you care to from D2’sall the way to D100’s. Establish the success forthe die type as the top 50% of the numberrange. For example, using a D8, successeswould be 5 and higher. Using a D10, successeswould be 6 and higher. Using a D100, success-es would be 51 and higher.

What you are really changing is the Power of12 effect. This is now happening on the high-est number for the die type. Using a D8, any8’s generated would allow for another D8 tobe rolled for potentially more successes andthe same applies to any other die type youmight use.

This changes the odds.

Is this a risk you are willing to take?

There should be the occasional Scenariowhere the only sane thing to do is retreat. Notevery challenge or conflict is a likely victory.This is a choice the players should truly con-sider.

And we say this because…

Remember, as you design your Missions, Sce-narios, and Elements, that Agents need onlyexpire if the player chooses. They can alwayshave their character take a Flaw and keepplaying! It adds more role-playing opportuni-ty. So, don’t be afraid to make an encounterchallenging.

Constant Flaw-or-die choices get just as te-dious as never being challenged at all, so don’tover-do it. To that end...


The simple rule: ensure that the total value ofall Modus Operandi among Antagonists, Gear,and Support Team is the same or very close tothe total value of all Modus Operandi for theAgents, their Gear, and Support Team.

It is important to note that Espionage Pointsare not mentioned. Initially, we recommendnot considering them when balancing an en-counter.

Refer to the Antagonists chapter for guide-lines.

Key concepts:

· Antagonists have a purpose

· Antagonists have Modus Operandi just ascharacters do

· Antagonists will not sacrifice themselveson the alter of Heroism without cause

· Antagonists can negotiate

· Antagonists can retreat to fight anotherday

· Antagonists can view themselves as badguys

· Antagonists can view themselves as goodguys

This list could be many pages but we hope youget the idea.

The short answer: As Administrator, you de-cide.

Here are a few guidelines:

· NPCs who are Agents

· NPCs who are major characters inthe Mission

We would recommend that each Mission youmake should have one to three significantNPCs.

Keep in mind that the number of significantNPCs will dictate the opportunities for Perks aswell as the Nemesis Perk. If you want toincrease the Perk opportunities, plan for moresignificant NPCs.

Be sure to strike a balance that works best foryour gaming group. Too many significantNPCs can cloud the Mission and make theexperience more about them than the Agents.Too few significant NPCs and character devel-opment may be limited.

Any NPC can be vital to the Mission, becomelife long friends with the Agents, or try tothwart the Agents’ goals. All NPCs shouldenrich the Story. Not all NPCs need to besignificant NPCs to accomplish that.

Even when dice are not being rolled, ask whatModus Operandi drives a character’s actions.This will keep the players focused on the “how”and the role-playing of their characters.

Deniable Asset™ has been designed with anelegant and flexible system. An Administratorand two Agents would be the recommendedminimum. Beyond that, as many Agents asyou think you can manage. An Administratorand a single Agent would create a differentdynamic altogether.

The ideal party size would be four Agents,each with a main focus on a different ModusOperandi. We say this mostly for the role-playexperience. Enough people to spice things upand each Modus Operandi brings its uniqueflavor into the game.



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