Spying
24.1 Unscrupulous individuals may seek employment as a spy for a foreign power, an option which brings monetary reward along with significant risk. Not surprisingly, spies are not known as such to other players unless they are caught and tried for treason. Spies get 50 cr per month for their efforts (but no SP) and must spend one week per month in London engaged in spying activities. Spies may never voluntarily retire (as they would be silenced in an unpleasant manner) although they are dismissed if they are uncovered (even if they are not tried).
24.2 Seeking employment as a spy is a risky and time-consuming business as contacts need to be made while treading carefully to avoid suspicion. Such activity requires 3 weeks of effort in one month (not necessarily consecutive weeks) after which 2d6 are rolled to determine the outcome. A roll of 2 or 3 means the individual has been entrapped by government spies, and will automatically be tried for treason the following month. A roll of 9+ (8+ if SL 8+, rank of Major or above, or a government minister) results in success, with the character being employed as a spy immediately. Any other roll means the attempt has been fruitless, although further attempts can be made in subsequent months.
24.3 For each month in which a spy spends a week actually spying, a roll of 2 on 2d6 means that suspicions have been aroused about his activities. His services are no longer required by the foreign power in question and there will be an automatic arrest and trial if the CPS is an NPC. If the CPS is a PC he chooses whether to make an automatic arrest (between turns) and hold a trial for treason the following month, or ignore the matter. If the spy involved happens to be the CPS then he is immune from prosecution although he still loses his position as a spy.
24.4 In the month of May, instead of the normal week's spying, a spy may try to gain some especially useful intelligence concerning the upcoming Summer campaign. This must be explicitly ordered or just the normal activity will take place, takes the whole month, with no expenses paid as if at the front. This option entails additional risk, but if successful adds 1 to the BR of any army involved in the campaign to come, and earns the spy 1d x 100 cr as a reward. The chances of being caught and of gathering useful information are dependent on the rank and position of the spy as shown in the table:
|
Position |
Caught |
Success (BR and crowns) |
|
Government |
12 |
8+ |
|
Army or Div |
11 exactly |
7+ |
|
Lt Col and above |
11 exactly |
8+ |
|
Other |
10 exactly |
9+ |
Government applies to any minister; Army or Div applies to anyone in an Army or Division command, i.e. commanders, their aides, and adjutants. The BR mod can apply only once regardless of the number of spies involved.
24.41 If in London a spy may attempt to follow one other character. There is a 50% chance of all of the target's actions, including pre-monthly actions, being revealed to the spy.
24.42 Spies can bribe NPCs without fear of being reported. If the bribe would have been reported it is instead treated as money spent with no effect. This does not apply if trying to bribe the king or the judge of a trial in which the spy is the accused.
24.43 Spies are adept at inciting riots and rebellions..
24.5 If a spy is captured while at the front, he is automatically released after one month's captivity. The 'official story' will be that he has escaped, to avoid revealing his spy status.
Stealing
24.6 Stealing from other PCs is a weekly activity which entails considerable risk. One die is rolled: a 1 or 2 transfers 10% of the target's wealth to the thief (up to a maximum of 500 crowns); a 3 or 4 gives no opportunity to steal that week; a 5 or 6 means the thief is caught. A thief that is caught spends the remainder of the month in gaol and will be tried on a 4+ by an NPC CPS at the start of the next month. A PC CPS chooses whether to take the matter to a trial. Stealing is a minor offence. When the thief is freed the original target of the stealing attempt has cause with the thief, though loses nothing if he declines to duel him. In this case he would not stand trial if he killed the thief in the duel, even if he refused his surrender.
Working
24.7 Characters who are short of money may spend one or more weeks working to raise some cash, although such activity is looked down upon. Each week of work earns the character 2d6 cr and loses him 1 SP. The seriously ill may not work. Orders may state what kind of work is being sought, but the GM determines what was actually done. One seeking exceptionally appropriate employment may have the 1 SP loss refunded by the GM.
24.8 Another option for the hard up is to announce in the press that they are available for errands, in the hope that a PC may use his services, or that an NPC might offer some task (perhaps of dubious legality).
