Wilderness of Mirrors 2nd Edition

John Wick

WILDERNESSSRORRIM

ofof

Cagri Akyurt (order #5259587)

Wilderness of Mirrors

002 Edition

A Little Game about Spies, Crooks, Missions and Heists

I would not have been able to write this game without

my friend, Jared.

Th ank you, puddin’ head.


ContentsIntroduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

The Big Three Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Part 1: What is My Game About? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Making Your Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Expertise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Mission: Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Risk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Narrative Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Part 3: What Behaviors Does My Game Reward? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Part 4: Why is that Fun? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Mission Prep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step One: Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step Two: Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step Three: Allocation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Olympus 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Secret History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Life as a Hades Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Intelligence Agencies from Around the World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12


1

INTRODUCTIONTh ey dared me to do it. Th ey didn’t know it at the time, or at the very least, they

weren’t thinking about it when they did it, but this is my story and I’m sticking to

it.

My friends Baron and Vach wanted to play a spy game, but all the systems they

found just didn’t do what they wanted. Th ey tried everything from Spycraft to

Top Secret, but nothing really worked. Every time I talked to them, they were

complaining about something or another. In fact, they had about twenty pages of

house rules for Spycraft to make it into the game they wanted. Th at’s when I said

those fateful words.

“You know,” I told them, “instead of messing around with someone else’s system,

you could just make your own.”

Th ey shook their heads and assured me it was far easy to modify an existing

system than to come up with something from scratch.

“Nonsense,” I told them. “We could come up with a spy game that does

exactly what you want in about ten minutes.”

Th ey looked at me with the kind of disbelief I reserve for Creationists.

“No,” I told them. “It’s easy. Look, let’s take it apart, piece by piece.”

It actually took me about fi ft een minutes, but by the time I was done, I

had something I was very happy with. Th ey both told me it was brilliant...

then they continued tweaking Spycraft .

I believe the reason for this is because the game I wrote for them wasn’t

a real book. It was just an idea I’d written down on paper. Well, perhaps

now that this is a real game, in a real book, they’ll look at it twice. Th is is

my hope. Maybe if I dare ‘em, they’ll look. Yeah. Th at’s it.

Either way, this game is dedicated to my friends Baron and Vach,

monster mondo mutant spy fans who want “the perfect spy game.” I don’t

know if mine is perfect (I’m still a huge fan of the original James Bond:

007 RPG from the ‘80’s), but it’s the best I could do. Th at’s got to be good

enough, right?

Right???

The Big Three Questions

My buddy Jared Sorensen likes to run game design seminars. He likes inviting

people in with the allure of speaking to a designer they respect and admire and

then destroying their dreams and wrecking their games with some well-placed


2

and dangerous questions. It’s like watching a smart missile fi re through a chimney and

destroy an entire building.

Jared opens his seminar by asking the same questions.

1. What is your game about?

2. How does it go about doing that?

3. What behaviors does it reward?

While I don’t base my entire game design philosophy on Jared’s questions (sometimes

they get in the way), they do provide me with a nice compass when I get lost in the

details of a game.

I also ask myself a fourth question:

4. Why is that fun?

So, in the spirit of throwing a game out into the public, here are my answers to those

questions. Jared would probably fi nd them unsatisfactory, but then again, he loves

ABBA, so what do I care?

PART 1: WHAT IS MY GAME ABOUT?

My game is about spies. More specifi cally, it’s about creating the kind of atmosphere present in a James

Bond or Jason Bourne novel. (Coincidentally, it also creates the same kind of

atmosphere in heist novels; my favorite being the Parker novels by Richard Stark,

aka, Donald Westlake.) Players want to be James and Jason and we should let

them do just that. Not fi rst level chumps who have to work their way up the ladder

to become Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but the kind of characters who can walk beside Th e

Saint and Mrs. Peel without feeling like scrubs.

But spy novels aren’t just about spies: they’re also about paranoia. Bond never

knows exactly who he can trust. Bourne novels are breeding ponds for suspicion.

Another popular spy—Sidney in Alias—is surrounded by deceit. Fans of 24 know

that Jack Bauer can’t trust anyone... not even himself.

So, we’ve got expertise and trust. Two important elements to re-creating the

kind of spy drama my buddies Baron and Vach love. But there’s another element

of spy fi lms and novels that I dig the most, and that’s planning. Watching

Mission: Impossible teaches us that spies spend an inordinate amount of time

planning a mission, but the real drama begins when one little thing goes wrong.

Th at, of course, leads to some other tiny thing going wrong, which leads to

another, and another, and another, until fi nally, you’ve got one huge rolling

Agents and Operations

A Quick aside. Player characters are “agents” or “spies.” The Narrator is “Operations.”


3

snowball of wrong rolling straight toward the

spies. How our protagonists deal with that is why

we read and watch.

In summary, we have three things that make

spy literature so captivating: expertise, trust,

and planning. I want players to feel that these

three elements are the most important elements

in the game. In order to do that, I have to make

mechanics based on those elements. Let’s get

started.

Now that I know what my game is about, it’s

time to think of some mechanics that refl ect

those goals. Let’s take them one step at a time.

Part 2: How Does My Game Do Th at?

Answer: By making everyone James Bond.

Now that I know what my game is about, it’s

time to think of some mechanics that refl ect

those goals. Let’s take them one step at a time.

Making Your Agent

When talking to my buddies, they all said the

same thing: “I wanna be Jason Bourne. I wanna

be James Bond.” Well, in a normal roleplaying

game, James Bond would have to roll his stats

or spend points on them in an eff ort to make

him “balanced” with the other characters. In a

fantasy roleplaying game where the heroes begin

as farmboys and farmgirls and fi ght their way to

become heroes, this could be argued as sensible

(although don’t ask me to do it), but in a spy

game, such a goal is counter-intuitive to the end

goal of making characters that emulate spies from

our favorite movies and books.

Guys like James Bond and Jason Bourne have

top scores in every stat. If we were playing a

game... oh, let’s say that used a d20 for all its task

resolution, there’s no way Jason Bourne has got

anything less than an 18 in every stat. In fact, he’s

probably got twenties. I mean, pick a stat and try

to justify a “game balance” that gives Bond less

than an 18 in that stat. Go on. I dare you.

My buddy Jess Heinig once said something

that really inspired me. “I want to design a

game that rewards players for their choices, not

punish them.” He did it (with his amazing Dying

Kingdoms LARP) and inspired me to try it here.

So, instead of having a system that punishes

players for their choices, I decided to have a

system that rewards them. Also, if you want to

be Jason Bourne, you can be. Bourne can do

anything, but he’s not the best at everything.

If you’re Bourne, you may have to work a

little harder in areas that aren’t in your area of

expertise.

ExpertiseSo, instead of stats, we’ve got Expertise. Each

and every spy has each Expertise, but each spy

is the best at one of them. In this game, there

are fi ve kinds of Expertise. Th ey aren’t based on

physical or mental abilities, but on the method

a spy uses to get the job done. And rather than

using boring old adjectives, lets use words that

sound more like code names.

The FixerTh is is the guy who uses technology to get what

he needs.

The GrifterTh is is the guy who lies to get what he needs.

The GunmanTh is is the guy who kills people with guns to

get what he needs.

The HeavyTh is is the guy who uses his muscles to get what

he needs.

The ShadeTh is is the guy who stays in the dark and steals

what he needs.


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Thirty-Five PointsSo, let’s make your agent. First, your agent has

a 1 in each Expertise. Next, you get thirty-fi ve

points to put toward making your Agent better.

Here’s the trick: getting the fi rst rank is free,

but the second is really expensive. Getting more

ranks is cheaper. Th is means it’s easy to specialize

in one Expertise, but it’s really hard to be good at

everything. Th e costs break down like this:

Expertise Cost

1 Free

2 4

3 3 (7)

4 2 (9)

5 1 (10)

Any left over points you have are lost.

For Example...I want my spy to be an expert in gunplay

and charm. Th erefore, I use my points like

this…

• Fixer: 2 (four points)

• Grifter: 4 (nine points)

• Gunman: 5 (ten points)

• Heavy: 2 (four points)

• Shade: 3 (seven points)

Th at’s a total of 34 points. One short of my

limit. I don’t get to do anything with that

extra point; it fades away.

Using ExpertiseWhen on a Mission, if you want

your agent to do something risky, roll a

number of dice equal to your character’s

most appropriate Expertise.

Trying to do something sneaky? Use

your Shade Expertise. If that’s 3, you

get to roll three dice.

Trying to shoot someone? Use

your Gunman Expertise. If that’s 4,

you get to roll four dice.

I’ll tell you how to interpret the outcome of

the roll in a moment. But before we get that far,

let’s talk about Th e Mission.

Mission: Planning

My favorite part of any spy novel or heist

movie is the planning. Watch Mission:

Impossible or read one of Richard Stark’s Parker

novels. Th ey are obsessed with planning. At least

half the show or book is planning. Of course,

the rest of the book or show is what the agents/

crooks do when the plan goes wrong.

So, how do you make planning an important

and vital part of the game? Easy! You make a

mechanic out of it!

Step 1: The Premise

Every game session begins with Operations

(that’s the GM) giving the players a goal. Th is

could be to extract an important hostage, fi nd

and eliminate a mole, or even seize the assets

of a terrorist org overseas. Operations presents

the scenario... and then the players make up the

details.

In most spy fi ction, the agents do all the

footwork before they go into the mission. Th at

means research: fi nding out everything they

need to know before they take a single step. Th is

is an important part of spy fi ction, so let’s make

it an important part of our spy game.

Operations comes up with the premise and

only the premise. He tells the players, “Get the

UN Ambassador out of Saudi Arabia,” or “Rob

a race horse track.” Once that’s on the table, our

players spend some time considering how they’re

going to do that.

For Example…As Operations, I think of a goal for my players.

I don’t have to think too hard about it because


5

they are going to be the ones adding all the

details. All I need is something simple. Th ey’ll

provide the complications. And if they don’t

provide enough complications, I’ll throw some

of my own in later as well.

So, for this sample Mission, I’ll tell them, “Th e

President’s daughter has been kidnapped by

terrorists.”

Th at’s all I need. Now, let’s see what happens

next…

Step 2: The PlanTh e players then spend time planning on how

they’re going to complete their assigned goal.

Th ey start planning… right down to the last

detail.

Th e players tell Operations about the terrorist

organization that’s holding the hostage, where

the terrorist are keeping the hostage, the men

heading up that organization, all the details, all

the problems, all the entry points, all the exit

points... the players tell Operations everything.

In order to add a detail to the Mission, a

player must provide a source for that detail.

He could say, “Witnesses on the scene say…”

or “Keyhole photographs from satellite…” or

“Aft er interrogators questioned his wife…” or

anything else that may provide the agents with

the information they need.

For Example…Aft er giving my players the goal (rescue the

President’s daughter from terrorists), I let them

come up with the Mission details.

For each detail, I insist they tell me where and

how they got that information.

Th e more complicated a detail is, the more

Mission Points it is worth. In other words, the

more diffi cult the players make the mission, the

more they’re rewarded for it.

Like rolling your Expertise, I’ll explain how

these work in just a moment. In fact, I’ll do it in

the very next section.

Step 3: Team Leader

Finally, the Team selects a Team Leader. Th is

is the Agent who has the most capable skill set

for the mission. Th e Leader gains a very special

benefi t.

Th e Team Leader can perform an assist action.

If a fellow Agent has failed to gain any successes

on a roll, and the Team Leader is with him,

the Team Leader can spend a Mission

Point and roll his own Expertise. Th e

Leader’s roll replaces the Agent’s roll. Th e

Leader cannot perform this action if he is

not within sight and speaking distance from

the Agent he wants to assist.

The MissionDuring the Mission, when you have to

roll dice, you can trade Mission Points

to add to your dice pool. Every Mission

Point gives you one

additional die to

roll. You can spend

as many Mission

Points you want

on a roll, but every

Mission Point you

take from the pool

is a Mission Point

you cannot use later.

Whenever you take

a Mission Point

from the pool, you

can’t use it again.

So, be careful with

your Mission Points.

Once you use them,

they’re gone.

How Many Mission Points do I Get?

How many MPs do I

get for each detail? I’m

assuming 1:1.

Th e usual ratio is 1:1,

but if Operations feels a

detail is particularly juicy,

adding a dramatic twist

to the plot, he can award

more. Awarding 2 Mission

Points per detail should

be rare and awarding 3

should only occur once per

Mission at most.


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Using ExpertiseNow, here’s where Expertise comes into play.

When you spend a Mission Point on an

action, you add it to your Area of Expertise for

the number of dice you roll. For example, if you

want to shoot someone, you use your Gunman

Expertise. Let’s say your Gunman Expertise is 3.

If you spend one MP, you roll four dice. If you

spend two MPs, you roll fi ve

dice. Th e more dice you roll, the

more narrative control you have

over action.

Th is encourages players to

utilize their Agents’ strengths

rather than their weaknesses,

but still does not cripple them.

If you are the shooter and

you need to talk, you can still

roll a ton of dice, but it costs

you more to do it. Th is way,

everybody has a 20 in all their

stats, but it’s just a little tougher

for some guys to do things they

aren’t used to.

If you need to take a risk but

have no Mission Points, roll a

number of dice equal to your

Expertise.

Experts and Special Effects

On your team, whoever has

the highest level of Expertise is

considered the Expert in that

fi eld. In other words, if your spy has the highest

Gunman, he’s considered the Gunman of the

squad. If two or more agents have the same

expertise, they are both considered Experts.

Once per game, an Expert can trigger an

Expertise “special eff ect.” Each Expertise gets

one and it can only be triggered once per game.

Th at means, even if you have multiple Hitmen,

the Gunman’s special eff ect can only be triggered

once per game. Triggering these eff ects requires

the use of one Mission Point.

RiskMost roleplaying games say something about

“whenever your character takes an action, roll

dice to see if he succeeds of

fails.” Well, that ain’t what being

a spy is about. Spies don’t “take

actions,” they take risks. With

that in mind, let’s look at the

basic resolution mechanic.

Whenever your agent takes

a risk—an action that puts

the agent or another character

in danger or signifi cantly

infl uences the plot—roll dice.

You roll a number of six-

sided dice equal to the most

appropriate Expertise. Check

the total of your roll with this

table to determine the outcome.

Special EffectsOnce per game, the Fixer

can spend a Mission Point

and have the exact right tool

or weapon he needs.

Once per πgame, the

Grift er can spend a Mission

Point and make anyone

believe anything he wants.

Once per game, the Heavy


and take out up to ten

opponents with hand-to-

hand violence.

Once per game, the

Gunman can spend a

Mission Point and make a

kill without rolling any dice.

Once per game, the Shade


and move through any area

without being detected.


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Roll Outcome

1-5 Operations Narrates

6-10 Operations Narrates with

one Agent Veto

11-15 Agent Narrates with one

Operations Veto

16-20+ Agent Narrates

Narrative Control

Narrative control has become a subject of

obsession for me lately. No reason not to use it

here. Narrative control may sound like a new-

fangled high-falutin’ artsy fartsy wanna-be actor

idea, but it’s actually one of the oldest ideas

in roleplaying. In most roleplaying games, the

Game Master has complete narrative control.

Th e character takes a risk, the player rolls

dice, and the GM says what happens. In this

circumstance, the roll determines who gets to

narrate the outcome.

If the player gets to narrate the risk, he doesn’t

have to make his agent succeed. He can force

his agent to fail instead, but he can control

the outcome. Take Indiana Jones for example.

He jumps across the pit... and he fails. But he

scrambles to fi nd a root vine, pulls himself up,

and rolls through the quickly closing stone

wall. Th e player got to narrate the scene and

he narrated a failure, but he got to control the

failure.

Meanwhile, if Operations gets to narrate the

outcome, he doesn’t necessarily have to force the

agent to fail. He can force the agent to succeed,

but he gets to control the success.

Han Solo trying to con the intercom on the

Death Star...

Ray Stanz and the Staypuft Marshmallow

Man…

Jack Burton and… well, his whole life.

Narrative control, shift ing back and forth

between Operations and the players, allows a

diff erent kind of roleplaying experience.

We do this with two mechanics: Trust and

Time.

Yes, and…Th e resolution chart notes possible results

including getting a “veto.” What kind of

veto does Operations or a player get?

I would say, for the purposes of

challenging the players and making the

game fun, that you should employ the old

improvisational rule of “Yes, but...” or “Yes,

and...”. Th e veto cannot change a fact, but

only modify it. So, if a player is trying to

unlock the door and gets a “Success, but

Veto” result, he says, “Th e door is unlocked.”

Operations then says, “Yes, but it set off a

silent alarm somewhere in the building.”


8

PART 3: WHAT BEHAVIORS DOES MY GAME REWARD?

• Betraying Others, and

• Getting the Job Done Quick

We do this with two mechanics: Trust and Time.

TrustAnother important element of spy literature is trust. In TV shows like Alias, the

protagonists have no clue in whom they can place their trust. Th is, for me, is one of the

pivotal elements of the spy genre and something no spy-themed game has ever addressed

in a real way. So, I did.

In the La Femme Nikita TV show (everybody should see the fi rst season), agents died

left and right, but not because the missions were dangerous (and they were dangerous),

but because Operations (the guy in charge) deliberately kills them. As an Agent in

Section One, you never know when you may be put on “abeyance.” When an agent was

put on abeyance, it meant he was disposable. You never knew.

So, let’s pretend Operations (that’s me) has put one of the Agents on abeyance. I don’t

tell the Agent, but I do tell his team leader. And I tell the team leader not to tell the

Agent. See, the abeyance Agent has been double-dipping: he’s informing the Enemy

about missions. So, what we’re going to do is this: we’re giving him a bomb to set,

but the bomb doesn’t have a fi ve minute timer, it has a twenty second timer. Th e

abeyance agent does not know this. When the bomb goes off , it’s the team leader’s

job to make sure the rest of the team is out of the way. It’s up to him to plan a

mission that gets the Obeyance Operative killed.

Now our unlucky team leader knows the Agent in question is no traitor, but he

does not trust Operations, either. So now he has to fi gure out a way to keep the Agent

alive and clear his name without getting himself on the Bad

Kid List.

Ah, confl ict. How I love thy ways...

When the team leader gives the abeyance agent the

bomb, I give the Team Leader three dice. Th ese are called

“Trust Dice.” (Th e name is ironic.) I give a player

Trust Dice whenever he does something that actively

sabotages another player. Th is does two things. First,

it rewards players for betraying each other. Second,

Betraying Operations

Q: Can I betray

Operations and get Trust

Dice?

A: Yes, you can. You

duplicitous bastard.


9

it informs the other players that the betrayer is

up to something.

I seed mistrust and doubt. Excellent.

Remember: the Team Leader allocates all the

Mission Points to the other players. Th e only

way to get more dice is to actively plot against

your fellow agents.

By the way, for the purposes of Trust Dice,

Operations is considered an agent.

TimeFinally, when it’s time to pull the caper,

we come down to the issue of time.

Time is always an important element

in spy literature, but it’s never really

addressed in games. Th is is my

solution.

(Actually, I have three solutions:

two from me and one from Jess

Heinig. I’m providing both because

I think both of them work well

in diff erent ways. I liked all three

mechanics, so I included all three. Pick

the one you like the most.)

Solution #1For every twenty minutes of real time that

passes, subtract 5 from all the players’ rolls. Th e

longer the Agents take on a mission, the more

diffi cult the mission becomes.

Solution #2For every twenty minutes of real time, the

team gets a point of Setback. At any time

during the game, Operations can spend a point

of Setback, moving his narrative control up by

one notch. If he gets only one veto, he gets full

control; if he gets no control, he gets one veto. If

he has full control, he can do permanent damage

to your agent.

You see, agents never get permanent damage.

Well, almost never. Bond does have a dueling

scar aft er all. And he did lose his wife to a

sniper... on their wedding day, no less. I’d count

that as “permanent damage.” In other words, if

Operations spends a point of Setback when he

has full narrative control, he can permanently

scar your agent.

Solution #3When I told this mechanic to Jess Heinig, he

suggested a slightly diff erent Time Mechanic:

for every twenty minutes of time that passes,

every player loses one Mission Point. (You can

also do it so that one player loses a Mission

Point. It’s up to you.) Th is also represents the

fact that as the mission goes on, complications

make even simple things diffi cult.


10

PART 4: WHY IS THAT FUN?

Finally, let’s ask my question. Why is this fun?

Well, spies are fun. Not knowing the outcome of a die roll and improvising around

the result is fun. And, frankly, being James Bond is fun. You get the car, the gadgets, the

danger, the exotic travel, and the Bond Girl. Or, if you prefer, the Bond Guy. We don’t

discriminate.

Here, at the end, you have everything you need to play a fast-paced spy game.

Everything else is just details. Now, you need to actually read those James Bond and

Jason Bourne novels. Go watch La Femme Nikita, Alias, Th e Saint, Th e Avengers, and

Mission: Impossible (the show, not the movie).

It has been brought to my attention that this little ditty would make for a fi ne caper

game. Th e same rules apply. You’ve got a team of capable folks, a mission (in this case,

a criminal one), planning, timing and complications. And betrayal. Let’s not forget

betrayal.

It hadn’t escaped my notice. Being a fan of Richard Stark’s Parker novels, I knew

exactly what I was doing, but I try to follow a simple rule: “Make a game that does one

thing and does it better than anything else.” So, a caper game will follow, but not now. A

little later.

Now go on out and get your spy on.

MISSION PREP

Step One: AssignmentOperations (GM) gives the agents a one sentence mission. “Find the kidnapped

hostages,” “Assassinate the rogue general,” “Bring back the stolen gold,” etc.

Step Two: PlanningTh e agents (players) go through all the steps of doing the mission. Th ey come up with

the obstacles and advantages they’ll need. Operations rewards them with Mission Points.

Th e more diffi cult the players make the mission for their agents, the more Operations

rewards their eff orts.


11

Step Three: Allocation

Th e team leader (the agent with the highest

Saturn rating) allocates the Mission Dice to

himself and the other players. Each player also

gets a number of bonus Mission Dice equal to

the Saturn AOE of the team leader. Th e team

leader himself does not get this bonus.

Step Four: Th e Mission

Th e agents carry out the mission. Whenever

an agent takes a risk, he rolls a number of dice

equal to his appropriate Expertise plus one die

per Mission Point he spends.

Once per game, the Expert of a particular

AOE may spend a Mission Point for a specifi c

special eff ect.

OLYMPUS 7Olympus 7 is a covert organization for use

with Wilderness of Mirrors. It is not a friendly

place.

Olympus gets it’s funding from various

government intelligence organizations. Th e

CIA, MI6, NSB, G2 and others secretly support

Olympus 7 for the sole purpose of sharing

information, manpower and resources. At least,

that’s what Olympus 7 tells its sponsors. But

it has a special branch, a secret branch that

operates without the knowledge of its sponsors.

And that’s the branch your agents work for.

HistoryOlympus 7 began aft er the fall of the Berlin

Wall. High-ranking members of various

intelligence organizations—in an unprecedented

display of trust—agreed to meet to discuss the

future. No notes were taken, no record

made of the meeting. All that is known

is this: they arranged for an independent

organization that could accomplish

what their own governments would

not allow.

Th e head of Olympus 7, a man

so secret nobody even knows

his name, organizes intelligence

and manpower between the

various agencies. He arranged for

assassinations, rescues and other

black ops. Operations Presidents

and Senates and governments

forbid, Olympus 7 carried out

with ruthless effi ciency.

O7 handles its operations with

care and cunning. Agents from all

across the globe are recruited for

one mission and then sent back

home. Sometimes, agents don’t even

know who they were working for. O7

teams commonly consist of agents

from diff erent agencies. A recent rescue

mission was built from ABIN (Brazil),

CIA (US), EGID (Egypt) and Mossad

(Israel). O7 selects agents based on

their skills, knowledge and contacts. It

expects the agents to work together

and keep their mouths shut. Agents

who break their silence are commonly

found dead… or never found at all.

Secret HistoryBut there’s one part of Olympus 7 even its

founders don’t know about. A secret division of

agents that carry out missions that further the

goals of Olympus 7 and not its patrons. It is a

division called “Hades.” And only one person

controls it.

Here’s how it works. You’re an agent from

an intelligence agency working for O7 on


12

a standard mission. However, during the mission, O7 fakes your death and reports

your demise back to your parent organization. Th en, they bring you in to Hades. Th ey

reinvent you. New life, new friends, new face. And they warn you that disobedience will

cause painful suff ering and eventual death to any loved ones you might have.

Congratulations. You are a Hades Agent.

Life as a Hades AgentYou don’t know when you are being watched, so assume you are under constant

surveillance. You’ve heard rumors that they put a chemical in your bloodstream that

makes you obedient. You’ve also heard they put a radiation tablet inside you that lets

them track wherever you go.

When you are assigned to a mission, you never know if you’re coming back. All

missions are suicide missions. If you survive, that’s a bonus. Th ey don’t expect you

to survive. But they also expect you to try to run. You’ve seen Hades agents

make a break for it. Th ey all fail. Th ey get caught or they get killed.

And the missions make no sense. Sometimes you fi ght terrorist cells and

sometimes you aid them against others. It seems as if Hades has an agenda

so complex, it’s like trying to make seven diff erent jigsaw puzzles fi t.

INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES FROM AROUND THE WORLDArgentinaCoordinación de Informaciones de Estado (CIDE)

AustraliaAustralian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO)

Australian Army Intelligence Corps (AUSTINT)

Australian Federal Police Intelligence (AFP)

Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO)

Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO)

Defence Signals Directorate (DSD)

Offi ce of National Assessments (ONA)


13

BangladeshDirectorate General of Forces Intelligence

(DGFI)

National Security Intelligence (NSI)

BelgiumStaatsveiligheid / Sûreté de l’État (SV/SE)

State Security Service

BrazilAgência Brasileira de Inteligência (ABIN)

Brazilian Intelligence Agency

CanadaCanadian Security Intelligence Service /

Service Canadien du renseignement de

sécurité (CSIS/SCRS)

Communications Security Establishment

(CSE)

Canadian Forces Intelligence Branch

ChileAgencia Nacional de Inteligencia (ANI)

National Intelligence Agency

People’s Republic of ChinaMinistry of State Security (MSS)

ColombiaDepartamento Administrativo de Seguridad

(DAS) Administrative Department of Security

(of Colombia)

CubaDirección General de Inteligencia (DGI)

General Directorate of Intelligence

Czech RepublicBezpečnostní informační služba (BIS)

Security Information Service

Úřad pro zahraniční styky a informace (ÚZSI)

Offi ce for Foreign Relations and Information

Vojenské zpravodajství (VZ)

Military Intelligence

DenmarkPolitiets Eft erretningstjeneste (PET)

Danish Security and Intelligence Service

Forsvarets Eft erretningstjeneste (FE)

Danish Defence Intelligence Service

EgyptAl-Mukhabarat al-’Ammah

Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate

Mabahith Amn al-Dawla al-’Ulya

State Security Investigation Bureau

Al-Mukhabarat al-Harbeya (Military

Intelligence)

FinlandSuojelupoliisi (SUPO)

Security Intelligence Service

FranceDirection Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure

(DGSE) General Directorate of External Security

Direction Centrale du Renseignement

Intérieur (DCRI)

Central Directorate of Interior Intelligence

GermanyBundesnachrichtendienst (BND)

Federal Intelligence Service

Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (Bf V)

Federal Offi ce for the Protection of the

Constitution

Militärischer Abschirmdienst (MAD)

Military Counterintelligence Service

GreeceEthniki Ypiresia Pliroforion (NIS)

Hellenic National Intelligence Service

IndiaCentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA)

Intelligence Bureau (IB)

National Investigation Agency (NIA)

Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)


14

IndonesiaBadan Intelijen Negara (BIN)

IranMinistry of Intelligence and National Security

(VEVAK)

NAJA

Intelligence and security organization of

Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (SASA)

SAVAK Defunct secret police,replacement by

VEVAK

IrelandG2 Army Intelligence (G2)

Garda National Surveillance Unit (NSU)

Irish Secret Service (ISS)

Israelha-Mossad le-Modiin u-le-Tafk idim

Myukhadim (Mossad)

Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations

Shirut Bitahon Klali (ISA)

Israel Security Agency

Aman

Military Intelligence Directorate

ItalyAgenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Interna

(AISI)

Agency for Internal Information and Security

Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna

(AISE) Agency for External Information and

Security

JordanDairat al-Mukhabarat al-Ammah

LithuaniaValstybės Saugumo Departamentas (VSD)

State Security Department

Antrasis operatyvinių tarnybų departamentas

prie Krašto apsaugos ministerijos (AOTD)

II-nd Investigation Department

MalaysiaKor Risik DiRaja Royal Intelligence Corps

Malaysian Special Branch of the Royal

Malaysian Police

National Security Council (Malaysia)

National Security Division (BKN)

Defence Staff Intelligence Division

Public Safety & Security Division

MexicoCentro de Investigación y Seguridad Nacional

(CISEN)

National Security and Investigation Center

Agencia Federal de Investigacion (AFI)

Federal Investigation Agency

MoroccoDirection de la Surveillance du Territoire

(DST) Directorate of Territorial Surveillance

Direction Generale des Etudes et la

Documentation (DGED)

NetherlandsAlgemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst

(AIVD) General Intelligence and Security Service

Militaire Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst

(MIVD) Military Intelligence and Security

Service

Nationaal Coördinator Terrorismebestrijding

(NCTb) Domestic Counter-Terrorist Unit‘Fiscale inlichtingen- en opsporingsdienst

(FOID-ECD) Fiscal Information and

Investigation Service

New ZealandNew Zealand Security Intelligence Service

(NZSIS)

Government Communications Security

Bureau (GCSB)

NorwayNational Security Authority (NSM)

Norwegian Police Security Service (PST)

Norwegian Intelligence Service (E-tjenesten)

PakistanInter-Services Intelligence (ISI)


15

Military Intelligence (MI)

Intelligence Bureau (IB)

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)

Criminal Investigation Department (CID)

PhilippinesOffi ce of the President

National Intelligence Coordinating Agency

(NICA)

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)

Presidential Security Group - Presidential

Intelligence Company (PSG-PIC)

Department of National Defense

Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of

the Philippines (ISAFP)

‘’’Philippine Air force’’’ - 300th Air

Intelligence and Security Squadron (300TH

AISG)

Philippine Army - Intelligence Security Group

(PA-ISG)

Philippine Navy - Naval Intelligence and

Security Force (PN-NISF)

Department of Justice

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)

Department of Interior and Local

Government

Philippine National Police - Intelligence

Group (PNP-IG)

Department of Finance

Bureau of Customs - Intelligence Group

(BOC-IG)

Bureau of Internal Revenue - National

Investigation Division (BIR-NID)

Department of Transportation and

Communications

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines -

Security and Intelligence Service (CAAP-SIS)

Land Transportation Offi ce - Intelligence and

Investigation Division (LTO-IID)

Philippine Coast Guard - Intelligence,

Security and Law Enforcement (PCG-ISLE)

PolandAgencja Wywiadu (AW)

Foreign Intelligence Agency

Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego

(ABW) Internal Security Agency

Służba Wywiadu Wojskowego (SWW)

Military Intelligence Service

Służba Kontrwywiadu Wojskowego (SKW)

Military Counterintelligence Service

PortugalServiço de Informações de Segurança (SIS) –

Security Intelligence Service

Serviço de Informações Estratégicas de Defesa

(SIED) Strategic Defense Intelligence Service

Sistema de Informações da República

Portuguesa (SIRP)

Intelligence System of the Portuguese Republic

RomaniaServiciul Roman de Informatii (SRI)

Romanian Information Service

Russian FederationFederalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti (FSB)

Federal Security Service

Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie

Genshtaba (GRU) Main Intelligence

Directorate of General Staff

Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (SVR)

Foreign Intelligence Service

Saudi ArabiaAl Mukhabarat Al A’amah

General Intelligence Directorate

SerbiaBezbednosno Informativna Agencija (BIA)

Security Informative Agency

Vojnoobavestajna agencija (VOA)

Military Intelligence Agency

SingaporeSecurity and Intelligence Division (SID)

Internal Security Department (ISD)


16

SlovakiaSlovenská informačná služba (SIS)

Slovak Information Service

Vojenská spravodajská služba (VSS)

Military Intelligence Service

South AfricaNational Intelligence Agency (NIA)

South African Secret Service (SASS)

South KoreaNational Intelligence Service (NIS)

SpainCentro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI)

National Intelligence Centre

SwedenKontoret för särskild inhämtning (KSI)

Offi ce for Special Acquisition

Underrättelsekon-toret (UNDK)

Intelligence Offi ce

Republic of China (Taiwan)National Security Bureau (NSB)

Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau

(MJIB)

Bureau of Military Intelligence

TurkeyMilli İstihbarat Teşkilatı (MİT)

National Intelligence Organization

UkraineHolovne Upravlinnya Rozvidky (HUR)

Central Intelligence Directorate

Sluzhba Bezpeky Ukrayiny (SBU)

Security Service of Ukraine

Sluzhba Zovnishnioyi Rozvidky Ukrayiny

(SZR or SZRU)

Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine

United KingdomDefence Intelligence

Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6)

Special Branch

Security Service (colloquially MI5)

Government Communications Headquarters

(GCHQ)

United StatesIndependent agencies

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

United States Department of Defense

Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and

Reconnaissance Agency (AFISRA)

United States Army Intelligence and Security

Command (MI)

Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)

Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA)

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

(NGA)

National Reconnaissance Offi ce (NRO)

National Security Agency (NSA)

Offi ce of Naval Intelligence (ONI)

United States Department of Energy

Offi ce of Intelligence and Counterintelligence

(OICI)

United States Department of Homeland

Security

Offi ce of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A)

Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS)

United States Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

United States Department of State

Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)

United States Department of the Treasury

Offi ce of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence

VietnamTổng cục 2 (TC2)


Code Name:______________________________________________________

Name:___________________________________________________________

Agency:__________________________________________________________

Age:__________________________ Sex: _____________________________

Weight: _______________________ Height: __________________________

Hair Color:____________________ Eye Color: _______________________

Handedness:___________________

TOP SECRETWilderness of Mirrors 002 Character Sheet

___ The Fixer

___ The Grifter

___ The Gunman

___ The Heavy

___ The Shade

Expertise

Team Leader

Expert

Agent

The Mission

The Premise: _____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

The PlanSource: _______________________ Detail:___________________________

________________________________________________________________

Source: _______________________ Detail:___________________________

________________________________________________________________

Source: _______________________ Detail:___________________________

________________________________________________________________

Source: _______________________ Detail:___________________________

________________________________________________________________

Source: _______________________ Detail:___________________________

________________________________________________________________

Source: _______________________ Detail:___________________________

________________________________________________________________

Source: _______________________ Detail:___________________________

________________________________________________________________

Source: _______________________ Detail:___________________________

________________________________________________________________

_____________________________

Special Effect: _________________

_____________________________


Documents

Wilderness of Mirrors 2nd Edition